Appetite for Reduction (34 page)

Put a big pot of water on to boil for the noodles. In the meantime, prep all your veggies.

Preheat another4-quart pot over medium high heat. Place 2 tablespoons of curry paste in the pot and mix in the onion and peppers. Saute for about 2 minutes. Use a little nonstick cooking spray if it seems to be sticking excessively. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the bok choy stems, water, soy sauce, and salt, and bring to a slow rolling boil (no need to cover). Add the tofu and cook for 10 more minutes.

At this point, your water for the noodles is probably boiling, so cook the noodles. They should be done in 5 minutes; drain and set aside.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice, and agave to the curry and mix, being gentle so as not to break the tofu. Taste for salt and spice. You may want to add up to another tablespoon of curry paste, depending on the strength of the brand you used.

To assemble, divide the bok choy leaves and place them in individual bowls. Use a pasta spoon to scoop the noodles. Ladle lots of curry in and garnish with a big old pile of cilantro and extra lime wedges.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF FETTUCCINE)

M
ushroom lovers rejoice! This pasta is nothing but slurp-worthy, creamy, earthy, mushroomy goodness. There’s a little cheat in here to get things moving along with minimal effort, and that is a box of creamy portobello soup. But, you know, think of it more as a vegetable broth kind of help along. There are a few brands that make a vegan soup like this; I used imagine brand.

8 ounces whole wheat fettuccine
1 teaspoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoons dried thyme
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups creamy portobello soup
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup thinly sliced green onions

Bring a covered pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil for about a minute, being careful not to burn it. Add the mushrooms to the pan, along with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Sauté for about 5 minutes until a lot of moisture has released.

Add the white wine and turn up the heat to bring it to a boil. Let the liquid reduce by about half, which will take 5 minutes or so.

In the meantime, pour the soup into a measuring cup and stir in the cornstarch vigorously, until pretty well dissolved. Add this mixture to
the pan, lower the heat to medium, and let it thicken for about 5 more minutes. Your pasta should be cooking by now, too.

Once thickened, turn off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the pan. Stir well and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavors. Taste for salt and seasonings.

To serve, transfer the mushroom fettuccine to bowls and top with sliced green onions.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 1 HOUR

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE; GF CRACKERS IN PLACE OF BREAD CRUMBS; AND GF SPACHETTI)

T
hey say that black-eyed peas bring you luck when eaten on New Year’s Day, and New Year’s is also the time of year many people go vegan, so not only will you be lucky, so will the animals! I love a couple of big meatballs over supersaucy and slurpy spaghetti. This version pays homage to Louisiana with some Cajun spices, hot sauce, and a smattering of scallions. Make sure to bulk up your pasta with some veggies (see page 164 for ideas). In this recipe we use zucchini, but you can use any veggies you like, or use one of the veggieful marinara options (page 194).

1 recipe
Spicy Cajun Marinara
(page 195)
12 Black-Eyed Pea and Tempeh Beanballs (recipe follows)
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups zucchini, cut into thin half-moons
1 cup thinly sliced scallions

I realize there are a lot of recipes within a recipe here, so let me just tell you how to get this done quickly and efficiently. Prepare the marinara first. Once you’ve got that going, start the meatballs. When the meatballs are in the oven, start the water for the pasta.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the zucchini to the pot.

Drain the pasta and zucchini, then add them back to the pot. Pour in the marinara sauce and mix well. Toss in the beanballs to coat. Transfer to individual bowls and top with three beanballs each. Scatter the scallions over the top. Serve!

MAKES 20 BEANBALLS, 3 PER SERVING • ACTIVETIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 45 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE AND GF CRACKERS IN PLACE OF BREAD CRUMBS)

T
his recipe makes twenty beanballs, so that once you’ve eaten them on your spaghetti, you’ll have a few left over to do what you please with. Try them in a wrap or on top of a salad.

12 ounces tempeh
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon salt

First, prepare a steamer to steam the tempeh. Once the steamer is ready, break the tempeh into bite-size pieces and steam for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork or mini potato masher or avocado masher to mash the beans. They should be well mashed, with no whole beans left, but not completely smooth like a puree. Use a Microplane grater to grate in the garlic (if you don’t have one, just mince it really well). Add the herbs and spices, soy sauce, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar, and mix well.

When the tempeh is ready, add it to the mixture and mash well. It’s good if it’s still steaming hot because that will help all the flavors meld before baking. When the mixture is cool enough to handle (a few minutes), add the bread crumbs and salt. Taste for salt (the batter may be a bit bitter; it will mellow out when baked).

Using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per ball, roll the mixture into walnut-size balls, placing them on the baking pan. Spray with an ample amount of nonstick cooking spray and cover loosely with tinfoil. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the balls, and bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered.

MAKES 4 CUPS, SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES •TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES