Forks Over Knives cookbook: still a good one
Vegetarianism was not just leaving meat off the menu, it had become a healthy lifestyle choice. The new approach which focused on a whole-foods, plant-based diet with no meat or animal products or refined foods is the way to a long, healthy, cancer-resistant, and heart-disease-free life.
The Forks Over Knives cookbook took that concept off of the screen and put it into our kitchens nearly a decade ago is still a very relevant book.
I got this book in 2011 when it was first on the market, but it is still one I go to on a fairly regular basis. The recipes are good...they are all vegan, but ones that vegetarians (and some carnivores) will easily enjoy. The book is a good resource too for those who need more information about eating plant-based foods.
The future of healthy living, the book emphasizes, is not going to come in the form of a pill or some new medical breakthrough, It will come from all of us having an understanding of good nutritional habits.
The book offers 125 recipes that will help put one on the path to a vegan lifestyle or just give us a good occasional plant based meal.
This is the cookbook for someone looking to make the move to fully plant based eating or for someone who wants to help guide someone to come over to that side. There are several dozen pages in the book devoted to the scientific evidence of the superiority of a plant-based diet and to ways to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle.
There are recipes that cover the dining spectrum from breakfast to dessert. There are bound to be at least a dozen that anyone, including picky carnivores, would love.
Below is a main dish recipe, selected randomly from the middle of the book (page 146). I have made this recipe in the past. It is a delicious take on a Jamaican dish that turns whatever leftovers you can "run down" into an amazing stew.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 cup carrot, chopped
- 2 cups chopped asparagus
- 2 cups chopped chayote squash
- 1 tablespoon jerk seasonings
- Salt
- 1 cup chopped collards
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup veggie broth
- Small can tomato sauce
- Soy sauce or tamari
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium skillet.
- Stir in the thyme, oregano, carrot, asparagus, chayote, jerk seasonings, and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the collards, peas, and veggie broth and stir well.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato sauce, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce or tamari to taste and simmer for another few minutes.
