Chapter 7: Vegetarian
The vegetarian diet is a popular way to integrate more vegetables into your diet, be conscientious of the lives of animals, and eat more ethically. Even if you’re not interested in giving up meat completely, you may want to try taking meat out of your diet one day a week. For example, Meatless Mondays are very popular. Experiment with the recipes in this chapter and notice how your body reacts.
Black Bean Burgers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
2 cups cooked black beans
¾ cup regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 egg or egg substitute
1 medium yellow onion
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
2 tbsps olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Bring one tablespoon olive oil to medium heat in medium pan.
- Peel and finely dice onion and add to pan. Cook for five minutes until caramelized.
- Combine black beans, breadcrumbs, cooked onion, cumin, chili powder, sea salt, and pepper in large bowl with clean hands. Massage mixture so black beans break down and form into dough.
- Beat your egg or egg substitute in separate bowl and add to main bowl, combining well.
- Form mixture into small-medium patties and cook in olive oil on medium-high heat in skillet for five minutes on each side, or until cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.
- You can also grill these for a great smoky flavor.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Avocado, Black Beans, and Lime Vinaigrette
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 small-medium sweet potatoes
1 small yellow onion
1 cup cooked black beans
1 avocado
Juice of 5 limes
¼ cup olive oil and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Rinse sweet potatoes, pat dry, slice in half, and rub with one tablespoon olive oil.
- Lay on baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Remove from oven and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a small amount so the skins keep their shape.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, peel, dice, and sauté onion for 5–7 minutes in olive oil on medium heat in pan until caramelized.
- Transfer scooped out sweet potato flesh to pan with onion. Add cooked black beans, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Combine well.
- Stuff sweet potatoes with mixture.
- Transfer back to oven for 15 minutes.
- Whisk lime juice and ¼ cup olive oil with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Top stuffed sweet potatoes with diced avocado, cilantro, sea salt, black pepper, and lime vinaigrette.
Carrot-Sesame Sushi with Avocado and Pickled Ginger
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
1 cup uncooked white sushi rice
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ cup rice vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 avocado
4 sheets nori seaweed
2 carrots
3 tbsps sesame seeds
¼ cup good quality pickled ginger (found at Japanese markets and health food stores)
Gluten-free tamari, for serving
Method
- Rinse uncooked rice in fine mesh strainer and transfer to medium pot.
- Add coconut palm sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sea salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to lowest heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until translucent and sticky.
- Lay one sheet of nori on top of sushi mat and press ½ cup rice into the center.
- Wash and slice carrots thin and lay them on top of rice.
- Add avocado slices.
- Add a thin layer of ginger (or to taste).
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then roll up tightly using the mat, remove the mat, and slice into 1-inch pieces.
- Repeat for all 4 sheets of nori.
- Serve with gluten-free tamari.
Hearty Mexican Bowl
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 1
¼ cup cooked corn
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup Classic Quinoa (See recipe on p. 37)
¼ cup Peach Salsa (See recipe on p. 77)
1 cup Massaged Kale Salad (See recipe on p. 31)
2 tbsps Superfood Guacamole (See recipe on p. 73)
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Toss corn and black beans with lime juice, sea salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Layer quinoa, then corn and black bean salad, then kale, peach salsa, and guacamole.
Falafels with Tzatziki
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 3–4
2 cups cooked chickpeas
⅓ cup regular or gluten-free flour
1 egg, beaten
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 ½ tsps ground cumin
1 ½ tsps ground coriander
¾ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 English cucumber
1 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsps baking powder
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsps olive oil
4 tbsps safflower oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Combine chickpeas, flour, beaten egg, parsley, cumin, coriander, cayenne, baking powder, sea salt, and black pepper in food processor until thick paste forms.
- Transfer to large bowl.
- Peel and dice onion and two cloves garlic and cook in two tablespoons olive oil for five minutes or until caramelized. Combine with chickpea mixture.
- Bring safflower oil to high heat in large skillet.
- Form chickpea mixture into 1-inch diameter balls and cook for five minutes on each side until cooked through and crispy.
For tzatziki
- Wash, pat dry, and grate cucumber.
- Mince one clove garlic and dill.
- Combine Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, one tablespoon olive oil, sea salt, and pepper in large bowl, mixing well.
Serve over falafels. Pair with your favorite Greek salad.