Appetite for Reduction (7 page)

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Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz

BOOK: Appetite for Reduction
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Pulse two cloves of garlic, the chives, and the parsley in a food processor just to chop everything up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides a few times. Now you should adjust it to your liking. See if it needs more salt and garlic, and thin the dressing with a tablespoon or two of water, if needed. Note that it will thicken a bit as it’s refrigerated, so if it appears thin, don’t worry!
Transfer to a tightly sealed container and chill until ready to serve.
NOTE
This salad doesn’t call for the entire recipe of the goddess dressing; reserve the rest for sandwiches the next day.
Sanctuary Chef Salad
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR (TO ALLOW THINGS TO COOL DOWN)
PER SERVING
(¼ CUP):
Calories: 190
Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 25 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 12 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 930 mg
Vitamin A: 230%
Vitamin C: 140%
Calcium: 20%
Iron: 20%
T
his is the kind of salad that deserves to be eaten in the biggest bowl you’ve got. Lots of pretty veggies are just bursting with color, and this contains all the chef’s favorite meats: eggplant bacon, baked tofu, and roasted cauliflower. Don’t expect to be hungry for a few hours after eating this big boy. Make some components in advance, bake the tofu and roast the cauliflower at the same time, and it’s smooth sailing (or, cheffing) from there. If you can’t find sunflower sprouts, broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts will work, too.
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
½ recipe
Herb-Roasted Cauliflower,
cooled (page 108)
1 recipe
Eggplant Bacon
(page 42)
½ recipe
Basic Baked Tofu
, cooled, cut into bite-size pieces
(page 144)
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 cup sunflower sprouts
1½ cups cherry tomatoes
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and shredded
½ recipe
Sanctuary Dressing
(recipe follows)
Basically, just toss everything together, or arrange however you prefer.
Sanctuary Dressing
SERVES 8 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(SCANTY ¼ CUP):
Calories: 40
Calories from fat: 25
Total fat: 2.5 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 2 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: <1 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 130 mg
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 0%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 2%
B
ecause ranches are not nice places for cows, I give you Sanctuary Dressing. I fussed with this recipe a lot, trying to achieve something rich and creamy, the stuff you wannajust drink from the bottle, without having a gazillion grams of fat. The litmus test is, “Do I lick it off the spatula and am I reluctant to put the food processor in the sink until I have gotten every last bit?” A resolute yes!
12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu (the vacuum-packed kind, such
as Mori-Nu), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons reduced-fat vegan mayonaisse
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion flakes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup lightly packed fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
First we’re going to blanch the tofu, but don’t be deterred by a little stovetop action. It will take only a few minutes and you can gather everything else while the water is coming to a boil. This step is important because it takes away the “beany” taste associated with blended tofu.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, just enough to submerge the tofu in. When boiling, add the tofu and cover. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run under cold water for 30 seconds or so, just to cool it down a bit.
NOTE
This dressing is thick, and it thickens even more as it chills. If you prefer a thinner dressing, just dilute with tablespoonfuls of unsweetened nondairy milk. You may have to adjust the seasonings a bit so that the flavor is not diluted, but that shouldn’t be a big deal.
In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, mayo, and water. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the dill if you’re using fresh, and blend until smooth. Taste for salt. Add the fresh dill and pulse until it’s just tiny flecks of green in the dressing.
Transfer the dressing to a container, cover tightly, and chill until ready to use. It tastes even better after it’s chilled a few hours. Keeps well for about 3 days.
INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT
A few words about the ingredients: If reduced-fat Vegenaise is not available to you, you can use full-fat vegan mayo; just try 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon at first and see if that does the trick for you. It’s diluted enough in this dressing that even if you need 2 tablespoons, it should still fit into your food budget. I even tried it with I tablespoon of grapeseed oil instead, and it was good, but the Vegenaise makes it great. As for the broth powder, it really does great things for the texture so I decided to use it. Some brands I like are Vogue VegeBase and Frontier veg broth or nonchicken broth powder.
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans & Toasted Cumin Seeds
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES IF QUINOA IS PREPPED, OTHERWISE 45 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 230
Calories from fat: 30
Total fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Fiber: 11 g
Protein: 12 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 110 mg
Vitamin A: 15%
Vitamin C: 30%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 20%
I
can’t get enough of quinoa salad during the summer. As I keep mentioning, when you have cooked quinoa in the fridge to use as your heart desires, that makes throwing together salads like this a snap. The toasted cumin seeds bring a delicate smokiness to the salad, and the flavor seeps into the tomatoes and flavors everything. As with most grain salads, the longer you let it sit, the more the flavor will develop, making this salad an “even better the next day” kind of thing. Use red quinoa for the prettiest results.
2 cups cooked quinoa (page 76 )
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 cup finely diced plum tomatoes (about 4)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 to 4 limes)
2 teaspoons light agave nectar
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup finely chopped scallions
Mixed greens, for serving
TIPS
●
For a fun presentation, pack a teacup with salad. Gently turn over the cup onto the plate and lift to unmold. Marvel at the fanciness.
● Toasting cumin seeds is a wonderful way to bring out their deep, smoky flavor. Once you try this method you might fall in love and find yourself adding toasted cumin seeds to soups, chilis, and everything but your morning coffee
.
Place the quinoa in a large mixing bowl, if it isn’t already cooling in one.
To toast the cumin seeds, preheat an 8-inch pan over low heat. Place the cumin seeds in the dry pan and toss often for about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl.
Add the tomatoes, lime juice, agave, and grapeseed oil to the mixing bowl and mix well. When the quinoa has cooled, mix it in. Fold in the beans and scallions. Taste for salt. You can serve immediately or let sit for a bit for the flavors to meld. Serve over the greens.
Pad Thai Salad
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 210
Calories from fat: 90
Total fat: 9.5 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 26 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 10 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 570 mg
Vitamin A: 220%
Vitamin C: 80%
Calcium: 15%
Iron: 15%
Y
ou could eat Pad Thai for dinner every night of the week, and it would be delicious but way too greasy! This salad borrows all of the Pad Thai flavors—sweet, sour, hot and salty—and gives you something to satisfy the Pad Thai urge that you actually
could
eat every night of the week. If you’d like to bulk it up,
Red Thai Tofu
(page 149) makes a natural choice.
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 cups bean sprouts
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and grated
1 recipe
Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing
(recipe follows)
¼ cup roasted peanuts
½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro (stem and leaves)
Lime wedges, for serving
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuce, sprouts, red onion, and carrot. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Distribute the salad among four bowls. There will be dressing left over because it is fairly thin; distribute the remaining dressing among the bowls. Garnish with the roasted peanuts and cilantro, and serve with the lime wedges.

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