The plantpower way: Italia Delicious vegan recipes from the Italian countryside

Piatt and Roll (The Plantpower Way) draw on their experience running yoga and meditation retreats in Tuscany to offer Italian-inflected vegan fare with input from places as far-flung as the California coast and Ireland. The emphasis is on "high vibrational foods" (organic nuts, fruits, vegetables), and the most appealing choices come from the vast repertoire of traditional Italian dishes that are vegan in their original form, such as a panzanella with heirloom tomatoes, a cake with Sangiovese grapes and fennel seeds, and orange "cheese" from Sicily. Other vegan cheese substitutes include a Gorgonzola replacement made with Irish moss, acidophilus, nutritional yeast, and spirulina to mimic blue veins. That's clever, but there isn't much to many of these recipes: melon carpaccio is shaved melon with salt and a scattering of sprouts, and "roasted artichokes" are actually boiled artichokes, or perhaps steamed, as the instruction to boil them in a double boiler make little sense. There are other missteps: a refreshing mix of tomato and endive is labeled "cabbage salad," and a supposedly gluten-free tiramisu calls for flour. Headnotes are anemic, while sidebars provide fodder for meditation and some instructions for daily practice. Though well-intentioned, the authors seem to have a loose grasp on the fundamentals of Italian cooking. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Tuscan Kale Salad Every plant based collection of recipes has to feature one of my favorite greens, Kale. Kale comes in many varieties. I like the curly kales for this dish as their leaves can hold the dressing so beautifully. Surprisingly, the miso paste mixed with balsamic produces a lively flavor. I am using balsamic in this recipe, but I often substitute this for apple cider vinegar in many of my dressings. Massage the dressing into the kale leaves first. Then add the other ingredients and toss to coat. I prefer to cook the beets, almonds and fennel in this salad, but you can also skip these steps and make this salad entirely raw. Serves 6 Ingredienti Salad 2 bunches purple kale 4 golden beets 1 cup (240 mL) sliced fennel 1 cup (240 mL) toasted almonds Fennel to garnish Dressing 1/4 cup (60 mL) miso paste 1/4 cup (60 mL) balsamic vinegar 1/8 cup (30 mL) olive oil Preparazione 1. In small bowl, add the miso paste, vinegar, and olive oil. Whisk. 2. Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stalk. Tear the leaves into larger 2" size pieces,  allowing for the natural variation of the leaf. 3. In a large serving bowl, add the kale plus the dressing and massage the kale leaves. 4. If you like your beets raw, you can simply grate them with the skins on. Or boil them until  they are tender when you insert a fork in them. Drain the beets into a colander and with cool water running over them, rub the skins off with your thumbs until you have a smooth peeled beet that is ready to be sliced. 5. On a flat cookie sheet, toast the almonds along with the fennel slices for about 8 minutes at 425. 6. Add the sliced, almonds and fennel. Excerpted from The Plantpower Way: Italia: Delicious Vegan Recipes from the Italian Countryside by Rich Roll, Julie Piatt All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.