June 2012 Recipes

To start off this summer’s newsletter recipes, I have chosen 4 of our favorites from the new Starch Solution book. We asked Susan Voisin, of www.fatfreevegan.com to prepare a few of our favorite recipes from the book and take photos of the finished dish because I know many of you can relate to visual images of a finished recipe and then want to try it for yourself. I know you will enjoy all of these as I make them frequently for my family and the photos show you just how appealing they are to everyone!

Summer Tomato Panzanella

My daughter, Heather, returned home from a trip with a craving for the bread salad she’d enjoyed while away. She created this one, which is best when it’s made with fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes from the garden or your local farmers’ market.

Prep: 20 minutes | Rest: 15 minutes
Serves 4

1 loaf fat-free French or Italian- style bread, crusts on, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and cut into quarters
1 cup Fat-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette (page 244) or bottled
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 300^oF.

Spread out the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes to dry. Let cool on the sheet.

Put the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, and olives into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Fat-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, garlic, water, vegetable broth, and vinegar.

About 15 minutes before serving, add the toasted bread cubes to the vegetable mixture and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly. Add the dressing and toss again. Let the salad stand for 15 minutes before serving to allow the bread cubes to soak up some of the dressing.
Serve.

Tamale Burgers

We tuck these burgers into tortillas, but you could also form them into patties and serve them on buns. Either way, Mexican toppings are the perfect condiments. Freeze any remaining baked burgers in an airtight container or zipper-lock bag for up to 3 months and reheat on a plate in a microwave oven for about 2 minutes, or on a dry griddle for about 5 minutes.

Prep: 30 minutes | Rest: 20 minutes | Chill: 30 minutes | Grill: 45 minutes
Makes 8 to 10

1/3 cup masa harina (see page 307)
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce, from can
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups cooked brown rice, warmed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 to 10 corn tortillas
Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and taco sauce, for serving

Mix the masa harina with 1/2 cup water in a small bowl; set aside.
Put the vegetable broth in a medium nonstick saucepan and add the onion, bell pepper, corn, chile, adobo sauce, garlic, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add the masa harina and mix well (mixture will be very thick). Cover the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes.

Put the warmed rice into a large bowl and add the masa-vegetable mixture, along with the cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix very well. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with water and place it by a work surface, along with the baking sheets. Moisten your hands with the water, then pinch off and shape the mixture into 8 to 10 oblong, flattened burgers that fit across the middle of a tortilla. Arrange the shaped burgers on the baking sheets. Refrigerate the burgers on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill, or heat a stovetop grill or griddle. Grill the burgers over medium heat until crusty, about 7 minutes per side.

To serve, place a burger on a tortilla, add toppings, fold up, and eat.

Festive Dal Soup

In India and throughout Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, split lentils, peas, and beans are used in a variety of thick soups and stews known as dal. This richly flavored and textured soup is great for using up leftover greens. For extra bite, top the dal with your favorite hot sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 1 hour
Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red lentils
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste)
2 cups coarsely chopped leafy greens, such as chard, kale, or spinach
Sea salt, to taste

Place 1/4 cup water into a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
Mix in the ginger, paprika, cumin, coriander, and several mill twists of pepper. Add the lentils, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and 3 cups water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 50 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the chili paste, and the greens. Cook until the greens are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more chili paste and a bit of sea salt, if desired.
Serve hot.

Chocolate Brownies

We serve these brownies topped with vanilla soy ice cream on the first night of every McDougall Program. They are a rich treat best reserved for special occasions. We especially like them cold from the fridge, so we sometimes make them ahead, cut and arrange them on a platter, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a day before serving them. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, but I doubt they’ll be around that long.

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes
Makes 9

2 tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Wonderslim Wondercocoa Fat-Free Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cashews or walnuts (optional)
1 cup Sunsweet Lighter Bake
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

In a small bowl, whisk the Egg Replacer with 1/2 cup warm water until frothy. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the nuts, if using. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Lighter Bake, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the Egg Replacer. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture just until the ingredients are combined.
Spread the batter evenly into a nonstick or silicone 8” x 8” baking pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Set the pan on a rack until cool, about 30 minutes. Cut the brownies into three equal strips in one direction, then three in the other, to make nine brownies. (If using a silicone pan, flex and invert the pan to release the brownies onto a platter before cutting them.)