Forks Over Knives Summer 2022

Nothing takes the fun out of grocery shopping quite like surging food prices. But we all still have to eat, right? For this issue, longtime FOK chef Darshana Thacker Wendel challenged herself to create streamlined recipes with fewer ingredients so you can make healthy summer eats without breaking the bank. And Darshana seriously delivered! See “Eat Well, Shop Less” on page 64, which features six simple main dishes that she designed around low-cost, high-satisfaction basics such as whole grain pasta, potatoes, lentils, and chickpeas. Many of the recipes in Darshana’s “Easy Summer Sides” on page 30 and “Short & Sweet” desserts on page 88 can be made with just five ingredients or less, yet they’re totally creative and delicious. Grilled Pineapple Pie, anyone? Enjoy!…

WHAT TO EAT ON A WFPB DIET LOAD UP ON THESE Fruits (bananas, blueberries, oranges, strawberries) Vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce) Tubers and starchy vegetables (corn, green peas, potatoes, winter squash) Whole grains (barley, brown rice, millet, oats, quinoa, wheat berries) Legumes (black beans, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans) ENJOY IN MODERATION Plant-based milks (almond, cashew, hemp, oat, rice, soy) Tofu and tempeh Whole grain flours and breads Whole nuts and seeds, nut/seed butters (almond butter, pumpkin seeds, tahini, walnuts) For a more detailed primer on the FOK diet, visit forksoverknives.com/what-to-eat AVOID OR MINIMIZE Bleached flours, white bread, and white pasta Dairy products Eggs Meat, poultry, and seafood Oils Refined sweeteners White rice LASTING CHANGE: 5 KEYS TO SUCCESS 1 PUT STARCHES AND FRUITS AT THE CENTER OF YOUR PLATE. Enjoy nonstarchy and leafy veggies in generous amounts, but look to carbohydrate-rich whole grains, beans, fruits, and starchy vegetables to provide enough…

DARSHANA THACKER WENDEL Thacker Wendel is a vegan chef specializing in wholefood, plant-based cuisine. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of the Forks Over Knives: Flavor! cookbook, recipe author for the book Forks Over Knives Family, and recipe contributor to The New York Times best-selling book The Forks Over Knives Plan. MICHAEL GREGER, MD, FACLM Greger is a physician and author of The New York Times best-selling books How Not to Die and The How Not to Diet Cookbook. His videos on 2,000-plus health topics can be viewed at nutritionfacts.org. CLEODIA MARTINEZ Martinez is the author of Ay Sus!: Whole Food, Plant-Based Global Filipino Cuisine and founder of Balay Plant-Based, a 12-week coaching program geared toward helping Filipinos improve their health with plant-based nutrition while honoring their roots. Her Balay…

Have you ever wondered what to do with the seeds in fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, or eggplant? Do they impact the texture or flavor of a dish? I recommend always removing the seeds from bell peppers, squash, and cucumbers, because these are hard to digest for most people. When considering removing the seeds from other vegetables, remember two key characteristics of seeds: They are watery and they can be bitter. For tomatoes, always remove the seeds if you’re making guacamole or salsa to avoid a watery result. You’ll also want to deseed your tomatoes if you’re making gazpacho: Gazpacho should have a slightly sweet flavor, and the bitterness of the seeds can get in the way of that. For things like stews and marinara sauce, I prefer canned diced tomatoes, which already…

ONE OF A KIND Okra-lovers will tell you there’s nothing like okra—and they’re right. The pretty green pods are the only edible vegetable in a flowering plant family that includes hibiscus and hollyhocks. Okra has a grassy, earthy flavor and a green bean-like texture with a surprising seedy crunch. And contrary to what the haters may say, okra is not always slimy when cooked. BEYOND GUMBO Cooking okra low and slow releases soluble fibers that help thicken soups and stews like Southern gumbo, Indian bhindi masala (bhindi is the Indian word for okra), and African okra soup. But when okra is quick-cooked using high heat, it takes on another dimension. Sautéing, stir-frying, and boiling all eliminate excess moisture and lower okra’s viscosity (aka the slime factor). Pickling is another great way…

THE PROCESS You won’t believe how tasty homemade pickles can be with just a fraction of the salt and zero added sugar. No need to sterilize jars either. Using less salt means pickles won’t last more than a week (max), so make them in small batches and gobble them up. 1. FILL A CANNING JAR WITH VEGGIES. Place seasonings in the bottom of each jar, then pack with raw, trimmed vegetables. Feel free to mix and match different veggies (anything goes except for potatoes and winter squash) in the recipes shown here, or come up with your own seasoning combinations. 2. TOP WITH BRINE. Follow the Low-Salt Quick Pickle Brine recipe (opposite). You’ll need about 1 cup brine per 12-oz. jar. 3. PICKLE 24 HOURS. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables in the…