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The Sacred & Delicious Food List

The Sacred & Delicious Food List is an addendum to the cookbook, Sacred & Delicious. Author Lisa Mitchell decided to distribute this comprehensive list of the foods through her website so that she would be able to update it more easily. These are foods found in most modern kitchens. The list organizes the foods into categories to reflect how they fit in your diet from an Ayurvedic perspective.


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Thanksgiving Sides Your Guests Will Never Forget!

For vegetarians and vegans, Thanksgiving is all about the traditional mouth-watering side dishes, and of course, I’m all about making them as healthy as they are delicious!

Today I’ll point to all of my favorite holiday sides and introduce you to a new recipe: Reimagined Green Bean Casserole.

When I was young, in the ’50s and ’60s, cooking for convenience was all the rage, and there was no cornucopia of fresh vegetables readily available in grocery stores. I can’t fault my mother for her frozen spinach with canned mushroom soup—though just the thought of it now makes me cringe! Even then, I had no taste for such food. I learned to love vegetables only when I began cooking with my college roommate, Ellen Brock, who grew up picking fresh veggies out of her mother’s garden.

But there was nothing wrong with the idea behind my in-laws’ green bean casserole with canned mushroom soup and canned onion rings. The potential is there for a great dish. I invite you to expand your culinary imagination with this recipe.

This Reimagined Green Bean Casserole is a vegan and gluten-free dish made with fresh ingredients: green beans, caramelized onions, fresh almond milk (if available), fresh ginger, and shiitake mushrooms (which are known in Chinese medicine as a great support for the immune system). For a bit of sophistication and lovely flavor, you can cook the mushrooms in wine or, if you like a sweeter taste, sherry—or forego the alcohol and use a homemade stock. Granted, executing this recipe is not as easy as opening a can of mushroom soup. Nonetheless it’s quite easy for anyone who knows how to cook on a stovetop and to use a food processor.

Not everyone enjoys the texture of mushrooms (e.g., my husband, Tom) but they are almost hidden if minced finely in a food processor. (Tom loves this dish!) If you don’t like cumin and coriander, just omit these spices. I add them to many dishes because they give vegan and vegetarian food an extra layer of flavor that boosts the umm factor. Cumin and coriander also help balance the body’s digestive enzymes.

Finally, drum-roll please for my version of classic holiday favorites that you’re guaranteed to love. All these recipes are in the Sacred & Delicious cookbook and a few were first unveiled on the blog: Holiday Sweet Potatoes with Glazed Pecans and Fresh Cranberry Salad. And the best gluten-free Holiday Dressing you’ve ever tasted is in the Sacred & Delicious cookbook on page 164, while I offer a smaller, tasty Millet Dressing right here on the blog. If you’re not up for mushrooms this season, my other favorite is Elegant Green Beans on page 186. For some delicious protein, try this Savory Tofu on page 170 of Sacred & Delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends! May it be a joyful and sacred remembrance in your homes as you celebrate all the abundance we are privileged to enjoy.

Lisa J. Mitchell

 

 

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REIMAGINED GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE 

Preparation Time: 40 to 50 minutes, depending on optional topping
Serves 8 to 12

1 medium sweet onion
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 to 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
½ cup white wine, sherry, or vegetable stock
6 cups green beans
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1¾ cups plain, unsweetened almond milk, divided
(fresh if available)
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh or 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1½ teaspoons mineral salt or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

Optional Topping:

1 medium to large sweet onion
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt

1. Chop the onion, and heat a medium sauté pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and onions to the pan. When the onions start to turn uniformly golden, lower the heat to medium-low so the onions can continue to caramelize. Stir occasionally.

2. Mince the mushrooms in a food processor or with a knife. Heat a 4- to 6-quart soup pot on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; the wine, sherry or stock; and the mushrooms to the pot. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, snap the green beans. When the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, add the cumin and coriander to the pot and stir. Add the green beans and 1½ cups almond milk to the pot. Stir to combine and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the beans are just tender.

4. While the green beans are cooking, lightly oil an 8.5 inch square casserole dish. Prepare the thyme by snipping the leaves off the stems. Prepare the thickening agent by whisking the arrowroot (or cornstarch) in the remaining ¼ cup of almond milk. Once the beans are tender and the onions are caramelized, add the onions into the beans’ pot. Add the arrowroot mixture to the pot along with the thyme, and stir well to combine. Transfer the bean mixture to the casserole dish and serve, or refrigerate and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes before serving.

Optional Topping: If you’re serving the dish the same day and you wish to top the casserole with some crispy onions, start them after step 2. You can cook them in a separate pan to save time or in the same pan used in step 1 after those onions are caramelized. If you’re refrigerating the casserole and serving the next day, you can cook the onion topping while reheating the casserole. Chop the onion and heat the pan on medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions and stir often until the onions brown and get crispy, just before burning. If you wish, place the onions on a paper towel to absorb excess oil before adding them to top the casserole.

 

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