Plant Based On A Budget

Plant-Based on
a Budget:
How I Ate Well
on $5 a Day
By Darshana Thacker, chef & author
Brought to you by: Plant Fit SUMMIT

Visit DarshanasKitchen.com for more recipes
Reprinted with permission from ForksOverKnives.com
Discover the Plant Fit Summit – a free online event
Today I’m starting a 10–day personal challenge of only spending $5 a day on
The Challenge food!
According to the USFDA, the average food budget for a single

person on a thrift plan is approximately $202 a month, which is
about $ 6.73 a day.
So each day I’m going to challenge myself to create a variety of

new dishes using limited resources and ingredients. They will, of
course, be whole-food, plant-based and oil free! We’re talking
healthy, affordable vegan!
Here goes!
The rules I set myself:

● I’m going to limit myself to $5 a day. A girl likes a challenge. And
round numbers!
● Each day I’ll only spend the days allowance, and any money
leftover from the previous day’s budget.
● In order to mimic the shopping experience of a typical American,
living anywhere in the country, I’ll shop in average priced
supermarkets, small mom-n-pop shops, specialty grocery stores
and farmer’s markets.

Day 1
Breakfast: Potato salad
Lunch: Black bean stew
Dinner: Ginger brown rice
Snack: Celery sticks
Notes
For my first day, I shopped at the local Mexican market.
1 lb. (2 cups) of dry black beans makes 6 cups when cooked (4

servings)
1 lb. (2 cups) of uncooked rice makes 7 cups when cooked (4 to 5
servings)
I cooked the whole package of beans all at once and froze about
half of it (two servings) to save time and money. With the remaining
three cups of cooked beans, I made the bean stew, which I ate
today and will eat again tomorrow.
Day 2
Breakfast: Bananas
Lunch: Burger wraps with celery

chutney, leftover brown rice,
leftover black bean stew
Dinner: Opo squash soup with

brown rice, celery chutney, and
leftover black bean stew
Notes
Living on a strict budget is not easy; it requires creativity and
advance planning. When food is scarce, it’s important to focus on
the basics like grains and starches, which will sustain you for a long
time. On the morning of my second day, I had two servings of
leftover cooked beans, and plenty of leftover rice, potato salad, and
celery from the day before. I also had a half pound of uncooked
rice. To add some spices, greens, fruits, and other fresh vegetables
to my diet, I visited a local Indian grocery store and a local health-
food store.

Day 3
Breakfast: 1 banana
Lunch: Leftover squash soup,

chickpea salad, and vegetable
pasta
Dinner: Potato and chickpea stew

with brown rice
Notes
Today I bought some whole-wheat pasta and a can of chickpeas at
the local Albertson’s. Pasta is comfort food, and it is filling and
cheap. With the remaining $3.58 (including the 43 cents left over
from yesterday), I went to the local Mexican market.

Day 4
Breakfast: 1 banana, leftover
chickpea salad
Lunch: Leftover brown rice, potato

chickpea stew, and vegetable pasta
Dinner: Lentil soup on a bed of

pasta
Notes
Today turned out to be a day of rest, as I had plenty of leftovers for
breakfast and lunch. This made it possible to add some of the more
pricey ingredients to my food stock, as most of my budget for today
will be carried forward to tomorrow. With $10 to shop for tonight’s
dinner plus tomorrow’s food, I went to the supermarket to buy
grains and nuts sold by weight, and I also stopped at the health-
food store to buy some spices.
Eating a solid meal for breakfast is a good way to start the day, so
think beyond oatmeal, toast, muffins, or cereal. Often, I like to eat
grains, lentils, and vegetables for my first meal of the day.
Day 5
Breakfast: Corn grits
Lunch: Roasted sweet potato and

cabbagewith cilantro cashew sauce
Dinner: Yellow rice, leftover brown

lentil soup
Notes
Today I had a lot of ingredients to play with, as I had used extra
grocery money from yesterday to purchase spices, nuts, and dried
fruit. One of the pleasures of cooking is sharing the food with
others, whether it’s with loved ones, friends, or wider community. I
was happy to be able to share today’s meal with my boyfriend, as I
had plenty.

Day 6
Breakfast: Leftover corn grits with
bananas
Lunch: Leftover lentil soup with

rice
Dinner: Salad with peanuts and

leftover cilantro cashew dressing,
mixed lentil and bean dal with
white rice, baked Delicata squash
Notes
Today, I felt that it was time for a visit to the local farmer’s market
and a quick stop at my tiny local Mexican market. Farmer’s markets
are the best place to find seasonal, locally grown, and freshly
harvested fruits and vegetables. With just $5, you have to be
creative.

Day 7
Breakfast: Corn grits with banana
Lunch: Leftover mixed lentils and

bean dal, roasted sweet potato,
cabbage, and rice
Dinner: Kale tacos
Notes
Today was another day of rest, as I had plenty of cooked food. I was
also able to combine the budget for today and tomorrow and
purchase kale and broccoli, which I had been craving. I shopped at
both my local grocery store and at Whole Foods today.

Day 8
Breakfast: Banana
Lunch: Leftover rice with beans,

fresh spinach and cucumber,
roasted peanuts
Dinner: Leftover kale tacos
Notes
Cooking takes some time, and there are certain days when food
preparation has to take a backseat to other tasks. Today was one of
those days, so I am glad that I had enough leftovers to last the
whole day. I also used today’s food budget yesterday, so I didn’t
need to shop for anything either.

Day 9
Breakfast: Banana
Lunch: Pasta with kale and broccoli
Dinner: Borscht with leftover corn

tortillas and avocado
Notes
I wanted to make some fresh food today since I had been eating
leftovers for two days. I wanted to use buy some new ingredients to
supplement the food I already had left in my kitchen. I had cabbage
and potatoes, for instance, and could make borscht with some
beets and onions. I also had pasta, tomatoes, broccoli, and kale; I
just needed some onion to make a tomato sauce.

Day 10
Breakfast: Oats and dates
Lunch: Leftover borscht, curried

quinoa and cabbage
Snack: Leftover bananas and

peaches
Dinner: Lentil and spinach

shepherd’s pie (I had enough of
the pie to share with my Notes
boyfriend). On the last day of the challenge, I had $7.46 left from the $50 I
started out with. Even with the tight budget, I have leftover food
and some pantry foods that I will continue to eat in the next couple
days.

This challenge was difficult on one level and easy on another. I was
WHAT I not starving — that is for sure! I had plenty of food at all times. The
difficult part was the limited variety of ingredients, due to my $5-
per-day budget. Certain items were just too expensive to buy on
LEARNED such a restricted budget. For example, organic greens range $2.49–
$2.99 per bunch. When I found a store that sold items by weight,
however, it was a real boon. I was happy to be able to buy spices,
nuts, seeds, dehydrated fruit, grains, and beans this way, as you
can buy as little or as much as you want.
It takes some time to stock and build your pantry, but then it gets
easier and easier to eat healthy, fresh (and even some organic
foods) on a budget. Even though my challenge only lasted for 10
days, I was sometimes able to afford organic ingredients, fresh
fruits and vegetables, and spices. Overall, I was also able to make
quite a lot of meals with tons of variety.
Editor’s Note: Darshana ate approximately 1,600 calories per day

during this process, which is her normal daily caloric intake (she is
naturally petite).

Darshana Thacker is chef and culinary project manager for Forks
ABOUT THE Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she’s
known for her hearty and distinctly flavorful creations, which draw
inspiration from a wide range of ethnic traditions. Chef Darshana
AUTHOR was the recipe author of Forks Over Knives Family and a lead recipe
contributor for the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives
Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse
Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook,
Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga
magazine online. Chef Darshana has catered numerous events,
served as a private chef and regularly holds individual and group
cooking classes. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com for more.

Potato Salad
For a potato lover like me, a simple potato
salad with steamed or baked potatoes can
be the most delicious and hearty meal!
I hope you enjoy this recipe too!
Serves 2 1/2
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Total time 25 minutes
Ingredients Instructions
2 Medium small potatoes 1. Boil the potatoes in a pan, for about 20 minutes.
2 Medium small tomatoes (diced) 2. Let cool and cut into cubes
2 Stalks celery (diced) 3. Dice the tomatoes and celery stalks, chop the green
1 stalk green onions (finely chopped) onions fine.
4. Mix all the ingredients together and serve cold.

Black Bean Stew
Black beans are so delicious by themselves,
you only need a few ingredients to make this
stew!
Serves 6
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 1 hour
Total time 1 hour, 15 minutes
1 cup black beans (dry) 1. Soak the beans in water for 8-12 hours. Rinse the beans
2 stalks green onions (finely chopped) and in a pot of water cook the beans till they are soft
3 stalks celery (chopped) about 30 – 45 mins. You can also use a pressure cooker to
1/2 serano pepper (finely chopped) cook the beans
1 ” fresh ginger (grated) 2. Add the ginger, onions, Serrano pepper and celery. Cook
1 tablespoon lemon zest till the celery is slightly crunchy.
3. Serve hot on a bed of rice.

Ginger Brown
Rice
The addition of ginger and fresh herbs is a
great way to add a little flavor to a plate of
steamed rice or quinoa. Like with this Ginger
Brown Rice recipe!
Serves 3
Prep time 5 minutes
1 cup brown rice (uncooked) 1. Rinse the rice and in a pot heat up 2 cups of water, add
1 ” fresh ginger (grated) the rice, ginger, Serrano pepper and green onions.
1/2 Serrano pepper (finely chopped) 2. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for
1 stalk green onions (finely chopped) 25-30 mins.
3. Serve hot with beans or lentils or vegetables.

Bean &
Burger Ric e
During my 10–Day challenge, where I lived
off $5 a day, I used leftovers to create this
burger. You can substitute any cooked grains,
beans, and any other starchy vegetables,
like sweet potatoes or yams, to bind them
together.
Serves 2
Cook time
Total time
1 hour
1 hour, 10 minutes
Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl mix the rice, beans and potato salad
thoroughly.
Ingredients 2. Pour half the mixture into a food processor and blend into
a crumbly mixture.
2 cups cooked brown rice 3. pour back into the bowl, and mix well with the remaining
2 cups black bean stew mixture that is bigger and chunkier.
3 cups potato salad, (without the 4. Divide the mix into 8 portions and shape each into a pattie
tomatoes) about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
salt (as per taste) 5. Preheat the over to 375° F.
16 Large butter lettuce leaves 6. Place the patties on a baking tray lined with parchment
paper.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 20
minutes.
8. Serve hot or cold on a bed of lettuce and dress with the
celery chutney
Celery Chutney
Chutneys can be made out of any
vegetables. Just add acid and some spices,
and you have chutney! This great little
celery chutney is inexpensive and so easy to
make!
Serves 1 cup
Prep time 5 minutes
2 stalks celery (big pieces) 1. In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend into a
1/2 ” serrano pepper sauce.
salt (as per taste) 2. Serve chilled with burgers or chips.
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 ” ginger

Opo Squash Soup
Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
2 cups Opo Squash (cut into small pieces) 1. In a pan add the opo squash, onions and chilli to 3 cups of
1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped) water.
2 cups opo squash (cut into small pieces) 2. Let it cook for 15 minutes or till the squash are soft when
1/2 cup red onions (chopped fine) poked with a fork. Add water if needed
1/4 ” serrano pepper (or as per taste) 3. Take half of the cooked mixture and blend in to a soup in
1 tablespoon lemon juice a blender, pour back into the pot with 2 cups of water,
salt (as per taste) salt and lemon juice.
4. Let it cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Garnish with some lemon zest or chopped cilantro and
serve hot with rice.
Chickpea Salad
Serves 2
1/2 cup chickpea (cooked) 1. In a bowl bring all the ingredients together except for the
1 cup zucchini (chopped) lettuce.
1 cup celery (chopped) 2. Toss the mixture well and let sit for about 15 mins.
1 cup carrot, shavings (loosely packed) 3. Serve on a bedding of butter lettuce.
1/2 stalk spring onions (finely chopped)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
salt (as per taste)
1 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
15-16 Leaves butter lettuce

Vegetable Pasta
Serves 2-3
Total time 1 hour
2 cups pasta 1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil, add the pasta. Let cook for
1 cup green beans (small pieces) 7-10 mins.
1 cup carrots (small pieces) 2. Strain the pasta and keep aside.
1/2 cup zucchini (small pieces) 3. In a pot, add 1 cup water, the onions, tomatoes, serrano
1/4 Small Red onion (finely chopped) pepper and garlic. Cook till the onions are translucent,
1 clove garlic (grated) about 15 mins.
1/4 ” serrano pepper (finely chopped) 4. Blend this into a sauce in a blender and pour back into
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (finely the pot, add 1/2 cup water.
chopped) 5. Add the carrots and green beans. Cook for 15 mins or till
2 Medium tomatoes (finely chopped) the green beans are almost cooked.
6. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 mins more.
7. Stir in the pasta and cook for 1-2 mins.
8. Garnish with the fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Potato Chickpea
Stew
I like to add leftover chutneys and sauces
into stews as they have the concentrated
flavors just like spice blends. This recipe uses
celery chutney.
Serves 2
1 1/2 cup potaotes (diced) 1. In a pot, cook the green onions, ginger and celery
1 cup chickpeas (cooked) chutney for 1 minute.
1 Medium tomato (chopped) 2. Add the potatoes and tomatoes. Cook for 10-15 mins till
1 stalk green onions (finely chopped) the potatoes are cooked.
1 ” ginger (grated) 3. Add the cooked chickpeas, salt and cook for 2-3 mins.
1 tablespoon celery chutney 4. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with brown rice.
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (finely
chopped)
salt (as per taste)

Brown Lentil
Soup
Serves
Prep time
2
10 minutes
1/2 cup green beans (cut 1/2 inch) 1. Soak the lentils in a bowl of water for an hour. Rinse out
1 cup zucchini (sliced) and add another cup of water and cook for 15-20 minutes
1 Small tomato (chopped) or till the lentils are halfway cooked.
1 cup brown lentils 2. Add the green beans, tomatoes, oregano and pizza
1/2 teaspoon oregano seasoning and cook for another 10 minutes.
1/2 teaspoon pizza seasoning 3. Add the zuchhini and salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
salt (as per taste) 4. Boil 2 cups of water. Add the pasta and cook for 7 -10
1/2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped) minutes. Drain the water out.
2 cups whole wheat pasta (any shape) 5. Serve the pasta shallow soup bowl. Top with a generous
serving of the lentil soup. Garnish with cilantro and serve
hot.
Corn Grits
Serves 3
Prep time 5 minutes
1/2 cup corn grits 1. In 1/2 cup water soak the raisins for 4-5 hours.
1 tablespoon cashews (crushed) 2. When ready place in a blender with half the apple
2 tablespoons raisins chopped into smallish pieces. Keep this sweet mix to the
1 Medium apple (a sweet variety) side.
3. In a pot heat 2 cups of water. When the water starts to
boil, add the corn grits to the water slowly, stirring
continuously.
4. Add the sweet mix, and half of the cashews.
5. Cook till the corn grits are cooked, about 20-25 minutes.
6. Decorate with remaining apples, chopped, raisins and
cashews.
Roasted Sweet Potato &
Cabbage with Cilantro
Cashew Dressing (page 1)
Roasting the vegetables in the oven with the
basic spices and then topping with the
dressing right before serving makes this
roasted sweet potato dish a whole lot more
interesting.
Serves 4
Cook time 1 hour
Total time 1 hours, 15 minutes
Roast Vegetables Roast Vegetable
1/2 Small cabbage (big cuts) 1. Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Chop the cabbage and
1 Medium sweet potato (sliced) sweet potatoes and place in a mixing bowl.
1/2 cup water 2. In a small cup mix 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper, paprika,
salt (as per taste) oregano and lemon juice.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (crushed) 3. Pour the mix on to the cabbage and potatoes. Mix well
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder and transfer onto a baking tray.
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried 4. Bake in the over for 20-25 minutes. Remove and toss the
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice vegetables well and bake again for 20-25 minutes.
By Darshana Thacker, chef & author See next page for the sauce!

Roasted Sweet Potato &
Cabbage with Cilantro
Cashew Dressing (page 2)
This is the sauce that goes with the roasted
sweet potato & cabbage.
Sauce Sauce
1/2 cup cashew nuts 1. Soak the cashews in 1/2 cup water for 30 minutes.
1/2 cup cilantro 2. Place the cashews and the water it was soaked in into a
1/2 clove garlic blender. Add the cilantro, garlic, salt and Serrano pepper.
salt (as per taste) Blend into a sauce.
1/4 ” Serrano pepper 3. Pour the sauce over the cooked cabbage and sweet
potatoes. Mix gently.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Yellow Rice
1 cup long grain rice 1. Rinse the rice 2-3 times in water.
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder 2. In a pan add the rice, 2 cups of water, cumin powder and
1/4 teaspoon turmerice powder turmeric powder.
3. Cook on medium heat. When the water comes to a boil,
cover, and cook on simmer for 10 mins.
4. Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes
before serving.

Peanut Salad
Salads aren’t served in large portions in
Indian cuisine, but a standard salad found in
many regional cuisines of India is the
kachumbar, and typically consists of
chopped cucumber, onion and tomatoes.
Usually the seasoning is just lime juice, salt
and pepper.
This peanut salad recipe is my take on the

kachumbar. I’ve used a cilantro cashew
dressing instead. And the best part is the
addition of roasted peanuts!
NOTE: It's the same cilantro dressing used

with the Roasted Sweet Potato & Cabbage.
Instructions
Serves 2
Prep time 5 minutes
1. Tear the lettuce into big pieces.
Ingredients 2. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, peanuts and cilantro.
3. Serve with Cilantro Cashew Dressing
3 cups butter lettuce
1 Medium tomato (cut into slices)
1/4 cup peanuts (roasted)
1/2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
1/2 Medium cucumber (sliced)
1/2 cup cilantro cashew dressing

MiBeanxedSoup
Lentils &
Serves 2-3
Prep time 5 minutes
1/2 cup Lentils & bean medley soup mix 1. Soak the lentils and beans for about 2-6 hours. Rinse well
1/2 Medium tomato (finely chopped) and transfer to a pan. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a
1/4 Medium onion (finely chopped) boil. Simmer on low for about 40 to 60 minutes until the
3/4 teaspoons curry powder beans are cooked tender.
salt (as per taste) 2. Add the tomatoes, onions, salt and curry powder. Cook for
1/2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped) another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables and beans
are cooked to a thick creamy texture.
3. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or bread.

Baked Delicata
Squash
Serves
Prep time
2
15 minutes
2 cups delicata squash (cubed) 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix
1/4 Medium onion (sliced) the squash, onions, salt pepper, lemon juice and garlic.
1/4 clove garlic (grated) 2. Pour 2 tablespoons water on a baking dish and spread the
1 pinch black pepper, (ground) mix. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
1 pinch salt 3. Remove from oven and toss the squash. Bake uncovered
1/2 teaspoon cilantro (finely chopped) for another 20 minutes.
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (crushed) 4. Garnish with cilantro and crushed peanuts and serve hot.
1/4 lemon (juiced)

Veggie Taco
I love these vegan tacos! The beans give
them extra oomph, and the cilantro, avocado
and tomato give a fresh touch. And because
they’re so easy to make they’re a great
weekend meal, or a weekday fall-back meal.
Serves 2
1 cup black beans (cooked) 1. Season the black beans with salt and cumin powder and
1 cup kale (finely chopped) mash into a mush.
1/4 clove garlic (crushed) 2. In a pan cook the kale and garlic together with 1
1/2 avocado (sliced) tablespoon of water, till they are wilted and soft, about 3-
8 Small tacos 4 minutes. Set aside.
1 cup onions (finely chopped) 3. Toast the tacos on a skillet. Fold into half and stack on a
1 cup tomatoes (finely chopped) plate till you have toasted them all.
2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped) 4. Open the taco and spread 1 tablespoon of black bean on
1/2 lemon one half side of the taco, top with sautéed kale, avocado,
salt (as per taste) onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon juice. Fold the taco
and set aside.
By Darshana Thacker, chef & author 5. Repeat for the rest of the tacos. Serve immediately.

Kale Pasta
Serves
Prep time
2
5 minutes
1 1/2 cup fusili pasta 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for
1 cup green onions, green leaves only 10-12 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
(finely chopped) 2. In a pan cook the onions and tomatoes in 1/2 cup of
1 cup tomatoes (finely chopped) water. Add oregano and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add
2 cups kale (finely chopped) water as needed.
2 cups broccoli (small florets and 3. Blend the sauce using a hand blender.
chopped stems) 4. In another pan, sauté the kale and garlic in 2 tablespoon
1/2 clove garlic (crushed) of water. Cook till the kale has wilted lightly, about 4-5
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano minutes.
salt (as per taste) 5. Add the kale to the pasta.
6. In the same pan used for the kale, sautee the broccoli in
2 tablespoon of water for 4-5 minutes.
7. Add the broccoli and salt to the pasta. Pour the sauce and
mix the paste, vegetable, and sauce together.
By Darshana Thacker, chef & author 8. Serve hot.
Borscht
This recipe came about when I was on a $5
Dollar a Day challenge. I had some potatoes,
cabbage and beets, and a limited number of
spices. In the end it turned out to be a
delicious and warming soup! I think it was
the unusual combination of pizza seasoning
and ginger that did it.
Serve it with cooked grains, or like I did, with

corn tortillas and diced avocado.
Serves 2-3
Prep time 5 minutes
2 Small purple potatoes (big pieces) 1. Place the beets, potatoes, cabbage, pizza seasoning,
2 Small beets (big pieces) ginger and black pepper powder in a pot with 2 cups of
1/4 Medium cabbage (big pieces) water.
1 tablespoon pizza seasonings 2. Cook till the beets and potatoes are completely cooked,
salt (as per taste) about 25-30 minutes.
1 tablespoon lime juice 3. Add salt and lime juice and some more water as needed.
1 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped) Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
1 pinch black pepper powder 4. Add the cilantro and serve hot.
1/2 ” fresh ginger (grated)

Curried Quinoa &
Cabbage
Whenever I buy a head of cabbage I find
there’s always extra leftover, so I try to think
of different ways to use it. And this is one of
those ways!
The cabbage and curry powder give this

quinoa dish great texture and flavor.
Serves 2
Prep time 2 minutes
1 cup quinoa 1. In a pot, add the onions and ginger and 1/2 cup water
1 cup cabbage (cut into small pieces) and cook till the onions turn translucent, about 10
1/4 onion (finely chopped) minutes.
1/2 ” ginger (grated) 2. Add the curry powder and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
1/4 teaspoon curry powder 3. Add 1 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa,
salt (as per taste) cabbage and salt, cover with lid and simmer for 10
1/2 teaspoon lime juice minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let sit for anther 5 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped spinach and serve hot with a
soup or stew.
Basic Spinach
Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd’s pie is usually an elaborate dish
with lots of ingredients. Not this one!
The base of lentils and beans combined with

ginger and cumin give it some real zing. And
the garlic and lime juice really brings the
vegetable filling alive.
Serves 2-3
Cook time 1 hour
Total time 1 hours, 10 minutes
The Base The Base
1/4 cup water 1. Cook the beans & lentils mix with cumin powder, ginger
1 cup beans and lentils medley (pre- and salt in 1 cup water for 20-25 minutes till the beans
soaked) are cooked. Layer a baking dish with the mix.
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 ” ginger (grated) See next page for the filling and topping!
salt (as per taste)

Basic Spinach
Shepherd's Pie
This is the filling and topping for the
shepherd's pie.
Ingredients
The Filling
1 Medium zucchini (thinly sliced
lengthwise)
3 cups spinach (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 clove garlic (crushed)
salt (as per taste)
1 pinch black pepper powder
Instructions
The Topping
2 Medium russet potatoes (boiled with The Stuffing & Topping
skin) 1. Layer the zucchini slices over the beans and lentils mix.
1/4 onion (thinly sliced) 2. In a mixing bowl mix well together the spinach, lime juice
and garlic. Layer this on top of the zucchini.
3. Mash the potatoes lightly in a bowl, add the salt, black
pepper powder and the onions. Mix well and layer on top
of the spinach, covering the dish completely.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the dish for 35-40
or till the top has browned a bit. Serve hot.
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Plant-Based on

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Brought to you by: Plant Fit SUMMIT

The Challenge food!

According to the USFDA, the average food budget for a single

So each day I’m going to challenge myself to create a variety of

The rules I set myself:

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Black bean stew

Dinner: Ginger brown rice

Snack: Celery sticks

1 lb. (2 cups) of dry black beans makes 6 cups when cooked (4

Lunch: Burger wraps with celery

Dinner: Opo squash soup with

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover squash soup,

Dinner: Potato and chickpea stew

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover brown rice, potato

Dinner: Lentil soup on a bed of

Lunch: Roasted sweet potato and

Dinner: Yellow rice, leftover brown

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover lentil soup with

Dinner: Salad with peanuts and

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover mixed lentils and

Dinner: Kale tacos

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover rice with beans,

Dinner: Leftover kale tacos

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Pasta with kale and broccoli

Dinner: Borscht with leftover corn

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Lunch: Leftover borscht, curried

Snack: Leftover bananas and

Dinner: Lentil and spinach

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Editor’s Note: Darshana ate approximately 1,600 calories per day

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

I hope you enjoy this recipe too!

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Visit DarshanasKitchen.com for more recipes

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

This peanut salad recipe is my take on the

NOTE: It's the same cilantro dressing used

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

By Darshana Thacker, chef & author

Visit DarshanasKitchen.com for more recipes