This article appeared in the November 2005 issue of the Kansas City Wellness Magazine.
One of my great pleasures is holiday cooking. It’s a happy reunion with recipes and ingredients that I don’t use everyday. And like old friends, we just pick up where we left off and let the fun begin! This holiday dinner will leave you delightfully satisfied, without the food coma that comes from the traditional emphasis on starches. Whether you try a recipe or the entire menu, please enjoy this offering with my best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Menu
Black Bean Hummus with Sweet Potato Chips and Vegetable Dippers
Natural Turkey
Fruited Wild Rice Stuffing
Baked Stuffed Pumpkin
Rutabaga-Yam Puree
Carrots, Pecans and Fennel
Kale and Parsnips
Cranberry Kuchen
Black Bean Hummus (Cold Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase, 1990 Workman Publishing)
A delicious twist on hummus! Order or create a vegetable tray of dipping vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. The sweetness and color of Terra brand sweet potato chips goes well with the black beans.
8 ounces dried black beans, soaked overnight, then cooked in fresh water until tender, drained and allowed to cool
½ cup fresh lime juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ cup smooth natural peanut butter
½ - ¾ cup water
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
½ cup minced cilantro
Salt to taste
2 TBSP olive oil
Lime Wedges for garnish
Black Olives for garnish
Place the lime juice, garlic and peanut butter in a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Add the black beans and process until the mixture is very smooth, thinning it to spreading consistency with the water. Add the jalapeno pepper and cilantro. Pulse to incorporate. Season to taste with salt.
Transfer the black bean hummus to a serving bowl. Drizzle the top with olive oil to make it glisten. Garnish with lime wedges and black olives. Serve at room temperature accompanied by your choice of dippers. Makes about 4 cups.
Natural Turkey
Treat yourself to a natural turkey this Thanksgiving. Reserve one from your local health food store. The flavor is incomparable. Plus there is no better way to show your gratitude and respect for the life sustaining miracle of food than partaking food that is humanely raised, antibiotic, hormone and pesticide free. Bring it home in time to let it thaw in the refrigerator, as thawing at room temperature is an invitation for food poisoning. I like to rub the skin with butter, and then put an aluminum foil tent over the turkey. The juices spatter against the foil and fall back on the turkey basting it. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes to allow the skin to brown.
Fruited Wild Rice Stuffing
Stuffs a 10 pound turkey or 4 Cornish hens
Here’s a stuffing recipe from a 1999 Wild Oats flyer. The combination of fruits, nuts, wild rice and brown rice are an especially tasty combination worth the extra chopping effort.
Here are some important stuffing tips from the same Wild Oats flyer. Always stuff the bird just before baking to avoid bacterial growth that can result in food poisoning. Always stuff the bird with hot stuffing. Cold stuffing slows down the cooking process, causing the meat to dry out by the time the interior is heated through. Remove all the cooked stuffing from the turkey before serving. Do not refrigerate the turkey with the stuffing inside.
¼ cup water or cognac
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup wild rice
½ tsp salt
1 cup long-grain brown rice
½ cup melted butter
2 small shallots minced
1 rib celery, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup fresh orange segments, sliced
½ cup fresh cranberries
½ cup fresh apple chunks
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp rosemary
¼ cup orange juice
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Steep the raisins in cognac or in water mixed with vanilla extract.
Add the wild rice and salt to 2 cups boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 50 – 60 minutes (or pressure cook for 22 – 28 minutes.) At the same time, add the brown rice to 2 cups boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 45 minutes (or see my September 2005 article on pressure cooking brown rice.)
Melt the butter in a skillet. Lightly sauté the shallots and celery. Add the cranberries, apple chunks, oranges segments and spices. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs. Mix in orange juice and balsamic vinegar, and then toss with the cooked brown and wild rice, raisins and nuts. Stuff the bird while the stuffing is hot or bake in a covered casserole dish for 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Baked Stuffed Pumpkin (The Book of Whole Meals by Annemarie Colbin, 1983 Ballantine Books)
This is a balanced entrée for vegetarians, and just plain delicious for everyone else. Use a turban squash for a stunning presentation.
¼ cup chick peas (garbanzos) soaked in water overnight
¼ cup kidney beans soaked in water overnight
¼ cup hulled barley
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 TBSP grapeseed oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 to 2 TBSP natural soy sauce to taste
1 pumpkin, 7 to 8 inches in diameter
Drain the chick peas and kidney beans; Combine them in a 4 to 6 quart pot. Add fresh water to cover. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the barley and 2 cups water, cover bring to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, oregano and basil, stirring continuously until lightly browned and aromatic. Now add the barley-bean mixture and natural soy sauce. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cut the top off the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and stuff with the barley-bean mixture. Replace the top and place in a shallow, oiled baking pan. Bake for 1 hour or until it feels soft when pierced with a sharp knife. Serves 4.
Rutabaga-Yam Puree (The Natural Gourmet by Annemarie Colbin, 1989 Ballantine Books)
I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without this dish! Rutabagas look like pink turnips. Their earthiness complements and grounds the sweetness of the yams.
1 small rutabaga
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes
2 cups water
¼ tsp salt
2 TBSP softened organic unsalted butter
Peel the rutabaga and cut into 1-inch chunks. Peel the yams or sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. In a 5-quart pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the rutabaga and yam chunks, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 to 40 minutes (or pressure cook for 6 minutes.) Drain. Place the cooked rutabaga and yam chunks in a food processor and process until smooth. Alternately, pass the chunks through a food mill or potato masher or just mash with a fork. Add the salt and whip in the softened butter. Serve warm. Serves 4 – 6.
Carrots, Pecans and Fennel (Friendly Foods by Br. Ron Pickarski. O.F.M., 1991 Ten Speed Press)
I always turn to Br. Ron Pickarski’s Friendly Foods for festive vegetable recipes.
2 cups peeled carrots, sliced into 1/8 inch thick matchsticks
½ cup thinly sliced fennel, or ½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 TBSP grapeseed oil
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup roasted pecans
2 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP water
1 TBSP chopped parsley
Steam the carrots in a small amount of water, just until tender-crisp, about 1 – 2 minutes. Be sure not overcook them.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the fennel in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the syrup, pecans and carrots. Reduce the heat to low.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together, then add to the carrot mixture. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot. Serves 4
Kale and Parsnips (Friendly Foods by Ron Pickarski, O.F.M., 1991 Ten Speed Press)
1 cup halved and sliced onions
1 cup halved and sliced parsnips
1 TBSP grapeseed oil
1 cup water
2 TBSP minced fresh ginger or ½ tsp ground dried ginger
1 quart kale, stems removed
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and parsnips in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the water and the ginger. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale, cover and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Cranberry Kuchen
I transformed this dessert from Martha Stewart into a delicious whole foods treat. It’s my Father’s favorite holiday cake.
Topping
½ pound fresh cranberries
½ cup rice syrup or turbinado sugar
¼ cup water
Juice of 1 orange (reserve the rind for the batter)
Batter
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks organic unsalted butter, at room temperature)
½ cup turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup soy milk
2 TBSP sour cream or vegan sour cream (at health food stores)
Grated rind of 1 oranges
Fresh nutmeg to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round baking pan. In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients for the topping. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to incorporate. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir the flour into the butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating with milk and sour cream. Stir in the orange rind and nutmeg. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the topping. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve topped with warm organic cream or soy milk.
As a compassionate vegan, I feel inclined to respond to your comment: "Plus there is no better way to show your gratitude and respect for the life sustaining miracle of food than partaking food that is humanely raised, antibiotic, hormone and pesticide free."
In my opinion, the best way to show gratitude and respect for the life sustaining miracle of food is to eat a plant based diet. Eating an animal who had to die only for your enjoyment is not very gracious or respectful, regardless of how humanely they were raised. There are so many delicious vegan alternatives and our favorite traditional dishes are easliy veganized.
Posted by: Vivacious Vegan | November 22, 2006 at 03:39 PM
I got rid of my Teflon when I started owning parrots. I was told the fumes could kill them. Of course, that made me wonder what it was doing to me. Always wondered what would be a good replacement. That was a very helpful article. Thanks for passing it on!
Posted by: The Anonymous Mama | November 17, 2006 at 12:40 PM