Last week I finally watched the documentary Forks Over Knives on Netflix streaming. (I'm not sure how I missed its theatrical release.) The film was engaging, focusing on people adopting vegan diets for health reasons rather than for animal rights/ethical reasons. The film's original companion book, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, featured 125 recipes, from a variety of contributors.
This new sequel by vegan chef Del Sroufe continues the Forks Over Knives brand and the message of food as medicine. The cookbook offers 300 whole foods, plant-based recipes and many general cooking how-tos. It also features a decadent desserts chapter by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Bonus!
I decided to delve into this cookbook by trying two easy recipes: a breakfast smoothie and a basic fake cheese sauce.
Banana Cranberry Smoothie
This banana cranberry smoothie was super easy, with just four ingredients: banana, cranberries, dates, and vegan milk. This recipe made a bit more than a single portion. I'd never used cranberries in a smoothie before and was pleased with the results. They were a tangy addition, a nice change of pace from my average smoothie.
Almost all of the smoothie recipes in this cookbook require dates. I like dates but they are super sweet here, almost overpowering the drink. I think I'd skip the dates next time and add ground chia or flax seeds instead.
No-Cheese SauceThis no-cheese sauce is a winner. It's another basic recipe with five ingredients. You blend together onion, red bell pepper, cashews, tahini, and nutritional yeast. These are some of my favorite ingredients and they combine into a creamy, smooth taste sensation.
I put the no-cheese sauce on a pizza and the "dollops" blended together as it baked. I still have extra sauce and plan to add it to burritos. This recipe pops up in other dishes throughout the cookbook. It seems adaptable for a variety of purposes. I'd like to use it as a dip for crudités.
Pizza with no cheese sauce close-up |
3 comments:
Hi Lydia-I am following along with the book too. I was really bummed to see that the cheese sauce they repeatedly use has cashews. My son has a super serious allergy and I don't even want them in my house. I'm going to try it without the nuts, but I am afraid the tahini will overpower...anyways, yours looks so great on pizza...I want a slice:) Nice that you got the book at the library...
Yeah, it might be more of a tahini sauce without the cashews. Maybe using ground flax seeds could add a "nutty" flavor?
Thanks for the idea. I'm always trying to find nut substitutes.
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