Healthy Recipes from 2006 > October 2006

Vegan              30 minutes or fewer

Tomato sauce, white beans and escarole make a delicious and nutritious combination. You can substitute 2 cups shredded radicchio for the escarole.

30 minutes or fewer

Although portobello mushrooms, arugula and fresh mozzarella may make you think of a contemporary, upscale pizza, the taste of this pie is reminiscent  of an old-fashioned pizza parlor.

30 minutes or fewer

This dish may sound Mexican, but pairing wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola cheese turns
a south-of-the-border specialty into a contemporary American offering. Using a bit of sherry to sauté the mushrooms highlights their delicate flavor.

Vegan 30 minutes or fewer

This one-pot meal is a hearty, satisfying way to welcome the cool breezes of fall. If you can’t find Swiss chard, spinach also works well.

30 minutes or fewer

These meal-in-one packet entrées are a snap to prepare and leave no pots or pans to clean up. Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the vegetables’ savory juices.

Vegan                30 minutes or fewer

Fennel and fresh herbs turn two cans of tomatoes into a light, luscious, no-cook pasta sauce. Pernod is an anise-flavored liqueur that brings out the licorice notes in fresh fennel.

30 minutes or fewer

Wow the chocolate lovers in your life with this fudgy creation that’s as easy
to whip up as a cake mix.

This light dessert is a lovely way to end a casual meal. To make your own Greek-style yogurt, place 4 cups low-fat yogurt in a strainer over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. This drains off excess liquid to thicken the yogurt.

Vegan                 30 minutes or fewer

This pasta is the perfect example of how a few pomegranate seeds can make a simple dish spectacular.

30 minutes or fewer

This quince topping is also a basic way to prepare the fruit for other desserts. 

Vegan             

This bursting-with-citrus chutney is a snap to make and keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Try it on cheese and crackers, or with poached eggs or baked tofu. You can also use it as a base for a terrific blended salad dressing.

Vegan                30 minutes or fewer   

To slice an Asian pear into matchsticks, stand it on a cutting board and cut it into thin slices on each side of the core. Lay the slices flat on top of one another and cut into thin strips.

Incorporating a new recipe at every meal is a challenge Sharman Schubert loves. “My tombstone will probably say, ‘It’s an experiment,’” she laughs. She made these fritters when trying to re-create a meal she had on a trip to Antigua. 3^rd Place, 2006 recipe contest.

Lori Wyeth’s recipe began nearly a decade ago as a beef lasagna. “The beef changed to turkey, then soy crumbles, then beans as my eating habits changed,” says Lori. “I added sautéed veggies, and now this is my favorite dish!” Lori, a radiation therapist, often treats her colleagues to veg meals. Honorable Mention, 2006 recipe contest.

Falafel, a Middle Eastern snack made by frying chickpea patties in oil, is often served in pitas with hummus. Joan H. Ranzini was curious whether a falafel mix could be baked like cornbread. The result is this easy, healthy meal. Honorable Mention, 2006 recipe contest.

30 minutes or fewer

Nidhi Chanani, a lifelong vegetarian, streamlined her mother’s matter paneer recipe to make a meal her friends love. “My mother’s version takes twice as long and uses lots of heavy cream and ghee [clarified butter],” she says. Paneer is a mild, fresh cheese used in Indian stews. To make this recipe vegan, Nidhi omits the sour cream, uses cubed tofu instead of paneer and cooks the stew 10 to 15 minutes more. 2^nd Place, 2006 recipe contest.

Vegan                30 minutes or fewer

In Uganda, peanuts (or “g-nuts,” short for groundnuts) are featured in many meals, including this sweet potato dish with a luxuriously creamy sauce. Lauren Baker based her g-nut sauce on a delicious but laborious recipe from a Ugandan friend. “His sauce involved grinding peanuts, then boiling green peppers and tomatoes into a pulp with the nuts,” she says. She experimented after returning to the US and gradually adapted the recipe into this time-saving version that gets its flavor from tomato paste and peanut butter. Honorable Mention, 2006 recipe contest.

Vegan                30 minutes or fewer

An avid cook and enthusiastic eater, Tim Miano says his experiments in the kitchen aren’t always successful. But he hit the mark with this delicious side dish that is deceptively simple—our judges were wowed by its speed, ease and incredible flavor. The sauce uses tahini, a Mediterranean paste of ground sesame seeds that can be found in most supermarkets. 1^st Place, 2006 recipe contest.

Vegan              30 minutes or fewer

Because they’ve been bred to resist browning, Cameo, Honey Crisp, Ginger Gold, Braeburn and Fuji varieties are good apple choices for salads. To prevent other types of sliced apples from browning, simply toss them in fresh lemon juice.

Vegan

Spicy, tender apple varieties such as Winesap, Rome, Empire and Gala are best for this quick-cooking treat.

Apples and curry are a fantastic fall combo—and when you throw in acorn squash you have an easy entrée. Use Gala, Jonagold, Mutsu (also called Crispin), Northern Spy or any apple that’s billed as “good for baking” in this recipe.

Vegan              30 minutes or fewer

Tart apples like Pippin, Empire, Winesap and Granny Smith retain their shapes when cooked, so choose them for this recipe.

Vegan              30 minutes or fewer

This classic Indian condiment is usually made with yogurt. We’ve substituted silken tofu, lemon juice and vinegar for the same creamy-tangy taste without the dairy.

Vegan              30 minutes or fewer

Garam masala (literally, “hot spice”) is an aromatic blend that includes cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. A little bit goes a long way and adds a delicious flavor to this simple dish.

Vegan

Red lentils soften up quickly when cooked, which makes them great for thickening soups. Tamarind paste has a sweet-sour flavor and can be found in Indian groceries or high-end supermarkets.

Rebecca Guffey designed this hearty, whole-wheat tortilla dish as a healthy twist on a Mexican-style treat. By baking the tortillas, she achieves a crunchy texture without having to fry them. Guffey and her husband especially love the garlic kick.

30 minutes or fewer

Mustard and tarragon are a match made in France, and the combination turns mashed potatoes into an astonishing new dish. The whole-grain mustard may be substituted with any mustard in your pantry.

This streusel-topped treat tastes so rich, no one will guess it’s chock-full of good-for-you ingredients such as oats and whole-wheat pastry flour.

Vegan

Simmering pumpkin cubes in a sugar syrup yields a rich-tasting compote that melts in your mouth but is not too sweet. For dessert, garnish bowls of this with vanilla yogurt, or use in place of jam for breakfast.

Makes 1 8-inch pie

Who says pumpkin pie has to be sweet? This version goes together in no time and makes a great autumn supper served with whole-grain bread and a tossed salad.

This Provençal dish is a favorite throughout France, where large wedges of pumpkin are sold at vegetable markets in the fall and winter. If you don’t have fresh sage, simply substitute 1 Tbs. dried rubbed sage. 

This hearty North African stew will ward off the first chill of fall with its colorful ingredients and warm, spicy flavors.