How to get into a healthy groove—without opening a cookbook

In the approximately 20 years that I have taught vegan cooking classes, my student demographic has been less than 20 percent vegan. This has made me realize that most people, rather than embracing the whole vegan lifestyle, really just want to add some whole-plant-based recipes to their daily menus. Unwittingly, that has been the focus of the column I offer here.

I also realize that most of us, especially those of us who do prepare meals at home most of the time, tend to fall back on old favorites, either because we really really love them or because we know the recipe by heart and don’t have to haul out a cookbook or go online to make a shopping list and to follow a recipe. That can seem to be just one more obstacle when we are time- or energy- compromised and yet want to have a healthy meal for ourselves or our family.

So, how about getting into a new groove? One where the “recipes” are easily memorized and open to endless substitutions and quickly implemented?

I am suggesting that you follow these three basic recipes for morning, noon, and night and come up with your own favorite riffs on them so that you always have a healthy go-to option without a cookbook or grocery list other than the one that lives in your head.

Morning meal

Smoothie

1/2-1 C crushed ice
1 banana
1/2 C blueberries
2 T ground chia seeds
1/4 C navy beans
2 large handfuls baby spinach
1 C nondairy milk (almond, hemp, rice, coconut, hazelnut, etc.)
2 pitted dates (optional)

Place everything but dates in blender and blend until smooth. Taste, and if you need it sweeter, blend in a date or two.

Now, for substitutions: any other fruit instead of the blueberries; ground flax or hemp seed instead of chia, baby kale instead of spinach, etc.

Develop your own favorites. I love the fresh taste of pineapple, kale and lemon. And, no, the “navy beans” is not a typo­­–try it! You’ll never know they’re in there and you’ll benefit from the added fiber and protein.

Midday meal

Salad

healthy dark greens (kale, spinach, Romaine, arugula, etc.,)
1/2 C beans
shredded raw beets or carrots
thinly sliced red onions
sliced daikon radish
large spoonful of kimchi or another fermented vegetable
hemp seeds
oil
vinegar
dulse flakes

The key here is to make it colorful and make it tasty. No one wants to just crunch away on a boring salad day after day.  Add some sprouted mung beans or radish sprouts for another flavor layer.  Add some nuts for more flavor and protein. Vary the beans you add or mix up a dish of several kinds and marinate them in oil and vinegar in the refrigerator and add some of these each day. I like to do this with two or three kinds of beans (different colors) and cooked quinoa along with some sliced baby sweet peppers. It alone is a quick meal, but really shines when it is part of a composed salad.

The kimchi or fermented veggies provide healthy prebiotics and the dulse, a sea vegetable, provides healthy minerals.

This is a very loose outline for a salad; you need to make it your own, and don’t make it the same every day. Remember this is about being groovy, not getting into a rut!

Evening meal

Stir fry

grain (quinoa, brown rice, millet, amaranth, wild rice, etc.)
2 t olive oil
vegetables — always try to include a cruciferous veggie (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, rapini, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
some leafy greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy)
garlic and ginger to taste, finely chopped
tamari
1 T arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 C water (optional)
toasted sesame oil
sriracha (optional)

To make this a really fast operation, you’ll need to have your grains pre-cooked. But, even if you haven’t done that, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook quinoa and, while its cooking, you can prep your veggies.

And, ditto for the vegetables. If you keep some prepped in your refrigerator, this dinner is super fast.

The exception to this is the garlic and ginger. For the best flavor use these fresh and chop them right before cooking. I generally use two large cloves of garlic and about a half-thumb-size piece of ginger for four servings.

Add oil to a skillet and start to saute your vegetables, beginning with the ones that take the longest. (It looks best if all of your veggies are close to an equal size, and it makes it easier to time how long they will need to cook.)

As the first is almost tender, add the next, and so on. I add the garlic and ginger about three quarters of the way into the process because I don’t like them to get too dark and crispy.

If your vegetables get too dry, or are sticking, add a little water to the pan to loosen them up. When everything is nearly cooked through (and, remember: You want some crunch left, not soggy vegetables) add the tamari. For four servings I generally add a tablespoon or two. You can add more tableside if you feel the need.

If at this point you feel the vegetable mixture has too much liquid, stir in the cornstarch or arrowroot  and simmer for about a minute to thicken. Turn off heat and drizzle in about a half tablespoon of the toasted sesame oil and stir through.

Serve over hot grain.

I always serve this with sriracha on the side for those who like more heat.

And, to get you started, here are my favorite veggies for stir fry: bok choy, carrots, baby corn, green beans, broccoli, daikon, red cabbage and sweet baby peppers.

Betsy Naselli owns The Holistic Lifestyle Company in the Syracuse area. Contact her at bnaselli@twcny.rr.com or visit her on the web: www.youngliving.org/oilswellagain; or www.us.nyrorganic.com/shop/betsyn

The Atlantic Chapter encourages you to move toward a plant-based diet to protect the environment, human health and wildlife, and to make better use of natural resources. To learn more and receive more recipes, contact the Biodiversity/Vegetarian Outreach Committee at LDESTEFANO3@twcny.rr.com, (315) 488-2140 , 5031 Onondaga Rd., Syracuse, NY 13215-1403; or go to www.newyork2.sierraclub.org/conservation/biodiversity.