Chapter 6: Dairy-Free
Many people avoid dairy because they don’t digest it well and feel more energized when they eliminate it from their diets. A dairy-free diet may help people clear up issues with mucus and congestion. If you’ve realized that a dairy-free diet works best for you, but you miss the comforting taste and texture, try these recipes. The Dairy-Free chapter might make you realize you don’t need dairy and can still enjoy great flavors, or you might realize you love dairy and your body can handle it—both are okay. Feel free to use the recipes in this chapter to experiment with going dairy-free.
Sautéed Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms and Shallots
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
5 large heads bok choy
3 lbs shiitake mushrooms
3 shallots
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari, or to taste
Method
- Clean and pat dry bok choy and slice ends off. Set aside.
- Rinse mushrooms, pat dry, and slice thin.
- Peel shallots and slice thin.
- Bring one tablespoon sesame oil to medium heat in a skillet.
- Add shallots and cook for three minutes until caramelized.
- Add shiitake mushrooms and cook for five more minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.
- Right before removing from pan, sprinkle in ½ tablespoon tamari and stir.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to skillet and bring to medium-high heat.
- Add bok choy and sauté five minutes until wilted and golden.
- In the last minute of cooking, add remaining ½ tablespoon soy sauce.
- Serve bok choy topped with shallots, shiitake mushrooms, and sesame seeds.
Summer Pasta Salad with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Basil Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4–5
1 box favorite regular, whole wheat, brown rice, or gluten-free pasta
1 cup cooked white beans
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 bunches fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Cook your pasta of choice according to the box, strain, and transfer to large bowl.
- Add cooked white beans, diced tomatoes, sea salt, and pepper to taste.
- Blend basil with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. If you need to thin the dressing, add more olive oil and/or water.
- Pour dressing over pasta, toss well, and serve with additional sliced fresh basil.
Eggplant “Parmesan”
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
2 large eggplants
2 cups fresh or good quality jarred tomato sauce
1 cup shredded vegan or regular mozzarella cheese
1 cup walnuts
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
¼ cup fresh basil, sliced
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to food processor and combine well.
- Rinse and pat dry eggplants. Trim ends then slice into ¼-inch thick slices the long way.
- Arrange eggplant slices in one layer and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Top eggplant with one cup tomato sauce.
- Sprinkle with vegan or regular cheese and half the walnut mixture.
- Arrange another layer of eggplant and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Add the remaining tomato sauce, vegan or regular cheese, and walnut mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish with sliced fresh basil.
Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4–5
1 butternut squash
1 large yellow onion
3 stalks celery
3 carrots
3 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsps olive oil
¼ cup sage, sliced
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice butternut squash in half (carefully!). Remove seeds and rub with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Arrange skin-side up in large baking dish and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
- While squash is cooking, rinse celery and carrots; peel carrots if not organic.
- Chop carrots and celery roughly. Peel onion and chop roughly.
- Add three tablespoons olive oil to large pot and bring to medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for five minutes.
- Add carrots and celery and cook for eight more minutes.
- Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is done.
- Transfer roasted squash, vegetables, and broth to high-powered blender and combine until smooth.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Add one tablespoon olive oil to pan and bring to medium heat.
- Add sage and sauté until crispy.
- Serve soup with sage and black pepper.
Salmon Burgers with Creamy Dill Sauce
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
4–5 cans wild salmon (look for BPA-free) or 2 cups leftover grilled salmon, mashed
1 cup regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 egg or egg substitute
1 cup cashews
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch dill
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped parsley
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Soak cashews in water with a sprinkle of sea salt for four hours.
- Add salmon, breadcrumbs, parsley, sea salt, and pepper to large bowl and combine well using clean hands, or wear gloves.
- Once combined, beat egg in separate bowl and add to mixture. Combine well.
- Form mixture into small patties.
- Bring olive oil to medium-high heat in large skillet and cook burgers for five minutes on each side until cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.
- For sauce, blend cashews, lemon juice, garlic, dill, olive oil, coconut milk, sea salt, and pepper on high speed until very creamy. Add more coconut milk and/or water if needed.
- Serve burgers on buns or over greens with sauce.