Quit cold turkey

SWEET SUCCESS: Dr. Abiole Oladoke owns the Healthy Palate restaurant in Santa Maria and is famous for her vegan and fat-free pies. Credit: PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER

EAT YOUR VEGGIES: Vegetarian or vegan cooking doesn’t mean a lack of flavor. Try your hand at one of the recipes to see for yourself, or go all in and make your own vegetarian holiday feast. Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Dr. Abiole Oladoke, the Healthy Palate Restaurant 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed, then cut into bit-size pieces 4 cups water 1 tbsp sea salt Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add beans and salt to water and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and run some cold water over them to stop further cooking. Leave beans to dry in colander. Sauce: 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (gluten-free option: ground buckwheat flour) 3 garlic cloves, finely minced pinch cayenne pepper powder 3/4 cup vegetable broth 3/4 cup vanilla or plain soy milk (I like vanilla because it gives it a sweeter taste) 1 lb. button, porcini, or shiitake mushroom (or combination, for those who love mushrooms) 2 tbsp. grape juice some water Wipe mushrooms with a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel, trim, and chop into pieces. Heat a skillet on medium, then add some water. Next add mushrooms, minced garlic, and cayenne pepper. Cook mushrooms until soft. In a bowl, whisk vegetable broth, flour, and grape juice till smooth, then add to mushroom. Simmer and stir until the mixture starts to thicken. Add soy milk and simmer or low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and turn off heat. Topping: 2 slices whole or multigrain bread (I like to use a mixture of both) (gluten free option: buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, or millet bread) pinch sea salt 1/2 tsp. fresh ground green/black/white pepper 1 whole red onion, chopped pinch garlic powder 1/2 banana, mashed well till smooth In a food processor, pulse the bread, banana, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until crumbly. Stop and scrape sides down for better crumb consistency. When finished, pour onions and crumbs in a large bowl and mix well together. Assembly: Preheat oven at 425°F. for 5 minutes. Slightly oil/spray a casserole dish. Pour in the green beans mix, then top with the onion mixture. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Ah, Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, and … tofu-based turkey substitute?

Don’t look so surprised, you carnivores. There are plenty of people out there who will be giving thanks without the turkey. And while meat eaters may roll their eyes at the mere thought of a tofurky, that infamous veggie-friendly substitute isn’t necessarily as prevalent as you may think.

By no means does vegetarian mean tasteless. Even if you’re on the fence about trying a traditionally meat-based meal without the meat, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast and still do right by animals, the environment, your health, and—most importantly—your taste buds.

Not quite ready to take the plunge and put your meat-eating days behind you? Two local groups can give you some detailed information about the vegetarian lifestyle—and introduce you to some great people while you’re at it.

In Santa Maria, anyone interested can get in touch with the Society of Vegetarian Inclined People, organized by Dr. Brenda Forsythe, a vegetarian veterinarian (try saying that three times fast.)

For her, Thanksgiving without the turkey is a matter of course. As for family and friends of the meat-eating variety, she said she’s yet to hear any complaints.

THEY LOOK THE SAME! : Central Coast Vegetarian Network’s Judith Lautner said anybody could be vegetarian—you can’t tell just by looking. Credit: PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER

“Even non-vegetarians tend to enjoy vegetarian cooking,” she said. “In 20 years as a vegetarian, I can’t even think of anybody who’s tried it and said ‘Eew, that’s icky.’”

Everyone’s welcome to attend the society’s meetings—even people just thinking about making the switch, hence the “inclined” part of the group’s title.

A similar group in the area is the Central Coast Vegetarian Network, formed last year as a social circle for vegetarians, vegans, or people thinking of making the switch away from meat.

“Sometimes this lifestyle can get lonely if you don’t have friends that live like you do,” said Ria Bacigalupa, one of the group’s coordinators.

Apparently there were many such people in the area, though they’re not lonely any more. The group has gone from just three members at its formation to 78 at last count. And those people come from all walks of life, said the Vegetarian Network’s Judith Lautner.

“We’re varied—varied in age, temperament, even in our commitment,” she explained. “Some are fierce vegans; some aren’t even vegetarians yet. We’re not a fringe group. Anybody you know could happen to be vegetarian, and you couldn’t tell just by looking at them.”

FRIEND TO ANIMALS: Dr. Brenda Forsythe, a vegetarian veterinarian, organizes Santa Maria’s Society of Vegetarian Inclined People. Credit: PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER

HERB SEASONED VEGAN GRAVY: Dr. Abiole Oladoke, the Healthy Palate Restaurant 1 tbsp. potato starch 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped fine pinch dill seeds, ground pinch fennel, ground pinch mustard seeds (yellow or brown), ground 1 garlic clove, minced 1/16 red or white onion, minced 1 tbsp. lecithin granules 1 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp. ground green/black/white pepper 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (gluten-free option: sifted buckwheat flour) 2 tbsp water 3 or 4 button mushrooms (optional) Salt to taste In a blender, blend lecithin granules, potato starch, water, and flour together till smooth, creamy-looking consistency is achieved. In a saucepan, sauté garlic and onion in 2 tbsp. water on medium heat or until the onion starts to look translucent. Add the flour blend and seasonings and stir periodically until mixture starts to thicken. Add the mushrooms (if using) and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or stuffing. Sprinkle some salt over when ready to eat.

Health and taste aren’t mutually exclusive

Dr. Abiole Oladoke is most assuredly compassionate toward animals and conscious of the environmental benefits of eating vegetarian. But for the owner of the Healthy Palate restaurant in Santa Maria, being a vegetarian is about, well, being healthy.

Come this time of year, Oladoke is known for one thing in particular: pie.

The week of Thanksgiving, she figured she’ll be making 20 pies, from scratch, of course. That’s 20 vegan, sugarless, or fat-free pies. If there’s a way to make a pie healthy, chances are she’s … wait, did she say fat-free pie?

“It takes a lot of creativity,” she said, laughing. “When someone makes a request, I experiment and let them know if I can or can’t.”

Vegan pies use tofu in lieu of milk and eggs. Sugarless pies use a sugar substitute, such as the Stevia plant. But fat free?

Dr. Oladoke remained mum. After all, a chef has to keep some of her secrets.

She also recommends natural ingredients over artificial ones. It’s better to cook with butter than margarine, she said. Just use less of it. Butter substitutes use oil with hydrogen atoms added (hence, hydrogenated) in order to make them solid at room
temperature.

It’s this process, she added, that leads the body to have difficulty breaking down the fat, which in turn leads to plaque build-up in arteries.

Her less-is-more philosophy extends to soda, too.

“If someone drinks a can of Coke, first they get the satisfaction from the sugar and caffeine. They don’t get the craving,” she explained. “Someone who drinks a diet Coke, their brain is still looking for the glucose, and they tend to end up
drinking more.”

Not so hot

WILD RICE AND CRANBERRY STUFFING WITH WALNUTS: Johanna Andris, Central Coast Vegetarian Network 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 yellow onions, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups uncooked wild rice or wild rice mix 2 cups uncooked basmati rice 2 cups dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped thyme 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped pepper to taste Substitute golden raisins for the cranberries or pecans for the walnuts, if you like. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in wild rice, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in basmati rice, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Stir in cranberries, parsley, thyme, and walnuts, cover, and cook for 5 minutes more. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Transfer rice mixture to dish and bake until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

At the far end of the vegetarian spectrum is raw-vegan, practitioners of which don’t eat vegetables cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. To an unabashed carnivore, that’s hard (and crunchy) core.

The Central Coast Vegetarian Network’s Bacigalupa didn’t achieve that ideal until she moved away to college. She said she can’t remember when she first decided to not eat meat, but her family tells her she made the announcement around the dinner table when she was 4.

She laughed at the memory of growing up as an aspiring vegetarian living in a carnivore household: “I always gave as much meat to the dog as I could.”

And lest you think that vegetarians have to be culinary wizards, able to craft a gourmet meal from nothing more than three lentils and a piece of tofu, take heart.

STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH: Jerry Beatty, vegetarian veterinarian’s husband 6 small acorn squash, cleaned and halved 6 tablespoons olive or Canola oil 2 cups diced celery 6 chopped green onions 1 to 1 1/2 bunches chopped baby spinach 1 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat is recommended) salt and pepper to taste 1 to 2 tablespoons Margarine Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium to large baking or casserole dish halve and clean acorn squash. Bake for 35 minutes until centers are soft. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes. Scoop out centers and set both aside. In a medium to large sauté pan, sauté the onions in the oil until soft. Add the celery, reduce heat to medium and cover until mixture becomes soft. Uncover after about 5 minutes, add the chopped spinach, and stir until the spinach wilts. Place sautéed mixture into squashes by spoonfuls. Sprinkle bread crumbs over squash. Return to oven an additional 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

“It’s so easy to do,” said SOVIP’s Forsythe. “I think people are more intimidated by the idea of trying something non-traditional on a traditional holiday.”

Bacigalupa admitted to not being much of a cook in college.

“I was kind of a lazy vegetarian: whatever I could nuke,” she said with a laugh.

Of course, dating someone who wasn’t only vegan, but also a great cook helped at the time. She’s since picked up a few recipes of her own, including one for a vegan tofu chocolate pie. She paused to explain what the tofu acts as a substitute for before laughing.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE PIE: Ria Bacigalupa, Central Coast Vegetarian Network 1 package vegan chocolate chips (8 oz) 2 packages Silken firm tofu (10.5 oz) (This quantity makes one large pie or two smaller ones) store-bought Oreo cookie piecrust or coconut piecrust (recipe below) If using coconut piecrust, make it first and let it cool. In a blender or food processor, blend tofu one package at a time. Heat chocolate chips in double boiler until smooth. Blend melted chocolate in to tofu until smooth and creamy. Pour into piecrust and chill overnight or for several hours. Coconut Piecrust 1 1/2 to 2 cups coconut flakes 3 to 4 tbsp. vegan margarine (Earth Balance) Mix flakes and margarine together. Press into 8- or 9-inch pie tin. Bake at 325° for 15 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges.

“You know, I can’t really tell you,” she said. “I’ve never made it the non-vegan way.”

VEGAN ITALIAN BISCOTTI: Jerry Beatty, vegetarian veterinarian’s husband 1 stick vegetable shortening egg substitute equivalent to 6 eggs (I use either plum extract, potato starch, or corn starch) 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 to 2 cups coarsely chopped almonds 3 to 4 tbsp. anise seeds 2 tbsp. almond extract 5 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 6 cups unbleached or whole wheat flour In a large metal or ceramic mixing bowl, cream together sugar, vanilla, shortening, egg substitute, almond extract, and anise seeds. When mixture is creamy, fold in almonds at low speed. Gradually add in flour, salt, and balking soda. Dough will be stiff for the mixer, so I usually mix as best I can with the mixer then switch to washed or gloved hands. Make sure mixture is thoroughly blended from the bottom of the bowl. Place covered with plastic wrap in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set. When dough is refrigerated, take out and make small 2- to 3-inch balls for rolling out on floured breadboard by hand until a 9- to 10-inch roll forms about 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter. Without breaking the rolls, place on a greased (I use cooking spray the first time only) cookie or air baking sheet. One sheet will accommodate 5 or 6 rolls placed about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 25 or 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Take out of oven and immediately cut the baked rolls on a diagonal cut. Start by cutting the ends off (save these for yourself) and cut the baked rolls into 2- to 3-inch segments. Each roll should yield about 6 or 7 biscotti if cut correctly. Place on baking rack and return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

She explained that it’s a chocolate mousse kind of pie.

“If I tell people it has tofu in it after they eat it, they never believe me,” she said.

It didn’t matter if the vegetarians and vegans the Sun spoke to for this article chose their lifestyle because they wanted to live healthier, save the animals, or save the planet, they all shared a common thread: a love of good food.

And that’s the icing on the cake: Vegetarian and vegan cooking is replete with mouth-watering recipes. You can dabble with something as simple as tofu pie, or roll up your sleeves and go to town with a stuffed butternut squash and wild rice and cranberry with walnut stuffing.

If your stomach isn’t rumbling yet, well, there probably wasn’t much hope to begin with.

Now get cooking.

Contact Staff Writer Nicholas Walter at nwalter@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 3, 2009.