Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. Archives - Forks Over Knives

Mommy’s Mushroom Gravy 3.0

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 18:36:17 +0000

“We love this recipe so much,” write Ann and Jane Esselstyn in their cookbook Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior. “And since it has changed in small, nuanced ways over the years, we continue to refine it in our cookbooks. This recipe uses more onion, more mushrooms, and no alcohol. The flour is also optional as Jane notes she often accidentally forgets to add it and it still turns out delish (though Ann proclaims the flour is a must!).”
From Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior

Yield: Makes about 3 cups

Time: 20 minutes

1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons oat flour or whole wheat flour, optional
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook the onion. Allow the onion to brown a little while stirring, adding a splash of water to the pan if it starts to burn. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms soften, again adding a little water as needed to keep the mixture from burning.
Add 1 cup of the broth to the pan and stir. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of broth with the miso, tamari, and flour (if using), and stir until the miso has dissolved. Add the miso mixture to the pan. Continue cooking until the gravy thickens to your liking. Season with pepper to taste. Serve warm.

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Good Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 18:24:07 +0000

“You will never believe how good these garlicky mashed potatoes are until you try them,” write Ann and Jane Esselstyn in their book The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook. “And you will never believe there is no butter or milk in the recipe. Nothing is as satisfying on a cold day, or if you are just hungry, than a pile of these mashed potatoes! They are delicious plain or with Mommy’s Mushroom Gravy 3.0. Add greens if you wish. And by the way, we never peel potatoes.”

From The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Yield: Makes 7 cups

Time: 25 minutes

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
1 bunch kale (optional), stems stripped and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored almond milk or other plant milk of your choice, or water
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large pot. Add water to cover and bring the water to boiling. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a separate large pot of water to boiling for the kale, if using. Place kale leaves in the water, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain kale and let it cool in the colander. When kale is cool enough to handle, chop 1 or 2 cups of it into bite-size pieces.
Drain potatoes, transfer them to a large bowl, and mash them with a potato masher. Add the nutritional yeast and garlic; then add the almond milk a little at a time, mashing until smooth and creamy. They will need more liquid than you might expect since the nutritional yeast soaks up liquid.
Stir in the rosemary and season with pepper to taste. Gently fold in the kale. Serve warm.

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Chickpea Omelet

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:51:04 +0000

This wonderful egg-free omelet is easy to make and is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

From The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Find this recipe and more in the Forks Over Knives Recipe App.

Yield: Makes 3 6-inch omelets

1 cup chickpea flour
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
4 ounces sautéed mushrooms (optional)
Optional toppings: Tomatoes, spinach, salsa, hot sauce, microgreens

Instructions

Combine the chickpea flour, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, black pepper, nutritional yeast, and baking soda in a small bowl. Add 1 cup water and stir until the batter is smooth.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Pour the batter into the pan, as if making pancakes. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the green onions and mushrooms into the batter for each omelet as it cooks. Flip the omelet. When the underside is browned, flip the omelet again, and cook the other side for a minute.
Serve your amazing Chickpea Omelet topped with tomatoes, spinach, salsa, hot sauce, or whatever heart-safe, plant-perfect fixings you like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHd_zfcL9qo

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Big Bean Soup

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 17:15:05 +0000

Our daughter-in-law Polly told us about this bean soup. Since we are lima bean fans, we couldn’t resist this interesting bean soup recipe that combines limas and sweet potatoes! The large limas add a surprise meaty feel, and the sweet potatoes add a good sweetness. The combination is fabulous! And beautiful. And, oh, those big beans!

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, white and green parts, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, cut on an angle into rounds
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
8 cups vegetable broth
16 ounces dried large lima beans, soaked overnight
2 large sweet potatoes or 1 large butternut squash
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook the onions over high heat in a large, dry soup pot, until they start to wilt and caramelize. Add the leek, celery, carrots, and bay leaf, and continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until all the vegetables have softened. Add a little water or broth, if necessary, to keep them from sticking.
Add the garlic, sage, and thyme, and stir for another minute. Add the broth and lima beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the beans are tender. They should be soft but still have a little crunch in the center. Don’t overcook them (but if you do, the soup is still good).
While the soup is cooking, place the sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheet and poke them a few times with a fork to avoid little explosions. Bake for 1 hour.
Also while the soup is simmering, either steam the kale or cook it in a pot with 1/4 cup of water, for 3-5 minutes, until tender but still bright green.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, cut them in half, and scoop the cooked potato flesh into a food processor.
Remove about 2 cups of (mostly) liquid from the pot with the beans, and add it to the sweet potatoes. Process until smooth, then pour the puréed sweet potatoes into the soup, and stir to combine. Add the black and white pepper, and cook until heated through. Remove the bay leaf and add the balsamic vinegar and parsley.
To serve, place some cooked kale in each bowl, and fill with the soup. You can also add the kale to the soup, but the kale loses its wonderful color if you don’t eat it right away.

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Cannellini White Bean Sauce

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 05:18:26 +0000

Serve this sauce over kale, greens, salads, grains, or veggies, or use as a spread for sandwiches or as a topping on pizza.

From The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Yield: Makes 1½ cups sauce

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

Instructions

Purée the beans, garlic, and tamari in a food processor until very smooth, adding water as needed: use more water for a thinner dressing, or less for a thicker dip.

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Kale Bruschetta

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 05:17:45 +0000

We adore this as an appetizer, and so does everyone else. It is always the first empty platter at our holiday party. No one knows it is plant-based; they just know it is so yummy.

From The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

This kale bruschetta recipe is also available in our convenient iPhone app and newly released Android app.

Yield: Makes 8 Pieces

1 bunch kale
1 loaf fresh 100% whole-grain bread, sliced
½ cup Cannellini Bean Sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
balsamic glaze

Instructions

Place the kale leaves in a large pot of boiling water. Cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then squeeze out any extra liquid with your hands (you don’t want soggy bread).
Toast 8 pieces of bread, and place them on a handsome serving platter.
Spread a tablespoon of the Cannellini Bean Sauce on the toasted bread, then cover with a layer of kale and top with a scattering of grape tomatoes. Drizzle generously with the balsamic glaze, and grab one for yourself before they all disappear.

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Easy Black Bean Salad

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:09:59 +0000

We could eat this black bean salad for every meal in summer, even breakfast. This is the salad I make when I have to take a dish to an event because it is so quick to make, and everyone comes back for seconds. This black bean salad recipe is the best advertisement for delicious no-oil eating. It is easy to expand by adding more tomatoes or frozen corn.

From Forks Over Knives — The Plant-Based Way to Health

Yield: Makes 4 bowls

Two 16-ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed WELL!
1 very large tomato, chopped
1 package frozen corn
½ Vidalia onion, chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ lime, juice and zest
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or more to taste

Instructions

Add beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and water chestnuts to a bowl (glass looks pretty) and mix. Rinsing the beans well keeps the salad from looking gray.
Add cilantro, lime, and balsamic vinegar and mix again. Serve alone or with cucumber open-faced sandwiches for a perfect meal.

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Smoky Little Devils

Ann Crile Esselstyn, M.Ed., and Jane Esselstyn, R.N. — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:26:49 +0000

These tiny stuffed potatoes are absolutely beautiful, and, oh so delicious as hors d’oeuvres or the center part of a meal. Be sure the potatoes are tiny. And remember to hold back! Don’t eat them all before your guests arrive!

From The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Yield: Makes 24

Ingredients

For the hummus:

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoons spicy brown mustard, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon salt (optional; we do not use it)
1 cup chopped green onions (4 to 5)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
1½ to 2 additional tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

For the Devils

12 small red potatoes (roughly the size of large walnuts or small clementines)
Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
1 green onion, finely sliced, for garnish
Baby kale leaves, for garnish (optional)
Green Onion Hummus

Instructions

To make Hummus, in a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, pepper to taste, salt (if using), and 2 tablespoons water, and process until uniformly smooth.
In a small bowl, stir together the hummus, green onions, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, additional lemon juice, and turmeric. Dollop or spread on immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to use.
To make the Smoky Devils, set a steamer insert in a saucepan and add about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat; then place the potatoes in the steamer basket and steam for about 20 minutes. Plunge them into cold water in a big bowl or just run cold water over them.
Slice each potato in half. With the small end of a melon-baller or a small spoon, scoop out a hole in the center. (Save the little scooped-out potato balls to put into a salad or just pop them into your mouth!)
Fill each hole with hummus. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. It is easiest to take a tiny bit between your fingers and sprinkle just enough for the color to show. Garnish with green onions or, for a really fun look, use a tiny baby kale leaf as a “sail” in each little potato “boat.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql4VI3tC15E

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