Featured Recipes

Cathy Fisher is the creator of StraightUpFood.com, a website offering free recipes and information on eating a plant-based diet without added salt, oil or sugar. She is a cooking instructor at the McDougall Program and TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, CA. Cathy's first cookbook, Straight Up Food, has just been published: click here for more information and to purchase the book. McDougall Newsletter subscribers can get 10% off book purchases (hardcover and digital/PDF) until the end of this year by entering the coupon code SUF10 at checkout).

This flavorful meat-less loaf is perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a hearty main dish. It can be made with fresh or dried herbs.

1¾ cups water
½ cup dry/uncooked brown-green lentils
½ cup dry/uncooked short-grain brown rice
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 medium white or cremini mushrooms, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large rib celery, sliced (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic (4 to 5 medium cloves)
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)
2 ounces pecans or walnuts, chopped (about ½ cup; optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1½ teaspoons dried rubbed sage)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (or ¾ teaspoon dried)

• Place the water, lentils, rice, poultry seasoning, and granulated onion into a medium saucepan over high heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes with the lid still on. (Prepare your remaining ingredients while the rice and lentils are cooking.)

• Place 1 tablespoon of water into a medium frying pan over high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the chopped onion, mushrooms, and celery, and cook while stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, adding a little water, as needed. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes more until the vegetables have softened. If you're using dried herbs, stir them in with the garlic; if using fresh herbs, you will add them in step 4. Remove from the heat.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard size loaf pan (9×5×3 inches) with parchment paper.

• Place the oats, tomato paste, and nuts (if using) into a large bowl. If you're using fresh herbs (sage, thyme, and rosemary), add them to the bowl as well. When the cooked vegetables, rice, and lentils have cooled for at least 10 minutes, add them to the bowl, and stir until all of the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly.

• Place half of the mixture into a food processor. Pulse about three times then scrape down the sides. Pulse another three times so that the mixture is evenly blended but still somewhat chunky. Spoon this mixture into the loaf pan. Place the remaining half of the mixture into the food processor and pulse in the same way. Add this mixture to the loaf pan as well. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan.

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the top is browned and the edges look crispy. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Preparation: about 25 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes (rice and lentils), 55 minutes (baking the loaf)
Serves: 6 to 10 (makes about ten ¾-inch slices)

This hearty stew includes large chunks of potato, carrot, celery, and onion, and portabella mushrooms stand in for the beef. Garlic, paprika, and fresh rosemary provide excellent flavor.

1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2¼ cups)
3 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 medium portabella mushrooms, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
5 cups water
2 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1/3 cup tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1½ cups cooked peas (if frozen, thaw a little with warm water)
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

• Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, adding water, as needed.

• Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed.

• Add the water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the rosemary. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and potatoes are very tender.

• Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.

• Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend just briefly. Stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken the stew. Stir in the parsley.

Preparation: about 30 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8 (makes about 10 cups)

This recipe was inspired by my mom's coleslaw, which features apples and raisins. Coleslaw is a great plant-based side dish for holiday feasts, and everyone at the table will love it. Use white beans instead of cashews for a lower-fat dish (see Notes).

For the salad:
3 cups chopped green cabbage
1¾ cups grated carrots (1 to 2 medium)
1½ cups diced apple (1 to 2 medium), peeled or unpeeled
1 cup chopped red cabbage
½ cup raisins
¼ cup finely chopped red onion

For the dressing:
½ cup water
2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons mustard (I like Dijon or stone ground)
1 tablespoon vinegar (I like apple cider)
1 medium clove garlic, sliced

• Place all of the dressing ingredients (water, cashews, mustard, vinegar, and garlic) into a blender, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the cashews can soften).
• Place all of the salad ingredients (green cabbage, carrots, apple, red cabbage, raisins, and onion) into a large bowl.
• Blend the dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Preparation: about 20 minutes
Cooking: 0
Serves: 6 (makes about 8 cups salad and 1 cup dressing)

Notes:

• For a little variation, add ¼ cup of thinly sliced radish, celery, or fresh fennel, or ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, or pineapple.
• For a lower-fat dressing, substitute ½ cup of cooked white beans for the cashews, and decrease the water to ¼ cup.

The fresh cranberry and persimmon season is short, but even if you make this only a few times for fall and winter meals and holiday feasts, it will be worth it. The sweetness of the persimmons, apple, and tangerine balances the tartness of the raw cranberries like a charm.

1½ cups fresh whole cranberries
2 medium, ripe Fuyu persimmons, chopped
2 tangerines (or 1 orange), peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium apple, peeled or unpeeled, cored and chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Place the cranberries, persimmons, tangerine or orange, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a food processor, and pulse 10 to 15 times, or until the relish looks like chunky salsa.

• Transfer the relish to a medium bowl and give it another stir to make sure the cinnamon and nutmeg have been thoroughly mixed in. Serve immediately or chill for later.

Preparation: about 15 minutes
Serves: 6 (makes about 3¼ cups)

Notes:

• Feel free to add other ingredients (after blending the relish in step 1), such as raisins, chopped pears, orange or lemon zest, a handful of pomegranate seeds or raspberries, and/or chopped walnuts or pecans.
• If you have leftover relish, add it to the top of a green salad or oatmeal, or blend it with a little vinegar until smooth to make a sweet and tangy salad dressing.

This pie is perfect for holidays and special occasions, and you can easily make a pumpkin or yam pie from this same recipe (see Notes).

¼ to ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (½ cup will result in a firmer filling)
¾ cup nondairy milk
4 ounces pitted dates (7 to 8 Medjool or 14 to 16 Deglet Noor), chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
1½ cups (packed) baked sweet potato (about 1 pound before cooking)
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 prebaked Pecan-Date Pie Crust (recipe below)
15 to 20 raw, unsalted pecan halves to decorate the outside edge, plus ¼ cup chopped pecans for the center of the pie

• Grind the rolled oats into flour with a blender and then transfer to a small bowl.

• Place the nondairy milk, dates, and vanilla into the blender, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the dates can soften). Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set aside your prebaked pie crust.

• Add the baked sweet potato to the blender with the milk, dates and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Add the oat flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to the blender mixture, and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides a couple times. (This will be thick, so use your blender's tamper if it has one, or you can also use a food processor.)

• Pour the pie filling into the prebaked pie crust and smooth out evenly. Arrange the pecan halves around the outside of the pie and the chopped pecans in the middle.

• Wrap a few 3-inch-wide strips of aluminum foil around the edge of the pie crust (keeping the edges of the foil from touching the filling) to prevent the crust from overbrowning.

• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is a medium brown. Remove the pie from the oven and remove the foil strips. Cool completely before slicing.

Preparation: about 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8 (makes 1 eight-inch pie)

Notes:

• To bake the sweet potato, place the unpeeled potato on a baking sheet, and bake at 400°F for 60 to 70 minutes, or until very soft when pierced with a knife.
• To make this a pumpkin pie, substitute 1 can (15 ounces) 100% cooked pumpkin (not "pumpkin pie mix") or 1½ cups (packed) baked pumpkin.
• To make this a yam pie, substitute 1½ cups (packed) baked yams. Yam pie will be darker in color than sweet potato pie.

This crust tastes like a sweet, crumbly cookie. I use it with the Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie recipe above, but you can use it wherever a sweet, prebaked pie shell is called for.

1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2½ ounces raw, unsalted pecans (about ½ cup)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2½ ounces pitted dates (4 to 5 Medjool or 8 to 10 Deglet Noor), chopped
1½ tablespoons nondairy milk

• Place the oats, pecans, and cinnamon in a food processor, and process until the texture resembles coarse flour. Add the dates, and process for about 1 minute, or until the mixture just begins to clump together. Add the milk and process until the mixture starts to ball up into dough (this will happen quickly).

• Form the dough into one big ball and place it on a large piece of parchment paper on top of a large cutting board or other flat surface. Press the ball flat with your hands and then place another large piece of parchment paper over the top. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set aside an 8-inch pie pan.

• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle that is about 1/8-inch thick. The circle should be slightly larger than the upper edge of the pie pan. (If your circle is irregularly shaped, just cut a piece of dough from another area and press it in.)

• Peel off the top piece of parchment paper and carefully invert the rolled-out crust onto the pie pan. Peel away the remaining piece of parchment paper. Gently ease the crust into the contours of the pan and gently press into place.

• Trim away any hanging crust. (You do not need to poke the crust with a knife.) Place a piece of aluminum foil over the entire crust, loosely tucking under the corners. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.

Preparation: about 25 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 eight-inch pie crust

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