November is the month to remember and give thanks, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s unfortunate that the holiday is often viewed as simply a day to overeat and watch football.
1 Leek, light green and white part chopped
1 cup Mushroom
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
3/4 cup Celery, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 cup Green Onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1 1/2 cup Gold Flax, ground in coffee grinder
1 1/2 cup Almonds, soaked overnight
2 cups Cashews, soaked 1-3 hours
3 cups Corn
2 tsp. Himalayan Crystal Salt or natural sea salt
1 to 2 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. cold pressed olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup water
Place almonds, cashews and 2 cups of corn in a food processor and coarsely mix, adding water until it looks like a thick dough.
Combine remaining ingredients and gently mix them in with the nuts and corn.
Place in a dish and dehydrate at 100º F for about 8 hours or until desired moisture is achieved.
Makes 4-6 servings
In our efforts to stuff ourselves we really should know the difference between stuffing and dressing. If I can’t change the nation’s Thanksgiving traditions, at least I can expand our culinary lexicon.
In “The Joy of Cooking,” a defining characteristic of stuffing is the act of putting the food into a bird before cooking. Dressing, on the other hand, can use similar ingredients, but is simply cooked on the side.
Since I don’t eat birds, I use my own definition. Stuffing is something that has been stuffed into something else, such as stuffed zucchini blossoms or stuffed peppers.
Dressing is something that could be stuffed in a tomato or pepper, but prepared and served as a side dish and not stuffed.
Dressings have become the center of my Thanksgiving meal. One of my favorites is corn-mushroom dressing.
This holiday dish contains some of my favorite foods including leeks and red bell peppers. One of the reasons I love this dish is because I reserve it for November and Thanksgiving. When food is only prepared on special occasions, it is something to look forward to and a real treat.
Leeks look like giant green onions, and in fact they belong to the same family. There is research that link leeks to heart health.
The main thing to know about leeks is how to wash them. Because of overlapping shapes, dirt tends to easily get stuck and must be carefully and fully washed out. I thinly slice the leeks, separating the rings and then place them in a bowl of cold water. I gently move the leeks around to remove the dirt.
Whether you use this recipe as a dressing or a stuffing I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.
For more information about a balanced life or Nadhirrah visit www.summerbear.org
