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Pinto: 1½ hours

The More You Eat, the More You Toot?

Well, obviously we have to address the musical issues of beans. But there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage! Rinsing canned beans helps, as does changing the soaking liquid when you’re cooking dried beans. Another thing that is rumored to help is a seaweed called kombu. It’s available in most Asian markets or in large health food stores. Just add a stick of it to your beans while they cook. Kombu also adds a delicious savory and salty flavor.

Chickpea Piccata

SERVES 4 ∙ ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES ∙ TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 190

Calories from fat: 30

Total fat: 3.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 30 g

Fiber: 5 g

Sugars: 6 g

Protein: 9 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 730 mg

Vitamin A: 20%

Vitamin C: 25%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 15%

A plate of piccata is like an instant fancy dinner with all the stops. One second you’re just sitting there, all normal-like, but the moment that first forkful of lemony wine bliss touches your tongue, you’re transported to candlelight and tablecloths, even if you’re sitting in front of the TV watching Dancing with the Stars. This version is made with chickpeas, which make it super fast, and it’s served over arugula for some green. I know lots of people are accustomed to piccata with pasta, and that is the Italian tradition, but my first piccata was as a vegan and we vegans love our mashed potatoes, so that is what I suggest serving it with. Try it with the Caulipots (page 54).

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 scant cup thinly sliced shallots

6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 cups vegetable broth

⅓ cup dry white wine

A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper

A generous pinch of dried thyme

1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ cup capers with a little brine

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 cups arugula

TIP

Bulk it up by adding a thinly sliced portobello to the finished dish (try the Grilled Portobellos, page 103).

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the bread crumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.

Add the vegetable broth, wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half; it should take about 7 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and capers and let heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.

If you’re serving the piccata with mashed potatoes, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place the mashed potatoes on top of the arugula and ladle the piccata over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely. If you are serving the piccata solo, just pour it right over the arugula.

TIP

Regular old whole wheat bread crumbs work just great in this dish, but try using Italian-flavored ones for even more flavor.

Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

SERVES 4 ∙ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES ∙ TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE (LEAVE OUT THE WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE)

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 210

Calories from fat: 15

Total fat: 2 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 38 g

Fiber: 11 g

Sugars: 8 g

Protein: 13 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 440 mg

Vitamin A: 120%

Vitamin C: 90%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 25%

I often make shepherd’s pie for company, but if no one’s coming over why bother with the formality of baking an actual pie? In this version, du Puy lentils and shiitake mushrooms team up to create a meaty bite. I kept the seasoning super simple, using a dash of Worcestershire sauce at the end to give the dish a little air of mystery. The nutritional info here is for the lentils only, not the potatoes, just in case you decide you’d like the lentils over rice or a baked potato or something altogether different.

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely