Appetite for Reduction (45 page)

Once the broth has boiled, lower the heat to a simmer. It should be bubbling, but not very rapidly. I use moderate low heat. Drop in the gluten pieces and partially cover the pot so that a little steam can escape. Simmer for about 45 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit for 15 more minutes.

Remove the seitan from the broth and place it in a strainer until it is cool enough to handle.

The Elements of a Bowl

A
NYONE WHO HAS BEEN VEGETARIAN FOR ANY AMOUNT OF time, or anyone who has ever stepped foot into a ’90s health food restaurant, for that matter, will be familiar with “The Bowl”—an upside-down hard hat filled with some combination of veggies, grains, and beans plus a sauce or two. It might not sound like much but when done up at home, bowls can be lifesavers—delicious, delicious lifesavers. Take them to lunch, have the ingredients waiting at home in the fridge to throw together, or just make all the components on the spot. As a rule, bowls don’t have to be complicated.

Typically my bowls consist of a sauce, a grain, a bean, and a green. Sometimes tempeh or tofu is the bean, or sometimes when you’re super hungry, you can throw caution to the wind and have beans and tofu. The real beauty of the bowl is that you can eat the same thing for a month, a year, the rest of your life! And yet never have to eat the same thing again. Call it Isa’s Paradox.

 

The grain:
Quinoa is a favorite because it cooks so fast. Brown basmati rice is a close second when I’ve got a little more time. Not really a grain, but buckwheat soba is an occasional treat. Occasional only, because it’s a bit more pricy than my old standbys. I love whole wheat couscous, but it tends to not be as versatile; I usually have to limit it to Middle Eastern or Mediterranean flavors. And if I’m feeling irreverent I’ll get crazy with kasha, millet, or barley.

A good tip when rocking the bowl on a weeknight is to put on your grain to cook the instant you walk through the door. Don’t even take your jacket off! Don’t even pet your cat! If your significant other tries to kiss you hello, push him or her aside and get thee to the kitchen. Once the
grain is going, you have some breathing room to settle in and relax, then prep all the other additions to your bowl.

 

The bean:
Well, I’m a chickpea girl through and through, so my little garbanzo angels get the most play. But I do vary my bean. Popular favorites are: black-eyed peas, pinto beans, black beans, azuki beans, du Puy lentils, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. The canned-or-homemade question? That’s really up to you. When I am not creating a bean dish per se; rather, just eating them in all their minimalist glory, I prefer to simmer my own beans. There’s nothing more nurturing than a pot of beans simmering on the stove top. But that isn’t always possible or practical, so oftentimes, when I come through the door famished, I rinse off some beans and throw them in the mix. If the rest of the food is warm, the beans don’t necessarily need to be. But if you do want to warm them up, toss them into the steamer for a minute or two after you steam your veggies.

 

The veggie:
Refer to the steamer info in the veggie chapter (page 85). Steaming just makes the most sense for a bowl. Really, the flavor is coming from the sauce, so keep everything as simple as possible.

 

The sauce:
This is the fun part! I try to have sauces or dressings prepped in advance. Because the recipes in this book are so healthy and low in fat and calories, with many of them you can use a double serving if you like things super saucy. Some of my favorite all-around sauces are Green Goddess Garlic Dressing, Sanctuary Dressing, Silky Chickpea Gravy, Carrot-Ginger Dressing, and Caesar Chavez Dressing.

Then there’s the actual bowl. Can you eat your bowl on a plate? No! Well, maybe. But part of the fun of bowls is the actual bowl. It’s a casual meal, so pick oversize bowls that you can fit on your lap or take outside to eat on the porch or fire escape. They should have plenty of space for filling with veggies and tossing around your ingredients as you see fit. I love ceramic bowls, either vintage ones or yuppy ones from Crate and Barrel.

BOWLS To Go

 

Because all of the ingredients taste great at room temperature, bowls make an excellent lunch to go. You can either pack all the elements bento box style, in individual compartments, or just place everything but the sauce in Tupperware. The sauce, of course, will go in a little container. If you store your lunch in the fridge, take it out about an hour before you’re ready to eat, just to get the chill off it. Mix together, pour the sauce on, and bon appétit!

 

Mexicana Kale Bowl

Brown rice, black beans, steamed kale, steamed sweet potato,
Red Velvet Mole
(page 134), chopped fresh cilantro

 

Supergreen Bowl

Quinoa, steamed kale and broccoli, edamame,

 

Green Goddess Garlic Dressing
(page 26), chopped fresh parsley and chives

 

Peanut-Lime Tempeh Bowl

Quinoa, steamed broccoli, sauteed tempeh,
Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing
(page 34)

 

Nori Bowl

Brown rice, steamed broccoli, azuki beans,
Carrot-Ginger Dressing
(page 52), shredded nori.

 

Mediterranean Bowl

Bulgur, roasted cauliflower, chickpeas,
Caesar Chavez Dressing
(page 43)

 

Romesco Bowl

Quinoa, white beans, grilled zucchini,
Romesco Dressing
(page 47)

 

Vegan Bowl

All the bowls are vegan of course, but this one is especially so: brown rice, baked tofu, steamed kale,
Caesar Chavez Dressing
(page 43)

 

Soba Bowl

Soba noodles, steamed broccoli and zucchini, black beans,
Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette
(page 21)

 

Gravy Bowl

Brown rice, baked tempeh, steamed kale, and
Silky Chickpea Gravy
(page 56)

The Importance of Eating Sandwich

SANDWICHES & WRAPS

F
OR THE ANTIFORK SET. I DON’T THINK I REALLY NEED TO TOUT the benefits of handheld food, do I? This section is great for ideas on what to do with leftovers, or for those times when you want to drag a loved one to the park and have a picnic.

Sandwiches get a bad rap for diets, but if you use the right ingredients they can fit right into your lifestyle. The solution to unhealthy, dream-crushing sandwiches are whole-grain breads; the luscious sauces and dressings from this here book, instead of crazy-holy cow 14 grams offat in one tablespoon of mayo; lots of fresh veggies; and a little ingenuity.

For the wraps, we choose 12-inch whole wheat tortillas, but there are many gluten free options out there, too. Wraps taste best when they’ve been warmed up just a tad, because they can be kind of stiff coming out of the fridge. It isn’t mandatory, but if you’ve got the time, microwave or steam your wrap for about 30 seconds before assembling.

How to wrap with authority:

 

Breakfast Sandwich

A classic! Eat this baby on the run. You’ll look cool carrying it and you’ll keep yourself full until lunchtime.

Buffalo Wrap

Hot and spicy tempeh is tempered by cool and creamy coleslaw. You don’t have to be in a sports bar to eat this, but for the first time in your life, they wouldn’t laugh you out of there. On second thought, they probably would.

½ cup
Buffalo Tempeh
(page 161), ¾ cup
Cool
Slaw
(page 38) in a wrap.

Hummus Among Us Wrap

Yes, I eat hummus every day. Yes, it’s embarrassing. Now you have a discreet wrap in which you can eat your hummus in peace, away from the world’s harsh glaring judgmental eye.

⅓ cup
Hummus
(page 137), any variation, wrapped up with ½ cup chopped romaine lettuce, drizzled with 2 tablespoons
Balsamic Vinaigrette
(page 17), sliced tomato, cucumber, and red onion.

Open-Faced Portobello Reuben

A Jewish deli staple; ifyou’re a fan oftangy, juicy, and messy on rye, then the Reuben is for you.

Grilled Portobellos
(page 103) on one slice toastedrye bread, spread with 2 tablespoons
Caesar Chavez Dressing
(page 43) and 1 teaspoon ketchup, topped with ¼ cup sauerkraut, served with a pickle on the side.

The Moskowitz Club Wrap

The Moskowitz Club is an elite place where you get to eat absolutely everything you’ve ever wanted in one wrap.

Wrap up four pieces
Baked Tofu
(page 144), 6 pieces
Eggplant Bacon
(page 42), ½ cup chopped romaine lettuce, ¼ cup sprouts, ¼ cup shredded lettuce, sliced red onions, sliced pickles, and 2 tablespoons
Cashew-
Miso Mayo
(see sidebar).

Caesar Chavez Wrap

I can’t get enough of Caesar salad; we are in a completely codependent relationship. Having a way to take it with me only makes things worse.

Toss together 1 cup romaine lettuce with ¼ cup sautéed
Surefire Seitan
(page 262), 2 tablespoons sliced black olives, and 3 tablespoons
Caesar Chavez Dressing
(page 43). Wrap up in whole wheat wrap.

Bee Ell Tees

This sandwich makes me feel like I’m sitting in a luncheonette, on one of those stools at the counter that you would spin around on as a kid until you got dizzy and fell off and broke something and had to be taken to the hospital. Or maybe it just makes me feel like I’m eating a really satisfying BLT!

For the bread you can use two slices whole wheat bread, or two slices of a thin whole wheat bun, sometimes called a sandwich thin (they only have 100 calories), or for even less calories, ½ a whole wheat pita (that comes in at 60 calories). 1 tablespoon
Cashew-Miso Mayo
(see sidebar) on each slice, layered with romaine lettuce, six slices
Eggplant Bacon
(page 42), and a slice of tomato.