Skinny Bitch in the Kitch (12 page)

4 beets (about 24 ounces), trimmed,
peeled, and cut into ¾-inch cubes
4 rutabagas (about 24 ounces),
trimmed, peeled, and cut into
¾-inch cubes
4 turnips (about 24 ounces),
trimmed, peeled, and cut into
¾-inch cubes
3 tablespoons tamari,
plus more for the table
1 tablespoon safflower oil
3¾ cups low-sodium
vegetable stock
1½ cups hulled millet
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½cup chopped cashews

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine the beets, rutabagas, turnips, tamari, and safflower oil. Spread the mixture onto two large rimmed baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. One pan at a time, remove the pans from the oven, toss the vegetables, and spread them back out. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized.

Meanwhile, in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over high heat, combine the stock, millet, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the millet is tender. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and set aside until the vegetables are done.

To serve, transfer the millet to plates or a platter, top with the vegetables, and sprinkle with cashews. Pass additional tamari at the table.

¾ cup coconut oil, melted,
or safflower oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 small red onion
4 portobello mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise
into ½-inch slices
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise
into ½-inch slices
1¼ cups water
1 cup couscous

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, rosemary, pepper, and ½ tablespoon of the salt; set aside.

Trim the stem end off of onion and peel. Cut the onion into 8 wedges, each with a bit of the root end holding it together. Place the onion, portobellos, zucchini, and squash in a large, resealable bag and add the balsamic mixture. Press the air out of the bag, seal, and set aside for 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare an outdoor or stovetop grill to medium heat (it’s at the right temperature when you can hold your hand grate-level for 4 seconds).

Remove the vegetables from the bag and reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade (save the rest for another use). Grill the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until well-marked and tender.

(If you don’t have a grill, use two to three skillets with a little oil in the bottom over medium-high heat. Just be sure not to crowd the veggies in there or they’ll steam instead of sear.

Meanwhile, in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Once the vegetables have cooked, coarsely chop the onion, zucchini, and squash. Stir the chopped vegetables into the couscous, along with the reserved marinade. Cut the portobellos into thick slices.

Arrange the couscous on plates or a platter, top with the portobellos and any accumulated juices, and serve.

½ of a 4-pound spaghetti squash,
with the seeds scraped out
(see note)
Water for the baking pan
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in
adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1½ bunches (about 12 ounces) kale,
chard, mustard greens, collard
greens, or a combination, cut into
½-inch strips
1 to 1½ cups low-sodium
vegetable stock
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup raisins
¼ cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the squash flesh down in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Add ¼ inch of water and bake until the squash is easily pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a 4- to 6-quart stockpot over medium. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook for 1 minute. Add the greens, handfuls at a time, stirring until they’re all in the pot. Add 1 cup of the stock, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the raisins. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes, or 15 to 20 minutes for collard greens. (If the pan gets dry before the chard is cooked, add more stock, 2 tablespoons at a time.) Stir in 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts.

When the squash is done, use a fork to separate the strands into a large bowl.
Add the olive oil and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and toss gently.

Transfer the “spaghetti” to plates or a platter, top with the greens mixture, garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, and serve.

1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut
lengthwise into ¼-inch strips
4 (9- to 10-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 cup hummus
1 cucumber, peeled and cut
diagonally into ¼-inch slices
1 romaine heart, cut into ½-inch strips
¼ cup bottled vinaigrette dressing,
whatever kind you like

Heat the coconut oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic powder, coriander, and tamari or soy sauce. Add the tempeh and cook 1½to 2 minutes per side, until browned.

To serve, lay a tortilla on a work surface and spread it with ¼ of the hummus. Arrange ¼ of the tempeh in a column down the middle of the tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on one edge. Top with ¼ of the cucumber, ¼ of the romaine, and ¼ of the dressing. Fold one side of the tortilla up and over the fillings, fold in the edge with the border, and continue rolling the tortilla to the other side, making a tight bundle. Transfer the wrap to a plate or a platter, seam down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
6 tablespoons vegan butter
3 quarts water
About 5 teaspoons fine sea salt
8 ounces whole wheat or brown rice
elbow macaroni
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and
cut into ¼-inch slices
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized
florets (about 2½ cups)
½ bunch (about 4 ounces) kale, cut
into ½-inch strips
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup pine nuts

In a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the garlic and coconut oil and cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, swirling until it melts, and set aside.

In a 4- to 6-quart stockpot over high heat, combine the water with about 1½ tablespoons salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to the package directions until about 1 minute shy of being done. Stir in the zucchini, broccoli, and kale. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is cooked, about 1 minute.

Drain the pasta mixture, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the garlic butter, pepper, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Transfer the pasta to plates or a platter, garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, and serve.

1½ cups dried small white beans
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½teaspoons fine sea salt
½ tablespoon refined coconut oil
or safflower oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
(no need to thaw)
6 vegan chicken cutlets
1 bunch (about 1 pound)
asparagus, trimmed
1 lemon, cut into wedges,
for garnish

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the beans and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Alternately, bring to a boil over high heat, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 1 hour.)*

Drain the beans, return them to the saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain any water left in the pot, and stir in the olive oil and ¾ teaspoon of the salt.

Meanwhile, in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium-high, melt the coconut oil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, the mixed vegetables, and ¼ teaspoon
of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the stock is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the beans and quinoa are cooking, cook the chicken according to package directions.

When everything is about 10 minutes from being done, in an 8- to 10-inch skillet over high heat, combine ½-inch of water and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Add the asparagus and cook, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a simmer, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus.

Transfer the chicken, beans, quinoa, and asparagus to 4 serving plates, dividing evenly. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Savory White Cream Sauce

Brown Gravy

Cheezy Sauce

Ranch Dressing

Thousand Island Dressing

Miso-Ginger Dressing

Agave-Dijon Spread

Agave-Dijon Dressing

Vegan Caesar Dressing

Basil Pesto

Sage Pesto

Basic Red Sauce

Super Simple Pizza Sauce

Tofu “Ricotta”

Marinated Tofu “Feta”

About 2 cups soy or rice milk
¼ cup refined coconut oil
½ onion, finely diced
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat 2 cups of soy milk until it’s barely simmering (small bubbles will appear at the edges of the pan). Cover and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until the sauce is thick and no longer tastes of raw flour, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If not using immediately, transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce, and use within 30 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick while it sits, whisk in a little more warm soy milk.