January 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 1

Featured Recipes

In Color Me Vegan, award-winning author, renowned vegan living expert, and long-time cooking instructor for the McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, CA, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau ( www.compassionatecooks.com) brings an edible rainbow of plant-based cuisine to your kitchen table with 150 flavorful recipes designed to boost your health and perk up your palate. With color as the guiding principle behind each section, Colleen shows you how to harness the antioxidant power of every natural food in the color spectrum - from ruby red fruits and leafy green vegetables to earthy brown grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds - and how to expertly prepare these foods for the greatest nutritional punch. And as always, each dish features Colleen's trademark flair for bringing taste and fresh innovation to the table. There are also countless cooking tips, suggestions, and tidbits of food history.

Written with followers of the McDougall program in mind, every recipe indicates whether or not it is oil-free, and soy- or wheat-free. (Most of those that include oil can easily be modified to be oil-free.)

Check out www.colormevegan.com for more info and sample recipes, and purchase Color Me Vegan at Amazon by clicking here. Signed copies are available directly through Colleen's website: http://www.compassionatecooks.com/dvd.htm

Citrus Salad
Soy-free, wheat-free, Oil-free

Enjoy this fresh, light, delicious salad any time of the year.

Servings: 4

1 bunch curly kale, leaves stripped from rib and finely chopped
2 oranges, peeled with membranes removed and separated into wedges
1 red grapefruit, peeled with membranes removed and separated into wedges
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, or 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
¼ cup fresh orange juice
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, or rice)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
Zest from 1 orange, for garnish

Directions:
Add the kale, oranges, grapefruit, onion, jalapeno pepper and pine nuts to a large bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, vinegar and agave nectar. Pour the mixture over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly.

Serve in individual bowls, garnished with orange zest.

Serving Suggestions and Variations:

Any type of kale works well for this salad, though curly is my favorite.

Stuffed Shells with Marinara Sauce
Oil-free

Baked, the tofu has a wonderful creamy texture, which nicely complements the chewy pasta noodles and the spinach filling.

Servings:8

16 to 24 jumbo pasta shells
2 packages (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
12 ounces soft tofu
12 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup nondairy milk (such as almond, rice, soy, hemp, hazelnut, or oat)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch fresh basil, minced
2 teaspoons salt
4 to 6 cups tomato sauce, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, ground to a soft crumble
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 ° . Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions, drain well and set aside. Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.
Place the tofus, sugar, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, basil and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the spinach.
Stuff about 2 rounded tablespoonfuls into each pasta shell. Spread 1 cup or so of tomato sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the sauce and spoon the remaining 3 to 5 cups sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley, thyme and oregano.
Bake until heated through about 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts, additional fresh herbs, if desired, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Collard Greens and Yams
Oil-free, soy-free, wheat-free

This slight variation on traditional split pea soup packs a super antioxidant punch with the yellow turmeric, green collards, and orange yams.

Servings: 6 to 8

2 tablespoons water, for sautéing
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 medium or 2 small garnet or jewel yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium carrot, diced (peeling optional)
8 cups vegetable stock (homemade or store-bought)
3 cups dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 bunch collard greens, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the water in a large soup pot and add the onions. Stir and cook until they turn translucent, about 7 inutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes, adding any additional water to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the curry powder, cumin, mustard, turmeric, yams, carrot, stock and split peas to the pot. Stir to combine.

Cover and simmer until the split peas are tender and broken down, about 1 hour. Stir often to make sure the split peas don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

About 10 minutes before the soup is done, add the chopped collard greens to the pot, stir to combine, and cook for about 10 minutes until they soften and integrate with the rest of the soup. Season with salt to taste and serve hot with freshly ground pepper.

Serving Suggestions and Variations:

Use any leafy green such as kale or chard, in place of the collard

To freeze, let the soup cool completely before adding to a freezer-safe container

Puree 2 cups of the cooked soup before adding the greens and return it to the soup to add even more thickness. Add the greens and continue with the recipe.

Indian-Style Black Bean and Veggie Burritos
Oil-free if sautéing in water, soy-free The combination of Southwestern ingredients and Eastern seasonings adds a unique flavor to this burrito.

Servings: 4

1 tablespoon water, for sautéing
2 bell peppers (yellow, green, orange, or red), cut into strips
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 sweet potato (or garnet or jewel yam), cut into ½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ cup vegetable stock
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked brown basmati rice
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
Pineapple Mango Chutney (page 74) or salsa of your choice
4 large burrito-size whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
Heat the water in a large sauté pan. Sauté the bell peppers, onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the peppers and onion are soft.

Add the sweet potato and garam masala and mix well. Add the stock and cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potato is tender.

At the very end of the cooking time, add the beans and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes longer and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the vegetable and bean mixture, rice, lettuce, and chutney evenly down the center of a tortilla and then roll it up. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions and Variations:

To make this dish even prettier, use tomato or spinach tortillas instead of whole wheat or use a combination and serve them together on a plate.

Purple Kale and White Bean Soup
Oil-free if using water to saute , soy-free, wheat-free

Of course, you can use green kale (dinosaur, or curly) for this soup, but the purple imparts a beautiful color and forces you to choose a type of kale you might not otherwise have tried.

Servings: 4 to 6

2 tablespoons water for sautéing
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt, plus extra, to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bunch purple kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
8 cups vegetable stock
1 can (15 ounces) white beans (navy, cannellini), drained and rinsed
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the water in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, red pepper flakes, and rosemary sprig. Season with the ¼ teaspoon salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the vegetables, cooking for about 2 minutes.

Add the kale, vegetable stock, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the rosemary sprig, add pepper and salt to taste, and serve.

Carrot and Roasted Bell Pepper Soup
Oil-free, wheat-free

This is a delicious and beautiful soup good for any time of the year. Reduce the spicy cayenne, if you prefer, but its presence gives this soup a little kick!

Servings: 4 to 6

3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 yellow potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup dry sherry or dry white wine (or nonalcoholic white wine)
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 roasted bell peppers (roast your own or use jarred), coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup yellow/light miso
2 cups nondairy milk (such as almond, soy, rice, hazelnut, hemp, or oat), divided
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Drections: In a soup pot, combine the carrots, onions, potato, garlic, sherry, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.

Add the roasted peppers, thyme, and stock. Cover and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a blender, working in batches if your blender is on the smaller side. Add the miso and 1 cup of the nondairy milk. Blend until smooth.

Return to the pot and slowly stir in the remaining 1 cup milk to achieve the desired thickness. Add the cayenne and more salt to taste. Reheat and serve.

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Dr. McDougall's Health and Medical Center P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

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