6 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes That Actively Fight Inflammation - Well+Good

6 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes That Actively Fight Inflammation - Well+Good
Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for fried tofu with spinach and tomato sambal - The Guardian
8 Vegetarian One-Pot Dinner Recipes Packed With Fiber and Protein - Well+Good

Posted: 19 Dec 2020 08:02 AM PST

Sometimes, all I want from my food is fulfilling a craving. But other times, I fully expect what's on my plate to come with superpowers—primarily in the form of boosting brain health and protecting me from chronic diseases. (And when something hits both of those buckets, even better.)

As far as warding off chronic health problems goes—both of the cognitive and physical nature—an anti-inflammatory diet has become a popular way to go for many. Leading function medicine doctor and Food Fix author Mark Hyman, MD, explains that short-term inflammation can be beneficial, serving as the body's natural defense system, but when high levels of inflammation are prolonged, it can lead to serious problems. "Long-term inflammation causes a chronic, smoldering fire inside your body that contributes to disease and weight gain," he says. "This inflammation leads to every one of the major chronic diseases of aging—heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and more."

Dr. Hyman says there are some foods, like sugar and processed meats, that are universally tied to inflammation. Other sources, like dairy, gluten, or eggs, can cause inflammation for people with allergies or sensitivities to those foods.

Meanwhile, there are other foods that actively fight inflammation or at the very least do not cause it. "A diet that is centered around whole, plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds can help to reduce chronic inflammation and decrease our risk of developing many chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes," says Reshma Shah, MD, co-author of Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families.

One way to do this, Dr. Shah says, is to try to make your meals colorful. "Eat the rainbow! Plant foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, pumpkins, carrots, brussels sprouts, purple cabbage, and even coffee and dark chocolate are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants," she says. "When crafting meals consider include a variety of foods from different food groups. Explore different flavors, textures, and spices with a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats." This will also keep mealtime interesting.

Dr. Hyman agrees, adding that a good goal to aim for is to make non-starchy veggies a full 75 percent of your meal. Next, he says to add a small serving (four to six grams) of a healthy protein source such as grass-fed meat, fish, tofu, or beans. He also recommends incorporating healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds into your meal to get brain- and heart-healthy omega-3s. Both Dr. Hyman and Dr. Shah are big fans of using spices with anti-inflammatory benefits as well. Turmeric, cumin, ginger, rosemary, paprika, cayenne pepper, and fennel are some of their favorites.

Watch the video below for more tips on how to eat to ward off chronic inflammation:

All this advice is helpful, but having a few go-to recipes in mind is key to actually putting it into practice. Keep reading for six to get you started, all of which put Dr. Hyman's and Dr. Shah's tips into practice—and are 100 percent vegetarian to boot.

6 anti-inflammatory vegetarian recipes

This vegetarian chili is made mostly of vegetables, full of protein (specifically, black beans), and includes olive oil as well as lots of beneficial spices. And since everything is cooked together, cleanup is easy, too.

Get the recipe: hearty vegetarian chili

Pumpkin was one of the anti-inflammatory foods Dr. Shah specifically called out, so we had to include it on this list. The pumpkin is roasted and then blended with coconut milk to form a rich curry. (But don't sweat, you can use canned pumpkin purée too.) And, as with any good curry, this one is full of spice. Tofu and cashew nuts are also added to the mix, which gives texture as well as protein.

Get the recipe: Roasted pumpkin curry

sweet potato soup — Photo: Sweet Potato Soul

All the ingredients in this nourishing soup are easy to find and affordable. Besides the sweet potatoes, mung beans, and cauliflower, the recipe also calls for vegetable broth, olive oil, garlic, ginger, and a touch of maple syrup. The end result is a savory soup with the perfect hint of sweetness.

Get the recipe: Chipotle sweet potato cauliflower soup with mung beans

grain bowl salad — Photo: Love and Lemons

One easy way to reinvent your salad bowl is to add roasted veggies. Varying the texture in this way changes the whole meal. In this case, Brussel sprouts parsnips, cauliflower, and broccolini are the produce picks that are popped in the oven. Then, they're paired with chickpeas and quinoa before being topped off with a homemade pesto made with kale, garlic, pumpkin seeds, and olive oil.

Get the recipe: Roasted veggie grain bowl

Chock-full of veggies? Check. Protein? Yep, beans cover that base. Loaded with anti-inflammatory spices? Most definitely. This vegetarian cabbage soup has it all. This is definitely what Dr. Shah meant when she said taste the rainbow.

Get the recipe: Spicy vegetarian cabbage soup

6. Anti-inflammatory salad

The homemade dressing for this salad is so full of anti-inflammatory ingredients that being heavy-handed will work in your flavor, er, favor. It's made with olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, mustard, ginger, and garlic, then drizzled over the mixture of kale, onions, pecans, and mint.

Get more anti-inflammatory vegetarian recipes—and share your own favorites—in Well+Good's Cook With Us Facebook group.

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Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for fried tofu with spinach and tomato sambal - The Guardian

Posted: 19 Dec 2020 02:30 AM PST

One brilliant thing to have come out of this year's restrictions are the many restaurants that have pivoted to set up delivery businesses. One of the best things I ordered was Mandy Yin of Sambal Shiok's tomato sambal: a jar of hot, sweet tomato sauce that I proceeded to pour over everything. It inspired me to make my own using ancho chillies – and it's what today's recipe hangs on. Here, I've suggested serving it warm, mixed with spinach, so the leaves wilt, and topped with fried, crisp tofu. But, really, you take the sambal as the starting point for your own kitchen adventure.

Fried tofu with tomato sambal and spinach

Instead of making your own sambal, you could just buy Mandy's tomato sambal from pezu.com and throw this meal together in a near instant.

Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

Rapeseed oil
3 ½ tbsp ancho chilli flakes
6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and minced
500g passata
1 tbsp caster sugar
Fine sea salt
2 x 280g packs tofu – I like Tofoo
5 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp five spice
250g baby spinach leaves
20g coriander leaves and stems, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Put 80ml oil, the ancho chilli flakes and the minced garlic in a saucepan and set over a medium heat. When the garlic turns a pale gold and the chilli flakes crisp and sizzle, add the passata, sugar and a teaspoon and a half of salt, cover with a three-quarter cocked lid and leave to bubble away over a gentle heat, stirring every now and then, for about 10-15 minutes, until rich, thick and delicious.

To make the tofu, first press it to remove the water, then cut it into roughly 2cm x 2cm cubes. Mix the cornflour, five spice and half a teaspoon of salt on a flat dish with a lip. Put a handful of tofu cubes in the cornflour mix, roll around to coat, then transfer to a second plate. Repeat with the remaining tofu.

Put 2mm oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat until very hot. Line a plate with kitchen paper and have to hand a slotted spoon or fish slice. Lower a handful of the tofu into the hot oil, leave it alone until it is fried enough to be lifted cleanly off the surface of the pan, then rotate the pieces and repeat until it's lovely and golden on all sides – this should take about four minutes in all. Lift out of the pan, drain on the prepared plate and repeat with the rest of the tofu.

Put the spinach and coriander in a bowl, mix in half the sambal, ideally using your hands, so the leaves wilt a little. To serve, tumble the spinach out on to a serving plate and layer the tofu over the top. Dot with more ancho sambal, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve.

8 Vegetarian One-Pot Dinner Recipes Packed With Fiber and Protein - Well+Good

Posted: 20 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

When you're trying to keep the mess to a minimum and you've only got one pot to work with, you really have to make each ingredient count. In one-pot vegetarian dinner recipes, that's pretty easy: You simply load up on all the protein- and fiber-packed plants you can to ensure your meal is both delicious and satiating.

Since vegetarians don't eat meat, protein typically comes from sources like beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, tofu, and tempeh. And you'll get more than enough fiber from pretty much every plant you put on your plate; they're chock-full of it. Aside from the perks of eating vegetarian meals—like improving your heart health, reducing your risk of diabetes, and lowering your risk of certain cancers—eating a wide range of plants also keeps your meals exciting and flavorful.

From tempeh chili mac to pesto zoodles topped with pine nuts, these one-pot vegetarian recipes make for a healthy dinner without a big clean-up.

Delicious one-pot vegetarian dinner recipes with plenty of fiber and protein

1. Vegetarian Dal

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When you make chef Palak Patel's vegetarian dal, you'll get everything you love about the traditional Indian dish… plus even more veggies.

Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, spinach)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of one half a lemon
4 cups of water
Kosher salt to taste
Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat, add cumin seeds until they sputter in oil. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and saute for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, then add spices, red lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, and water. Season with salt. Cover the lid and simmer on low approximately 30-45 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, spinach, and cilantro.

2. One-pan pesto zoodles

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This veggie-loaded zoodle dish gives you a boost of protein thanks to the pine nuts. And the pesto flavor? To-die-for.

Ingredients
1 cup of pine nuts
3 zucchinis
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small jalapeño, chopped
1 tbsp chopped capers
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lemon
4 medium/large garlic cloves
½ cup of chopped basil leaves
1 carrot, peeled
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pinch of salt

1. Roast pine nuts
2. Heat pan to under medium and add olive oil and onion. Wait for the onion to become translucent.
3. Add chopped capers, cilantro, lemon zest, and garlic.
4. After about three minutes, add another ½ tbs of oil.
5. Add zoodles, and toss through sauce very well.
6. Add basil. Once basil wilts a little, add peeled carrot.
7. Go back up to medium heat. Squeeze lemon juice in, and add a pinch of salt.
8. Cook until the carrot is fully cooked.
9. Plate noodles and serve topped with pine nuts, salt, fresh cracked pepper, a spritz of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.

3. One-pot vegan shepherd's pie

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Aside from this meatless shepherd's pie recipe being super comforting, it's also filled with fiber from all the veggies and protein from the lentils.

Ingredients
2 cups brown lentils
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, small diced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Paprika, cumin powder, garlic powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper cracked, as needed
Kosher salt to taste

Mashed potatoes ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup Oatly milk
4 tablespoon vegan butter
1 cup vegan parmesan, optional

1. Heat pot over medium heat and add oil with mushrooms, onions, carrots, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes until just tender around 10 minutes. Season with salt, stir in crushed garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.
2. Add sprigs of thyme and spices with tomato paste and cook until the oil begins to separate. Add vegetable broth.
3. Mix in the lentils and cook for 30 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
4. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Season as needed.
5. Place peeled and cut potatoes into cold water in a saucepan along with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are cooked through. Drain.
6. While the potatoes are warm, oat milk, butter, and cheese. Season well with salt.
7. Spoon potatoes over meat mixture and score the top with a fork to allow the potatoes to get crispy.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

4. One-pan wild rice and cheesy broccoli casserole

one-pot vegetarian recipes — Photo: Dishing Out Health

This dish has everything you could want in a satisfying dinner: wild rice, hearty veggies, plenty of savory spices, and a little cheese.

Get the recipe: One-pan wild rice and cheesy broccoli casserole

5. One-pot pasta recipe

It doesn't get easier than this one-pot pasta recipe. When you combine the dry pasta, pasta sauce, water, and veggies together, it all cooks evenly in under 20 minutes.

Get the recipe: One-pot pasta recipe