A few weeks ago, my mom posed a puzzle to me: what do we cook for Thanksgiving for my brothers who eat (nearly) everything, me who avoids land-dwelling meats, and a guest who is both vegan and gf? She concluded the email, "Could you help me with the dinner menu? We'll need need variety!"
That got me thinking - Thanksgiving is a surprisingly gluten-friendly holiday. And, three iterations of our own menu later, I realized it is surprisingly vegan and pescitarian friendly too.
The big thing to keep in mind if you're making your Thanksgiving gluten-friendly is cross-contamination. It turns out that gluten is a sneaky little allergen. A perfectly fine gf food can become a recipe for illness if you prepare it on a contaminated surface, use condiments that have been contaminated, or use a glutened utensil or toaster. Make sure you have a clean start, you're aware of what items you're keeping gf, and everyone knows to use the right serving utensil for all items.
Okay let's talk food! The menu we ended up with sounds so delicious that I'm already looking forward to left-overs.
- Salmon
- Cornmeal encrusted tempeh (vegan, gf)
- Roasted asparagus, corn, zucchini, and sweet potatoes (vegan, gf)
- Garlicky mashed potatoes (vegan, gf): the trick is to use a combination of canned veggie broth and soy creamer instead of butter and milk
- Gravy of choice: we'll have both chicken and gf/vegan
- Corn pudding casserole
- Salad with cider reduction dressing (vegan, gf)
- Dark chocolate dipped strawberries with citrus sugar (vegan, gf): most higher quality dark chocolates are conveniently vegan and gf
Many people with Celiac are also lactose intolerant, so a vegan menu is actually a good starting point. But if you're looking for things that are just gf, you may be surprised that you don't have to look far. Double-checking your recipe and preparation methods: it's likely that you already have a gf turkey, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and cranberry sauce. Throw in a few substitutions and viola - you can have gf cornbread, stuffing, and pie too!
What do you have planned to make your holiday gluten friendly?
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