Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Baby Spinach

The "Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Spinach" (page 158) contains just a few simple ingredients, but delivers deep and complex flavors. Orange sweet potatoes and onions are cooked tender, peanut butter is dissolved in the cooking broth, and a few seasonings are thrown in, with several cups of fresh spinach added as the final touch. The peanut butter gives this soup a smooth richness, and a pinch of cayenne gives it just enough warmth to make it interesting, but doesn't blow the dish away. This soup is easy to make, light enough to be a meal starter, but with a salad and a loaf of bread, it could also be the centerpiece of your meal.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

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

Soy-Glazed Tofu

Baking tofu before using it in a recipe is a great way to firm up the texture and soak up delicious marinades. The finished product can be used in sandwiches, salads, stir fries, or as a main dish alongside a couple of vegetable side-dishes. I have a few favorite recipes for baked tofu, and now I can add "Soy-Glazed Tofu" (page 283) to this list. A simple mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar is the basis for this marinade, which is heated on the stove, poured over tofu strips, and allowed to sit for at least 30 minutes. The strips are then baked in the oven for another 30 minutes (along with any of the marinade that hasn't already soaked into the tofu), and that's it! The recipe calls for a lot of sesame oil, ¼ cup, but I opted to use just 1 teaspoon to impart that unbeatable sesame oil flavor, but without an excess of fat. You could leave the oil out altogether if you want, and it would still be delicious.  

 

Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use just 1 teaspoon, or less, or none at all, of the sesame oil.

Barbecued Tempeh

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm usually not a huge fan of tempeh; but given the right recipe, this humble concoction of fermented soybeans can be truly inspiring! Such is the case with the "Barbequed Tempeh" (page 296). All the tempeh recipes in this book begin by having you simmer the tempeh for 30 minutes to mellow the flavor and aid in digestibility, and it seems that I have enjoyed it more since I started incorporating this step; it seems to take the slightly bitter taste out of the product once it's been simmered in this fashion. The barbeque sauce in this recipe is made from scratch, a concoction of onion, red bell pepper, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and molasses, along with some herbs and spices, all cooked for about half an hour on the stove. The simmered tempeh is browned in a skillet, the finished sauce is added to the browned tempeh, and all this cooks for another 15 minutes to blend the flavors. After the three methods of cooking the tempeh (simmering in water, browning, and simmering again in the barbeque sauce), the texture is superb - chewy, but not tough, and soft, but not mushy. The chunky sauce is tangy, slighty sweet, and piquant, very satisfying flavors. (Blend the sauce until smooth if you're not fond of chunky barbeque sauce). This would make a great barbeque sandwich on a crusty french roll.

 

Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Omit the oil when sautéing the onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Use a little water in a non-stick pan instead.
• Omit the oil when 'browning' the tempeh, using a good non-stick skillet instead. Try not to use a liquid substitute for the oil, as you don't want to soften the tempeh.  The tempeh won't be as crispy or brown as it would be when using oil, but once you put the barbeque sauce over the top, you really don't notice the difference.

Tofu Waldorf Salad Wraps

Anything tastes good in a wrap, according to my husband. Not sure what to do with those leftovers in the fridge? Put 'em in a wrap! But if you are in the mood for a more elegant approach, try the "Tofu Waldorf Salad Wraps" (page 114), inspired by the classic salad of apples, celery, walnuts, and mayonnaise served on a lettuce leaf. While this recipe uses these same ingredients, it also incorporates tofu, red onion, and parsley, creating a hearty filling to stuff inside a tortilla or lavash flatbread (I opted for whole grain tortillas this time around). This makes a big bowl of salad, enough for much more than the four wraps indicated in the recipe notes. However, it keeps well so you can enjoy the leftovers, even outside the wrap, maybe on a bed of greens. Don't be alarmed if you notice the salad has a faint purple hue after storing it for a day or two; the walnuts have a tendency to do this in certain dishes, which isn't such a bad thing! J

 

Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Buy or make oil-free mayonnaise (see my review of Vegan Mayonnaise here)
• Use whole grain, oil-free tortillas or flatbread.

Barbecue Sauce

In my perfect kitchen world, I would have unlimited time to make everything from scratch, including all my condiments. Having discovered the "Barbecue Sauce" (page 549), I may be one step closer to that dream! I might do whatever is necessary to make time to include this in my condiments repertoire. Did I say I love this barbecue sauce? It is good on hash brown potatoes, veggie burgers or loaves, baked beans, just about anywhere you want that rich tomato-y smoky barbeque flavor. This is a cooked sauce, consisting of sautéed onion, bell pepper, and crushed tomatoes, with added zip and flavor provided by garlic, jalapeño, vinegar, sugar, a couple of spices, and the key ingredient, liquid smoke. The recipe says the liquid smoke is optional, but I consider it essential! The recipe also says to serve this sauce hot, as in just off the stove, but I found it was wonderful right out the refrigerator as well. Make this sauce today and let me know what you think!  

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

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

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's hard to imagine anyone who doesn't like "Chocolate Chip Cookies" (page 428), but even when you discover that making them vegan is ridiculously easy, you still have to be careful not to eat an entire batch in one sitting! The challenge with most recipes for vegan cookies is figuring out how to get around the added oil or margarine. This particular recipe calls for an entire cup of margarine, which equates to around 176 grams of fat (gulp!) and over 1500 extra calories. Not to mention, even vegan margarine or shortening is still not health food, and is something I try to minimize. In this recipe, I decided to use a blend of 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup applesauce. Not that peanut butter is low-fat by any means, but 2/3 cup only adds 86 grams of fat and around 1000 calories, significantly less than margarine, and adds nutrients such as fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.  But what did I say about being careful about eating too many cookies in one sitting? This still hold true regardless! The peanut butter definitely adds a distinctive flavor to these cookies (which I really liked), and cookies made without butter or margarine definitely have more of a cakey nature than a crunchy cookie, but they are certainly no less delicious! This recipe does not include any "extras" such as walnuts or raisins, just your basic cookie ingredients - flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, etc.

 

Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Substitute the one cup of margarine with a blend of 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup applesauce.
• Use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose (white) flour.
• Instead of oiling the baking sheet, use a non-stick pan, parchment paper, or a silicone product.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing

Taking advantage of recipes using non-dairy yogurt is getting easier and easier, as this product becomes more readily available in even conventional markets across the country. Sometimes, though, it can still be difficult to find the non-flavored yogurt in the non-dairy variety, which happened to me when I decided to try the "Creamy Cucumber Dressing". After contemplating the recipe, I decided using vegan sour cream would be an acceptable substitute, and it turned out I was right! (If you want to make your own vegan sour cream, this book also has a recipe for that.) I was especially happy to see this dressing includes no added oil, always a bonus! This simple dressing consists of the yogurt (or sour cream), cucumber, a splash of lemon juice, and some herbs and spices (salt, cayenne, and parsley). I thought it was begging for a clove of garlic, so I threw that in as well.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• No changes necessary if you can find oil-free yogurt, or use or make oil free sour cream.

Golden Harvest Soup

This slightly sweet soup is rightly named "Golden Harvest Soup" (page 148), with no less than seven yellow and orange ingredients contributing to the golden hue: yellow onion, carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow bell pepper, yellow tomatoes, chickpeas, and turmeric. Add to this some garlic, herbs, and a flavorful broth, throw in a handful of small soup pasta (cooked with the turmeric before adding), and you've got a hearty main dish soup, just the thing on chilly evenings. What says nutritious and delicious better than a pot full of vegetable soup?

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

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

Whole Wheat Raisin Bread

"Whole Wheat Raisin Bread" (page 394) is a recipe I plan to make again and again. If you find yourself trying to decide which of the yeasted breads to try from this book, I would suggest you try this one first. Made from half whole wheat, half all-purpose (white) flour, sweetened with molasses, and with no added oil, this bread already has a lot going for it nutritionally speaking. But the flavor is what makes it sing! The raisins and cinnamon make this a slightly sweet bread, but not enough to classify as dessert. Since this is a yeasted loaf, plan on at least 3.5 hours to allow for the raising and baking times. This bread makes the most heavenly toast!  

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• You can make this using 100% whole wheat flour with excellent results. If you do, double the kneading time to 10 minutes so the dough gets fully developed.

Beer-Marinated Seitan Fajitas

The Fajitas and Burritos section of this cookbook (a subset of the Sandwiches, Pizza, and More chapter) contains just seven recipes. The "Beer-Marinated Seitan Fajitas" (page 125) makes the sixth recipe I've tried, and brings me close to wrapping up another category. Being more than a third of the way through the 1000 recipes, I find this starting to happen more frequently! The biggest challenge here is finding a tortilla that adheres to the McDougall guidelines. As I've mentioned before, if you can find a whole grain tortilla, it usually contains oil. If you find a fat free tortilla (easier), it is almost certainly made from white flour. This time around I opted for the Food For Life brand Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain tortillas. With no added oils (made from sesame seeds and sprouted soybeans barley, millet, lentils, spelt, and sea salt), these are in my opinion the healthiest tortillas around. Not everyone appreciates their hearty texture, and they certainly don't roll up as easy as a more traditional tortilla, but I find the flavor more than compensates for these differences. To make these fajitas, you start by marinating seitan in a mixture of beer, onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and crushed red pepper. Begin early, as you need to marinate the seitan at least 4 hours. The seitan and marinade is sautéed in a skillet, piled into warmed tortillas, and topped with avocado and salsa. Very tasty as is, but if you want additional filling add some shredded lettuce per the recipe suggestion.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the oil when sautéing the seitan. Use the marinade as a sautéing/simmering liquid, and don't be concerned about browning the seitan. 

Creamy Tomato Soup

Whenever I want the perfect go-to soup alongside a sandwich, I turn to tomato soup. With this "Creamy Tomato Soup" (page 170), you will never have to resort to the canned or packaged variety again. This soup is so easy to put together and is so much more satisfying than something not homemade. You start by sautéing onion, carrot, and garlic in a soup pot, adding both fresh and canned tomatoes, plus broth and seasonings, and cooking until everything is tender. The entire batch of soup is puréed, heated back up, and ready to serve. Both dried and fresh basil are used in this recipe - dried in the pot, and fresh as a garnish. Fennel seeds add a subtle but delightful flavor to this very comforting soup.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a non-stick pot along with water, broth or sherry as a sauté liquid. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

The "Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting" (page 504) is an easy spread that you can whip up in a flash whenever you want a rich frosting for cakes and cupcakes. A simple blend of peanut butter, cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk yields about 3 cups of delicious frosting. The recipe calls for "thick" dairy-free milk or cream, which often times translates into something containing oil. I opted to use plain soymilk and got good results. The directions call for mixing this in a food processor, but I was able to mix it up in a bowl using a whisk, much easier and less messy.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

• Make sure the non-dairy milk is oil-free.

Banana Walnut Cake

As I've mentioned before, trying to recreate healthier versions of traditional desserts can be a bit of a challenge. When you replace the ingredients that most people associate with the familiar texture and consistency of a delicate cake, or a melt in your mouth frosting, you end up with something, while still delicious in its own right, is quite different than the original version. The "Banana-Walnut Cake" (page 448) is a case in point. After switching out the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour, and using apple sauce to replace the oil, what I ended up with was something more like banana bread, rather than cake. Mind you, I am not complaining, not in the least! This healthier version of an already vegan dessert is not only delicious, it is a guilt-free indulgence for those times I am craving a dessert. With three bananas in the batter, the "cake" is already very moist, and using applesauce instead of oil provides a complementary flavor.  The recipe suggests a couple of different toppings, but I chose to frost it with the "Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting" found on page 504, which turned out perfect!

  

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose (white) flour.
• Substitute 1/3 to 1/2 cup apple sauce for the 1/4 cup oil.
• Use a non-stick cake pan that doesn't need to be oiled before baking.

 

Red Bean Jambalaya

Red beans and rice, already a perfect combination as far as I'm concerned, really shines in this vegan rendition of "Red Bean Jambalaya" (page 252).    This Creole dish combines a tomato-based stew (a simmered mixture of tomatoes, onion, celery, bell pepper, chilis, garlic, and herbs) with red kidney beans and rice. Already tasty and delicious, this dish gets even better as it sits, so you will be happy to have leftovers (it makes a lot!). The recipe calls for one cup of uncooked long-grain rice, but I used just ½ cup so all the liquid from the stew wouldn't get absorbed into the rice. This yielded just the right amount of rice after it was cooked. The recipe doesn't specify white or brown rice, but if you chose to use brown rice, you might have better luck cooking it separately and adding to the jambalaya once it is done. Often I don't have satisfactory results when trying to cook brown rice in a pot with anything other than water (it doesn't always cook tender). If you find you still want this dish to be a bit soupier, add additional broth at the end of the cooking time.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the oil when sauteing the veggies: instead, use a nonstick soup pot and/or use broth, water, or sherry as a saute liquid.

• Use brown rice instead of white (possibly cooking ahead for better results.)