Spicy Coconut Creamed Corn

Now that we’re in the middle of fresh corn season, I see myself making the “Spicy Coconut Creamed Corn”, page 366, on a regular basis. Nothing could be simpler, prettier, or more delicious. Creamy and yellow, with flecks of red and green, and, as the recipe notes say, “definitely not your mother’s creamed corn”. The recipe calls for three cups of corn, part of which can be (optionally) puréed for a creamier texture. I used 1 ½ cups of fresh corn (which is all I had), and 1 ½ cups of frozen corn (which I opted to purée). The corn, coconut milk, minced green chiles, and soy sauce are added to sautéed red bell pepper, green onions, and garlic, cooked slow until hot and creamy, and seasoned with a pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper, to taste.

Had I made this recipe as written, using olive oil and coconut milk, it would have been quite high in fat, and saturated fat. I skipped the oil altogether, and used a nonstick skillet and a little water, as needed, to sauté the veggies. Instead of coconut milk, I used plain, unsweetened soymilk and added ½ teaspoon of coconut extract. As written, this dish would have contained 67 grams of fat (45 grams saturated), and 962 calories. With the changes I made, the fat content dropped to 10 grams (only 1 gram saturated), and 478 calories. I enjoyed this dish so much, I can’t imagine I would have liked it any better with the extra fat and calories.

Hint: I puréed the frozen corn with the soymilk-coconut extract-mixture in the blender, just enough to break up the corn, not liquify it, before adding it to the remaining ingredients.

This would make an excellent addition to an Indian food themed dinner, or as a side dish to any meal.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Instead of oil, use a nonstick skillet to sauté the veggies, with just enough water as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Replace the coconut milk with 1-cup of nondairy milk (soy or almond seem to be best) mixed with ½ teaspoon coconut extract

Ginger-Tamari Braised Eggplant

As you most likely know if you’ve been following my blog, I choose to cook without added oil, and part of the fun and challenge of this project has been to convert the recipes in this cookbook that do contain oil, to oil-free. But I do make one exception, and that is for sesame oil, which I use only occasionally, and even then, sparingly, and as a condiment only. The deep rich flavor of sesame oil adds a unique Asian flare to certain dishes, and it takes just a few drops to impart that flavor to an entire dish.

The “Ginger-Tamari Braised Eggplant”, page 366, is one of those dishes where I made an exception. This very easy, super tasty side dish is made from sliced Asian eggplant, seasoned with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sherry, and sesame oil, then topped off with a minced green onion garnish. Braised eggplant is my favorite way to eat this humble vegetable, as it literally soaks up all the flavors of the seasonings and transforms it to something quite special. The recipe actually calls for two different oils – one tablespoon of canola oil for sautéing, which I completely omitted, and one teaspoon of sesame oil as part of the braising liquid. One teaspoon was more than enough (even ½ teaspoon probably would have sufficed), and the very satisfying flavors of the braising sauce were deliciously infused throughout.

To get around using oil for the initial sauté of the eggplant, I added about two tablespoons of water to the skillet as the eggplant started to brown and stick (yes, even in a nonstick pan, eggplant is very tenacious!), set the heat to low, and covered the skillet to let the eggplant “sweat”. Once through that step, the eggplant was ready for the braising sauce and the final steps. This makes a wonderful side dish to an Asian themed meal. (I served it as a side to Kim Chi Noodle Soup.)

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Add the eggplant to a dry, non-stick skillet to start the sauté process, and as it starts to brown and stick, set the heat to low, add two tablespoons of water, and cover the skillet to let the eggplant “sweat”, until it has softened sufficiently before moving on the final steps.

Basic Vegetable Fritters

The recipe for “Basic Vegetable Fritters”, page 353, is a very flexible set of instructions, allowing you to choose from an assortment of vegetables, spices of your choice, flour or breadcrumbs, and  varying amounts of nondairy milk to create something different each time you make them. Be sure to read Robin’s half page description, “All About Fritters”, also on page 353, for a primer on these versatile fried cakes. Just about anything goes, and you might be inspired by what you have in your refrigerator and pantry. I decided to use a combination of mashed sweet potatoes, grated zucchini, and green onions, with flour as the binder, and just salt and pepper to season. The recipe notes indicate the texture of the mixture, prior to cooking, should be like a thick pancake batter, and that is what I ended up with. No surprise, then, that the finished product ended up looking like a pancake as well.

You can choose to eat the fritters hot off the griddle, chilled as a snack, filled with something and rolled up (if they are thin enough), or topped with gravy or some other tasty sauce. I opted to top them with Spicy Mango & Red Pepper Salsa (see my previous review).

The only change I made to the recipe ingredients was to use whole wheat pastry flour in place of the all-purpose (white) flour. I think any flour of your choice would work in this recipe. Also, instead of frying the fritters in oil, use a good non-stick skillet. 

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Use any whole grain recipe in place of the all-purpose (white) flour.
• Instead of using oil to fry the fritters, use a non-stick skillet, which requires no oil at all.

Roasted Rosemary Yellow Squash & Chayote

Roasting vegetables without oil can be challenging, most particularly if it is one of the drier vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts. You can cover a pan full of veggies, add a little broth, cover and bake, and get excellent results, but that really isn’t roasting, which requires direct heat, i.e., no cover on the roasting pan. However, the moister vegetables, such as the two used in “Roasted Rosemary Yellow Squash and Chayote”, page 384, are able to roast without added oil, because they baste in their own juices.

I loved the color contrasts in this dish. The pale yellows and greens of the two squash varieties and the deeper green of the rosemary was set off nicely by the addition of bright red cherry tomatoes (added during the last 15 minutes of roasting). 

Besides the rosemary, the vegetables are simply seasoned with garlic and salt and pepper to taste. You might want to start with a small amount of broth to coat the veggies so they don’t stick to the roasting pan before they start to cook, but not too much, if you want them to stay somewhat firm. I used a ceramic casserole dish which has pretty good non-stick qualities, but still ended up adding a little broth along the way. Check midway into the roasting time to determine if you need to do this or not. Another option is to line the bottom of the roasting pan with parchment paper.

I find roasting (or baking) vegetables brings out the best flavors, and this delicious dish was no exception. The house was filled with the lovely aromas of garlic and rosemary as the veggies cooked, a wonderful prelude to actually eating them. Pretty to look at, healthy, delicious, and easy to make, my kind of recipe!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Instead of coating the vegetables in oil, use a very small amount of broth, and/or line the bottom of the roasting pan with parchment paper. 

Spicy Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

As soon as I saw the recipe for “Spicy Sautéed Broccoli Rabe”, page 359, I balked. My limited experiences (aka experiments) with broccoli rabe have not been favorable, or flavorful, for that matter. I love greens of all kinds, even those most people seem to eschew, so I was perplexed when I didn’t immediately warm up to rabe. It is truly the most bitter green, bitter vegetable, I’ve ever tried. When I read in the recipe notes that spinach, chard, or escarole could stand in for the broccoli rabe, I breathed a huge sigh of relief! I opted to use spinach, and was very pleased with the results.

This is a simple combination of cooked greens, freshly minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. The recipe also calls for olive oil, but I omitted altogether, no substitutions required. I’ve been cooking and serving all varieties of greens (except broccoli rabe!) oil free, for so long, that I don’t even miss it. In fact, nowadays when I am served greens that have had oil added to them, they taste very peculiar to me.

I can’t imagine a more pleasing combination of flavors, or a better way to serve greens than this!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Omit the olive oil altogether; use a nonstick skillet and/or a teaspoon of water or broth to sauté the garlic. Most greens don’t require any extra moisture for sautéing, as they release their own liquid as they cook.

Beets with Greens & Slivered Apricots

Not only is the humble beet a nutritious powerhouse, it is beautiful to look at, delicious as well, and the recipe for “Beets with Greens & Slivered Apricots”, (page 357), also takes advantage of the tender greens. Once you have cooked the beets, the dish comes together quickly and easily, and although this was written to be a warm vegetable side dish, I kept envisioning it as a salad, so I changed things up a bit. The best news is, the recipe, as written, is oil-free, so no adjustments in that respect were necessary.

I agree with the recipe, that baking or roasting beets, as opposed to stovetop cooking, intensifies the flavor, and is the preferred method. Pressure cooking yields similar results as oven cooking, and I will use that method if I don’t want to turn the oven on and heat up the house. Since our house is so small (a 325 foot 5^th wheel trailer), turning on the oven on a warm day is something I try to avoid.

The recipe calls for softening the apricots in hot water, which is probably necessary if the apricots are very tough and chewy, as some varieties are. The apricots I had were already very soft, and soaking them in hot water might have made them dissolve, so I skipped this step. Then, there are further instructions to simmer the pre-soaked apricots with the dressing; I skipped this step also. In fact, I did not simmer the dressing at all. I simply whisked the lemon juice and brown sugar together in a small bowl.

After cooking the greens until they were just slightly wilted (which only takes a couple of minutes), I placed them in a ring around a plate, placed the sliced beets in the center of the ring, arranged the slivered apricots on top of the greens, and sprinkled the dressing over all. I chilled the “salad” for about an hour before serving. This made for a very attractive, not to mention scrumptious, addition to our meal.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• No changes necessary!       

Spicy Sautéed Pea Vines

If you like sautéed or cooked greens in general, and spinach in particular, don’t worry if you can’t find pea vines to make this recipe. Pea vines are tender greens from the snow pea plant and are probably not widely available outside of a well-stocked Asian grocery store. While I have seen them once in such a market, and was also lucky enough to have them served to me at a Chinese restaurant once, when I made this recipe of “Spicy Sautéed  Pea Vines”, (page 373), I used spinach, an acceptable substitution per the recipe notes. You could also try watercress or Swiss chard as well.

This simple dish consists of sautéed pea vines seasoned with fresh garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. The recipe includes 2 tablespoons of olive oil, but I left this completely out, with no need to substitute with any other liquid. Most fresh greens will release enough liquid as they are cooking with no need for additional oil or water. After eating a very low oil diet for so long, even small amounts of oil in a dish really stand out, but in my opinion, two tablespoon of oil in what ends up to be about a cup of cooked greens would be a lot! Try it without any oil, you’ll likely not miss it at all!

I love greens of any kind, cooked, raw, in soups, salads, smoothies, so I knew I would love this recipe too. The seasoning combination of garlic and red pepper flakes is a match made in heaven, and you can substitute the salt with a splash of soy sauce for a more complex flavor (like I did).

The recipe calls for a total of 15 minutes cooking time. This seems like a lot to me. When I cook spinach and chard, I take no longer than the time it makes to toss it and wilt it over medium heat, usually 3-4 minutes at most. I haven’t actually cooked pea vines before, and they might be different, but 15 minutes just sounds like too long. 

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Eliminate the olive oil altogether. Sauté in a non-stick skillet and no substitute liquid will be necessary. If not using non-stick, use as little water as possible to prevent sticking until the greens start to release their own liquid.

Kale & Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes and yams come in many sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. I find there isn’t a lot consistency in how they are identified in the markets, or in recipes, for that matter. Varieties include white, garnet, Japanese, Okinawan, Jewell, just to name a few. I think any variety of sweet potato or yam would work in the “Kale & Sweet Potatoes” (page 371). I happened to have a “white” sweet potato on hand when I made this dish, although I think it was more of a pale amber, than white. Nothing could be simpler for a colorful (red onion, green kale, and any color of potato), healthy, and delicious side-dish. Sautéed onion starts things off; the kale, potatoes, and broth are added to the mix, and in 20 minutes or so, all is done and ready to eat. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies and instead use water, light vegetable broth, or sherry. 

Yellow Squash with Corn, Edamame, & Dill

"Yellow Squash with Corn, Edamame, & Dill" (page 384) puts a modern twist on succotash, a dish popular during the Great Depression in the United States. Because of the availability of ingredients (and being relatively inexpensive) during this era, any combination of lima beans, corn, and shell beans fit the description of succotash. In this variation, edamame stands in for the lima beans (good news for all those lima bean haters out there), and is jazzed up with fresh dillweed, lemon juice, and cayenne. The recipe calls for the addition of olive oil, but I just left this completely out and didn't notice the difference. If you wanted to add some liquid to the mix (not really necessary), you could drizzle it with veggie broth.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the olive oil. If desired, stir a small amount of veggie broth into the mixture for added moisture.

Green Bean Bake with Crispy Leeks

Just in time for Thanksgiving, "Green Bean Bake with Crispy Leeks" (page 370) presented me with a fun challenge - how to prepare the 'crispy leeks' portion of the recipe without using ½ cup oil to fry them in. But first things first: preparing fresh green beans (trim and cook in boiling salted water); sautéing garlic, shallots, fresh mushrooms, with herbs and spices; thickening the sautéed veggies with a roux of flour and sherry; simmering all this in broth until it thickens; adding soy creamer and the prepared green beans to this mixture. Now you've got the 'Green Bean Bake' portion of the dish. 

(Note: when I try to use flour as a thickening agent in a skillet of sautéed veggies, I usually end up with a lumpy mess, especially when cooking oil free. To avoid this, I usually add whatever liquids will be used in the dish to my blender, along with the flour, and whirl on low to a smooth consistency before adding to the skillet. It may not be as "gourmet" as creating a roux, but I find I get much better results with no loss of flavor. In this recipe, I blended the flour, sherry, and veggie broth (mushroom flavored broth was an excellent choice here!) before adding to the hot skillet of sautéed veggies and was rewarded with a rich, flavorful, and lump-free mixture.) 

Now, for the challenge of preparing the crispy leeks. The instructions ask you to cut one leek in half lengthwise, into two long this strips. This didn't seem right to me, and I even wondered if it was a typo. Instead, I opted to slice the leek from the top, creating several small rings, and working my way down to the tough green part before I stopped. I ended up with about 10 small "onion rings", which I further separated into smaller rings. I put these rings into a bowl of soymilk to soak for about 10 minutes. I then placed the seasoning mix of flour, salt, and pepper into a small brown paper bag (like a lunch bag). I removed the onion rings with a slotted spoon, placed them in the bag of seasoned flour, shook them up good, then spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet. I baked these at 375 for about 30 minutes, checking at 10 minute intervals to make sure they weren't burning. When they were browned and crispy, I took them out of the oven and used them for the casserole topping. 

This dish did turn out to be a little time and labor intensive, but if you are looking for a delicious, and impressive, vegan alternative to the standard Green Bean Casserole that shows up every year around this time, it could be well worth your effort! 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the oil when sautéing the shallots and garlic; instead use a nonstick skillet and/or a little water, broth, or sherry as the sauté liquid. (Also, see my note above about incorporating the flour as a thickening agent in the skillet.)
• Use whole wheat pastry flour when for thickening the vegetable mixture and for preparing the leeks instead of all-purpose (white) flour.
• See my method above for creating the crispy leeks, as opposed to frying them in oil.

Thyme-Scented Sweet Potatoes with Black Olives & Garlic

The "Thyme-Scented Sweet Potatoes with Black Olives & Garlic" (page 380) was another recipe that struck me as calling for an unusual combination of ingredients, but which turned out to be delightfully pleasing. This is a one-dish-meal, or side-dish if you will, where all the ingredients are combined in a skillet and cooked on the stovetop until done. I opted to use about ¼ cup of light broth instead of the oil called for which supplied enough liquid to steam cook the sweet potatoes. As luck would have it, and what sometimes happens when we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, I was unable to find cured olives (i.e., kalamata), so I ended up using "regular" sliced black olives. I think the kalamata olives would have been better, but working with what I had available, I wasn't disappointed in the least.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

                                                                                                                  

ü Omit the oil and replace with about ¼ cup light vegetable broth.

Green Beans Niçoise

"Green Beans Niçoise" (page 369) is a hot version of the French classic salade niçoise, minus the lettuce, potatoes, and tuna. There are notes in the recipe for making this more like the classic, but I chose to try the recipe as written. Steamed-tender green beans are tossed with sautéed garlic, tomatoes, and capers, topped off with fresh parsley, and dashed with a bit of salt and pepper. Easy to put together, pretty to look at, and scrumptious to eat.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

üOmit the olive oil when sautéing the veggies. Instead use a non-stick pan and/or use water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

Zucchini Walnut Fritters

"Zucchini Walnut Fritters" (page 385) combines freshly grated zucchini, potato, and onion with finely ground walnuts, and just a sprinkling of herbs and spices into a batter that you cook in a skillet like pancakes. I've made fritters of one kind or another many times over the years, yet I am always surprised that the seemingly loose batter actually comes together, coalesces, once you start cooking the fritters in a hot skillet. If you use a good non-stick skillet you will not need to use any oil at all to "fry" the fritters. The natural oil in the walnuts allows them to brown up nicely on their own. These would be delicious along side mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed veggies.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü  Omit the oil when "frying" the fritters. Use a good non-stick skillet with no added oil. If you don't have a nonstick skillet, you will have to add a very thin layer of oil to your skillet - put about a teaspoon of oil in the hot skillet, swirl it around, then carefully wipe out any excess with a paper towel.

 

ü  Use whole wheat pastry flour in the batter, as opposed to all-purpose (white) flour.

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, & Grape Tomatoes

As you might know if you're a regular visitor to my blog, my husband and I live and travel full time in our 5th wheel trailer. Turning on the oven in such a tiny space can quickly heat up the entire house. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on the weather! When I decided to make the "Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, & Grape Tomatoes" (page 376), we were staying in Yuma, Arizona in March, with temperatures outside usually running in the 80s to 90s. Not an oven day! I figured this dish would probably be just as tasty if we roasted the potatoes outside on the grill, instead of inside in the oven, so that is what my husband did. I prepared foil packets containing the potatoes, savory, salt, and pepper, and my husband cooked them on the grill. In the meantime, I finished with the rest of the recipe preparations inside: sautéing the spinach and olives just long enough to wilt the spinach, and adding the grape tomatoes after everything else was done so they wouldn't overcook and disappear. When the potatoes were done, I tossed everything together in the skillet and the dish was ready to serve. If I were to cook the potatoes inside, I would leave out the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and coat the potato chunks with a bit of veggie broth instead so the spices would stick; I would then cover the cooking pan with foil for the "roasting" process. It's true you won't get a "browned and roasted" end product this way, but you will get deliciously cooked and creamy potatoes that are completely oil free. (You also eliminate about 40 grams of fat by leaving out the olive oil). If you are concerned about using aluminum foil, use a layer of parchment paper between the potatoes and the foil. This also helps prevent sticking. The is a very delicious preparation, and the leftovers make a great breakfast!

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü     Omit the olive oil, and follow the cooking instructions outlined above.

Bourbon-Baked Squash

Acorn squash is my least favorite of the winter squashes. I much prefer the solid texture and sweeter flesh of the butternut squash when it comes to the winter gourds. So anything that might up the flavor ante for the humble acorn squash, such as this recipe for "Bourbon-Baked Squash" (page 383) is likely to catch my eye. Each side of the halved and seeded squash is filled with a splash of bourbon, a sprinkling of sugar and allspice, and per the recipe, a dab of margarine (I omitted the margarine completely). The prepared halves are then baked in the oven until tender. The picture I used here was prior to baking, so you can see the small pool of bourbon sitting in the cavity, and the sprinkles of brown sugar and allspice. This is definitely a nice way to capitalize on the otherwise mild flavor of acorn squash!

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü     Omit the margarine - you won't even miss it!

Green Beans & Grape Tomatoes

"Green Beans & Grape Tomatoes" (page 369) is another quick vegetable side dish that makes a delicious accompaniment to just about any dinner you can think of. Steamed green beans are tossed with sautéed shallots and garlic, embellished with grape tomatoes, and seasoned with fennel seed and basil - a wonderful combination of fresh flavors.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü  Omit the oil when sautéing the shallots and garlic; instead, use a nonstick soup pot and/or water, broth, or sherry as a sauté liquid.

Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Dillweed

If you are a Brussels Sprouts fan (isn't everyone? J), you will love "Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Dillweed" (page 360). This is a simple side dish that consists of just Brussels sprouts, shallots, and dillweed, like the recipe would suggest, with a dash of salt and pepper. What can you say about Brussels sprouts? It seems that people either like them, or not, and it's hard to get the non-fans to the other side of the ledger. I happen to love them, and found this particular preparation very tasty. On an aside, the author says that the key to great-tasting Brussels sprouts is to not overcook or undercook them. Maybe something to consider if you haven't acquired a taste for them yet.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü  Omit the oil when sautéing the shallots; instead, use a nonstick skillet and/or water, broth, or sherry as a sauté liquid.

Broccoli Sauté With Tofu Feta

A substitute for feta cheese probably isn't something you would expect to find on a vegan diet. Let's face it, there are certain animal based "foods" that just don't seem to lend themselves to a vegan alternative, and cheeses in general often fall into this category. But you will be delightfully surprised when you try the "Broccoli Sauté with Tofu Feta" (page 358). This dish starts with lightly steamed fresh broccoli which is then cooked and stirred in a hot skillet with red bell pepper, garlic, and green onions, then seasoned with capers, parsley, and lemon juice. The finishing touch is the tofu feta (click here to see how I made this), which needs to be prepared about 30 minutes in advance in order to allow the flavors to develop. The outstanding combination of flavors in this vegetable side dish takes basic steamed broccoli to a whole new level!

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the olive oil when sautéing the broccoli and veggies; instead use broth, water, or sherry and/or a non-stick skillet.

ü Follow my suggestions for making the feta oil free by clicking here.

Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus

I love asparagus however it is prepared: steamed, roasted, puréed into soup, chilled in a salad, and now in this dish, "Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus" (page 356). The sesame in this recipe comes from both sesame seeds, and sesame oil, but I opted to leave the oil out. The asparagus is lightly stir-fried and seasoned with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, which gives this quick side dish a definite Asian persuasion. The sesame seeds are added at the very end.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü   Instead of stir-frying the asparagus in canola oil, use an equal amount of sherry, which is very complementary in this dish.

ü  Omit the sesame oil, or use just a couple of drops if you want to intensify the sesame flavor.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Fans of Brussels sprouts will really appreciate the "Roasted Brussels Sprouts" (page 359), and it may even convert non-fans. I have always been a fan, though, and enjoy finding new ways to cook them. Preparation is quick and easy. After briefly steaming the halved sprouts, simply moisten, season, and bake in a hot oven until tender. The recipe calls for olive oil, but I used broth instead, and the end result was fantastic.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü     Substitute flavorful veggie broth for the olive oil.