PLANT POWER
Hannah Kaminsky Richard Eskite
Harper One
September 2, 2014
$29.99/Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0062273291
Nava Atlas is an acclaimed vegan cook, creator of the popular VegKitchen.com, and bestselling author ofWild About Greens, Vegan Holiday Kitchen, Vegan Express, and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. Atlas has also written for Vegetarian Times, VegNews, Cooking Light, and numerous other publications. She lives with her husband in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Whether you call it vegan, plant-based, plant-strong, or plant-powered, it’s in the air, but all the information floating around can be overwhelming—and confusing. What this book aims to give you is one neat volume on how to put the edible elements of the plant-powered lifestyle into practice—easily, practically, and joyfully, every day.
–Nava Atlas
If you’re looking to transition to a fully vegan lifestyle or you’d just like to incorporate more plant-based whole foods into your diet, PLANT POWER offers everything you need to know to transform your kitchen, plate, and life. From choosing the freshest whole foods and stocking a vegan pantry and refrigerator to streamlining meal preparation, this delicious cookbook delivers the recipes, strategies, and inspiration you need to make the very most of the healthiest ingredients nature has to offer.
PLANT POWER promises you will have more fun in the kitchen, learn to prepare meals more intuitively and creatively, and gain a genuine appreciation for how downright delectable foods in their most elemental, unprocessed, form can be. Bestselling author Nava Atlas will have you coming back for more as these recipes will soon become your new go-to favorites.
Hummus Wraps with Grains and Greens
Makes 2 wraps
This hummus wrap is chock-full of flavor and a good use of leftover grains of all kinds. Once you have your grain cooked, the wrap comes together in minutes. The recipe also doubles easily.
Two 10-inch wraps, at room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 cup hummus, homemade or store-bought, or as needed
2 tablespoons hemp seeds or 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 cup or so cooked quinoa, brown rice, or black rice
A big handful or two of mixed baby greens, shredded lettuce, baby arugula, or baby spinach
1 medium ripe fresh tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 medium firm ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
Strips of sun-dried tomato, as desired, optional
Place one wrap on a plate. Spread with about 1/4 cup hummus and sprinkle with hemp seeds, if desired.
Arrange half the quinoa down the center of the wrap. Put a big handful of leafy greens next to it on one side and half the tomato slices on the other. Sprinkle half the avocado strips here and there, followed by a few strips of sun-dried tomatoes, if desired.
Tuck two ends over the fillings; then, starting from one end, roll tightly, making sure that the ends are kept tucked in and that everything remains snugly inside. Repeat with the second wrap. Cut each wrap in half and eat out of hand.
Per Wrap: Calories: 400; Total fat: 13g; Protein: 15g; Carbohydrates: 65g; Fiber: 13g; Sodium: 500mg
Complete the Meal
• Serve with a simple potato dish, salsa and chips, and/or fresh corn—these wraps go with most anything!
• Pair with a soup. This goes with most any kind of soup other than bean soup—as hummus is, after all, made with beans.
Pasta with Hearty Lentil and Spinach Sauce
Serves 6
This recipe is a longtime family favorite. Easy and substantial, this can easily become your go-to plant-powered pasta dish.
8 to 10 ounces rotini, miniature penne, or other short, chunky pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 to 11/2 cups sliced white or cremini mushrooms (optional)
One 28-ounce jar good-quality marinara sauce
One 14-to16-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained, or 2 cups diced ripe fresh tomatoes
3 to 31/2 cups cooked or two 15-to 16-ounce cans (drained and rinsed) brown lentils (see Note)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
6 to 8 ounces baby spinach, rinsed well
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or sliced fresh basil, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Cook the pasta in plenty of steadily boiling water in a large pot until al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, broth, or water in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until the translucent. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms, if desired, and continue to sauté until the onion is golden and the bell pepper is tender.
Return the cooked pasta to the large pot and stir in the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, lentils, oregano, and paprika along with the vegetable mixture in the skillet. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until everything is well heated through.
Add the spinach, about half at a time, cover, then stir in once it’s wilted.
Stir in the parsley or basil and season with salt and pepper. If you’d like a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Serve at once.
Note: Using canned lentils makes this a breeze, but when you aren’t in a hurry, by all means use home-cooked lentils. For this recipe, use 1 cup dried lentils. Rinse and sort them and combine them in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and still hold their shape. Drain any excess water. This step can be done ahead of time.
Per Serving: Calories: 357 with oil, 338 without oil; Total fat: 4g with oil, 1g without oil; Protein: 17g; Carbohydrates: 67g; Fiber: 17g; Sodium: 621mg
Variation:Use any leafy green you like in place of the spinach—tender kale and chard are especially good substitutions.
Complete the Meal
This hearty dish needs nothing more than a colorful tossed salad on the side. See some ideas for recipe-free salads that go well with pasta, page 155. Fresh olive bread is a lovely addition, too, though entirely optional. If you’d like more veggies with the meal, combine broccoli florets or chopped broccoli rabe—as much as you’d like—with a thinly sliced red or yellow bell pepper in a skillet with just enough water to keep the bottom moist. Cover and steam until the broccoli or broccoli rabe is bright green and tender-crisp.
These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipes from Plant Power: Transform Your Kitchen, Plate, and Life with More Than 150 Fresh and Flavorful Vegan Recipes by Nava Atlas. (Harper One; September 2014; $29.99/Hardcover; ISBN-13; 978-0062273291). http://harperonebooks.com/
Contact: Melinda Mullin
415-477-4409
Melinda.Mullin@harpercollins.com