Creamy Potato-Chard Soup

"Creamy Potato-Chard Soup" (page 178) is a puréed soup with very earthy ingredients, which somehow end up tasting quite heavenly. Onion, celery, potatoes, and chard, seasoned with garlic, fennel, and nutmeg, and that's about it. Once everything has cooked tender, the soup is puréed in a blender and served hot. I found the addition of fresh ground black pepper added to the serving bowl a perfect finishing touch.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

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

Fresh Cherry Smoothie

When fresh cherries are in season, the "Fresh Cherry Smoothie" (page 531) is a wonderful way to enjoy this delicious fruit. Here is another smoothie that is much richer than one made with simply fruit, juice, and/or nondairy milk. The ingredients here include raw cashews, nondairy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, along with the cherries. How can this not end up tasting good after a whir in the blender?

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü     No changes necessary! J

Creamy Orange Smoothie

Who doesn't like a smoothie? Most of the time, they are like a healthy version of a milkshake! I save smoothies for special treats, because it is just too easy to add a lot of quickly absorbed calories to a meal, but when I do partake, I thoroughly enjoy it! Not too long ago I had some oral surgery, and was only able to eat soft foods for a few days. Perfect time for a smoothie! On this occasion I decided to try the "Creamy Orange Smoothie" (page 531), which really is closer to dessert than, say, a smoothie made from fruits and juice. Made from orange juice, vegan vanilla ice cream, and ice cubes, this goes together fast, and goes down even faster! But I didn't feel bad indulging myself under the circumstances, would you?

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü So far I have not found any commercial vegan ice-creams that are oil free. You could skip the vanilla ice cream concept altogether and use a fruit sorbet instead, but this would change the nature of this smoothie entirely.

Three Lentil Dal

"Three Lentil Dal" (page 264) is an interesting take on this standard dish found in Indian cuisine. This dal is made using green, brown, and red lentils, cooked until very tender, then mixed with a sauté of onion, garlic, ginger and spices. Finally, crushed tomatoes are added to the mix, and everything is cooked together until the flavors are blended. Since the three different kinds of lentils all have different cooking times, the recipe has you soaking the green and brown lentils in separate bowls, then staggering the cooking times by starting with the green, then adding the brown, and finally the red. Since I like the lentils in dal to be very well cooked, even to the point of overcooked, I skipped the soaking step, and just cooked all the lentils together until they were super soft, not minding at all if the quicker cooking lentils cooked beyond their "done" point. I also gave them a vigorous stirring to further mash them up and acquire the texture I like - almost to the point of a dish of refried beans. The wonderful spices in this recipe (ginger, curry cumin, coriander, and cayenne) give the dal authenticity, even if mixing the three types lentils was a bit unorthodox. Naan is traditionally used to scoop up dal, but it is hard to find whole grain and/or oil free versions of this Indian bread. However, any flat bread you like will work equally well.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

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

Tempeh & Vegetable Stir-Fry

In our household, my husband does all the stir-frying, so I felt a bit intimidated taking on the "Tempeh & Vegetables Stir-Fry" (page 295). Since I rarely even attempt stir-frying, I worry about ruining the dish, and I also have my husband's high standards to live up to, as he is The Stir-Fry King in our 5th Wheel Palace! But I am happy to report that I made this dish quite successfully, and even got rave reviews from the resident expert. The key to success in a stir-fry dish is to have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go before ever turning on the fire under the wok or skillet. In this case, the ingredients consisted of cubed tempeh, broccoli, red bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, green onions, and ginger. It does take a while to prepare all the ingredients, since the broccoli is pre-steamed, and the tempeh is cooked in simmering water for 30-minutes. Once the tempeh has been simmered, it is cubed, coated with cornstarch, and browned in a skillet. At that point, assuming you've prepared all the rest of the ingredients, the dish goes together in a flash, as is customary for this style of cooking. I browned the tempeh cubes in a non-stick skillet without oil. This works just fine, but don't expect to the end result to be as crispy or brown as something browned in oil. Once all the veggies and tempeh have been steamed, simmered, and stir-fried, they are topped with a flavorful sauce of mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of sesame oil in the sauce, but you can get away with much less and still get the essence of that distinctive flavor; or omit it altogether if you want, and it will still be very good. In this case, I used ½ teaspoon of sesame oil. I served this colorful, spicy, and delicious stir-fry over steamed rice.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil when "browning" the tempeh cubes; you can do this successfully in a non-stick skillet, although the tempeh will not come out quite as crispy or browned.  

ü If using sesame oil in the sauce, reduce to just ½ teaspoon - or leave it out altogether.

ü Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick skillet or wok, and substitute the oil with water, broth, or sherry. I used sherry in this dish and it provided excellent complementary flavor.

Lemon-Kissed Linguine With Garlicky White Bean Sauce

"Lemon-Kissed Linguine with Garlicky White Bean Sauce" (page 209) takes a handful of basic ingredients and transforms them into a delicious, quick, and filling meal. White kidney beans, also known as cannellini, are the basis of a simple sauce of beans, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, oregano, and basil. The sauce is mixed with cooked linguine, topped with fresh minced parsley, and served hot out of the skillet. If you omit the 3 tablespoons of oil used for sautéing the veggies, there really is no other liquid to meld the ingredients together. To get around this, I took ½ cup veggie broth and used some of it to sauté the veggies, and the rest to stir back into the skillet (instead of using reserved pasta cooking liquid as called for in the recipe). As a personal preference, I only used 8 ounces of linguine, as opposed to the 1 pound the recipe called for. (I tend to like my pasta dishes a little saucier than what most recipes call for.) With the reduced amount of pasta, my husband and I almost ate the entire dish in one sitting!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

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

ü Use whole grain linguine (or another variety of noodles).

Picata-Style Cashew Chickpea Medallions

If you want to put a spin on an ordinary veggie burger, try the "Piccata-Style Cashew Chickpea Medallions" (page 266). I wasn't sure what a piccata style dish was, so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, piccata is a method of preparing food where meat of some sort is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. Thankfully there are many alternatives to animal products at our disposal and in this recipe the medallions, or simply, rounded patties, are made from a mixture of cashews, chickpeas, and gluten, seasoned with soy sauce and smoked paprika (a nice touch). But the crowning glory is the sauce these patties are topped off with. The lemony sauce consists of white wine, lemon juice, capers, and parsley, and if following the recipe, a swirl or margarine stirred in at the end. I omitted the margarine and instead of reducing the sauce by cooking it down, I thickened it with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch blended in 2 tablespoons of water. The recipe notes suggest serving these with roasted asparagus and rice pilaf for an elegant dinner.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil when pan "frying" the prepared medallions, using a non-stick skillet instead.

ü Omit the margarine from the sauce. Thicken the sauce with a water-cornstarch mixture if you desire.

Seitan & Scalloped Potatoes Casserole

The "Seitan & Scalloped Potatoes Casserole" (page 317) is not a dish to start on the spur of the moment. It requires prepared seitan, but you can use store-bought instead of homemade if you want to skip this step. It also requires a recipe of the Basic Brown Sauce (page 545), but in my opinion, there is no shortcut for this. This golden sauce is the heart of the casserole, imparting a rich gravy-like essence to the dish, and worth the extra effort and time to make it. In addition to the preparatory steps, the casserole bakes in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. With all this in mind, I still highly recommend you set aside the time to try this. The layers of onion, bell pepper, potatoes, seitan, and sauce mingle in a perfect union of flavor, texture, and satisfaction. This makes a great dish to serve to guests, as it is sure to please vegan and non-vegans alike.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü  Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick soup pot and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

ü  Buy or make an oil-free version of seitan.

ü     Be sure to adapt the Basic Brown Sauce to make it oil free (see my review here).

ü  Skip adding the dots or margarine to the top layer of the casserole. You won't miss it!

Argentinean Bean & Vegetable Stew

"Argentinean Bean & Vegetable Stew" (page 254) is a flavorful and colorful dish bursting with brightly hued vegetables, and even a piece of fruit - a diced orange which is added at the very end. The list of vegetables in this stew is long: onion, garlic, bell pepper, butternut squash, tomatoes, green chilies, and corn, a virtual hotpot of antioxidants. The seasonings are just as impressive: sugar, crushed red pepper, oregano, and cilantro. Somehow this wide array of ingredients comes together to make an unusual but tasty stew, especially good on a cold evening, served with a loaf of homemade bread.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick soup pot and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I never cease to be amazed at how a handful of simple ingredients can be transformed into a world-class bowl of soup, and most especially in creamy soups. "Cream of Broccoli Soup" (page 169) contains just onion, potato, and broccoli, cooked tender and puréed, and made "creamy" with the addition of soymilk. Each serving is garnished with sliced kalamata olives, an unusual and delicious touch. This soup is the perfect start to any meal, and would please even the pickiest of eaters.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü  Omit the oil when sautéing the onion. Use a nonstick soup pot and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

Austrian Noodles & Cabbage

"Austrian Noodles & Cabbage" (page 213), or krautfleckerln as it is known in Eastern Europe, is a simple dish consisting of onion, cabbage, and linguine. Cooked linguine is added to sautéed onion and cabbage, and seasoned with caraway seed and a pinch of sugar. The recipe calls for the addition of two tablespoons of margarine to the final mix, as well as oil for sautéing the veggies. Because this is the only liquid in the dish, a substitution was necessary, and I used about ½ cup mild vegetable broth to replace the oils. This is a simple dish that goes together quickly using ingredients you don't have to go shopping for. The recipe notes suggest serving this with baked tempeh and cinnamon-laced applesauce.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick skillet and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

ü Use whole grain linguine.

ü Omit the margarine, and instead add ½ cup broth to the final mixture of linguine and vegetables.

Bell Peppers Stuffed with White Beans, Mushrooms, & Walnuts

Bell peppers are the perfect stuffing vegetable. Sturdy and large, these colorful "cups" go with just about anything you can come up with to tuck inside. I used to think the only stuffing for a pepper was a concoction consisting mostly of white rice and ground beef. No more! The "Bell Peppers Stuffed with White Beans, Mushrooms, & Walnuts" (page 335) is a simple yet elegant combination of ingredients that take stuffed bell peppers out of the mundane and into something quite special. Besides the beans, mushrooms, and walnuts, the mixture also contains onion, garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs. As the recipe states, you can use any color combination of peppers you want - all of one color, or mix and match for a rainbow effect. As in most recipes for stuffed bell peppers, this one has you pre-cooking the peppers in a pot of boiling water prior to stuffing and baking them. I skip this step because to me, the peppers come out too soft in the end. Instead, I load the stuffing right into the raw pepper halves prior to the bake. This will yield a slightly crunchy pepper, which is the way I prefer them.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick skillet and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

ü Use whole-grain, oil-free breadcrumbs. Panko crumbs are usually a good option, but check the label, as some brands have begun adding oils to the ingredients list.

Fresh Cherry-Vanilla Bread Pudding

"Fresh Cherry-Vanilla Bread Pudding" (page 480) was my first experience making a dessert using fresh (as opposed to canned or frozen) cherries. It was a little daunting preparing the two cups of pitted and halved cherries, as I don't have a cherry pitter, but the worst thing that happened was my fingers turned red! J It didn't take as long as I thought it would to split and pit the cherries, and once that was done, the rest was a breeze. Pieces of cubed bread are covered with the prepared cherries and topped off with a blend of soymilk, tofu, sugar, and vanilla extract. Lastly coconut is sprinkled over all and the pudding is baked in the oven. The most surprising thing about this delightful dessert was how the cherries turned a sort of bluish-purple during the bake, and how they dyed the bread this color as well, almost the color of blueberries. I like fresh-fruit based desserts because they tend to be healthier than most, and this was no exception. The one change you could make to make it even healthier is to use whole grain bread instead of white.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Use whole grain oil free bread for the "cubes".

Sesame-Soy Breakfast Spread

I used to be a fan of bagels and cream cheese, and am always on the lookout for a healthy substitution for the dairy-based "schmear", now that I eat a plant based diet. Mostly it's hummus that graces my toasted bagels, but now I can also add "Sesame-Soy Breakfast Spread" (page 526) to my list of favorite toppers. I actually thought this spread was like both cream cheese (because of the tofu and nutritional yeast) and hummus (because of the tahini). A squeeze of fresh lemon juice also gives it the tang you would expect in both cream cheese and hummus. The recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of oil (a combination of flax and sesame oils), which I omitted altogether, without substituting anything in their places. The tahini contains "built in" sesame oil, and tofu is creamy as well, so I didn't see any need to add additional oil to this spread. If you find it is too dry without the oil, you can always add a little water to moisten it up a bit. Some tahini is very thin,while others are much thicker, so you may have to adjust accordingly.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Omit the oil altogether; if the spread is too dry, add a tablespoon of water to moisten it up.