Navigating holiday dinners, parties and potlucks presents a special challenge to vegetarians and vegans. As an ovo-lacto vegetarian, I can usually assemble a satisfying if unconventional plate. But there's always the chance every dish including the salad will contain bacon!
In fairness to omnivorous hosts, knowing a non-meat eater will be at your holiday table adds a level of stress to an already-daunting task. Follow me below the orange tinsel for healthy, tasty and meat-free holiday fare.
We'll start with a meatless main dish that's high in protein and umame: lentil nut loaf. I love this because it's made of real food: nuts, grains, and vegetables. It doesn't pretend to be meat and even appeals to omnivores who aren't quite ready for "tofu turkey." It's also convenient: the flavor and texture improve after refrigerating the loaf overnight. I always make it a day or two ahead, then slice and heat at serving time. Leftovers make great sandwiches.
Recipe is adapted from the Oh She Glows blog. Makes enough for at least eight.
Lentil Walnut Loaf
1 cup dry lentils
3 cups water or vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves
1 medium sweet onion
8 oz. package baby bella mushrooms
1 stalk celery
1 large carrot, peeled
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 cup raw shelled nuts (I used walnuts, but you can use any combo of almonds, cashews or pecans)
3/4 cup dry oatmeal
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp dried parsley (or other dried herbs)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425F.
Rinse and sort lentils and add to water or broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 30-40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender. Remove from heat and cool uncovered, stirring occasionally.
While lentils are cooking, finely chop garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery and carrot (I used a hand chopper.)
Saute veggies in oil until all liquid is cooked off and vegetables are just starting to brown.
Toast nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until just fragrant and toss to cool. Place nuts and oatmeal in a food processor and process until coarsely ground, about 30 seconds. Turn all ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a spatula until completely combined.
Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with wax or parchment paper. Dump the loaf mix into the pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Drizzle barbecue sauce over the mix.
Ready to bake
Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and continue baking another 45 minutes.
Allow loaf to rest for 10-15 minutes, then turn over on a plate and carefully remove the wax or parchment paper. You can slice and serve the loaf now, but I highly recommend cooling it completely and refrigerating it overnight, covered. To re-heat cut into slices, brown in a dry pan, and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with mushroom gravy.
Mushroom Gravy
1 8-oz package baby bella mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried herbs (parsley, thyme, dill, whatever you have)
1/2 cup wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Finely chop mushrooms and onion with a hand chopper or food processor. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in oil until juices are released, 4-5 minutes. Add herbs, wine and soy sauce and cook over medium high heat until wine is almost completely evaporated.
Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until flour gets toasty. Slowly whisk in broth and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, 5-10 minutes until gravy is thickened. Remove from heat, stir in balsamic vinegar, and allow to cool another 10 minutes before serving.
Nut loaf with mushroom gravy
Next, let's do a side of cabbage steaks. I recently discovered this way of preparing cabbage and am hooked! Roasting cabbage brings out its natural sweetness and creates a simple, flavorful side dish. This one is also suitable for low-carb and paleo diets.
Cabbage Steaks
1 medium head cabbage
3-4 large cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp steak seasoning mix, or your favorite dried herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Remove outer leaves from cabbage and cut from top to bottom into 1" slices. Smash garlic cloves with a large knife and rub into both sides of each cabbage slice. Brush one side of each slice with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Place slices seasoned side down on baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Remove cabbage from oven, brush tops with oil and season. Flip slices over and continue roasting for another 30 minutes, until edges start to caramelize. Serve hot.
I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. Do you have any exciting plans? What's for dinner at your place tonight?
Edit 11/22/14, 21:54 EDT: Missing ingredient added to gravy recipe.