Free Forks Over Knives by Gene Stone Page A

whole-grain cereal, but don’t be tied to tradition. Smoothies make fantastic breakfasts, and you can make them out of almost anything. Leftovers can also make a wonderful start to the day. Many Asian cultures traditionally eat soup for breakfast. Why not give it a try?
    PREPARING SAVORY DISHES. Often the delicious smells and tastes that people attribute to animal foods come at least as much from the onion,garlic, mushrooms, and other vegetables that they have been cooked with. Use vegetable broth, water, lemon juice, or other liquids for “sautéing” foods to get the flavor without the fat. Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery to cooking grains. Slow-cooking casseroles and stews can make it easy to achieve deep, complex flavors.
    MAKING SAUCES AND DRESSINGS. Mushrooms can be used to make extremely flavorful gravy. Soup can be used as a sauce on top of grains or baked potatoes. Possibilities for salad dressings are endless: Try using pureed whole fruit such as oranges or grapefruit to make them thicker without the oil.
    MAKING SOUPS. After cooking soup, blend at least part of it and pour the pureed liquid back into the pot to make a creamy base. The thicker texture will make it taste richer.
    FOR SNACKS AND DESSERTS. There are many delicious snack and dessert recipes in this book, but do remember that simple foods can be the perfect choice. Satisfy your sweet cravings or lift your late-afternoon lag with fresh fruit. Keep cut vegetables in the fridge and oil-free hummus and crackers on hand. Bring snacks like these with you in the car, to work, and on errands.

KITCHEN TOOLS
    HERE ARE SOME tools that will help you to prepare easy, delicious, healthy, plant-based meals:
    BLENDER. Handy for making smoothies or combining mostly liquid ingredients. Because of the toughness of kale and some other green vegetables, consider buying a blender with a strong motor, such as a Blendtec or Vitamix.
    CITRUS REAMER. Very useful if you like using juice from fresh citrus fruits.
    COLANDER. Perfect for draining steamed vegetables and rinsing berries or beans.
    COOKIE SHEETS. For baking healthy whole-grain cookies.
    COOLING RACKS. For cooling baked goods.
    CROCK-POT OR SLOW-COOKER. A great appliance for making soups, stews, and casseroles. Just add all the ingredients, turn it on, and forget about it!
    CUTTING BOARD. You will get a lot of use out of this kitchen staple. Choose wood or plastic, whatever your preference. On a plant-based diet there is no need for concern about cross-contamination among raw foods.
    FOOD PROCESSOR. Absolutely essential for making dips, dressing, spreads, sauces, and other thicker-consistency condiments.
    GLASS BOWLS. For mixing ingredients for baking, marinades, and so on. Those with lids are convenient for storage.
    GLASS COUNTERTOP CANISTERS WITH LIDS. For storing everything from flour to dried beans.
    IMMERSION BLENDER. This is a handy tool for making creamy soups or blending hot liquids. You can combine ingredients right in the pot, without the mess or danger of transferring hot soup in batches between the pot and a conventional blender.
    KNIVES. You really only need one good long knife—find one that you really like, and keep it sharp. You’ll also want a small knife and a short, serrated knife—these are key for cutting avocados, mangoes, and other whole foods that require some dexterity.
    MANDOLINE. Not essential, but very useful for cutting vegetables. Many mandolines have multiple settings for different thicknesses and cuts.
    MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS. In various sizes: ¼-cup, ⅓-cup, and ½-cup measuring cups, a 2- or 4- cup glass measuring cup, and a 1-cup glass measuring cup with a spout, for liquids. Also ¼-teaspoon, ½-teaspoon, 1-teaspoon, and 1-tablespoon measuring spoons.
    MIXING UTENSILS. Including wire whisks in different sizes.
    PARCHMENT PAPER. For occasional oil-free brownies and cookies.
    PIZZA STONE, WOODEN PIZZA PEEL, AND PIZZA CUTTER. To make great plant-based, cheese-free