Be Thankful For These Vegetarian Dishes

Vegetarians, or those of you who will be adding more veggies to the holiday table, get ready to count your blessings. Here’s a collection of vegetarian dishes to simmer and savor on Tofurky Day or anytime this fall. They come from vegetarian chefs around the country. We asked them for some of their personal favorites for this occasion and leaping leeks, did they come through. Our tummies are rumbling.

Café DiCocoa’s Thai Sweet Potato Stew Makes about 8 quarts

from Cathi DiCocco, Chef/owner of the perennially popular vegetarian hangout, Café DiCocoa in Bethel, Maine

Ingredients:
3 large onions, sliced
4T. chopped garlic
10 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1”
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 gallon water or mild veggie stock
4 kefir lime leaves (or zest of 2 limes)
4 red peppers, cut into bite sized strips
8 cups zucchini cubes (or veggies of choice)
1 pound extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
2-3T. Thai curry paste (Maesri brand, “Chu Chee”)
½ cup organic evaporated cane juice
4T. grated ginger root
4T. chopped lemon grass (frozen is fine!)
3 - 14oz. cans coconut milk (or 1 can plus 1 bar dried coconut)
½ cup natural peanut butter
1 bunch cilantro, cleaned and stemmed

Method:
· Over medium heat in large heavy-bottomed stockpot, saute onions and garlic in oil for about 5-8 minutes or until tender but not colored. Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
· Add water or stock and lime leaves. Bring to boil; simmer 20 minutes.
· Place peanut butter and chili paste in medium sized bowl and add 1 ladle of “broth”. Stir to melt and return to soup pot.
· Add red pepper strips, cubed veggies, tofu, sugar, ginger, lemongrass, and coconut milk. Simmer until all veggies are tender-about 15 min.
· Ready to serve as is or if you prefer a thicker stew, simply ladle a few cups of the stew chunks into a blender with a small amount of broth and carefully puree till smooth. Hot liquids expand when blended! Stir back into the pot.
· Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tuscan White Beans and Greens Soup
Zuppa di Fagioli e Erbezzone
Makes 6 quarts

from Cathi DiCocco, chef/owner Cafe Dicocoa

Ingredients:
· 2 pounds fresh shelled cannellini beans OR 1 pound dried beans, soaked overnight & drained OR 3- 17oz. cans beans, rinsed & drained
· 1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
· 3 bay leaves
· ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
· 8 sticks of celery, chopped
· 16 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
· 8 leeks, white part only, OR 3 med. onions, peeled & chopped
· 4 med. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & crushed OR 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
· 4 T. chopped fresh garlic (1 average bulb)
· 8 sprigs of fresh herb, leaves removed; rosemary, sage OR thyme
· 3 bunches fresh greens, chopped, (Swiss chard, escarole, collards ,etc)
· 2 T. balsamic vinegar
· salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
· Cover beans with water. Add bay leaves and halved garlic bulb. Bring to boil and simmer till slightly soft. Cover and let sit 1 hour. Strain through colander, reserving “broth”. Remove garlic and bay leaves. If using canned beans simply drain & rinse.
· Blend ¾ of the beans into a puree w/broth or water. Reserve ¼ of the beans to add to soup near the end of cooking time
· In large stockpot saute celery, carrots and onions in olive oil until soft.
· Add tomatoes, chopped garlic, and herbs. After 5 minutes add chopped greens, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook 10 more minutes.
· Add bean puree and enough broth or water to make a thick soup.
· Cook slowly for about an hour. Add water or broth as needed to thin.
· Ten minutes before serving stir in whole beans to heat through.

Ladle into bowls and top with rustic herb croutons. Drizzle with the finest extra virgin olive oil you can find.

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Crosby’s Lentil Nut Loaf

from Jeanette Prasifka, owner and chef of the vegetarian Crosby Catering and Coffee, Dallas, Texas

1 ½ cup raw lentils
3 cups filtered water
2 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos (divided use)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup cashews, finely ground
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon Spike
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup oat bran

Bring lentils, 1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 30 minutes or until tender. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put cooked lentils and any remaining cooking liquid in a large bowl and sprinkle with another tablespoon of Braggs Liquid Aminos. Add all remaining ingredients. Using your hands, (the best tools in your kitchen!) mash, mix and squish the mixture into a nice consistency. Pack the mixture evenly into two oiled loaf pans. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes or until loaves have set up and are done. Remove to wire racks and cool for 30 minutes or until a knife runs easily around the edges of each loaf pan. Unmould onto a plate or serving platter. Serve with Crosby’s Creamy Cashew Onion Gravy. NOTE: This is a great do-ahead meal for the busy holiday season. The loaves freeze beautifully once fully cooked.

Crosby’s Creamy Cashew Onion Gravy
(Yield: approximately 3 ¾ cups)

1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
½ cup raw organic cashew pieces
2 ½ cups filtered water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy flour (no substitutes)
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos
pinch of cayenne pepper

Saute onion and garlic without oil in a nonstick sauce pan until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and slowly bring to a boil. Whisk consistently and boil until cornstarch has a chance to thicken the mixture. Once thickened, carefully puree the gravy in a blender (NOTE: Use caution as it will be very hot and will try and overflow the blender. Puree in small batches). Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Crosby’s Thanksgiving Stuffed Squash with Cranberry Cointreau Sauce

from Jeanette Prasifka, owner and chef of the vegetarian Crosby Catering and Coffee, Dallas, Texas

2 medium organic acorn squash
maple syrup
1 cup whole wheat bread cubes (small pieces)
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ chopped walnuts
½ cup yellow onion
½ cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon thyme
4 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter
¼ cup golden raisens
½ cup grated organic sharp cheddar cheese (can omit if vegan, or substitute with soy cheese)
juice from ½ a lemon

Wash squash and split down the middle. Remove seeds and brush with maple syrup and lightly sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Bake face down on an oiled baking sheet for 30 minutes at 350 or until tender. While baking, make the stuffing.

Melt butter in a frying pan. Saute onion, celery, garlic, sage, and thyme until tender. Toast nuts in a separate small dry nonstick frying pan until their oils release being careful not to burn. Add nuts to onion mixture. Add remaining ingredients except cheese.
Cook over low heat until everything is combined and warm. Remove from heat and mix in the cheese. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and additional sage and thyme if needed. Place stuffing into squash cavities and place on baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted. Serve topped with Cranberry Cointreau Sauce.

Cranberry Cointreau Sauce
(Yield: 2 cups)

1 12 ounce bag organic cranberries
1 cup organic cane sugar
½ cup Cointreau
½ cup filtered water
½ cup toasted chopped pecans

Wash the cranberries and discard any unripe or overripe berries. Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries and return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover pan with lid and cool to room temperature. Toast pecans in dry nonstick frying pan. Add to cooled sauce. Refrigerate until serving time. Can be made 3-4 days in advance.
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Vegetarian Recipes for a Thanksgiving Table

from Martha Rose Shulman , award-winning cooking writer, food consultant in Berkeley, Calif., and author of numerous cookbooks, including several vegetarian books and the just-released Mediterranean Harvest.

There are always vegetarians at my holiday table, and even if there weren’t, I would always serve these two recipes. I don’t think I’ve ever served a holiday meal without them. They’re both substantial enough to act as the main sustenance for the vegetarians at the table; and they’re great side dishes for the turkey eaters. In fact, I use the mushroom ragout as my gravy.

Mushroom Ragout
Serves 6
You can use all wild mushrooms or a combination of wild and cultivated for this.

1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion or 2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed and brushed clean, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into pieces if very large,
Salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruity red wine, such as a Côtes du Rhone
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground pepper

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a pyrex measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. If very large, chop coarsely. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion or shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh mushrooms and about a teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring, until they have softened a little more and you can no longer see the flour, about 2 minutes. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and sage, stir together, and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mixture the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth is thick and gravy-like, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Set aside, preferably in the refrigerator, overnight.
Advance preparation:
The ragoût can be made up to 3 or 4 days before you wish to serve it. Reheat gently on top of the stove.

Wild Rice Pilaf with Green Beans and Almonds
Serves 6

1/3 cup almonds
6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
4 cups well seasoned vegetable stock (or chicken stock for non-vegetarians)
Salt
1 1/2 cups wild rice
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a combination
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, or until they smell toasty. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Chop coarsely and set aside.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt and the green beans. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, just until tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Set aside.
3. Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan or soup pot. If it is not well seasoned, add up to a teaspoon of salt. Add the wild rice, bring back to a boil, cover, reduce, the heat, and simmer 45 to 50 minutes, until the rice is tender and the grains have splayed. Remove from the heat and pour off any excess liquid from the pan. Set aside.
4. Heat the butter and/or olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the almonds, rice, and sherry and toss together until the mixture is heated through. Add the green beans, parsley, and pepper and stir together. Taste, adjust seasonings, and transfer to a warm serving dish. Serve hot.

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If those don’t excite your palate, which we can’t imagine, try browsing through some of these websites compiled by the Boston Vegetarian Society, pilgrims in their field, so to speak.