“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” This has become the famous mantra repeated by fans of Michael Pollan, the guru of the geopolitics of food. Pollan, author of the best-selling “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” wrote this seven-word distilled message on the front of his newest book, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” (Penguin Books, 2008). Of course, this handy aphorism inspires hope for those of us who are omnivores. It gives us the promise that, after we eat all those vegetables, grains and whatnot, we might be able to enjoy a sliver of cheese, a bit of fish or a small hunk of (hormone-free, organically fed) meat.

Vegetarians, of course, eat plenty of plants, but vegans go them one better. They eat only plants — no poultry or meat or fish, of course, but also no cheese, milk or other dairy products, and no eggs or honey. (It’s an animal product.) According to Neal Barnard, the physician who wrote the foreword to the new book “Vegan Express” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2008), “Vegan diets are best of all, since they are essentially cholesterol-free...and contain zero animal fat or animal protein.”

How do those vegans do it? There is a raft of books that offer help with the conversion. Atlas, author of “Vegan Express,” highly recommends “Becoming Vegan” by nutritionists Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina (Book Publishing Co., 2000) as “quite possibly the best resource in print for learning about and transitioning to a vegan diet.” A recently popular guide is the sassy and profane “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (Running Press, 2005), a book that has inspired legions of animal-loving, health- and beauty-conscious young women to adopt a vegan diet with a vengeance.

If you worry about the risks inherent in a vegan regimen, rest assured that there are many health professionals who attest that a vegan diet that includes a wide range of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits is an optimal way to get a broad range of vitamins, minerals, fiber and, yes, even protein. Anyone adopting such a diet, however, should make sure they get adequate calcium (in green, leafy vegetables and fortified foods), vitamin B-12 (in fortified foods) and vitamin D (from a vitamin supplement).

The recipes below come from Atlas’ books, and from the new volume from Freedman and Barnouin, “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch” (Running Press, 2007).

Despite all of the benefits of a vegan diet, some of us will be reluctant to embrace it. Among our number, I suspect, is “A.K.,” a reader of a New York Times blog who responded to a contest calling for a response to Pollan’s words.

A.K.’s entry: “Ate plants. A big heap. Still hungry.”

NEARLY INSTANT THAI COCONUT CORN SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil, preferably light olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 to 5 scallions, trimmed green and white parts separated and sliced thin

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into short thin strips

2 (14- to 15-ounce) cans light coconut milk

1-1/2 cups rice milk

1(16-ounce) bag frozen corn

2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder

1/4 teaspoon Thai red-curry paste, or to taste (available in most supermarkets)

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a small soup pot. Add the garlic, the white parts of the scallions and the bell pepper strips. Saute over medium-low heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, rice milk, corn, curry power and the green parts of the scallions. Dissolve the curry paste in the water and add to the soup.

Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and remove from heat.

Serve, passing around the cilantro for topping.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “Vegan Express” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2008)

TORTILLA CASSEROLE

1 (15- to 16-ounce) can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15- to 16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild green chilies

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

2 scallions, trimmed and minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

oil for the casserole dish

10 corn tortillas

1-1/2 cups vegan Monterey Jack, Cheddar or nacho cheese

For serving:

salsa (red or green)

vegan sour cream, or, if not available:

1 cup crumbed firm or extra-firm silken tofu

2 to 3 tablespoons rice milk or Silk creamer, as needed

2 teaspoons lemon juice, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, chilies, corn, scallions, cumin and oregano and mix well.

Lightly oil a wide, shallow rectangular or round 2-quart casserole and layer as follows: 5 tortillas (overlapping), half the bean mixture, half the cheese. Repeat.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

If making the vegan sour cream: Combine the tofu, rice milk, lemon juice and salt in a blender and puree until very smooth, adding more rice milk if needed. Taste and add more lemon or salt, as desired.

Remove the casserole from the oven. Let stand a minute or two, then cut into squares or wedges to serve. Pass the salsa and vegan sour cream.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “Vegan Express” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2008)

MACARONI AND FOUR CHEESES

safflower oil or refined coconut oil (melted) for oiling casserole, plus 1 tablespoon for recipe

2 tablespoons fine sea salt

1 pound whole-wheat or brown-rice elbow macaroni

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash

2 cups soy or rice milk

4 ounces vegan Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 ounces vegan Jack cheese, shredded

4 ounces vegan cream cheese

1-1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish; set aside.

In a 4- to 6-quart stockpot over high heat, combine 3 quarts of water with about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the squash and milk, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon until the squash is thawed. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Cheddar, Jack, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

When the pasta is done, drain it, then return to the pot. Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni. Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe from “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (Running Press, 2007)

 

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.

Whether you are a committed vegan or just dabbling, this Thai Coconut Corn Soup will feed you well. Photo credit: Photograph by Susan Voisin for “Vegan Express” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2008)