Thanksgiving no turkey Vegan Non-Stuffing Main Dish

 

Thanksgiving no turkey Vegan Non-Stuffing Main Dish

Well now, don’t go feeling sorry for me that I wasn’t gobbling up all that turkey, gravy and stuffing.  Greedy guts me would never go without something delicious and satisfying, and I considered what to make for myself for days on end till I refined my ideas to this:

1 tablespoon mustard oil
20 grates fresh black pepper
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms, diced
3 fresh garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
2 slices purple cabbage, diced
1 long sweet red pepper, diced
1 ½ cups ancient grain rice mix (red rice, barley, rye berries, oats, quinoa, black barley)
3 cups water
salt to taste
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 small pomegranate, seeded

Turn the heat on to medium and pour in the oil.  When it’s hot, grate in the pepper and add the onion and sauté till it becomes golden.  Add the mushrooms and sauté till golden as well.  The flavours come from these golden steps, so don’t skip them, ever!  If more oil is needed, add it. 

All the trimmings, veg and non

Once the mushrooms are golden and even a bit crispy, add the garlic, purple cabbage and red pepper.  Cook till the cabbage and pepper are a little softened, then add the mixed grains.  I buy these in a jug from a certain big box store.  The directions on the jug lie.  Ignore them if you don’t want raw and soupy grains.  Instead, pour in the water and put the heat on high.  I didn’t add salt, as this is part of my new fangled philosophy about diet and nutrition, but you certainly can.  Bring to a boil, then place a tight lid on the pan and reduce to simmer.  Stir occasionally.  This dish will need to cook for about two hours.  In the last stretch, stir in the chopped walnuts and let heat through. 

When you’re ready to serve this, spoon it into a pretty serving dish and decorate it with the pomegranate seeds.  

Normally I would have also used an Indian masala for this dish, but as I was intending to keep the meal free of my own delights and desires, instead trying to keep the meal on a Western Canadian theme, I refrained.  As this was my main dish, I didn’t feel too guilty to have it with pan fried brussel sprouts, (read lots of ghee) which are coming up next…