By Nanette Wiser
Eating well is getting more interesting this fall. Meat alternatives such as Beyond Meat burgers and Impossible Burgers are nothing new, but vegan nuggets, plant-based seafood and pepperoni for pizza are newly popular. International dishes from Asia and the Caribbean have been popular, but this will be the year that African cuisine moves mainstream. According to Food Network, foods that feature cannabis such as artisanal pizzas, tasty pies and alcohol-free THC-infused cocktails are seeing a surge. I’m experimenting with umami flavors, looking to savory pastes made of ingredients such as roasted or dried tomatoes, garlic, black olives and more to flavor soups and stews.
Healthy eating graces our family gatherings. At Thanksgiving, we’ll consume 46 million turkeys. While the traditional dishes will dominate our Thanksgiving table (roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie), the trend this year is more vegan and ethnic dishes. In San Diego, tamales were always served and at my house, Greek spinach pie and tzatziki.
This year, new holiday trends include locally sourced foods from our farmers’ markets, spaghetti squash, kalette (a hybrid of kale and brussel sprouts), pumpkin pie alternatives (PSL desserts such as pumpkin spice latte pound cake or praline pumpkin mousse) and catered options for Thanksgiving with dishes picked up from restaurants and grocery stores. The vegetarian main dish will be center stage in some homes as well, such as vegetarian lasagna or this delight.
VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE LENTIL LOAF
Ingredients 1 1/2 cups lentils; 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or water; 3 TB olive oil; 2 medium onions, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups cooked brown rice; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 3/4 cup ketchup divided; 1/2 tsp. sage, 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
Cook Heat oven to 350 F. Rinse the lentils and drain well. Fill a large soup or stockpot with vegetable broth (or water) and add the lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until cooked, for about 30 minutes. Lentils need to be soft for the best results. Drain thoroughly. Mash the lentils while they are still hot until they are creamy in texture but some whole lentils can be seen. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Combine the onion mixture, mashed lentils, cooked rice, salt, 1/4 cup of ketchup or barbecue sauce, sage, and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Gently press the entire lentil mixture into a greased loaf pan. Coat the loaf with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the remaining ketchup. Bake the lentil loaf for 1 hour, basting with additional ketchup every 15 minutes or so. Allow it to cool slightly for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving, as this will help the lentil loaf firm up.