and yellow beets, separate them in pan.)
Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the vinegar; toss
to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Add thyme sprigs. Cover with foil. Roast
25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place baby leeks in another
shallow baking pan. Drizzle with the
remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Season with
salt and pepper. Uncover beets. Add
leeks to oven. Roast 6 to 8 minutes or
until beets and leeks are tender; cool.
Discard thyme. - While beets are roasting, in a medium
saucepan combine quinoa and 3 cups
water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover
and simmer about 15 minutes or until
liquid is absorbed. Toss with 2 Tbsp. of
the Cashew Caesar Dressing. - On a platter or in a large shallow bowl,
arrange croutons, beets, leeks, quinoa,
and watercress. Serve with dressing.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cashew Caesar Dressing Soak^2 ∕ 3 cup
raw cashews in enough hot water to cover
30 minutes; drain, reserving water. In a
blender combine cashews;^1 ∕ 2 cup of the
reserved water; 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast;
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard; 1 clove garlic;
(^1) ∕ 2 tsp. lemon zest; and 1 to 2 tsp. capers,
drained. Cover and blend until smooth.
If needed, thin to desired consistency
with remaining water. Store in an airtight
container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Peas with Mango Pesto Pasta
pictured on page 34
30 minutes lMakes 10 cups
Mango is the secret ingredient for
unexpected flavor in this creamy pasta
sauce. Use a perfectly ripe mango for
best results.
(^1) ½ cups chopped fresh mango
¾ cup packed fresh basil
½ cup chopped avocado
2 Tbsp. chopped scallion (green
onion)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. fresh dill weed
Sea salt, to taste
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
12 oz. dried whole grain linguine
2 cups halved fresh sugar snap peas
(about 7 oz.)
1 cup shelled fresh English peas or
frozen peas
1 medium zucchini (about 8 oz.),
trimmed and spiral cut
½ cup slivered fresh radishes
and/or julienned carrot
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
- For mango pesto, in a blender
combine the first six ingredients
(through dill weed). Cover and blend
until smooth. Season with salt and
crushed red pepper, if using. - Cook pasta according to package
directions, adding peas the last
2 minutes of cooking; drain. Return
to pot. Add zucchini noodles; toss
to combine. Add mango pesto; toss
to coat. - Transfer pasta mixture to a serving
bowl or plates. Sprinkle with radishes
and pine nuts.
Garlicky Bok Choy
Noodle Soup
pictured on page 35
35 minutes lMakes about 11 ½ cups
The vegetables in this showy soup are
just barely cooked, so they stay crisp in
texture and bright in color.
4 cups no-salt-added vegetable
broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 oz. dried brown rice pad Thai
noodles
12 baby carrots with green tops,
halved lengthwise, or 2 cups
bias-sliced carrots
3 oz. extra-firm light silken-style
tofu, cut into ¼ - inch cubes
2 heads baby bok choy, halved
lengthwise
12 thin spears asparagus, trimmed
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms,
stems removed, or oyster
mushrooms, sliced
4 scallions (green onions), green
tops trimmed and cut in half
lengthwise
Lime wedges- In a 5- to 6-qt. Dutch oven combine
4 cups water, the broth, garlic, ginger,
and soy sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce
heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes to
allow flavors to meld. - Add noodles, carrots, and tofu.
Simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add bok choy, asparagus,
mushrooms, and scallions. Simmer,
uncovered, 1 minute more. Serve in
shallow bowls with lime wedges.
BEFORE
brittany gonzalezI
spent the majority of the
summer of 2017 in bed. I had
debilitating chronic body
infl ammation, joint pain, and
heartburn. I’d been diagnosed with
atrial fi brillation two years prior, and
my episodes were getting worse.
No one could tell me why.
Then one day while browsing Netfl ix,
I came across Forks Over Knives. I
was immediately sold on the whole-
food, plant-based diet. I checked out
cookbooks from the library and spent
hours in the kitchen relearning how to
cook. (I remember when I fi rst started
out, I saw a recipe for a carrot hot dog. I
cracked up and asked, “How long do you
have to be a vegan before a carrot tastes
like a hot dog?” But they’re actually
really good!)
Within a year, my health improved
dramatically. I lost 40 pounds in the
fi rst four months, without exercise.
(And I never count calories; I eat all
the time, as my husband will tell you.) I
hardly ever get heartburn, and my atrial
fi brillation episodes are so rare that
I’ve halved my medication. My husband
and I just shake our heads in disbelief
thinking about how, not long ago, I was
bedridden, and now I’m rock climbing
and running 5Ks. I would never go back.
I am so blessed and grateful.
—Brittany Gonzalez