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Vegetarian/Vegan – Page 20 – surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

Tag: Vegetarian/Vegan

Recipes contain no animal products or by-products. Consider the sourcing of your ingredients if purity is important to you.

  • No-Bake Cookies Revisited — with a Nut-free Variation

    No Bake Cookies
    No Bake Cookies

    This was one of my favorites when I was a kid, and it’s also really fast if you were  supposed to bring something to a potluck/holiday party/family dinner and maybe you didn’t get it together because the holiday season is so crazy and if you have to find time to do one more thing you’re going to go off your head.  Not that I’ve been there (repeatedly) or anything.

    No Bake Cookies

    • 1/4 cup of evaporated rice milk (there are two ways to make this at home using either rice milk or rice powder to be explained below or, if you can have and/or like soy, you can use soy creamer).
    • 1 stick of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (if you can have soy) or 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Soy Free Natural Buttery Spread (if you can’t have soy and/or flax).
    • 1 cup of sugar
    • 1 1/2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter (see Nut-free sunbutter variation below)
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (if you’re out of vanilla and desperate, Goslings Black Seal Rum works nicely too).
    • 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups of quick oats (get certified gluten free if you need them gluten free).

    This makes about 12 cookies about two inches across.

    First, you need to make yourself some evaporated rice milk.

    Method 1: You can take unsweetened rice milk (or other unsweetened alternative milk product of your choice) and measure out 1/2 a cup into a very small sauce pan.  Place it over medium heat and stir frequently until it has reduced in half. (You could make more than you need and keep in the fridge for other holiday baking).

    Method 2 (and the one I used): Put 1 1/2 Tablespoons of rice milk powder in a glass measuring cup.  Pour boiling water into the glass measuring cup until it measures 1/4 of a cup of milk powder and water.  Whisk powder and water together until well combined.

    Thanks to Alisa Fleming’s Go Dairy Free cookbook for both of these options.  For most baking you would need to wait for the resulting evaporated rice milk cooled, but not for this recipe.

    Melt the Earth Balance in a 4 quart pan.  Once it has melted completely, add the sugar, evaporated milk, and the cocoa powder.  Stir mixture to incorporate all the ingredients completely, and bring the mixture to a boil for one minute, continuing to stir frequently.  Remove the pan from the heat, and add the peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir until the peanut butter, except the crunchy bits have dissolved into the mixture.  Add the oats and mix thoroughly.  Cover cutting board or a cookie sheet with wax paper.  Using spoon, portion out the mixture into two inch wide cookies on the cookie sheet and let them harden for at least 10 minutes.  I cheat and do it in the fridge, they harden faster. Or just skip the cookie part and eat them out of the pan.  I’m not here to judge.

    Enjoy 🙂

    NUT-FREE Sunbutter Variation!

    • 1/2 cup soy-free Earth Balance
    • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
    • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup evaporated rice milk
    • 1/2 cup crunchy Sunbutter or other sunflower seed butter
    • 2 1/4 cup quick oats
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/4 — 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
    • Generous pinch of salt (less than 1/4 teaspoon)
    • Follow the directions above.
    Sunbutter No-Bake Cookies
    Sunbutter No-Bake Cookies

  • At Last Gluten-Free Brownies

    At Last! Gluten-free Brownies
    At Last! Gluten-free Brownies

    So the year before I got my allergy diagnoses, I spent time perfecting a brownie recipe.  Which was, of course, based on wheat flours, and which did not, of course, translate well to gluten-free.  It was my first attempt at my own gluten-free recipe — I replaced the flour in the recipe with a GF baking mix and made the first and only baked good that was not completely devoured by my office mates.  It was sad; I was sad.

    And yet, I kept trying because brownies are something that is almost universally loved.  A very special group of my friends has cannonized my friend Michelle’s *special recipe* brownies, which I’ve added as a decadent alternative at the end of this recipe — “Book Club” Brownies should be reserved for very special occasions, and only for those who are worthy of such decadence.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhSWM_CK94M&w=560&h=315]

    And now, I bring you this recipe.  I am sorry it’s not nut-free, but I have not yet found the right combination for nut AND gluten free.

    I’d also like to introduce my new love, George, the best Christmas present ever.  To clarify some confusion from my FB post — George is a girl, named in part after the Bugs Bunny Abominable Snowman cartoon and in part for George in the Nancy Drew books.  Now that that’s cleared up, meet George!

    GEORGE!
    GEORGE! I made a video, but it was really really boring.

    At Last Gluten-Free Brownies

    Line a square pan with parchment paper.  Make sure you know if you have an 8×8 or 9×9 pan, as it will affect baking times below.

    Pre-heat oven to 350F.

    • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds, preferably white
    • 4 Tablespoons water

    Grind your chia seeds.  I use a coffee grinder for spices, flax, and now chia — grind it good and fine.  With a fork or small whisk, mix the ground seeds in a small bowl with 4 tablespoons of water.  Set this aside — it will turn into a pretty stiff gel.

    • 1/4 cup soy-free Earth Balance
    • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil

    Melt the oils together in a small pan.  Because I wander off measuring other things, I always do this in my ad-hoc double boiler (small skillet on top of a saucepan).  It’s safer for me, but feel free to do it in a pan directly on the heat or even in a microwave if you own one.

    • 1.5 cups almond flour or almond meal (doesn’t seem to make a difference for this recipe)
    • 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
    • 1/4 cup coconut flour
    • 2 Tablespoons quinoa flour
    • 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup brown sugar, packed

    Mix all your dry ingredients together well — yes, including the brown sugar.  Now, to this, add your chia gel, the melted oils, and the following:

    • 1/3 cup almond milk
    • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
    Dry ingredients with melted oils and chia gel
    Dry ingredients with melted oils and chia gel

    Mix well, adding a little more almond milk if necessary.  Dough should be stiff, but not dry — more like a cookie dough than a cake batter.  It should stick to the beaters, but not make it hard for them to run.

    Add your mix in ingredients.  The chocolate chips are not, in my opinion, optional.  The nuts absolutely are.

    • 1/2 cup allergen-free chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

    Brownie Batter

    Dump your batter into the lined brownie pan.  It should not spread out on its own — so use your spatula to smash it down and spread it out, getting it into the corners.  When it’s smooth, place a piece of parchment over the top and smooth it down onto the batter.

    parchment paper topper
    parchment paper topper

    Bake at 350F.  8×8 pan — 35-40 minutes (my oven takes 37.  It just does.) 9×9 pan — 25-35 minutes (again, 32.)

    Now, and this is really really really important:  DO NOT TRY TO EAT THESE BROWNIES HOT.  They don’t have any structural integrity at all when they are warm.  Peel the top sheet of parchment off.  Cool them in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then use the parchment to lift out the brownies as a whole and set them on a cooling rack.  Cool them completely.  Then do your thing.

    Bookclub Brownies variation

    This is really guilding the lily, but it’s a tradition, so here you go.

    In a double boiler (real, if you’ve got it, or fake it again), melt 2/3 cup of allergen-free chocolate chips with 3 Tablespoons of non-dairy milk.  That’s it.

    You could also make a frosting or even use a prepared frosting (many of Duncan Hines’ prepared frostings are allergen-free, though I don’t know about cross-contamination issues).  But I find that to be more work than really necessary to get the good flavor here.  Your mileage may vary.

    While brownies are still warm and in the pan, pour this chocolate ganache over them and smooth it out.  It won’t look like quite enough first, especially if you’re using a 9×9 pan, but it is.  Taking two toothpicks, or better yet, wooden bbq skewers, poke holes all over the brownies, through the ganache.  Follow through with the COMPLETE COOLING directive.  Enjoy your extra fudgy magic brownies.

    If you’d like to guild the guilding and make minty holiday brownies, top with crushed peppermint candies.

    Enough Ganache? Ganached Pepperminty goodness

    At Last Brownies, with “Book Club” variation

    • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds, preferably white
    • 4 Tablespoons water
    • 1.5 cups almond flour or almond meal (doesn’t seem to make a difference for this recipe)
    • 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
    • 1/4 cup coconut flour
    • 2 Tablespoons quinoa flour
    • 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup soy-free Earth Balance
    • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
    • 1/3 cup almond milk
    • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup allergen-free chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

    Ganache:

    • 2/3 cup allergen-free chocolate chips
    • 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used almond)
    • 3 mini candy canes, crushed
    mmmmm Brownies
    mmmmm Brownies

  • Kiss Me if You Dare Onion Dip

    mmmmm...onion dip
    mmmmm…onion dip

    If I’m completely honest, that mayo or sour cream based French onion dip (one package of dip mix plus a carton of sour cream, I think?) wasn’t something I made all that often or bought all that often in my pre-allergen days.  But I liked it at parties, and maybe that was enough for me back then?  I don’t know.

    But last year, I wanted onion dip.  With potato chips — salty, greasy, oniony madness.  I tried a few things, and when I still ate soy, tofu-based sour cream with a packet of stuff wasn’t too bad.  Some of the mixes are free of some allergens, but reading the ingredients so carefully is a real turn off, honestly.   So.  Onion dip.  Now that soy is out and I really don’t want to use a packaged mix, it was time to come up with a good substitute based as much as possible on real foods.

    Earth Balance, refugeof the dairy-free for decent, actually dairy-free margarine, has come out with a vegan AND soy-free mayonnaise!  You can read our review of this miracle HERE.  I am going to assume that this recipe will more-or-less work with regular mayo, or any of the vegan versions that contain soy.  It’s been tested only with Earth Balance mindful mayo because neither of us eat those others.

    As wonderful as the mayo substitute is, a dip based on mayo alone, to be eaten with thick, ridged greasy and salty potato chips seemed overkill, so the base of this is actually pureed canned cannellini beans, with mayo-sub added for creaminess.  The onion flavor comes from scallions and caramelized onions.  This is onion dip to revel in.  Even if it doesn’t photograph like anything other than a dip.

    Kiss Me if You Dare Onion Dip

    First, get on caramelizing your onions.  You want a softball-sized onion or two smaller ones, and if you can get a sweet onion (Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla), it will be even better.  Cut it in quarters and slice it thinly.

    Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  I always use my cast iron, which is 12 inches, and I need to do two rounds of this.  You want a good sloppy coat of oil over the bottom of the pan, heated until shimmering, and add only enough onions for a single layer.  Add a good sprinkle of salt, 1/2 teaspoon or so for my pan size.

    If you’ve never caramelized onions, it takes some time to do it right.  I could tell you all about it, but I’m going to kick you over to Slate, as Tom Socca’s already covered it.

    Set the onions aside to cool.  I do not drain the oil off, as this dip is supposed to be rich.

    Into your food processor (or blender, if you have a high powered one), add:

    • 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 scant cup of Earth Balance Mindful Mayo, original
    • 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic
    • 1-2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, fresh-squeezed if you can

    Spin it through the food processor until all smooth and well combined.  IF you are using a blender, I’d suggest doing the beans first, and then adding the mayo as a second step.

    Add the onions and pulse until they are chopped up and well mixed in to your dip.

    Dump dip into a serving bowl, and mix in about 1/4 cup of chopped scallions, green and light green parts only, reserving some for garnish if you wish.  Refrigerate for a few hours before serving with lots of salty potato chips.  Ruffles are my choice.

    a bit of onion dip left after the party
    a bit of onion dip left after the party

    Kiss Me if You Dare Onion Dip

    • 1 softball-sized sweet onion, quartered and sliced thin
    • 2 Tablespoons (+) olive oil (not extra-virgin) or canola oil
    • about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup Earth Balance Mindful Mayo, original
    • 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic
    • 1-2 Tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 bunch of scallions, sliced thin, green and light green parts only

    Caramelize onions, then mix everything else in a food processor or high-speed blender, adding onions last, and garnishing with some of the green scallions if you remember.

    Enjoy!

  • Sheer Magic Spinach Dip

    Spinach Dip in a Bowl

    I found this recipe, which I’ve now modified to fit my tastes, on the back of a silken tofu package. I had bought a couple of packages of silken tofu to try as an egg replacement in brownies. Silken tofu might work for others in brownies but not for me, and since I had to now find something else to do with the extra silken tofu, I noticed the recipe on the back of the package and decided to try it. I think I’ve now got it just about where I want it. I know it won’t work for those of you who can’t do soy, but Mary Kate’s going to post an onion dip that’s fabulous and maybe you can throw some spinach in it.

    Spinach Dip

    • 1 – 12 ounce package of Mori-Nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu
    • 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Mindful Mayo (or regular mayonnaise if you can have eggs)
    • 1 package/envelope of French onion soup mix (check labels for possible dairy, I have better luck with a store brand for dairy free or make your own mix, here’s a recipe)
    • 1 – 10 ounce package of fresh spinach, steamed, cooled and squeezed dry
    • 2-3 medium green onions, about a 1/4 cup when chopped (use green part too)
    • 1 – 8 ounce can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
    • 4 cloves of garlic minced or just process in food processor
    • Several splashes of Tabasco sauce to taste
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Steam spinach in a covered container in the microwave with two tablespoons of water for approximately 5 minutes. Drain and when spinach is cool enough to touch, squeeze spinach dry, and place in fridge until cool.

    Drain tofu, and place in a food processor or blender with soup mix. Blend until smooth. Add mayo and garlic and blend, scraping down sides until all ingredients are well blended.  Add cooled spinach to blender or food processor and blend with short pulses until spinach is mixed in, but is still a bit chunky.  Then add the spring onions and the water chestnuts and do two short pulses just to mix it up, you don’t want the spring onions and water chestnuts obliterated, just mixed in.  (You could just put the spinach and tofu mixture, the spring onions and water chestnuts in a bowl and mix up with a spoon, if you want it chunkier).

    Remove mixture from food processor or blender and put it into a bowl.  Add Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for at least an hour, but overnight is best to let the spices blend.

    Enjoy with veggies or chips 🙂

  • Ranch Dip/Dressing Using Earth Balance Mindful Mayo

    Ranch using Earth Balance Mindful Mayo
    Ranch using Earth Balance Mindful Mayo

    After we perfected the Ranch Dip using a Cashew Base (see today’s other post) we found a recipe for ranch using the Earth Balance Mindful Mayo.  We fiddled with the recipe because liked the flavor profile we had developed for the Ranch Dip Using a Cashew Base better.  The result is pretty awesome.  We both like our version with cashews better as a dip, but if you can’t have tree nuts that recipe won’t work.  And this recipe was closer to real ranch dressing for use on actual salads, and much less expensive.  I used it on a salad and I just about cried because I could have ranch dressing again.  (I’m guessing that at some point I’ll be using this recipe and the Penzey’s Creamy Peppercorn dressing mix to experiment further with obtaining more replacements for dairy based salad dressings).  We also served this dip to people who can eat dairy at a bridal shower and they also really liked it.

    Ranch Dip/Dressing Using Earth Balance Mindful Mayo

    • 1 cup of Earth Balance Mindful Mayo (I’ve tested it with original and organic but have not tried it with the olive oil version)
    • 1/4 cup of rice milk (original, unsweetened, or use rice milk powder following directions on container)
    • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon of toasted onion powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon of basil
    • 1/2 teaspoon of red bell pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon of dill

    Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until all ingredients have been incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed.  You can also do this in a bowl and mix it by hand, if you prefer not to have to wash your blender, but I think the spices blend better in the blender. Taste the mixture and adjust spices as needed. Let sit for a couple hours before serving and the flavors will develop.

    Let us know what you think 🙂

  • Ranch Dip Using a Cashew Base

    Ranch Dip Using a Cashew Base

    Ranch dressing. It’s one of those things that seems really, really hard to replace. And you miss that creaminess, salty, tart flavor, especially on salads, buffalo, wings, or just with a veggie tray at a party. When Mary Kate and I started this blog, we began a list of things we missed desperately (okay, so it was a spreadsheet divided up by category, but anyway). I don’t think ranch even made the list. I don’t think it was even something that we considered being able to replace. But while I was researching replacement mayo recipes, I came across a recipe on Yummly.com that used cashew nuts to make a ranch dressing. Mary Kate and I didn’t think the flavor profile was quite right, so we messed around a bit with the spices. It was one of our first real successes and even people who can have real ranch dressing seemed to be shocked at how much they liked it. And it’s really pretty easy. I know this recipe won’t help those of you who can’t have tree nuts, but we’re posting another ranch recipe that will help.

    Ranch Dip Using a Cashew Base

    • 1 1/4 cups cashews (raw, unsalted, and if you buy cashew pieces it’s cheaper)
    • 3/4 cup rice milk (original, unsweetened, or use rice milk powder following directions on container)
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup cider vinegar
    • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 3 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon dill
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon basil
    • 1/2 teaspoon of red bell pepper flakes.

    Grind cashews in spice grinder or coffee grinder, in small batches until the cashews are a nearly a powder, but not to the point they become a butter.

    Place the ground cashews and all remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until combined and until mixture thickens a bit. Taste mixture and adjust spices as needed. Let sit for a couple hours before serving and the flavors will develop and the mixture will thicken further.

    Some of the testers have found that this recipe does not hold up well overnight as it becomes more salty, but there’s been some debate about that. Also some of us preferred less salt and others preferred more. The recipe as written is using less salt.

    Let us know what you think 🙂

  • Latkes

    latke
    latke

    This season seems to be full of tradition on so very many levels, including food, food, and food.  I think this can make the holidays difficult for adults with newly diagnosed food allergies.  This was me last year — going to holiday gatherings where I could not safely eat anything.  Missing traditional foods, wanting to indulge, not wanting to ruin the holidays by eating the wrong thing and getting sick.  ARGH.

    Lucky for me, our only real family tradition is trying new things for the holidays.  Doesn’t mean I don’t miss some of the traditional cookies, but it does mean that I don’t feel left out of the traditions — in fact I now get to drive them

    How many foods are traditional celebratory foods that are also, in and of themselves, a reason for celebrating?  Well, if potatoes are your personal proof that there is some order in the universe?  Latkes are that food.

    Also, they are amazing.

    Traditionally served for Hanukkah, the symbolic importance of the latke is the oil in which the potatoes are fried, not the potatoes themselves.  Also traditionally, the potatoes are mixed with onions, flour, and eggs (though the flour doesn’t appear in every recipe, so traditions vary.  Here’s your primer, if you are interested in Chanukkah.  (See, even the spellings differ!)  Hanukkah is not as major of a holiday in the Jewish calendar as those who are not Jewish often think or assume, but it may have my favorite food traditions.

    The substitutes for the allergenic ingredients in latkes are pretty easy.  Instead of flour, potato starch works just fine.  Instead of eggs, ground flax or ground chia seeds, mixed with water, make a good stand in.  Ground flax gel will mix in easily.  Ground chia seeds require a little extra work, as the gel is a bit stiffer; massage it in and around the potatoes and you’ll be fine.

    Serve with applesauce, and you’re set.  I know this should likely be considered a side dish, but I eat it as a main dish because that’s the way I roll.

    This recipe is for a small batch, but double, triple, make as many as you can manage.

    latkes
    latkes

    Latkes

    • 2 medium baking potatoes potatoes
    • 1 baseball-sized onion
    • 3 Tablespoons potato starch
    • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds or flax seeds, ground, and added to 3 Tablespoons water (4 if using chia)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • canola oil, enough to thickly coat bottom of skillet
    • applesauce for serving

    Shred potatoes andIMG_0163 onion.  The photo to the left includes the Sharpie for scale.  I’d love to tell you how many pounds of potato to buy, but I hate those recipes as I never remember to weigh the potatoes and I don’t have a scale at home.

    Shredded, you should have 4 cups of vegetable matter.  If your food processor is like mine, pick out any big chunks of onion that somehow get through.

     

    Place the shredded veg in a colander lined with a large, thin clean dish towel.  This step is extremely annoying and extremely necessary.  Fold the towel over the top of the potatoes in the colander and press down with as much force as you can muster, multiple times.  When that seems to be done, twist the top of the towel and pick up the bundle and squeeze out more liquid.  Do this until it’s not very effective anymore (or, in essence, until you’ve squeezed out as much water as your strength allows).  I find that my hands aren’t extremely strong, so I push against the divider in my sink.

    step 1step 2step 3

     

     

     

    Put the oil in your skillet over medium heat about now.  Also turn your oven on to 200F so that you can keep the whole batch warm.

    Dump your well-squeezed shreds into a bowl, add the potato starch and chia egg (add a touch of water if you need to to get the chia gel mobile again), and salt.  Mix this really really thoroughly, making sure the starch and chia are spread all throughout the veg shreds.

    ground chia gel
    ground chia gel
    potato and onion shreds
    potato and onion shreds

     

     

     

     

    Now start making latkes.  Taking about 2 Tablespoons, make patties in your hands, flattening them out, and not worrying about the raggedy edges.  DO, however, worry about the tendency of hand-made patties to dome in the middle — work on making yours FLAT so they cook all the way through.  The mound-shaped ones are still edible, but not as good.  This does take practice, however, so be kind to yourself and remember that fried potatoes are fried potatoes and they are good.

    IMG_0173

    Lay patties down in the oil carefully.  If you’ve squeezed well, there won’t be a splatter of oil caused by water meeting the hot oil.  Watch the edges and when one side is browned, flip ’em.  Rinse and repeat.  When you get to the last batch or so, the mix will be wet.  Take your patty scoops and squeeze the water out before throwing them in the oil.

    Latkes
    Latkes

     

    Put the cooked latkes on a sheet pan and throw them in the oven until you’re done.  Serve with applesauce.

    Honestly, each time you make these, they get better.  The ingredients are so simple that their awesomeness is based on your technique, so keep practicing!  Only about a third of my latkes come out awesomely golden brown all over, evenly.  I blame my stove, but likely it’s at least partially my fault.  Guess I’ll have to keep practicing.  OH THE HARDSHIP!  (This is where a sarcasm font would come in handy).

    Do you have any tips for great latke making?

  • Mini-Thanksgiving, Casserole Style

    Mini-Thanksgiving Casserole
    Mini-Thanksgiving Casserole

    This past summer, one of my co-workers went through a phase of making Thanksgiving dinners — I don’t think she was cooking a whole turkey, but part of it, plus dressing and cranberries.  I think it happened more than once, and the craving turned out to be transferable.

    But for me?  Turkey, eh, whatever.  I don’t like it or dislike it, but I don’t feel excited enough to cook one if I don’t have to.  What I love about Thanksgiving are the side dishes, and while most of my family’s traditional foods are not allergen-free in their original formats, it is truly easy to make most of them safe with dairy alternatives (although, personally, I prefer vegetable broth to most non-dairy milks in mashed potatoes — less chance for an odd sweet flavor to happen).

    For my mid-summer Thanksgiving, I decided to do a casserole of all my favorite flavors, and since there is just one of me, I did individual casseroles so that I could freeze some of them.  If you wanted turkey, you could make it on the side.  If you wanted a full vegan meal and you’re not gluten-free, add diced seitan with the mushrooms in the gravy portion, but  be sure to leave some extra room for it at the top of your casseroles. Some sort of cranberries on the side?  Why not?  This can be the main dish, the centerpiece, the only dish, or a side.  Nothing but versatile, right?

    This casserole has a base of mashed rutabaga, a center of vegan, gluten-free chestnut and celery dressing, and a rich mushroom gravy, all baked in one lovely personal-sized casserole.  I’ve never made this as one large casserole, but I think doubling each layer and increasing the cooking time would work.

    Mini-Thanksgiving, Casserole Style

    3 servings

    Pre-heat oven to 350F, and spray three 1/2 cup mini-casserole dishes with cooking spray (note on cooking spray — the only one I’ve found free of all allergens including soy is Pam for Grilling).

    First, make the rutabaga:

    • 2 cups stock (veg or chicken) or 2 cups water and 2 bouillon cubes (watch for hidden gluten and soy in stock and especially bouillon — look for natural brands for boxed stock for the best selection of options)
    • about 2 cups of cubed rutabaga (look for it frozen and bagged)

    Boil rutabaga in stock until cooked through.  Takes 20-30 minutes for fresh rutabaga, but 10 or so for frozen.

    Drain rutabaga, and mash with:

    • 1+ Tablespoon soy-free Earth Balance
    • salt and pepper to taste — be generous with the pepper here.

    Spoon into bottom of dishes and press down with the back of the spoon.  Should be about 1/4 to 1/3 an inch at the bottom of each dish.  If you have leftovers, pack them in or eat them.

    Rutabaga base
    Rutabaga base

    Next, make the dressing.  In large skillet, over medium heat, heat

    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  When shimmery hot,

    Add:

    • 1 cup of diced onion.  Cook until translucent.
    • Add 1 cup celery, chopped, cook until hot, 3-4 minutes
    • Add one package of chestnuts, chopped (my package was 5.2 oz, and was about 15 chestnuts)
    • Heaping 1/2 teaspoon thyme, crushed as you add it.
    Chestnut-Celery Dressing
    Chestnut-Celery Dressing

    Cook everything about 5 minutes.  Onions should be entirely clear, celery should still retain a bit of crisp, the chestnuts don’t appear to change.

    • Stir in 1/3 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I make my own from the leftover pieces of bread from each loaf, but if you need to buy some, the Ener-G loaves make good bread crumbs).

    Spoon over rutabaga, leaving just a bit of room (1/4 inch or so) at the top.  Scrape all the bits out of the skillet.

    Chestnut-Celery Dressing, stage 2
    Chestnut-Celery Dressing, stage 2

    Finally, make the gravy.  Into the same skillet you just used (really no need to wash it out), still over medium heat, add

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil. When shimmery hot,
    • Add 1/4 cup onion, diced small.  Cook until translucent.
    • Add 1 3.5 oz package of shitaki mushrooms, washed, stemmed, and diced.  Cook until the liquid comes out of the mushrooms (watch, if you don’t know what I’m talking about — you’ll see it).  2-5 minutes.  Then add
    • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tablespoons garbanzo bean flour
    • 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, gluten-free tamari, or coconut aminos

    Whisk these until you’ve made a slurry, good and thick.  Let it cook for a minute.  Begin to slowly drizzle in water, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring and letting each addition thicken before adding the next drizzle.  Add at least 1 cup of water, and not more than 1.5 cups.

    Spoon gravy over casseroles.  At this point, you can cover the casseroles and refrigerate overnight, or you can bake them immediately.  If immediately, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  If you are taking them out of the fridge, let them sit 15 minutes or so to come up towards room temperature, and then bake 25-30 minutes.  These freeze okay, but let them thaw thoroughly and then bake.

    Mmmmm, casserole
    Mmmmm, casserole

    Mini-Thanksgiving, Casserole Style, Ingredients only.

    • 2 cups stock (veg or chicken) or 2 cups water and 2 bouillon cubes
    • about 2 cups of cubed rutabaga
    • 1+ Tablespoon soy-free Earth Balance
    • salt and pepper to taste — be generous with the pepper here.
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 cup of diced onion
    • 1 cup celery, chopped
    • 1 5.2 oz package of chestnuts, chopped (15 chestnuts)
    • Heaping 1/2 teaspoon thyme
    • 1/3 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/4 cup onion, diced small
    • 1 3.5 oz package of shitaki mushrooms, washed, stemmed, and diced
    • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tablespoons garbanzo bean flour
    • 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, gluten-free tamari, or coconut aminos

    (Final note — it seems to me that chestnuts are tree nuts, but did not confirm this.  Assuming this is so, this recipe is not nut-free. MK, and readers, I checked this morning and confirmed they are tree nuts -Denise)