2. Gather all the needed equipment and ingredients.
3. Set up your counter space. Arrange and organize the ingredients and equipment according to which items you’ll use first. If you’re short on counter space, consider bringing a small portable table or island on wheels into the kitchen when you need an additional surface on which to organize and prepare ingredients.
EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT YOUR SUCCESS
C onsider kitchen equipment an investment in your health. Working with good equipment of any kind will make you feel capable and will increase your willingness to perform the task at hand. Following is a basic inventory of the tools you will need to prepare all the recipes in this book. Feel free to begin with just a few of these items (you may already have many of them in your kitchen) and add to your collection once you gain experience.
COOKING UTENSILS
■ Baking dish, 13 x 9 inches (33 x 23 cm) and 8-inch (20-cm) square
■ Baking sheets, 2
■ Muffin pan (standard 12-cup pan)
■ Loaf pans, 2 medium (6-cup/1.5-L capacity)
■ Nonstick frying pan, skillet, saucepan
■ Pots with lids, 3 (small, medium, and large)
■ Skillets, 2 (small and large)
■ Steamer basket
■ Stockpot with lid (12 quart/36 L)
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
■ Blender, high-speed
■ Juicer
■ Food processor
■ Multipurpose pressure cooker and slow cooker (such as an Instant pot) or standalone slow cooker
HANDHELD TOOLS
■ Can opener Garlic press
■ Pancake turner (metal spatula)
■ Rubber spatulas, 3 (small, medium, and large)
■ Slotted spoon
■ Soup ladle
■ Spring-loaded tongs Vegetable peeler
■ Vegetable scrub brush
■ Whisks, 2 (small and medium)
■ Wooden spoons, 2
KNIVES
■ Chef’s knife (10 inch/25 cm)
■ Paring knife
MISCELLANEOUS
■ Colander
■ Cutting boards, 2 (large and small)
■ Food grater
■ Funnels, 2 (small and medium)
■ Measuring cup set
■ Measuring spoon set
■ Mixing bowls, 3 (small, medium, and large)
■ Silicone baking mats, 2, or parchment paper
STORAGE ITEMS
■ Canisters and jars for grains, legumes, and other dry goods
■ Glass freezer containers
■ Storage containers with lids in many sizes
INFO ON INGREDIENTS
Salty Seasonings and Sodium
People who have diabetes need to limit the amount of sodium in the foods they eat. These recipes have been carefully designed to have moderate or minimal amounts of sodium.
For people who want to further reduce their sodium intake (such as those who have hypertension), the following adjustments can be made:
■ Use salt-free or low-sodium vegetable broth or substitute water for vegetable broth.
■ When there’s a range of salty seasonings (salt, tamari, miso, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or soy sauce) to choose from, select the option with the lowest sodium content or omit it altogether.
■ Check labels on jarred and canned foods. Choose salt-free or low-sodium products.
■ Omit salty additions and increase the amounts of herbs and other salt-free seasonings. Also add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice just before serving.
Sautéing Liquid
Water is always a good option for sautéing, especially with health-supportive herbs and spices added to it. Be selective with broths, as some instant powders or cubes contain unwelcome fats and are very high in sodium. Check package labels. Some packaged broths sold in shelf-stable cartons are based on only vegetables and seasonings. Miso can replace broth; just add 1, 3 teaspoons (5, 15 ml) per cup (250 ml) of water. Finally, a splash of wine can add lovely flavor to sauces and gravies.
FIVE SHORTCUTS TO MAKE MEAL PREP A SNAP
1. Batch cook. On the weekends, cook one pot of beans and another of grains. Prepare a giant undressed salad, bake some sweet potatoes or squash, steam some veggies, throw together Chia Pudding ( page 191 ), and stew some fruit. With these staples ready to go in your fridge, making your breakfast bowl, full-meal salad, or dinner bowl will be a breeze.
2. Double or triple recipes. When you discover favorite recipes, make enough to freeze leftovers for quick meals when life gets busy. This is especially helpful for labor-intensive dishes, such as lasagna or loaves.
3. Soak beans and grains for faster cooking. To decrease cooking time and increase the digestibility of beans and grains, soak them in advance.
4.
Prep veggies.
Although you don’t need to prep all your veggies in advance of using them (as doing so will hasten their demise), prepping some of them will make mealtime planning go a lot faster.
Before putting produce in the refrigerator when you get home from the market (or when your bin arrives on your doorstep), immediately prepare a salad that will last a few days.
It helps to have a variety of glass storage bowls with lids.
Wash greens and put them in storage containers for quick use in dinner bowls and smoothies.
Cut up other veggies that you know you’ll use within a day or two.
5. Organize your kitchen equipment for easy use. Keep your high-speed blender, food processor, and multipurpose pot within quick reach. Arrange your knives and other kitchen tools in a way that makes them instantly accessible. When getting out the necessary tools is easy, you’ll be more apt to use them.
PANTRY BASICS
T he following list of pantry basics takes you beyond the obvious perishables you need (see pages 183 , 184 ).
It provides a convenient resource that itemizes both the staples used in our recipes and the ingredients that may be used only occasionally or for recipe variations.
The ingredients in bold are staples in whole-foods, plant-based diets.
Those that are accompanied by an asterisk can also be purchased frozen for convenience.
Be sure that they are unsweetened.
Start by purchasing your staples and then buy other ingredients that are specific to the recipes you’d like to try.
You will not purchase all of the bolded fruits and vegetables at once, however.
For example, one week you may purchase broccoli and another week you might purchase cauliflower.
Not all of the items listed are essential, and many can be substituted for similar products depending on availability, your preferences, and price.
You may want to photocopy this list and include additional items of your own.
Be open to unfamiliar foods.
Buy fresh produce as needed and in season and organic and local produce when you can.
Dry ingredients can be purchased in appropriate amounts and stored in sealed containers in a cool, dry place.
Most are best used within a year, although many items will keep longer.
For the best prices, look for sources that offer grains and legumes in bulk.
International grocery stores and the international sections of supermarkets and natural food stores are often good places to find unfamiliar ingredients.
COOKING LEGUMES
I t’s both practical and economical to cook legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) in quantity so you’ll have different types on hand whenever you want them. Freeze individual or meal-sized portions of cooked legumes in labeled containers for up to six months.
One option is to invest in a multipurpose, programmable pressure cooker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking legumes. A regular pressure cooker, slow cooker, or stove top are other good choices. Avoid a slow cooker for kidney beans because temperatures may not be high enough to destroy the lectins in the beans. Kidney beans need about thirty minutes of boiling to destroy these toxins and longer to cook thoroughly. Here are basic guidelines for the preparation of dried beans:
1. CLEAN THE BEANS. Spread the beans on a tray so you can easily see any small rocks, twigs, or other debris that might have come through the mechanical cleaning process. Put the beans in a colander or strainer and rinse them under cold water to remove any dirt.
TABLE 11.1. Pantry Staples
*May be purchased frozen.
2.
SOAK THE BEANS.
With the exception of lentils and split peas, it’s a good idea to soak legumes before cooking them to decrease the cooking time.
Even lentils can be soaked to improve digestibility.
There are three ways to soak beans: hot soak, traditional soak, and quick soak.
The hot soak is recommended for beans cooked on the stove top because it decreases cooking time, has maximum gas-reducing potential, and produces tender beans.
However, if you’re using a pressure cooker, a traditional soak is best.
■ Hot soak. Put the beans in a large saucepan and add about 5 cups (1.25 L) of water for each cup (250 ml) of beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil for 2, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 4, 24 hours. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Rinse the beans with cold water before cooking.
■ Traditional soak. Put the beans in a large bowl or saucepan and add enough water to cover them by 1, 2 inches (3, 6 cm) above the beans. Cover and let soak for 8, 24 hours or longer. Rinse with cool, clean water every 12 hours if you’re soaking the beans for longer periods of time. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Rinse the beans with cold water before cooking.
■ Quick soak. Put the beans in a large saucepan and add 3 cups (750 ml) of water for every cup (250 ml) of beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil for 2, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Rinse the beans with cold water before cooking.
3.
COOK THE BEANS.
Once the beans have been soaked (or to cook unsoaked lentils and split peas), drain, rinse, and proceed with cooking.
If using a multipurpose or other cooker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If using a stove top, put the beans in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
Add the amount of water indicated in table 11.2 ( page 186 ).
Bring to a boil over medium-high leat, decrease the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for the time indicated.
Because beans expand during cooking, add warm water as needed to ensure that they are always covered.
Skim off any foam that rises to the top, as this can also cause flatulence.
If you’d like to flavor the legumes while they cook, add acidic ingredients (such as vinegar, tomatoes, or tomato juice) near the end of the cooking time, when the beans are just tender. If these ingredients are added sooner, they can make the beans tough and slow the cooking process. Herbs and spices (including salt) can be added at the beginning of the cooking process if desired.
Beans are done when you can soften them on the roof of your mouth with your tongue. At this stage, they’re the most digestible.
TABLE 11.2. Cooking Legumes
*Beans that are old, have been stored for long periods of time, or are large will take longer to cook.
COOKING GRAINS
M any people are unfamiliar with cooking intact grains other than brown rice and perhaps quinoa. But they are all prepared in a similar manner by boiling with a specified amount of water (see table 11.3 , opposite page). When you are cooking a grain, make a large batch to last for several days. Add cooked whole grains to breakfast bowls, soups, salads, and main dishes. You can freeze individual or meal-sized portions of cooked grains in labeled containers for up to six months.
Cook whole grains in a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid to retain moisture.
Bring the amount of recommended water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the grain and return to a boil.
Decrease the heat, cover, and cook for the time indicated in table 11.3 .
Many whole grains will fluff up if you remove the saucepan from the heat and let the grain sit, covered, for a few minutes after all the water has been absorbed.
This will also help the cooked grains separate and not stick together as much when they’re stored.