Read Appetite for Reduction Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Appetite for Reduction (31 page)

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF LINGUINE)
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 300
Calories from fat: 30
Total fat: 3.5 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 54 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 12 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 470 mg
Vitamin A: 10%
Vitamin C: 140%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 15%
O
r maybe I should call this Broccoli con Pasta? Meat eaters are fond of saying things like, “You don’t crave broccoli the way I crave steak!” But I think the ferocity with which I devour a stalk of broccoli deserves its own two-part special on Animal Planet. I make this dish for my sister who likes very simple food: plain bagels and pretzels without salt (weirdo). She almost always orders Pasta con Broccoli when we go to Italian restaurants, while everyone else fills up on big sloppy dishes covered in red sauce. I used to raise my eyebrows at her, but somehow always end up taking a bite that turns into ten bites until she gets mad at me. What I’m saying is simple food can be the best kind, and these days a big old bowl of Pasta con Broccoli is perfect comfort food.
I make mine just a bit spicy with crushed red pepper and ground black pepper, but adjust as you see fit. Traditionally the dish is drowning in olive oil; here, we use just a bit for sautéing the garlic and then opt for veggie broth and white wine for a light sauce. And speaking of the garlic, there is a ton of it in here and I prep it two ways to get the biggest, most garlicky bang—half is minced and half is sliced.
½ pound whole wheat linguine
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup thinly sliced garlic
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups broccoli, tops cut into small florets, stalks sliced thinly
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prep all your ingredients while the water boils, because this dish comes together in no time. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook per the package directions, usually for about 10 minutes.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme in the oil for about a minute, being careful not to burn them. Stir in the vegetable broth, wine, and salt. Add the broccoli, turn up the heat to bring it to a simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 8 to 13 minutes, depending on how soft or firm you like your broccoli, stirring occasionally.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain and add it to the pan, using a pasta spoon to toss it around for about 3 more minutes, making sure to get everything coated. Mix in the balsamic vinegar. Serve with generous doses of black pepper. There is usually a lot of garlic left in the pan, so be sure to spoon that over your bowls of pasta.
BULK IT UP
If you need some protein with your meal
,
try either
Basic Baked Tofu (or Tempeh)
(
page 144
).
If you aren’t feeling like soy at the moment, add a can of drained chickpeas or white beans when you add the pasta to the pan
.
TIP
To get some healthy fats and a whole lotta flavor into the dish, add a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts to each serving. It’s also nice to top with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, if you swing that way
.
NUTRITION TIP
Broccoli comes bundled as a good source of calcium, iron, and B vitamins, and a very good source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. The large amount of vitamin C (found in the florets; the darker the better) significantly improves your body’s absorption of the iron in the broccoli and the whole wheat pasta. Most of the nutrients are found in the florets, but the stem is full of healthy insoluble fiber, plus adds great texture to this dish.
Tempeh Helper
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 310
Calories from fat: 45
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 52 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 16 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 210 mg
Vitamin A: 35%
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 8%
Iron: 15%
T
his recipe is all about my childhood. My mom was raising three kids and working two jobs, so most of the action on our stove top came from a box. Still, it was fun to help her put away groceries, open cartons, and put together dinner. And because chopping veggies would take 15 minutes of time and energy she didn’t have, we’d dump in the box of Hamburger Helper and that was that.
Now, of course, I know better. That box is wasteful and full of nasty ingredients, and of course, meat is murder. But I still get a taste for the Helper; the comforting aroma, the meaty bites, the chewy pasta that maybe gets a little burned on the bottom of the pan. And oh yeah, that velvety processed cheese product topping!
This version is quick, tasty, healthier, and still comes together in one pot. Tempeh has a succulent bite, and although I usually cringe at the idea of granulated garlic and onion flakes, that’s what really gives this authenticity. Tiny quinoa shells are quick cooking thanks to their diminutive size, and are a nice healthy alternative to semolina pasta, but you can use whatever kind you like. You also might like that there is no cutting.
1 recipe
Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce
(recipe follows)
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces tempeh
3 cups water
6 ounces small shell pasta, or about a cup (I use quinoa pasta)
A handful of frozen peas, about ¼ cup
 
SEASONING MIX
:
2 teaspoons onion flakes
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon mild chili powder
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon broth powder (I used Frontier chicken-style broth)
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
Salt
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Have a lid at the ready because you’ll need to cover it at some point.
Drizzle the oil in the pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Tear the tempeh into bite-size pieces, adding them to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the tempeh is lightly browned. Use cooking spray as needed. In the meantime, mix the seasonings together in a mixing bowl.
Add a few tablespoons of water to the tempeh to deglaze the pan. Add the 3 cups of water and the seasoning mixture, giving a good stir to get it all mixed in. Add the pasta and cover. Bring up the heat to a boil. Once the water is boiling, you can lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove the lid, add the peas, and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened to your liking, usually about 3 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.
TIP
If you’d like to quadruple this mix to have on hand, keep it refrigerated and just scoop out a heaping
¼ cup full whenever you get the hankering.
BULK IT UP
There is plenty of sauce to go around here, so why not steam a bunch of broccoli to go along with everything
?
TIP
For maximum time management, begin the cheezy sauce first, and let it thicken while you prepare everything else. It will still come out in 30 minutes!
Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce
MAKES 2 CUPS, OR EIGHT ¼-CUP SERVINGS • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 20 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(⅛ RECIPE):
Calories: 45
Calories from fat: 5
Total fat: 0.5 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 100 mg
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 0%
Calcium: 0%
Iron: 2%
N
utritional yeast-based “cheese” sauces are a vegan tradition. Recipes like this have been appearing in vegan cookbooks since the dawn of time (or at least the seventies). The upside, they taste like cheese! Or at least like junk food-type cheese, but it isn’t junk food at all. The downside, they are often loaded with fat! I mean loaded. One of the most famous recipes for vegan cheese sauce calls for ½ cup of margarine. This is my waaaay slimmed-down version, which has no added fat at all. It’s still a thick and luscious bright orange cheezy sauce, perfect for pastas and veggies.
¾ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion flakes
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons broth powder (I used Frontier chicken-style
broth)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
Place the nutritional yeast, flour, garlic, onion flakes, salt, turmeric, and broth powder in a bowl and mix together. Add the water and use a fork to mix and beat out any big lumps. Once relatively smooth, pour into a 2-quart saucepot. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Once it comes to a boil, bring down the heat a slow boil. The sauce should start bubbling and thickening. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until it has a thick, smooth, melted cheese consistency.
Mix in the mustard and taste for salt. Serve hot or warm.
Spinach Linguine with Edamame Pesto
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
 
 
 
(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF PASTA)
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 420
Calories from fat: 70
Total fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 68 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 8 g
Protein: 21 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 520 mg
Vitamin A: 10%
Vitamin C: 30%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 30%
N
o one should suffer a life without pesto, but a pesto without pine nuts or walnuts seems lifeless. So what’s a girl to do? Once again, it’s soybeans to the rescue! Edamame has just enough fat and texture to make a lighter, healthier pesto work. It also makes the pesto at once bulky and creamy. It’s a miracle, really. Oh, little soybean, what can’t you do? Here’s pesto with linguine, sautéed mushrooms for meatiness, and red onions for just a tinge of sweetness. I’m sure this pesto will be making appearances elsewhere, too. It’s not completely fat free, but it has about one-fifth the fat and calories of your average pesto plus five times the fiber. Not too shabby.
1 recipe
Edamame Pesto
(recipe follows)
8 ounces spinach linguine or other pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
Small red onion, cut into thinly sliced half-moons
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
Extra chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Put on a pot of salted water to boil. Then prepare the pesto.
Once the pesto is ready, preheat a large pan over medium heat. At this point your pasta water should be ready, so add the linguine.

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