Dishin’ It Up! Plant-Based Recipes for a Sustainable, Healthier World
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
50
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are thrilled to welcome plant-based chef, cooking instructor, and nutritional coach, Ms. Cathy Katin-Grazzini, to our team as Food Editor for VegWorld Magazine! Cathy is the owner of Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC, and she is a Plant-Based Culinary Medicine Educator and Chef at Matrix Personalized Medicine in New Canaan, Connecticut. Her original recipes, cooking videos, and nutritional blogs can be found at www.cathyskitchenprescription.com.
Beautiful Food Makes Beautiful Bodies by Cathy Katin-Grazzini
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he concept of beauty holds many meanings: physical attractiveness, aesthetic harmony and balance, fecundity, even a loving heart. Sadly, too many still equate beauty with images of waifish, androgenous models in fashion magazines. It is a poor proxy. For all lifeforms, beauty is better defined by glowing, radiant good health and vitality. For humans, it is achievable with a plant-based, active lifestyle, which helps slow down cell aging, shed excess pounds, ease aches and pains, lift our spirits, and vanquish fatigue. That’s why so many who have embraced plants look and feel years younger. We become our more beautiful, vital selves. Consider beauty as it relates to food: Paleoanthropolgists tell us we evolved as nomadic gatherers primarily of fruits, tubers, nuts, seeds, and honey. Perhaps that’s why our hearts rejoice at the return of spring and the re-emergence of gorgeous, restorative, local spring fruits and veggies at our farms and green grocers.
PhotoVegWorld courtesy of Magazine Giordano Katin-Grazzini
“We eat first with our eyes.” And the resplendent recipes that follow here entice us not just with the promise of great taste but also with the many health benefits they hold. Loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants, plant proteins and fiber, they help drive down systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, the drivers behind weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. They also uniquely nourish the microbes in our gut microbiome, modulating our metabolic and even our mental health in extremely beneficial ways. With contributions from Jane and Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Michael Greger, bloggers Deliciously Ella and Gena of The Full Helping, Crossroad Restaurant’s renowned chefs Tal Ronnen and Scot Jones, and GreenFare Restaurant’s Gwyn Whittaker, and myself, we hope you enjoy recreating these tempting, healthy recipes in the comfort of your own home. Buon appetito!
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
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EARLY SPRING PIE by Cathy Katin-Grazzini
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eawaken from winter with a luscious pie that features spring’s earliest arrivals: asparagus, artichoke, spinach, radish, peas, new potatoes, basil and chive–all wrapped up in a chickpea/brown rice flour crust. No oil, no dairy, gluten-free.
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
52
EARLY SPRING PIE
Makes 9-inch pie Prep 90 minutes Bake 20-25 minutes
INGREDIENTS CRUST
VEGGIES
• 1½ cups chickpea flour
• 2 cups spinach and radish greens, steamed, squeezed, chopped
• 1 cup brown rice flour • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast • 2 Tablespoons arrowroot • 2 Tablespoons freshly ground flaxseed
• 1 cup asparagus tips and tender stems, (snap asparagus, discard woody bottoms or save for broth), cut in 1 inch sections, steamed
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 cup fresh artichoke hearts, quartered, steamed (fresh only)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 cup fresh or frozen English peas
• ½ cup silken tofu, drained well
• Pinch ground white pepper
• 1 full cup mix of small watermelon, Cherry Belle or other radish varieties, cut in 1/8-inch slices, steamed
PLANT-BASED BÉCHAMEL
• 1 cup baby fingerling potatoes, cut in ½” slices, steamed
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 leek, white only, well cleaned and sliced lengthwise in ¼-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup silken tofu
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 stalk celery, medium dice
• 2 Tablespoons arrowroot
• Fresh thyme leaves from several 4-5 sprigs
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 cup, compacted, mixed fresh basil leaves and chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• No-sodium veggie broth to deglaze pan
• ½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak), available at South Asian grocers or online (omit for salt-free)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (omit for salt-free)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt (omit for salt-free)
• Pinch ground white pepper • Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
53
EARLY SPRING PIE
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C for ½ hour; bake pie 20-25 minutes, bake dough cutouts 5-7 minutes Combine crust’s dry ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to blend. Add vinegar and silken tofu, continuing to process until dough gathers in a soft, ball (be patient) with the soft, pliable consistency of Play-Doh. If still crumbly or too stiff, add 1 tablespoon tofu and reprocess. Remove, shape into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Prep veggies, steaming the asparagus, fresh artichoke, potatoes, radishes, and greens separately, until tender but firm. Plunge in ice water to halt cooking and drain. Sweat the onion, leek and thyme leaves in a nonstick or stainless pan over low heat until they soften and release their juices. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of veggie broth as needed. Mix in steamed, squeezed, chopped greens.
or 0.4 cm. Transfer to a 9” Pyrex pie dish; trim and crimp edges. Fill with veggie-béchamel mix. Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden. To facilitate slicing, cool on a rack for 20-30 minutes, allowing pie to set. Roll out scraps and cut out decorative shapes with cookie cutters. Moisten with a pastry brush and water, and if desired, season with a wee pinch of salt, pepper, dehydrated veggie powders (I used beets and leeks in the photo), chili powder or paprika. Bake 5-7 minutes or until lightly golden. Arrange cutouts attractively atop the baked pie. Dig in!
Combine béchamel ingredients in food processor; blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened and dense. In a large mixing bowl, combine steamed and sweated veggies with the béchamel. Season to taste. Sprinkle a board with chickpea flour; roll out dough, flipping and flouring, to a thickness of 3/16”
Photos courtesy of Giordano Katin-Grazzini
About the Chef Cathy Katin-Grazzini, plant-based chef, cooking instructor, and nutritional coach, is Food Editor for VegWorld Magazine, owner of Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC, and Plant-Based Culinary Medicine Educator and Chef at Matrix Personalized Medicine in New Canaan, Connecticut. Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell, a graduate of Rouxbe Cooking School’s Professional Plant-Based Program, Cathy is also a Licensed Instructor for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Food for Life Programs. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago, attended graduate school at Harvard University and received a M.A. from Johns Hopkins University. Cathy lives with her husband Giordano in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Cathy’s original recipes, cooking videos, and nutritional blogs can be found at www.cathyskitchenprescription.com.
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
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WATERMELON SALAD WITH PERSIAN CUCUMBERS, CHERRY TOMATOES & BALSAMIC REDUCTION by Tal Ronnen, www.crossroadskitchen.com
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atermelon, cucumbers, and tomatoes are all at their peak at around the same time in the summer, so it only makes sense to combine them in a salad. Each fruit and vegetable is purposefully cut large here—I want each piece to be its own perfect bite of summer, followed by another, so that moving from vegetable to vegetable on the plate is like eating a four-course tasting menu. The almond ricotta and the slight sweetness of the balsamic reduction are what tie the whole dish together. VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
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GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS • ¼ cup Kite Hill almond ricotta • 4 Persian cucumbers (4 inches long), ends trimmed and skin peeled off in strips to create a striped effect • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • ½ small seedless yellow watermelon (about 1½ pounds) • ½ small seedless red watermelon (about 1½ pounds) • ¼ cup Balsamic Reduction (recipe follows) • 16 cherry tomatoes • ¼ cup pistachios, toasted and smashed with a mallet or heavy pan • ¼ cup micro basil • Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon • Freshly ground black pepper • Extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS Scoop the ricotta into a fine-mesh sieve and place it over a bowl. Let it drain for 20 minutes. Discard the water. Put the cucumbers in a bowl, add the vinegar, and cover with cold water. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the watermelon. To prepare the watermelon: Trim off the rind and discard. Cut each watermelon half horizontally into four 1-inch-thick slabs. Lay the slabs on the cutting board and slice into 1-inch-wide strips. Square off the ends and lay the melon pieces horizontally on the board. Holding the knife blade at a 45-degree angle, cut a 1-inch-long piece from one end of the strip. Move the knife about 1 inch and make a cut straight down, so you have another piece with a flat end and an angled end. Repeat the process with all of the watermelon strips; you should have 16. Set aside. Drain the cucumbers and cut them in the same way you did the watermelon, so you have 16 pieces. To serve: Dip a pastry brush in the balsamic reduction and paint a long stripe along the base of a platter or on each of four individual plates. Arrange the red and yellow watermelon and cucumbers decoratively on top, standing the pieces upright on their flat ends. Nestle the tomatoes in between. Top the salad with the pistachios, ricotta, and basil. Season with flaked sea salt and pepper, drizzle with oil, and serve immediately.
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
56
GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD
BALSAMIC REDUCTION Makes ½ cup
INGREDIENTS • • • •
½ cup agave nectar 1 cup balsamic vinegar 1 shallot, halved Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Add the vinegar and shallot and gently simmer, swirling the pan a few times, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to the consistency of maple syrup and coats the back of a spoon, about 50 minutes. Remove the shallot and add a good pinch each of salt and pepper. The reduction can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 months. Photographs by Lisa Romerein
Heat the agave in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it thins out and is warmed, about 5 minutes.
Excerpted from Crossroads by Tal Ronnen (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015.
About the Chef An internationally renowned chef, best-selling author, and the 2013 VegNews Person of the Year, Tal Ronnen has pioneered an entirely new cuisine that pairs a sophisticated sensibility with an emphasis on plant based foods and ingredients. His Los Angeles-based restaurant, Crossroads, emphasizes both a refined setting and an exceptional menu, which reflect Ronnen’s belief that healthy eating is a main course, not an afterthought. “When I crossed over to being a vegetarian, I was largely being served the side dishes that came along with the entrées when I went out to eat,” he says. “I wanted to take vegetarian cuisine to the next level and make it appeal to non-vegetarians. Crossroads is the realization of that desire.” Ronnen’s signature style of cooking has made him a favorite among celebrities and foodies. He is perhaps best known to the public at large for helping open Chrissie Hynde’s VegiTerranean restaurant in Akron, OH; catering the wedding of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi; and creating the menu for Oprah Winfrey during her 21-day vegan cleanse. The release of his newest book, Crossroads (Artisan Books), has been featured in Food & Wine magazine, The New York Times, USA Today, and is an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), Cookbook Award Finalist. In addition, he is the author of The Conscious Cook, a New York Times best seller and is a consultant on the culinary program and menus for numerous highly regarded and established brands including Wynn Las Vegas, Baur au Lac in Switzerland, and LYFE Kitchen restaurants. He is a graduate of the National Gourmet Institute and has worked at Candle 79 in New York City, and Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He also conducts master vegetarian workshops for students and staff at Le Cordon Bleu College campuses nationwide. Ronnen is continuously committed to educating future generations on the importance of plant-based food and the origins of where our food comes from, and it is reflected in the ventures he is involved in such as an acting co-founder of Kite Hill as well as Impossible Foods. Ronnen’s desire to create a welcoming, sumptuous environment for healthy eating was one of the primary motivators for creating Crossroads, for which he is collaborating with Executive Chef Scot Jones, whom he met during his tenure at VegiTerranean. The two share a sensibility in terms of a desire to create satisfying, vegetable-based cuisine in a warm, yet stylish dining atmosphere. “We wanted to design an environment where you don’t have to sacrifice ambiance just because you want to eat healthy,” Ronnen says. “There’s no place in L.A. where you can go and eat a clean and vibrant meal together with a full bar, private dining room, and the style of service that will be offered, all within a beautiful space.” Order a copy of Tal’s cookbook, Crossroads today : https://tinyurl.com/ybyauorw VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
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STUFFED SWEET POTATOES WITH BALSAMIC DATE GLAZE by Dr. Michael Greger, www.nutritionfacts.org
VegWorld Magazine
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
62
STUFFED SWEET POTATOES WITH BALSAMIC DATE GLAZE
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love sweet potatoes - one of the healthiest foods on the planet. The purple ones are the best, and you can usually find them at Asian markets and specialty natural groceries. They’re so good I send them out in the mail as holiday gifts. After all, what is more comforting on a wintry day than a nice, warm, steamy sweet potato? Here’s a recipe that makes for a great stocking stuffer during the holidays or a comforting dish during those cold early spring afternoons as we wait for the warmer weather to arrive. Makes 4 Servings
SWEET POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Prick each potato with a fork in two or three places and bake until tender, about 1 hour.
• ½ cup green peas, steamed • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallions • ¼ cup raw slivered almonds • Balsamic-Date Glaze • Ground black pepper
VegWorld Magazine
When the potatoes are done baking, transfer them to a work surface and allow to cool slightly. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a bowl, leaving about ¼ inch of potato attached to the skin. Add the peas and chives and mix well. Spoon the mixture into each half and return the stuffed sweet potatoes to the oven for about 15 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with almonds, drizzle with Balsamic-Date Glaze, add a few grinds of black pepper to taste, and serve hot.
The Beauty Issue
Issue 45 - March/April 2018 |
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