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3. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Add the parsley and mix again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

agave nectar

Agave nectar, also called agave syrup, is a natural sweetener with a consistency similar to honey. Believe it or not, it’s made in Mexico from the same blue agave plant that produces tequila. Although it’s sweeter than sugar, what makes agave a must-have in the kitchen is the fact that it’s lower on the glycemic index than sugar and most other sweeteners, including molasses, maple syrup, and corn syrup. With a 90 percent fructose content, agave is absorbed much more slowly into the body. That makes it an attractive sweetener for those concerned with high sugar intake.

Agave nectar is available in both light and dark varieties. The dark version, which is unfiltered, contains higher concentrations of the agave plant’s minerals. This thick syrup is more pourable than honey and it has no discernible flavor. Agave nectar is wonderful in salad dressings and sauces, is great in tea (it dissolves easily), and is perfect for baking and sweetening almost any dessert. If you would like to use agave nectar in a baking recipe that calls for sugar, substitute 1/2 cup of agave nectar for 1 cup of sugar; you may have to adjust the liquid ingredients as well. (Check out the book Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano if you want to learn more.)

Agave nectar usually comes in plastic or glass bottles and can be stored on the kitchen counter or in the pantry for at least two years. (I prefer glass bottles, the green choice.) Most organic agave nectar is raw, which is even better as it retains all of the enzymes.

creamy basil dressing

MAKES 21/2 TO 3 CUPS

One of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Paris was a vegetarian spot called Il Piccolo Teatro (“the Little Theater” in Italian). They made an incredible creamy basil dressing, and I spent three years trying to get the recipe. While they never gave me the recipe, they sold me the dressing, which I carried home in a large plastic Evian bottle. Years later when I visited Paris, I stopped at the restaurant. When I told them I had moved away, they finally revealed the ingredients, but not the amounts or the method—fair enough. Here is a version of my beloved creamy basil dressing. Use it on salads, over fish or chicken, or in soups. Heck, drink it out of an Evian bottle if you like, as long as the bottle is glass and not plastic.

Combine the tofu, basil leaves, and 1 cup of water in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Stop the blender, add the tamari and ume vinegar, and continue blending. With the blender running, slowly add the sunflower oil in a steady stream and continue running the blender until the dressing emulsifies, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

41/2

ounces firm tofu

Leaves from a small bunch of basil (about 30)

2

tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2

tablespoons ume plum vinegar

1

cup sunflower oil

simple creamy tahini dressing

MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP

One of my favorite salad dressings is a combination of tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and olive oil. It’s so simple, but adds so much creamy richness to an otherwise simple salad. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and salt with a fork until you form a paste. Stir in the tahini until creamy. Stir in the lemon juice and then the olive oil and continue stirring until emulsified.

1

garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped

1

teaspoon ground salt

2

tablespoons tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4

cup olive oil

Chapter 5

main dishes

Ginger Risotto

Baked Portobello Mushrooms with Avocado and Pesto

Spicy Garbanzo Bean Burritos with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Pea Tendril and Goat Cheese Frittata

Open-Faced Avocado Cheese Melt

Grilled Manchego Cheese Sandwiches with Fresh Tomato Spread

Pasta Fresca

Simple Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti

Fusilli with Toasted Walnuts, Olives, Capers, Toasted Bread Crumbs, and Pecorino

Glass Noodle Stir-Fry

Seared Bay