Review and Giveaway: The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-food, Plant-based Diet

One of the things that makes life most interesting is that it is constantly changing. This year, I moved across the country, had a baby, and started a psychotherapy private practice.   Admittedly, some of my food habits slid downhill during this time, and I found myself eating more crap than I used to. I found myself wanting to get back to the plant-based vegan eating that makes me feel my best as well as lose the rest of the baby weight. Coincidentally, the publishers of The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet, contacted me offering me an advance copy of the book for review. I am so grateful that this wonderful book arrived right on my doorstep, when I needed that extra push to get back on track. In addition, I always get incredibly excited to receive more vegan recipes (my friends embarrassingly liken this to how children react to the ice cream man driving through town).

The authors, Alona Pulde, MD. and Matthew Lederman, MD., outline a non-intimidating list of reasons for adopting a plant-based vegan diet, how to get through various life obstacles, a step-by-step guide for slowly transitioning, as well as many delicious and easy recipes to get you started. The plan is based on the same principles as the incredible documentary Forks Over Knives, which highlights how eating a plant-based diet can literally save your life. (If you haven’t seen this yet, go watch it tonight!!) While reading this book, I jumped head first back in to this way of eating, and I also love that they offer a slower approach as well for those people who might find it intimidating to make so many changes all at once. People are always surprised to learn that a vegan diet, is not necessarily a healthy one. This book will help you to make the changes necessary to improve your diet and health, while still enjoying your food.

My favorite recipes that I have tried so far from the Forks Over Knives Plan include the South-of-the Border Pizza (husbands, boyfriends, and all other omnivores will LOVE this), Black Bean and Rice Burritos (also fabulous), the Big Breakfast Burrito (yum), and I’m planning on making the Rice Casserole with Lentils and Sautéed Vegetables this week.   I highly recommend this book to current vegans who want to improve their eating habits and/or lose weight, and anyone who is either new this lifestyle or looking to make some positive dietary changes.

The publishers have generously offered a giveaway to our readers in the US.  To enter, please write in the comments below what your favorite plant-based (oil and salt free) recipe is.

Here are a few recipes from the book to get you started:

 

Rice Casserole with Lentils and Sautéed Vegetables

By Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD,
Author of The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
This dish is a real crowd-pleaser, and is especially good for big gatherings like Super Bowl parties. I love it with rice, but it’s also really good with pasta. Both options are given below. The lentils need to be soaked for at least six hours, so be sure to plan ahead.  — Darshana Thacker

Makes one (9 x 13- inch) casserole

For the Cashew Crumble

• ½ cup cashews
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos, or fresh lime juice
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and soaked
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Sea salt
• 1½ cups brown rice, or 3 cups penne pasta

For the Sautéed Vegetables

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
• ¼medium cabbage, chopped into ½-inch pieces
• ½ medium red onion, cut into ½-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

For the Tomato Sauce

• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
• Sea salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

1. To make the cashew crumble cheese, in a food processor, grind the cashews into a meal (do not over process into cashew butter). Transfer them to a small bowl, and mix in the nutritional yeast. Little by little, add the liquid of your choice, stirring with a fork so that the mixture does not form clumps. The mixture should be crumbly. Set aside to dry until ready to use.
2. Place the soaked lentils in a medium saucepan with the Italian seasoning, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until the lentils are cooked but still firm, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, if using rice, place it in a medium saucepan with 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil and stir once. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the rice. Set aside.
4. If using pasta, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. To prepare the sautéed vegetables, in a skillet with a lid, combine the sweet potatoes, cabbage, onion, garlic, dried basil, and 1½ cups of the vegetable broth. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are almost tender but still resist a bit when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are completely softened, about 10 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup vegetable broth and the arrowroot powder. Whisk until blended. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and stir gently to coat them. Cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. In a saucepan, combine the onion and 1⁄2 cup water. Cover and cook over high heat until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes.
10. Add the tomatoes, dried basil, pepper, and salt, and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens a bit and the flavors merge, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
11. Spread the rice or pasta in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan that is 2 inches deep. Layer the lentils over the rice to cover completely. Spread the sautéed vegetables over the lentils. Spoon the tomato sauce over the vegetables. Spread the cashew crumble cheese all over the top.
12. Bake until the cashew cheese turns light brown, about 20 minutes.
13. Serve hot.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet by Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy and references.

Copyright © 2014 Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD, authors of The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet 

 

Roasted Stuffed Winter Squash

By Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD,
Author of The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
Winter squashes, such as acorn and butternut, can be tricky to work with because their tough skin is hard to peel. Preparing squash this way — stuffed with a savory filling and roasted — puts that sturdy shell to good use. The rice should be quite moist after it cooks in step 3; it provides good contrast to the squash and helps the stuffing mixture stay together without becoming chewy or dry during baking. — Darshana Thacker

Makes 4 stuffed squash halves

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn squash
• ½ cup wild rice medley
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
• ½ cup finely chopped carrot
• ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• ½ cup small broccoli florets
• ½ cup small cauliflower florets
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Preparation:

1. Cut each acorn squash in half through the stem. Trim the stem and remove and discard the seeds (keep the skin on).
2. Bring a large saucepan or pot of water to a boil. Add the squash halves and cook until the squash is slightly soft when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the water and drain well. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1½ cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the wild rice medley and cook, covered, over medium heat for 25 minutes. (Alternatively, follow the cooking instructions on the rice package, using a bit more water than called for so that the rice is moist after steaming.) Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Use a spoon to scoop out the inner edges of each cooled squash half to create a wider and deeper hollow for the stuffing; leave about half of the squash flesh attached to the peel. Reserve the scooped-out squash flesh for the stuffing. Set the squash shells aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. In a skillet with a lid, combine the vegetable broth, onion, garlic powder, ginger, and rosemary. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the carrot, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, black pepper, and salt to taste, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more.
8. Add the reserved squash flesh and wild rice. Use a wooden spoon to mix the stuffing together; it should be a bit creamy. If all the liquid has dried up, add about ¼ cup broth or as much as is needed to make it slightly creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat.
9. Arrange the acorn squash shells on a baking sheet and divide the stuffing evenly among them. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top.
10. Bake until the pine nuts are browned and the stuffing is heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve hot.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet by Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy and references.

Copyright © 2014 Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD, authors of The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet 

 

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