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Polenta Curry, The Forks Over Knives Plan, pp. 250

The new Forks Over Knives book is like a visit with the kind plant-based doctor you wish you had.

newfokcoverYou know, the doctor who is keenly interested in your health and well-being, assumes you actually ARE interested in taking practical steps – instead of pills – to be healthier.

The doctor who believes you do have the drive to make better choices.

The doctor who appeals to and honors your intelligence about it all.

And what better plant-based doctors than the stars of the Forks Over Knives movie, Dr. Matt Lederman, and his wife and partner in plant-based medicine, Dr. Alona Pulde?

Guess what was waiting for me in the mailbox?

The brains behind Forks Over Knives, the movie – Brian Wendel – called me regarding the release of the new Forks Over Knives book, officially titled The Forks Over Knives Plan: A 4-Week Meal-by Meal Makeover.

We were just a couple of days out from embarking on our safari to Africa, and I had my fingers crossed that my copy would arrive before we set out.

Must have missed it by just a day – thankfully the Forks Over Knives team sent me a digital copy so that I could get started on looking through this delicious book while traveling. But frankly, I’m a hard copy kinda grrrl and was glad to get my hands on the bound version upon our return to finish reading.

And now, I get to pass the goodies on to you – for the Forks Over Knives team has generously offered to give copies of the new book The Forks Over Knives Plan, not to just one, but to two of my lucky readers.

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With Alona Pulde, M.D., and Matt Lederman, M.D. before anyone had ever heard of Forks Over Knives – hard to imagine!

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I interviewed author Matthew Lederman, M.D., for the Nutrition Principles chapter of my book Fit Quickies.

I had the great good fortune of meeting Drs. Matt and Alona a few years ago, before anyone had ever heard of Forks Over Knives, when I met up with them at an Advanced Nutrition Studies weekend in Santa Rosa, California.

Matt generously met with me while I was writing of  Fit Quickies – I wanted to speak with him about the nutrition section I put in the book.  On page 203 of Fit Quickies, in the chapter titled Nutrition Principles, there’s a gem that Matt delivered during our conversation – a quote that on more than one occasion readers have told me they adore:

I tell people there’s your starchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes as your foundation. Pick from any of those based on your preference, and then add lots of vegetables and some fruits. If you can do that for the rest of your life and make that where most, if not all, of your calories come from, then you’re going to do really, really well.  So it’s just about trying to keep it very simple. ~ Matthew Lederman, M.D.

And now, there’s a whole book for you spring-boarded from this simple philosophy!

The Forks Over Knives Plan

The book is straightforward and easy to read, with solid sections on nutrition and the multiple ways in which a whole food, plant-based diet builds health and prevents disease. After telling their personal stories, the doctors progress to a full section on “The Science Behind the Whole-food, Plant-based Diet.”

The authors then present a sensible pathway for transition in the form of a 4-week transition:  meal by meal, starting with breakfast and progressing through lunch and dinner.  Broken down by chapters, Week One is Breakfast, Week Two is Lunch, and Week Three Dinner. Week Four is “Fine Tuning You Lifestyle”.

Each chapter is brilliantly peppered with tips and information via “Let’s Get Practical”, “Eye on Nutrition”, “Making it Work For You”, and “Getting Personal”.

Over 100 Recipes from Plant-Based Chefs Darshana Thacker and Del Stroufe

Then, on to the eats!

The Forks Over Knives Plan also has a robust recipe section jammed with contributions from Darshana Thacker and Del Stroufe.  Experienced plant-centered chefs both, their expertise shines through in their entries.

While looking through the recipes, I knew right away which one I wanted to make to share with you.  The Polenta Curry.

It had never occurred to me to put curry and polenta together. We had it last night over short grain brown rice, and it is brilliant!

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Polenta Curry cooking on the stovetop.

The recipe called for making a quick batch of polenta for cutting into cubes later to add to the curry sauce.  I was certain I had polenta on the shelf, yet when it came time to prep the polenta, my jar of golden grains was nowhere to be found!  I was disappointed because the polenta portion of this recipe calls for caraway seeds, which sounded absolutely enchanting – and I’d picked up a fresh jar at the natty foods store just for this occasion.

In a way, though, I’m glad I couldn’t find it because it allowed me to share with you a way to make this recipe a faster process in a pinch – I simply used a pre-made tube of sun-dried tomato polenta from Food Merchants that I had in the fridge.

This cut cooking time and makes a great substitution for home-prepped polenta.

(Hope that’s OK with you, Darshana!)

Of course, wouldn’t you know it, later I found the polenta hiding behind the brown rice in the pantry!  Next time, I’ll star the polenta from scratch – caraway seeds and all.

The only other adjusts I made in the recipe were to eliminate adding the extra three cups of water that was to be added to the curry sauce.  It was perfect in flavor and density just as it was without extra water, and I feared it would get too watered down.  You may find otherwise, of course!

There are several recipe sub sections – Breakfast, Wraps and Roll-ups, Salads and Sides, Soups and Stews, Casseroles, Pasta and Noodles, Dressings…and of course, desserts!

How to Enter the Forks Over Knives Plan book giveaway

It’s easy!

Simply enter a response in ‘replies’ below in answer of this question:

1.  Which meal have you found easiest to transition to plant-based:  breakfast, lunch, or dinner ? Be sure to name you favorite eats for whichever meal you pick!

2. Which meal could you use a little more assist with when it comes to prepping or dining plant-based?

That’s it!  No right or wrong answers – just share your thoughts to enter in the fun and snag an opportunity to get a gift copy of this book.

The winners will be randomly drawn from all entries posted by 9:00 a.m. P.S.T. Friday, September 26.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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P.S. To get the Forks Over Knives Plan on your amazon wish list – backup plan for the drawing – here’s the link:

The Forks Over Knives Plan.

 

 

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