RECIPES BY DARSHANA THACKER
F O R K S
2020 Thanksgiving
Usher in the holiday season with a deliciously festive plant-based dinner.
The Menu
SERVES 8 TO 10
Sweet Potato Mini Galettes Winter Potato-Leek Soup
Kale and Farro Salad with Orange-Avocado Dressing Polenta Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils
Almond-Oat Cookie Bars with Pumpkin Frosting
1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch-thick coins 1 medium Russet potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
½ cup raw cashews
1½ cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 small red onion, diced (1 cup) 1 fennel bulb, diced (1 cup)
½ tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon fresh sage (or ½ tsp. dried) 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp.
dried)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sweet Potato Mini Galettes
READY IN 2 HOURS
MAKES 12 (2½-INCH) GALETTES
Mashed Russet potato helps form a light, fluffy dough that bakes into a perfectly flaky crust for savory handheld pies.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place Russet and sweet potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan, keeping Russet pieces to one side and sweet potato to the other side.
Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Cover and steam 12 to 14 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Uncover pot.
Set aside to cool slightly. Transfer Russet potatoes to a bowl and mash. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Soak cashews in ½ cup hot (not boiling) water for 20 minutes. Transfer cashews and their soaking water to a blender. Blend until creamy.
4. Transfer half of the cashew cream (about ¼ cup) to a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Add mashed potato, flour, baking powder, and salt. Process just until dough is fluffy; do not overprocess. Set dough aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. On a clean, flour-dusted surface, roll out dough to a tortilla-thin disk. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass, cut dough into disks.
Arrange disks in a single layer on the prepared
baking sheet. Gather remaining dough scraps, and repeat the process until you have 12 disks.
6. Place one sweet potato coin in the middle of each dough disk. Fold edges of dough upward, pleating the edges to create shallow cups. Bake galettes 20 minutes or until the cups appear half-baked.
7. Meanwhile, make the filling: In a skillet, stir together onion, fennel, garlic powder, sage, rosemary, and 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium for 10 minutes or until onion and fennel are tender, adding more water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Stir in the remaining cashew cream, the nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of the chives, and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and let cool.
8. Top each galette with 1 tablespoon of filling.
Bake galettes for 20 minutes more, or until they start to brown around the edges. Garnish galettes with reserved chives and serve warm.
2 leeks (white parts only), cut into ¼-inch pieces (2 cups)
½ small onion, diced (½ cup) 6 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium potatoes (any variety), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (2 lb.) 3½ to 4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf 1 sprig thyme
1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup roasted chestnuts, chopped INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large stock pot, cook leeks, onion, garlic, and ¼ cup of water over medium 10 minutes or until leeks and onion are tender, stirring frequently and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
2. Add potatoes, 3½ cups broth, the bay leaf, and thyme to stock pot. Bring to boiling; then reduce heat. Simmer over medium 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Add the milk, vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Using a hand blender, or carefully transferring soup to a blender in batches, blend to a creamy texture. Add additional stock to thin to desired consistency. Return soup to pot if necessary. Heat over medium until warmed through.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and chestnuts just before serving.
Winter Potato- Leek Soup
READY IN 30 MINUTES MAKES 8 CUPS
This easy chowder is creamy without being too heavy. If you can’t find chestnuts, top with toasted pecans instead. Make this soup up to two days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Just before serving, heat in a saucepan over medium until warmed through and garnish with the parsley and chestnuts.
1/3 cup dry farro
1 bunch kale, finely chopped (8 to 10 cups) 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 orange
1 avocado, peeled and pitted 1 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup grated carrot
3 to 4 scallions, thinly sliced (½ cup) 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional) INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a small pot, stir together farro and 1 cup water. Bring to boiling; then reduce heat.
Simmer 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet sauté the kale and broccoli in 2 tablespoons of water over medium for 5 minutes or until broccoli turns bright green and kale has wilted, adding more water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Drain off any leftover water.
3. For dressing, remove 1 tablespoon zest and squeeze ½ cup of juice from the orange. In a blender, combine orange juice and zest with avocado, cilantro, lemon juice, and garlic.
Blend until smooth and very thick. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large salad bowl, combine farro, cooked vegetables, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrot, scallions, and cranberries. Mix well. Top with dressing and mix again. Sprinkle with pine nuts (if using). Serve right away.
Kale and Farro Salad with Orange-Avocado Dressing
READY IN 20 MINUTES MAKES 8 TO 10 CUPS
You can make the dressing, cook the farro, sauté the kale and broccoli, and prep the other veggies a day in advance, but wait until just before serving to combine them. Note: The Orange-Avocado Dressing will be very thick. Once it’s tossed into the salad, the moisture of the cooked greens will help to thin it out.
TOPPING
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant- based milk
2 cups dry polenta
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Polenta Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils
READY IN 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES MAKES ONE 9X13-INCH CASSEROLE
With a mouthwatering mushroom and lentil filling and a browned polenta topping, this rustic casserole is sure to satisfy. It’s gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free oat flour.
FILLING
1 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 7 cups) 1 medium onion, diced (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup) 12 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1½ cups vegetable stock
¼ cup oat flour
2 (15-ounce) cans brown lentils, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (plus more for garnish)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot sauce (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For topping, in a large saucepan combine vegetable stock and milk. Bring to boiling over medium-high. In a medium bowl mix polenta, nutritional yeast, salt, baking soda, and black pepper. Slowly add polenta mixture to saucepan, whisking constantly to break up any clumps.
Reduce heat; simmer, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and polenta is creamy.
2. For filling, in a separate saucepan combine mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and 1½ cups vegetable stock. Cook over medium-low 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, pulse to break mushrooms into smaller pieces.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oat flour and ¼ cup of water; add to mushroom mixture. Add lentils, frozen vegetables, vinegar, parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook until mixture thickens.
4. Spread mixture evenly into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with a smooth layer of polenta.
5. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until polenta begins to turn golden brown. Garnish with parsley. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
COOKIE BARS
¾ cup applesauce
½ cup almond butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1½ cups oat flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
½ cup pure cane sugar 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
Almond-Oat Cookie Bars with Pumpkin Frosting
READY IN 1 HOUR MAKES 16 BARS
Canned pumpkin puree makes a great base for a luscious, naturally sweet frosting.
Look for varieties in which pumpkin is the only ingredient. You can make these bars up to two days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
FROSTING AND TOPPINGS
2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin puree (3 cups) 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
¾ cup applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract 1½ tablespoons pure cane sugar
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
¼ cup pecans, chopped (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
2. In a bowl mix ¾ cup of the applesauce, the almond butter, and 1 tablespoon vanilla.
3. In a separate large bowl mix flours, sugar, flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Mix to combine. (Do not overmix.)
5. Spread the batter evenly on prepared sheet pan. Use a spatula to tidy the edges to form a rectangle. With the help of a bench scraper or blunt knife, score the dough to make 16 bars.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the top appears dry and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. Meanwhile, for frosting, place 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin puree in a small bowl. Add arrowroot powder and mix well. Set aside.
8. In a small pan combine the remaining pumpkin puree, the ¾ cup applesauce, and 2 tablespoons vanilla. Cook over medium-low 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken.
Stir in the arrowroot–pumpkin paste. The arrowroot paste will turn the mixture a creamy hue; continue cooking over medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it becomes more translucent and the texture is smooth.
Remove from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Spread an even layer of frosting onto bars.
Generously sprinkle with cranberries and, if desired, pecans.
10. When ready to serve, cut bars along score marks.
