Savoury Tomato Crisp
makes 6-8 servings

3 tbsp olive oil (more for greasing the pan)
3 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges (I used plum tomatoes)
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt & black pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs (I had a piece of sourdough baguette past its prime, so ground that into breadcrumbs)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese (I used feta)
1 tbsp melted butter

1. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square or round baking dish and preheat oven to 375 F
2. Put the tomato wedges into a large bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch and some salt and pepper. Toss gently. In another bowl mix the breadcrumbs, oats, walnuts, garlic, cheese, 3 tbsp of olive oil, and butter and stir thoroughly
3. Transfer the tomato mixture to the baking dish. Spread the breadcrumb topping. Bake until the crisp is as dark as you like and the tomato is bubbly (about 55 minutes). Let cool to warm and serve.

Ingredients:

1 can white navy beans (or any other bean), rinsed

2-3 cups spinach, washed and coarsely cut

2 garlic cloves, slices

3 tbsp sunflower seeds, lightly toasted (pine nuts would also be nice)

3 tbsp currants

1 red pepper

1/4 cup white wine (or water or stock)

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler on high for a few minutes while you wash the pepper and spinach. Once the oven is hot, place the whole pepper on a cookie sheet underneath the broiler and roast it until it is charred on all sides (about 10 mins). Remove the pepper from the oven and wrap in tin foil. [This is based on the method described here]. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, unwrap it and peel off the skin. Chop it up.

2. Soak the currants in hot water for about 10 mins.

3. Meanwhile pre-heat a skillet on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until golden (be careful not to burn the garlic!)

4. Add the spinach, season with a bit of salt & pepper. Once it starts to wilt, add the white wine.

5. Once the white wine has evaporated somewhar and the spinach is wilted, add the currants (drained), sunflower seeds, & beans and mix well. Lower the heat.

6. Mix in the roasted red peppers and serve.

We had it warm and it was very tasty. The next day I added some balsamic vinegar to the leftovers and ate it as a bean salad. It was even better!

1. Extra virgin olive oil. As long as it’s extra virgin, it’s good. [Agreed 100%. I've heard people say that you can't use extra virgin for frying but I don't buy that. I do avoid Italian olive oil though as I've been told that a lot of it is adulterated and not even Italian. ]
2. Parmiggiano-Reggiano. The real thing is the king of cheese.
3. Real soy sauce. The label should say “brewed” or “fermented.” Ingredients should be soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria. Nothing else, and certainly not TVP (textured vegetable protein) or caramel coloring.[I use Tamari, which has a more complex flavour and is made with less wheat. Apparently it is the "original" soy sauce as it is quite close to the soy sauce initially introduced to Japan from China.]
4. Yogurt. I want whole milk, I want active cultures, and I want no thickeners. But use low-fat or even nonfat if you must. [I was going to invest in my own yogurt maker, but have found my source of good yogurt here in Toronto. I also recomment Pinehedge products. I like that they come in glass jars]
5. Dry pasta. Americans still can’t make it; it’s gotta come from Italy. Most of the Italian brands are good. None of the American brands are.
6. Basmati rice. A lot of good rices are produced outside of their original regions, but basmati from India is still the best. [I agree. Another rice I quite like is the Bomba rice from Valencia and Delta d'Ebre in Spain]
7. Salt. It doesn’t have to be sea salt; kosher is fine. Just so long as it’s not iodized or mixed with other additives.
8. Black peppercorns. You really should grind your own right before every use or nearly every use. [My grinder totally sucks. I'm saving for a really good one.]

North African Couscous Soup

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, small, minced
½ cup celery or fennel, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Za’atar (or 2 tsp ground cumin)
1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 liters vegetable stock or water
salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Put the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the za-atar and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Stir constantly to keep the spices from burning and cook until just fragrant, about a minute. Add the couscous and continue stirring and cooking until the couscous begins to toast and darken, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until it is evenly distributed and begins to colour, another minute or two; then add the stock and stir to dissolve the tomato paste.

2. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook without disturbing until the couscous is plump and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Print version here

1. Eat fewer animal products than average
2. Eat all the plants you can manage
3. Make legumes part of your life
4. Whole grains beat refined carbs
5. Snack on nuts or olives
6. When it comes to fats, embrace olive oil
7. Everything else is a treat, and you can have treats daily

Numbers 1 & 2 are the hardest for those in a strict meat-and-potatoes kind of diet. But you can cut down gradually, making dishes that combine meat and grains to reduce the proportion of meat. Number 7 will depend on how you feel. If you are feeling fine, losing weight and your doctor is happy, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t indulge on your daily dessert but if you are not getting the results you want, it might be better to reduce the treats.

His plan is not really a diet in a faddish sense. He doesn’t preach we must eat all organic although he admits that eating what is produced locally and in season would be best not only for us but for the environment. And this is where all this eating sanely leads to – better health for us and for the earth we live in. Bittman started becoming more conscious of his eating habits after he read a scientific report that showed that the meat industry was responsible for producing one-fifth of greenhouse gases, much more than the transportation industry. At the same time his doctor raised the red flag telling him his cholesterol and blood sugars were out of wack. By switching the proportions of animal and vegetable products, cutting junk food and prossessed food (anything with more than 5 ingredients or with ingredients with more than five syllables), he lost 15 pounds in the first month, his lab work turned out normal in the second month, and within four months he slept better than ever before, lost 35 pounds (his weight eventually stabilized) and he felt confortable and well with his new eating style.Without counting calories, nutrients, feeling hungry, or rebounding.

Makes a lot of sense to me and I do try to follow many of these tips in my daily life.

Worth a read if you feel your health is below optimal and/or you are concerned about the environment.

Check the Globe and Mail review of the book.