Insights
When we think of traditional holiday meals -- especially like Thanksgiving dinner -- often the centerpiece of those thoughts (and of the table) is a turkey. However, we like to think a little differently here at Timeless Foods. This year, make the centerpiece of your holiday meal plans a dish that makes everyone jolly. By that, we mean vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike!
Let’s begin with what every good holiday meal should begin with--an appetizer. Instead of boring your dinner guests with an overdone and dry tradition like tortilla chips and dip, mix-up the appetizer scene with something seriously scrumptious. Lentil Crisps from Food & Wine Magazine, and our very own recipe for Humus made from Timeless Black Butte Chickpeas™ should do it! We suggest you use any of our large selection of Organic Specialty Lentils to make the lentil flour that you’ll use to make Food & Wine’s Crisps. Don’t fret, making lentil flour is easy as holiday pie; all you have to do is grind up enough uncooked lentils to fulfill the amount of flour the recipe calls for. To make the process easier, you can purchase a grain mill from any common cooking supply store or online. If, at this point, you’re thinking “this is just going to be too much work!”, trust us, it won’t be. More importantly, when each and every one of your dinner guests is begging for the Lentil Crisp and Humus recipes, you’ll be grinning ear to ear like a kid on Christmas morning.
Onto the main course. As strange and unlikely as it may sound, the main course that can have even vegan’s and vegetarian’s mouths watering is meatloaf. Well, to clarify, what we’re referring to is not so much a meatloaf as it is a lentil-loaf. And, it’s lentil-licious! The Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf is one we discovered on a great website for finding a huge variety of heirloom grain recipes to please all palates: Pulses.org. Besides the ease of making it, this recipe also offers up some outstanding nutritional benefits. According to the recipe’s nutritional facts, you’ll find absolutely zero cholesterol, over 10% of recommended daily fiber, and 7 grams of protein per each serving. For yet another great (but not vegan) meatless meatloaf recipe, click on over to our own recipe page and spice things up with our Spicy Bean and Timeless Green Lentils Meatloaf.
To wrap things up, surprise your dinner guests with a dessert that’s both innovative and simultaneously timeless as we are: Chocolate Chip Lentil Cookies. This recipe will satisfy vegetarians and omnivores; however, be wary of warning your vegan dinner guests that this recipe falls short of protocol being as it calls for eggs. But, can you ever have enough dessert during the holiday season? We think not. So, checkout the Chickpea Flour Berry Shortcake from Pulses.org which does defer to vegan dietary restrictions, as well as those of vegetarians and gluten-free diners. We’re quite certain your omnivores will omni-devour this particular sweet treat.
Heirloom grains not only bring an exciting break from what may be becoming a little too traditional at the holiday table, they also sprinkle in a healthy side that holiday meals often times have a hard time boasting. From appetizer to entrée to dessert, a holiday party that invites heirloom grains to the table is pulse-itively protein-packed and delicious. We hope that this holiday season is one in which you bring that healthy happiness to all who share your table, and that it is full of baking spirits bright.
