Forks Over Knives (25 page)

“I believe that within ten years or so there will be a stigma attached to eating meat similar to the one against smoking today. I wouldn’t be surprised if restaurants even start having meat-eating and non-meat-eating sections. And those poor people in the meat-eating sections will look just as pitiful as the people we now see in the smoking sections of public places today, smoking their brains out, looking unhealthy and unhappy.”

MARY MCDOUGALL | THE MCDOUGALL PROGRAM

I HAVE BEEN
making and serving variations of this dish for over 20 years. It is one of our family favorites.

SERVES 6 TO 8

TOMATO SAUCE

Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

3 cups water

¼ cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons chile powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

4 cups mashed cooked pinto beans

1 cup chopped green onions

1½ cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

One 2¼-ounce can sliced black olives, drained, optional

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped green chiles, optional

10 to 12 corn tortillas

Salsa, optional

Tofu sour cream, optional

1.
To make the sauce: Put all ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more chile powder if desired. Set aside.

2.
To assemble the casserole: Preheat oven to 350
^°
F. Put the beans, green onions, corn, olives and green chiles into a large bowl and mix gently until well combined.

3.
Spread 1½ cups of the sauce over the bottom of a oblong nonstick baking dish. Place 3 to 4 corn tortillas in the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the bean mixture evenly over the tortillas. Place another 3 to 4 tortillas over the bean mixture, then spread the remaining bean mixture on top. Cover with 3 to 4 more tortillas, and then pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

4.
Remove the baking dish from oven and let the lasagna rest for about 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and tofu sour cream, if desired.

Tip
The amount of corn tortillas that you will need depends on the size of your baking dish. Just cover the bottom of the baking dish as well as you can with the first layer of tortillas and then use that same amount for the second and third layers.

RIP ESSELSTYN |
THE ENGINE 2 DIET

THIS IS A mainstay dinner dish that is as basic as they come, and oh, so good. Just like my morning bowl of cereal, I’ve been eating this meal for more than three decades. This is also a great meal to serve when you’re having extra guests over for dinner. Serve with healthy chips or warm corn tortillas.

SERVES 3 TO 4

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 to 1½ cups water or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can water chestnuts, drained

1 cup corn, fresh, frozen, or canned

2 red, yellow, or green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

3 cups cooked brown rice

Salsa or tamari to taste

Heat the beans with water or stock, and add the liquid aminos and chile powder. Place the chopped vegetables and cilantro in individual bowls. To serve, place several big spoonfuls of brown rice onto large plates and ladle beans on top. Add generous amounts of chopped vegetables, cilantro, and avocado on top of the beans. Add salsa or tamari to taste.

JULIEANNA HEVER | THE PLANT-BASED DIETITIAN

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT
delicious Mexican food in southern California. These MexiCali burritos are hearty and decadent and make for a spicy whole-plant food fiesta!

MAKES 4 LARGE OR 8 SMALL BURRITOS

One 15-ounce can oil-free refried pinto beans

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 cup salsa

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon chili powder

⅓ teaspoon ground cumin

⅓ teaspoon turmeric

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

4 large or 8 small whole grain tortillas (brown rice, corn, or sprouted wheat)

1 cup shredded lettuce or kale

Guacamole, optional

Tofu-based sour cream, optional

1.
In a large bowl, mash the beans, corn, and salsa with a potato masher.

2.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion in the vegetable broth for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and sauté for 1 additional minute.

3.
Add the bean mixture and cook, stirring, until heated and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast.

4.
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas on the stove, flipping every few seconds, until warm. You can also use an oven or toaster oven.

5.
Spoon the mixture onto half of one tortilla and top with shredded lettuce. If desired, add guacamole and/or tofu-based sour cream. Fold the tortilla in half, or fold one side over the mixture and then roll to the other side so that the filling is enclosed. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

VARIATION:

You can turn these into tostadas by leaving the tortillas flat, adding extra lettuce or kale and other salad vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers), and topping with salsa and/or guacamole.

CHEF DEL SROUFE | WELLNESS FORUM FOODS

I GREW UP
loving the taste of sage and bread stuffing. It always reminded me of the holidays with family and friends gathered around a big table with lots of really good food. I still love sage stuffing, but now I eat a much healthier version without all of the fat. You can add dried fruit or toasted nuts to this recipe, but I like it as it is prepared below. Try this topped with Creamy leek sauce (
page 134
). You might recognize this dish as the main course in the final scene of
Forks Over Knives
.

SERVES 4

2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 medium leeks, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice

½ teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

¾ cup wild rice blend

1½ cup vegetable broth

Salt and black pepper to taste

1.
Preheat the oven to 350
^°
F.

2.
Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and pour ½ inch of water in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain any remaining water from the pan. Turn the squash cut side up and set aside while you prepare the rice.

3.
While the squash is baking, heat a 2-quart stockpot over a medium flame. Add the leeks and celery and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking. Add the sage, poultry seasoning, rice, and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, until the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Stuff each squash half with some of the rice. Return the squash to the oven, cover with foil, and bake another 20 minutes.

CHEF DEL SROUFE | WELLNESS FORUM FOODS

THIS SAUCE IS
my béchamel sauce. The leeks alone make the sauce, and the pine nuts give it just enough richness to feel indulgent.

SERVES 4

2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed

1 package silken tofu

½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste White pepper to taste

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Zest of 1 lemon

4 to 8 tablespoons plain soy milk as needed

1.
In a medium saucepan, over a medium flame, sauté the leeks until tender, about 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the leeks from sticking. Remove from the flame and add to the bowl of a blender with the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth and creamy, adding the soy milk as needed to help blend the sauce.

2.
Return the sauce to the saucepan and gently heat over a medium flame. Do not boil the sauce.

MATT LEDERMAN AND ALONA PULDE—WITH THANKS TO MONA HOWARD |
KEEP IT SIMPLE, KEEP IT WHOLE

TOTALLY WORTH A
little extra work! No one can resist these tomatoes. You will be sorry you don’t have more left over.

SERVES 6

6 large very ripe tomatoes, at room temperature

1½ cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

Vegetable broth

One 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 medium avocados, mashed

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup quick-cooking rice