Tempting dishes anyone would like


 


Not long ago, this page publicized a very good program, a series of free cooking classes in Litchfield to prevent cancer, sponsored by the Cancer Project, a nonprofit organization advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition and research.

Essentially, the information was this: The best diet is a low-fat vegetarian one. The article noted, however, that if food doesn’t taste good people won’t eat it.

But it got me thinking. I have a husband who is a lazy vegetarian: He’ll eat pasta smothered in cream sauce or pizza layered in cheese before he bothers making couscous or steamed vegetables. The Cancer Project is a part of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (pcrm.org), whose Web site includes dozens of recipes (click on "health" and then on "vegetarian recipes").

Could I tempt him with some of these recipes? Would I want to eat them, too?

It doesn’t take much to convince either of us (though I’m a cheating vegetarian, I admit) that a vegetarian diet is a good one, both for health and environmental reasons. The literature is pretty clear that low-fat vegetarian diets help prevent many cancers, heart disease and can help lower blood pressure and control diabetes and kidney stones. The answer to your grandma’s protestation that you need your protein is that we’re vastly over-proteined and a good vegetarian diet gives you all you need.

But the key here is "good." Throwing a veggie dog in the microwave and smothering it in sauerkraut and dumping it on a squishy white bread roll didn’t seem to be what these folks had in mind when they said "healthy." Or, equally important, good, as in tasty.

I knew if these recipes weren’t both good and pretty easy, they’d get nowhere in our household, where our idea of homemade is heating up Chinese.

Trolling the "recipes" section of the pcrm.org Web site is mighty tempting: Everything sounds good and there are scores of choices, including soups, pasta dishes, dips, desserts and more. Most are vegan, meaning they use no dairy products (loaded with fat). Oils pretty much replace butter; soy milk replaces cream; vegetable broth replaces beef or chicken stock.

I know, I know, it sounds a shade dreary and I can hear chefs groaning as I write. However, remember the point: Healthy. Edible. Good for you, too. So I chose a range of recipes I thought the husband (and I) might like and vowed to try them out over the course of a week or so. And I did. And mercy, mercy. They were all good. And easy. And quick. Throw a salad on the side and you have a meal. I’m a convert.

We tried: asparagus risotto; Chinese noodle salad; penne with fresh spinach, tomatoes and olives; corn chowder and vegetarian Reuben sandwiches. They were all terrific, though as with any recipe I might tweak here and there in the future. However, we have dozens more yet to try from the pcrm.org archive first. Grilled polenta with portabello mushrooms is next—sounds good, no? Meanwhile, the husband is even eating leftovers.

By the way, the next "Food for Life" cooking class is Tuesday, April 24, from 6-8 p.m. at the Litchfield Community Center. It will focus on immune boosting recipes and maintaining a healthy weight. It’s free. To register or for more information call 860-567-8302.

 

 


Chinese Noodle Salad

 


Serves 6

8 cups finely shredded green

cabbage

2 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

3-4 green onions, sliced

1 package vegetarian ramen soup (select a brand made with baked noodles, without meat)

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar or other

sweetener

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

cilantro (optional)

 

Mix the shredded cabbage in a large salad bowl. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in an ovenproof dish in a 350-degree oven or toaster oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Add to the shredded cabbage, along with green onions. Break the uncooked ramen nooodles into pieces (easiest way to do this is to place them in a plastic bag and hit them with a rolling pin or other suimilar heavy object).Add them to the salad. Empty the packet of ramen seasoning mix into a small bowl, then stir in the sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, sugar and pepper. Mix thoroughly, then pour over the salad.Toss to mix, then let stand 30 minutes to allow the noodles to soften.

Garnish with cilantro just before serving.

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