B00AG0VMTC EBOK (25 page)

By Jane Esselstyn

This recipe is a hunter-and-gatherer blast. It uses up bits of fresh things you may have handy and will push you to combine things you don’t always eat together. A clue to its name: Remember the grade-school anagram for the rainbow,
ROY G. BIV
? Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet! Ask your family or guests to name the foods that match each color of the rainbow.

2 cups quinoa, cooked

Red = ¼ cup seedless red grapes (or more if you prefer), halved

Orange = ¼ cup sliced carrot rounds

Orange = 6 dried apricots, chopped

Yellow = 1 fresh mango, cut into small cubes

Green = 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes

Green = 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Green = 3 celery stalks, finely chopped

Blue = ¼ cup fresh blueberries (or more if you prefer)

Violet = purple onion, finely chopped

Violet = ¼ cup currants or raisins (raisins, of course, were purple grapes in their previous life)

Balsamic glaze, preferably Isola Classic Cream of Balsamic, or similar brand

¼ cup crushed raw cashews, toasted (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with the colorful fruit and veggies. Serve on its own, or on a bed of arugula or baby greens.

Just before serving, drizzle with the balsamic glaze and sprinkle the cashews, if using, over the top.

By Maria Steiner

No need to have meat or fake meat at your next BBQ. Grab a few of those beautiful mangoes and join the fun. If you don’t have a mango, use pineapple!

2 cups brown rice, cooked

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of 1 lime

¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

½ cup chopped red onion

Pinch of ground cumin

Cook brown rice as directed. Grill the mango slices over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes on each side—they are best when tender but not mushy.

Remove the mango slices from the grill and chop into cubes. Transfer the mango to a mixing bowl and add the beans, garlic, pepper, pepper flakes, lime juice, cilantro, salt, jalapeño, red onion, and cumin. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Serve atop the brown rice.

By Jane Esselstyn

Every summer, all the Esselstyns converge at our family farm in New York state to rally around Ann’s birthday in July. Typically there are eighteen of us working, swimming, biking, running, and playing all day long. By dinnertime, we are all famished. So that each one of us knows which night we are responsible for making dinner or doing the dishes (yuck), Jane makes a chart that hangs on the refrigerator door pairing family members with these chores. Every meal is outstanding, but the one we most look forward to is the one when Jane makes enough nori rolls for a small army and we successfully polish off each and every one!

2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked (this tends to be a stickier rice)

2 tablespoons brown-rice vinegar, if needed

1 package nori sheets (usually contains 7 to 10 sheets)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin strips

2 scallions, cut lengthwise into strips

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips

2 long carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into long, thin strips

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut lengthwise into thin slices

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into strips

2 stalks bok choy, cut lengthwise into long strips

Wasabi powder

1 jar pickled ginger

½ cup low-sodium tamari sauce

Put the rice in a large bowl and stir. If the rice is not sticky, stir in brown-rice vinegar until the texture becomes sticky.

Place 1 sheet of nori flat on a dry surface. Spread about ½ cup or less of the rice on one-half of the flat sheet (like covering half of a tennis court). Place the vegetables of your choice horizontally in the middle of the flattened rice. Using both hands, and starting from the rice end, start rolling up the sheet. Carefully cover the vegetables and keep rolling. It will stick especially well if the rice is still a little warm. If your nori does not stick, try wetting it a little at the non-rice-covered end. Slice each roll with a sharp knife in ½-inch, medallion-style pieces.

Make the desired amount of wasabi paste by adding water to the wasabi powder as directed.

Serve nori pieces with little dishes of pickled ginger, wasabi, and low-sodium tamari to taste. Eat these just as they are, or dip in one or all of the little dishes.

Variation:
Nori Noir! Try using black rice instead of brown for a sensational visual experience. The dark rounds look stunning with bright vegetables highlighting their centers!

By Rachael Laing

Many of us love veggie sushi but can’t be bothered taking the time to make the rolls. This dish is equally delicious. Make a buffet of ingredients and let your guests pile their bowls high with wonderful vegetables.

2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked

1 cup grated carrot

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced

4 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled

1 jar pickled ginger

4 nori sheets, or more if desired, cut into bite-size squares

Seasoned rice wine vinegar

Low-sodium tamari sauce

Wasabi powder

Optional
:
sautéed portobello mushrooms, bean sprouts, lightly cooked broccoli, grated daikon radish, or snow peas

Place the rice in individual bowls. Top with the grated carrot, cucumber, avocado, spinach, edamame, ginger, nori, and other desired vegetables. Drizzle on the rice vinegar, low-sodium tamari, and wasabi (made from the powder with water as directed) to taste. Serve.

By Toby Rosenberg

Spring rolls are one of the mysterious foods I thought only existed in Thai or Asian restaurants. I’ve always loved ordering them and dipping them into yummy peanut sauce. Well, when Toby arrived at a potluck with her spring rolls, I was won over by this homemade version.

15 round rice wrappers, aka spring roll skin

1 cup julienned carrots

1 cup julienned cucumbers

1 cup julienned bok choy

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only

10 to 20 large fresh basil leaves

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

One 6-ounce package thin brown rice noodles, cooked

Any other julienned veggies, of your choice

Soak one rice roll wrapper in a shallow plate of water (it doesn’t need to be hot). When the wrapper is pliable, transfer it to a dry plate.

Meanwhile, place another wrapper in the shallow dish to soak. Open the soaked wrapper on the dry plate so it is round, like a face. Place the veggies and noodles in the middle, like a long wide nose in the middle of the face. Fold up the bottom (the chin). Fold down the top (the forehead). Fold one
of the sides (the cheeks) over and roll the rest of the way. The wrapper sticks to itself.

Cut in half (or not). Serve with Toby’s Peanut Dipping Sauce and Dressing (
here
).

By Ann Esselstyn

If you’ve never had farro, it’s high time you did. It’s one of the “meatier” grains in texture and is extremely versatile in hot or cold dishes. This version of farro is served cold in a salad and is perfect for those hot summer nights. Serve on a bed of arugula or spring salad mix.

12 ounces farro, cooked

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small pieces

2 celery stalks, chopped into small pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces

1 bunch scallions, chopped

One 16-ounce package frozen corn kernels

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into cubes

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (1 cup or more)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup chopped fresh mint

Zest and juice of 2 limes

Zest and segments of 1 orange

½ to 1 cup fresh orange juice (2 to 4 oranges)

In a large bowl mix the cooked farro with the grape tomatoes, cucumber, celery, red pepper, scallions, corn, mango, parsley, basil, and mint. Add the lime zest and lime juice to the bowl. Add the orange zest, orange segments, and orange juice.

By Anne Minkus

In 2011 my mom, dad, sister Jane, Colin Campbell, and I gave a one-day “Healthy You” seminar in Tucson, Arizona. The night before the event we were invited to Anne Minkus’s home to mingle with many of the plant-strong pillars of the community. Anne and the Healthy You Network are committed to mentoring plant-strong cooks and educating people about how to get healthy! We had an unforgettable weekend and dinner at Anne’s home, with these Tucson Spicy Lentil Tacos leading the charge.

One 12-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dry lentils, cooked

2 cups diced onions

2 tablespoons diced garlic

½ jalapeño pepper, diced

One 1.25-ounce package taco seasoning

2 cups vegetable broth

10 corn tortillas

Taco toppings: diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, peeled and shredded jicama, salsa

If using dried lentils, cook the lentils in 2½ cups of water to 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

Sauté the onions, garlic, and jalapeño in a couple of tablespoons of water. Add the cooked lentils and taco seasoning to the cooked onions-garlic-jalapeño mixture. Mix well to combine and add the broth. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Hang the corn tortillas from an oven rack so that the two opposing sides of the tortillas hang down like wide, upside-down tacos. Bake the corn tortillas in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the warm corn tortillas from the rack and admire your new taco shells. Spoon the lentils into the tacos shells, then garnish, as desired, with the tomatoes, lettuce, jicama, guacamole, and salsa.

Variation:
If desired, use romaine lettuce leaves as a wrap and do away with the taco shells.

By Rebecca Corby with Green Island Catering, in good old Austin!

These barbecued tacos won “Tastiest and Most Creative Dish” the evening of our 2010 July Engine 2 potluck.

16 ounces tempeh, crumbled

2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari sauce

One 16-ounce jar barbecue sauce

10 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into cubes or bite-size pieces

1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and sprigs

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the crumbled tempeh in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add in the tamari and cook, stirring, until heated through. Add the barbecue sauce and stir until all of the tempeh is coated with the sauce.

Hang the corn tortillas from an oven rack so that the two opposing sides of the tortillas hang down like wide, upside-down tacos. Bake the corn tortillas in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the warm corn tortillas from the oven rack and admire your new taco shells. Scoop the tempeh onto the toasted corn tortillas. Add shredded lettuce, pineapple, and a sprig of fresh cilantro on top.

Variation:
Instead of taco shells, use romaine lettuce leaves as the vehicle for transporting the barbecued tempeh and pineapple to your mouth.

By Rip and Jane Esselstyn

A burro is a donkey that can carry just about any load heaped upon its back.
Burrito
is Spanish for “little donkey,” and these hearty little burros can carry whatever you heap inside of them. This recipe contains eight veggies, three beans, and one grain, all wrapped together to keep you going all day and night. (8, 3, and 1 were the first three digits of our home phone number growing up. We still get a kick out of that.)

1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

1 onion, diced

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 Kale leaves, stripped of spines and sliced

2 bok choy stalks, chopped

One 15-ounce can fat-free/vegetarian refried beans (usually pinto beans)

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

One 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked brown rice

½ cup salsa, your favorite

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

Crushed red pepper flakes

6 whole-grain burritos (also called wraps or tortillas), no added oil

Salsa, chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and Halle’s Guacamole (
here
), for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, or use a nonstick sheet pan.

In a large nonstick pan over high heat, cook the garlic, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, Kale, and bok choy until tender. Decrease the heat to medium, add the refried beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, and brown rice, and stir well to combine. Add the salsa, cumin, garlic salt, if using, and pepper flakes to taste and stir until evenly incorporated.

Scoop ½ cup or more of the mixture into the center area of a burrito wrap. Fold over the sides and place the burrito on the lined sheet pan—use a metal utensil to hold the sides down if they unfold. Continue assembling the burritos and placing them side by side on the sheet pan. For crispy burritos, bake uncovered; for softer burritos, cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until warmed and browned to your liking. Serve loaded up with Grape-Mango Salsa (
here
), chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, and Halle’s Guacamole (
here
).