The End of Dieting: How to Live for Life (33 page)

Non-vegan option:
Top with 8 ounces broiled scallops or pieces of broiled wild salmon.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 411; PROTEIN 14g; CARBOHYDRATES 82g; TOTAL FAT 6.8g; SATURATED FAT 0.9g; SODIUM 75mg; FIBER 10.3g; BETA-CAROTENE 1,004mcg; VITAMIN C 107mg; CALCIUM 175mg; IRON 4.5mg; FOLATE 126mcg; MAGNESIUM 147mg; ZINC 3.7mg; SELENIUM 22.6mcg

Tailgate Chili with Black and Red Beans

Serves: 5

½ cup bulgur

1 cup water

3 cups chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 green bell peppers, chopped

3 cups diced tomatoes

1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained

3 cups cooked red kidney beans, or 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added or low-sodium red kidney beans, drained

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine bulgur and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender.

While bulgur cooks, heat 2 tablespoons water in a large saucepan and water-sauté onions and garlic until almost soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in green peppers and sauté an additional 3 minutes, adding more water as needed. Stir in diced tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add bulgur and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 394; PROTEIN 23g; CARBOHYDRATES 79g; TOTAL FAT 2.6g; SATURATED FAT 0.5g; SODIUM 54mg; FIBER 20.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 1,221mcg; VITAMIN C 68mg; CALCIUM 120mg; IRON 5.3mg; FOLATE 287mcg; MAGNESIUM 149mg; ZINC 2.7mg; SELENIUM 3.5mcg

Vegetable Gumbo

Serves: 4

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

½ large onion, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup plus 2–3 tablespoons no-salt-added or low-sodium vegetable broth

10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini, chopped

1 cup frozen okra, defrosted and sliced

1½ cups diced tomatoes

1½ cups cooked kidney beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium or no-salt-added kidney beans, drained

2 cups chopped collard greens

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 cups cooked brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa

Sauté green and red pepper, onion, celery, and garlic in 2–3 tablespoons vegetable broth until tender. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook until liquid is evaporated. Stir in okra, tomatoes, beans, collard greens, remaining vegetable broth, lemon juice, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. (Add more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve on top of rice or quinoa.

Non-vegan option:
Add 4 ounces of cooked shredded chicken or small wild-caught, domestic shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking time.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 266; PROTEIN 15g; CARBOHYDRATES 53g; TOTAL FAT 1.9g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; SODIUM 39mg; FIBER 10.8g; BETA-CAROTENE 565mcg; VITAMIN C 63mg; CALCIUM 123mg; IRON 3.4mg; FOLATE 223mcg; MAGNESIUM 127mg; ZINC 2.3mg; SELENIUM 46.2mcg

Vegetable Chickpea Loaf

Serves: 8

½ cup walnuts

1½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium chickpeas, drained

1 medium onion, quartered

1 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons agar powder (see Box)

1½ tablespoons stone-ground mustard

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

⅛ teaspoon dried sage

⅛ teaspoon dried marjoram

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup low-sodium ketchup, for top of loaf

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts and chickpeas in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, and mushrooms to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add to the chickpea mixture. Add to this mixture rice, arrowroot powder, agar powder, mustard, nutritional yeast, thyme, sage, marjoram, and black pepper and mix well.

Lightly wipe a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with olive oil. Place mixture into pan, patting into place. Top with ketchup. Bake for 50 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes before slicing; loaf will firm up as it cools. Leftover slices hold together well after being refrigerated and are good for lunch the next day.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 161; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 23g; TOTAL FAT 6.1g; SATURATED FAT 0.6g; SODIUM 48mg; FIBER 4.6g; BETA-CAROTENE 756mcg; VITAMIN C 17mg; CALCIUM 40mg; IRON 1.8mg; FOLATE 116mcg; MAGNESIUM 49mg; ZINC 1.1mg; SELENIUM 6.1mcg

Agar is a vegan product produced from a variety of seaweeds. It’s used as a stabilizing and thickening agent and is sold in health food stores and some supermarkets in both flake and powder forms. If using agar flakes instead of powder, double the amount.

BURGERS, PIZZA, AND FAST FOOD

Arugula- and Spinach-Stuffed Pitas with Watercress Pesto

Serves: 4

Pesto

1 bulb garlic

2 cups watercress, stems removed

5 leaves basil

½ cup walnuts

4 tablespoons unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk

Sandwich

4 pitas (100% whole grain)

1 tomato, sliced

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

2 cups arugula

2 cups spinach

1 avocado, pit removed, sliced

Roast garlic for 15 minutes at 300°F. Cut open cloves and squeeze out soft cooked garlic. Combine roasted garlic with other pesto ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Spread pesto on whole grain pitas. Stuff pita with remaining sandwich ingredients.

Non-vegan option:
Add to each pita 1–2 ounces of oven-baked white-meat chicken or turkey, sliced or chopped.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 356; PROTEIN 11g; CARBOHYDRATES 43g; TOTAL FAT 17.3g; SATURATED FAT 2g; SODIUM 152mg; FIBER 6.6g; BETA-CAROTENE 1,653mcg; VITAMIN C 22mg; CALCIUM 133mg; IRON 3.1mg; FOLATE 164mcg; MAGNESIUM 76mg; ZINC 1.5mg; SELENIUM 17.5mcg

Crispy Mushroom Fries

Serves: 2

½ cup raw almonds, toasted

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons chia seeds

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

2 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed, sliced ¼ inch thick

½ cup chickpea flour

1 cup no-salt-added or low-sodium vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until chopped to the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Remove from food processor, and in a shallow bowl combine with cornmeal, nutritional yeast, chia seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

Dredge portobello slices in chickpea flour; dip them in the vegetable broth and then into the almond mixture. Place on a baking sheet, lightly greased with olive oil, and bake for 10 minutes; turn and bake an additional 5–10 minutes, until golden brown.

Note:
If desired, serve with no-salt-added or low-sodium marinara sauce for dipping.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 180; PROTEIN 9g; CARBOHYDRATES 20g; TOTAL FAT 8.2g; SATURATED FAT 0.7g; SODIUM 19mg; FIBER 6.6g; BETA-CAROTENE 7mcg; VITAMIN C 1mg; CALCIUM 71mg; IRON 3mg; FOLATE 215mcg; MAGNESIUM 72mg; ZINC 1.7mg; SELENIUM 11.2mcg

Easy Vegetable Pizza

Serves: 4

4 large pitas (100% whole grain)

2 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium pasta sauce

½ cup chopped shiitake mushrooms

½ cup chopped red onion

10 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed and finely chopped

2 ounces shredded nondairy mozzarella-type cheese

Preheat oven to 200°F. Place pitas on two baking sheets and warm for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon on the pasta sauce. Sprinkle evenly with mushrooms, onion, and broccoli. Add a light sprinkle of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 229; PROTEIN 12g; CARBOHYDRATES 47g; TOTAL FAT 2.4g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; SODIUM 190mg; FIBER 9.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 686mcg; VITAMIN C 57mg; CALCIUM 165mg; IRON 2.7mg; FOLATE 67mcg; MAGNESIUM 83mg; ZINC 1.9mg; SELENIUM 8.7mcg

Flax and Sesame Crackers

1 cup ground flaxseeds

¼ cup unhulled sesame seeds

¼ cup coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds

¾ cup water, or more if needed

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until a dough forms, adding more water if needed. Spread evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet. Score into squares so they break evenly after baking. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

Note:
You can substitute a variety of seasonings for, or use in addition to, the onion and garlic powder. Try fresh or dried herbs, chili powder, nutritional yeast, Dr. Fuhrman’s MatoZest, cinnamon, chopped dates, or raisins.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 55; PROTEIN 2g; CARBOHYDRATES 3g; TOTAL FAT 4.5g; SATURATED FAT 0.6g; SODIUM 2mg; FIBER 1.9g; BETA-CAROTENE 7mcg; CALCIUM 33mg; IRON 1mg; FOLATE 8mcg; MAGNESIUM 44mg; ZINC 0.6mg; SELENIUM 1.7mcg

Kale Chips

Serves: 3

1 bunch kale, tough stems and center ribs removed

Half olive oil and half water mixture in a spray bottle

Choice of Seasonings:

Garlic and/or onion powder

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh lemon juice

Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or MatoZest, Mrs. Dash seasoning blend, or no-salt Spike

Nutritional yeast

Chili powder

Black pepper

Raw cashew or almond butter mixed with water

Preheat oven to 225°F. Tear kale into uniform, chip-size pieces. Spread evenly on a nonstick baking sheet. Shake olive oil and water mixture well and spray kale lightly. Sprinkle with your choice of seasoning. Bake for 50 minutes, or until crispy and dry, tossing occasionally to prevent burning. Eat as a snack or use as a topping for salads or other dishes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 123; PROTEIN 4g; CARBOHYDRATES 8g; TOTAL FAT 9.6g; SATURATED FAT 0.9g; SODIUM 22mg; FIBER 1.5g; BETA-CAROTENE 4,359mcg; VITAMIN C 57mg; CALCIUM 106mg; IRON 1.4mg; FOLATE 24mcg; MAGNESIUM 63mg; ZINC 0.7mg; SELENIUM 0.4mcg

B
EAN
B
URGER
T
IPS

Bean burgers are great because you probably have the ingredients on hand to make a batch at any given time. They work for a quick evening meal, and leftovers can be packed for lunch the next day. You can make them regular burger size or make smaller patties for bean burger sliders. Bean burger variations are endless, but my basic formula consists of beans, a source of fat such as seeds or nuts, a grain, and some veggies and flavoring ingredients. For example, my simple Sunny Bean Burgers contain just six ingredients: kidney or pinto beans, sunflower seeds, oats, minced onion, low-sodium ketchup, and a dash of chili powder.

Bean Burger Ingredients

Beans:
You can use any variety of cooked, canned, or boxed beans—black, red kidney, pinto, or white beans; lentils or chickpeas. Mash them up well.

Nut and Seeds:
Ground or chopped nuts and/or seeds provide the healthy fat.

Grains:
Grains help to bind the other ingredients together. Oats are a common ingredient in bean burgers, but you can also use cooked rice, cooked quinoa, or a small amount of whole grain bread crumbs.

Vegetables:
Diced mushrooms are great in burgers. In addition to adding a meaty texture, they provide
umami
, or the fifth taste in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Umami is defined as robust, savory, and meaty. You can also add shredded carrots, chopped spinach, chopped kale, diced artichoke, or mashed sweet potato.