Dining With Friends: The Main Dish

By Dustin Garrett Rhodes

What is it about Holidays that means a menu must be predictable? We are all expected to cook and eat the same things year after year after year. While it’s one of my favorite holidays (mostly because I love getting together with lots of friends and family and eating lots of food), for the most part I am not a fan of the traditional Holiday feast. While I enjoy green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberries and greens, I long for a vegan cooking revolution.

Fortunately, a plethora of perfect-for-the-holidays recipes do manage to simultaneously reinvent and remain traditional. And they are mouth-wateringly delicious. The Holiday Cashew Nut Roast in Dining With Friends is a stuffing hybrid that is delicious with just about every imaginable Holiday spread. It’s easy to prepare, too. It’s savory perfection. What more could you ask?

For all of you who care to join me in bucking the traditional, I present to you: Holiday Cashew Nut Roast

Serves 4-6

With a taste that reminds us of a delightful nut-based holiday stuffing, this is a fine addition to a holiday buffet. Thanks to Robin Lane, co-founder of the annual London Vegan Festival, for this recipe.

2 cups cashew pieces
4 ounces brown rice
6 ounces of rye toast crumbs—including caraway seeds or a dash of celery seed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large, ripe tomatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons brewer’s yeast
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
½ cup vegetable broth
Dash of ground pepper

Preparation:

Cook rice until tender; coarsely grind cashews. (This can easily be done by hand by carefully running a rolling pin or jar over bagged nuts.)

Chop onion and garlic finely and heat in oil until they are slightly brown; chop and add one of the tomatoes; simmer until soft.

Combine all of the ingredients and press into two 9-by-5-by2 1/2 –inch loaf pans or round glass pie baking dishes. Slice second tomato and use to decorate top of roasts (adding a small dab of vegan margarine to each tomato slice if desired).

Bake for 30 minutes or more at 350 degrees F.

Bon appétit!