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Topics Fitness Food Health Natural Pamper Special Style Events Medical Directory Reader's Picks RSS Info About OHL Advertise Archive Photos Return to Mail Tribune NEWS NOW Pastor's sermon: "Violence will not have the last word" GOSIA WOZNIACKA, Associated Press TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press Read Pastor's» Oregon shooter showed little sympathy in calculated killings GOSIA WOZNIACKA, Associated Press BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press Read Oregon shooter » Our View: Gun lobby's influence exceeds its support Read Our View: Gun» Pastor's sermon: "Violence will not have the last word" GOSIA WOZNIACKA, Associated Press TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press Read Pastor's» Oregon shooter showed little sympathy in calculated killings GOSIA WOZNIACKA, Associated Press BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press Read Oregon shooter » Our View: Gun lobby's influence exceeds its support Read Our View: Gun» Turkey? Stuff It! If you've ever seen the looks of horror when you serve up a beautiful, glistening dish of homemade cranberry-orange relish with walnuts to a tableful of die-hard Ocean Spray fans, you know it can be tough to try something new on Thanksgiving. Comment By MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER MailTribune.com By MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM By MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM Turkey-Free Recipes --> Laurie Gadbois, plantwisecooking.com, offers these recipes that eschew animal protein, but are special and festive enough to grace a holiday table. Savory Tofu Nut Loaf 1 medium ... » Read more X Turkey-Free Recipes Laurie Gadbois, plantwisecooking.com, offers these recipes that eschew animal protein, but are special and festive enough to grace a holiday table. Savory Tofu Nut Loaf 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 1 medium carrot, diced ½ cup mushrooms, chopped 3 cloves garlic, diced 14 ounces extra-firm tofu frozen at least 24 hours and thawed 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained ½ cup cooked brown rice ½ cup walnuts, chopped ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats 1. Preheat oven to 350. Line loaf pan with parchment paper. 2. Heat a large skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Add water or broth as needed to keep from sticking. 3. Add celery, carrot, mushrooms and garlic. Cook 10 additional minutes, stirring. 4. Squeeze thawed tofu to remove as much liquid as possible. Place in food processor. Add tomato paste, tamari, seasonings and garbanzo beans. Pulse until combined. Stop and stir between pulses. Leave a few chunky beans. 5. Remove mixture from processor and place in large bowl. Add onion mixture, walnuts and oats. Stir to combine. 6. Pack into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes. 7. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before inverting loaf onto a plate. (Makes 8 servings) Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Preheat oven to 350 degrees For mushrooms 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed ½ cup diced sweet or red onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1cup chopped mushrooms 1 ½ cups cooked rice mixture ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning ¼ cup chopped, toasted nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or use chopped water chestnuts for a lower-fat version) 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons sherry ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped Salt and pepper to taste For rice mixture 1 cup short-grain, brown rice ¼ cup wild rice 2 cups mushroom stock 1 cup water 1. Place all ingredients in rice cooker or in heavy pot. Cook 45 minutes. Keep covered to continue steaming while preparing other ingredients. For savory broth ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons tawny port sherry, or white wine ¼ cup mushroom broth 1 tablespoon tamari 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1) Combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Assembly 1. Pour 3 tablespoons broth into large skillet. Add 3 tablespoons each balsamic vinegar and sherry. Simmer. 2. Add portobellos, stem side up, and cook, covered, 5 minutes, adding more broth if needed. Turn over, continue cooking additional 5 minutes. Larger mushrooms may take a few more minutes. Spoon liquid over mushrooms, and move in pan to keep from sticking. 3. Remove portobellos from pan and place in baking dish. Do not clean skillet. Filling 1. Add small amount of broth to skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook approximately 10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. 2. Add chopped mushrooms, and more broth if needed. Stir and cook 5 minutes. Add poultry seasoning. 3. Stir in 1½ cups cooked rice mixture and chopped toasted nuts and apricots. 4. Spoon filling onto portobello mushrooms. Cover baking dish. 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Spinach Pie Ingredients 3 boxes frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry 2 containers feta cheese, crumbled 2 eggs, beaten 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 box phyllo sheets, thawed Fresh Italian parsley Fresh dill Salt Pepper 2 sticks butter 2 tablespoons olive oil Splash sherry Preheat oven to 375. Sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add a splash of sherry while onions are sautéing. Add spinach and sauté until heated through. Remove spinach mix to large bowl. Add fresh parsley, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Add crumbled feta and stir well. Add beaten eggs and stir again, mixing well but gently. Melt one stick of butter in microwave or on stove. Remove roll of phyllo sheets from box, unroll and lay flat, covered with damp paper towels to keep moist. Using a pastry brush, coat bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan with melted butter. Lay a single sheet of phyllo in pan, then "paint" gently with melted butter. Working quickly to keep phyllo from drying out, continue layering phyllo and butter until you have eight layers with butter brushed between each. Spoon spinach mixture onto top layer of phyllo. Be sure to leave room in the pan for another 8 layers of phyllo. (Leftover spinach mix is great scrambled in eggs.) Even out spinach layer as much as possible. Cover with a sheet of phyllo, then repeat process from first layer until you have eight sheets of phyllo on top of spinach with butter painted between. (You will probably have to melt another stick of butter at some point in the process. Be sure to keep unlayered phyllo moist with paper towels.) Pour any remaining butter evenly over top layer. Using a serrated knife, cut pie into triangles through the top layer (not all the way through to bottom of pie). Bake at 375 minutes until nicely browned and bubbly. Check after 35 minutes. Bake longer if desired. This pie is great piping hot, at room temperature or even right out of the refrigerator! Delicious served with homemade tzatziki. Tzatziki Strain 2 cups plain, full-fat yogurt over cheesecloth or in very fine mesh colander until very thick (starting with Greek yogurt shortens draining time). Meanwhile, shred one and a half large cucumbers (skin on) and strain in a colander. Place paper towel over colander and top with weight to push out water from cucumbers. Once yogurt is thick and cucumbers are well-drained, pat cucumber shreds with paper towel to dry completely. Finely mince 5 to 6 cloves fresh garlic. Transfer yogurt to a bowl. Add cucumbers and garlic to yogurt and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and some finely chopped dill. Mix well. Refrigerate one hour, re-stir and serve with spinach pie. Also great as a dip for fresh vegetables and pita chips. If You Still Want the Bird ? If you would prefer to stick with the traditional T-Day fare but are looking for a better bird, check out natural-food stores and local farms. Your best bet is to go local and organic. Call suppliers well ahead of time to get information — many require advance orders or only offer certain products at specific times of the year. Note that in order to be labeled organic, birds must be certified. Those labeled "natural" most likely have been raised organically but are not officially certified. But the "natural" label could actually mean nothing at all. It's important to talk to the supplier or retailer to know exactly what you're paying for. Birds marked "natural" tend to cost about 30 percent more than their conventionally raised counterparts, while organic poultry often runs about three times as much. Some places to look for a healthier bird: ? Ashland Food Co-op begins selling organic, free-range turkeys from Diestal ranch in Northern California 10 days before Thanksgiving. 541.482.2237 ? Medford Food Co-op begins selling organic, free-range turkeys and natural free-range turkeys from Mary's Free-Range Turkeys in California's central valley on Nov. 18. 541.779.2667 ? The Butcher Shop in Eagle Point takes holiday orders Nov. 1 to Dec. 23 for a variety of specialty meats, including organic free-range turkeys; smoked or fresh turkey breast; free-range ducks; and turducken — a chicken in a duck in a turkey. 541.830.3369 » Social News If you've ever seen the looks of horror when you serve up a beautiful, glistening dish of homemade cranberry-orange relish with walnuts to a tableful of die-hard Ocean Spray fans, you know it can be tough to try something new on Thanksgiving. There are many folks who don't give a figgy pudding about turkey on T-Day (or any other day). Maybe it's for ethical or health reasons. Maybe they aren't into the long prep and cleanup. Or maybe they're just rebels without applause for the same old feast. If you're one of them, or would like to be, there are ways to get over your guilt of robbing your guests of their traditional fare. You may even be doing them a favor. "There is increased awareness from population studies that chronic degenerative diseases are more prevalent with meat-based rather than plant-based diets," says Miven Donato, a Medford physician who specializes in Gerson Therapy, a regime that centers on an organic, vegetarian diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements. "And you can decrease your risk of contracting bacterial diseases by avoiding meat-based foods. Remember that your health is more important than keeping a tradition that has far greater risk now than in the past." That's all well and good, of course, but what about, you know, tradition? Not to worry. Donato says to remind guests that Thanksgiving is about a lot more than food. "The ambient music, the conversations, being with family and friends, and even inviting or sharing with others who are not fortunate enough to enjoy the season, the attitude of thanksgiving and the celebration of the blessings from God are what makes the Thanksgiving occasion special," Donato stresses. No matter what you serve, it's important to keep the atmosphere festive, and choose foods that call attention to nature's bounty. "Look for what's in season for the best flavor and quality>" says Laurie Gadbois, a certified instructor in the plant-based Food for Life program designed by the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine. "It's a holiday, so don't skimp on ingredients. Splurge and buy those fancy gourmet items. And be sure to use traditional herbs and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, sage, rosemary and thyme — and don't forget the garlic!" A variety of seasonal colors and textures — orange sweet potatoes, red cranberry sauce, brown mushrooms, vibrant greens — goes a long way toward creating a traditional holiday vibe. Gadbois, who maintains the plantwisecooking.com website, also advises to plan on a "knock-out main dish" accompanied by a number of side dishes. If it's your first time trying something like the Savory Tofu Nut Loaf recipe she provides here, be sure to cook it at least once before the big day to work out any potential kinks. You can also try your hand at making "mock turkey" from ingredients like lentils. If you aren't ready to go it on your own, there's always Tofurkey — long the butt of sitcom and movie jokes, but in reality a viable option for a turkey-free feast. "The taste of a plant-based, mock turkey entrée depends on the creativity of the person or chef selecting the ingredients to satisfy the palates of anyone who is willing to try a healthier option," Donato says. "More experienced chefs can produce wonderful-tasting foods when they are willing to use their skills with whatever meat-free menus are called for. So be creative!" Gadbois emphasizes that offering a bountiful feast will prove to friends and family that it's possible to eat a plant-based diet and leave the table nourished and satisfied. And there's yet another advantage of keeping the feast lighter this year: "One of the side benefits to a healthy, plant-based Thanksgiving is you'll be able to enjoy your day and not slip into a 'food coma' after eating the typical high-fat turkey meal," Gadbois says. "You can skip the nap and go for a walk or just spend more quality time with friends and family." By MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER MailTribune.com By MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction Archive Terms of Use Privacy Policy Contact Us Advertise Careers Copyright © . Local Media Group, Inc. 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