Vegan Holiday Guests

First published in November 2013, but plenty relevant as the holidays loom!

James: On Monday evening, just as I was lowering a fifteen-pound turkey into a couple gallons of herbed apple juice brine the phone rang. It was my wife's Uncle Mike, calling to report that he and Aunt Susan would be driving over from Mobile to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Since we hadn't seen Uncle Mike in years this was happy news, accompanied by mild anxiety that we wouldn't have enough turkey and honey baked ham to go around. We needn't have worried. "We're vegan," admitted Uncle Mike, proving that there's nothing like a quadruple bypass to open the eyes to new dietary possibilities. Reviewing our Thanksgiving Day menu we had to admit that there wouldn't be much for Mike and Susan to get their teeth into. Time to get creative!

Lucie: I've been in this exact situation—and survived! A couple of years ago, as my male roommates planned a "Grilltacular" at my house, I realized our vegan friend might feel a bit at-sea (among other things) when faced with the herd of meat we intended to serve. While I could have easily thrown a few vegetables over the flames—and ultimately, they did sneak in—I opted to whip up a side dish she could enjoy. And that's how I landed on quinoa and pistachio salad with Moroccan pesto (you can find the original blog here.)

The result? A dish devoured by vegan and non-vegan alike and immediately added to our "repeat favorites" list. (My boyfriend even made it for his work Thanksgiving party this week.)

Superfood quinoa meets the herby pesto, salty pistachio crunch, and juicy roasted reds. How can you lose? I've made a few tweaks over the years, including the addition of sriracha and honey to my Moroccan pesto (which I've learned is also called "charmoula") and cooking the quinoa in grapefruit juice instead of orange juice. I also have never added olives, though the original recipe called for it. Just a personal preference, though your mileage may vary.

Sometimes we leave out the pistachios too, because they get so expensive. You'd have to be nuts to spend that much! And if you were nuts, would you need to buy pistachios? Therein lies the paradox.

Quinoa and Pistachio Salad with Moroccan Pesto

Yield: 6 servings as side.

1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup organic vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons sriracha (optional)
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

12 oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped (I left these out, not a big fan of olives)

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Method:

1. Preheat the broiler to 500. Place the bell pepper halves on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 12–15 minutes, until skin is blackened. Remove from the oven and, using tongs, place the peppers in a Zip-loc bag and let them cool for ten minutes.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, vegetable broth, grapefruit juice, and quinoa. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer. Let cook for 10–12 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

3. Make Moroccan pesto: In your food processor, combine cilantro, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add sriracha and honey if desired. Puree.

4. Once the red pepper has cooled, remove the skin and roughly chop each half.

5. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, pesto, red peppers, chickpeas, and olives (if using). Serve.