Make a holiday dinner for every appetite

#Middlebury

Every year, my sisters and I start planning our family holiday gatherings a few weeks ahead of time. In our immediate family of 25 adults and children, we have folks who can happily eat anything, diabetics, gluten-intolerant, no-sodium, vegetarians and vegans. We also have dinner guests who have chosen to eliminate large categories of food for a number of reasons, including health, religious rules, human rights, animal rights and concern about the environment.

Planning meals for so many people with so many different nutritional and dietary requirements can be a challenge. If possible, prepare dishes that everyone can eat as a main course or as a side dish or dessert, and simply adjust the ingredients as needed for those with special dietary needs. I’ve provided some tips, techniques and recipes suitable for those with dietary needs that everyone at your celebrations will enjoy!

No-Salt Spice Mix

No- or Low-Salt Diet: This recipe can be used for all savory dishes and provides an abundance of flavorful spices to compensate for the lack of salt. Using this all-purpose spice mix is a healthier way to cook for your guests. For those who want to add salt, simply place a saltshaker on the table.

1 cup (8-ounce jar) onion powder
1 cup (8-ounce jar) garlic powder
3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon sugar or stevia

Combine all ingredients in a small jar with a shaker top and use to season all savory dishes. Makes about 2 3/4 cups.

Root Veggie Au Gratin

(Depositphotos photo)

Serve up this vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free au gratin as a main dish or side. The blend of cashews, nutritional yeast (which is healthy and tastes like cheese) and the broth from the cooked vegetables mimic the butter and cheese flavors in traditional au gratin dishes. Serves 8.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds discarded, and cut into pieces
1 large parsnip or carrot, cut in half
1 large sweet potato or baking potato, whole, not peeled
1 medium-large turnip or rutabaga, whole, not peeled
1 medium onion
8 ounces curly kale, ribs discarded, leaves chopped (5 packed cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-1/2 tablespoons All-Purpose No-Salt Spice Mix
Zest of 1 small lemon
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked for at least 10 minutes
2 tablespoons rice flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1. Place the butternut squash, carrot or parsnip, sweet or baking potato, and turnip or rutabaga into a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Strain the vegetables from the water and reserve 2 cups of the liquid for later use. Let the vegetables cool.
3. Slice the cooked vegetables and the onion into medium-sized rounds of even size and thickness. Place the cooked vegetables, onion and kale into a large bowl. Season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the spice mix and the lemon zest. Toss to combine.
4. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Layer the root vegetables in the dish as desired until the vegetables are almost to the top of the dish. Set dish aside while you make the sauce.
5. Strain the water from the cashews and place the cashews in a blender along with 2 cups of reserved cooking water from the vegetables,
   remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon no-salt seasoning, the rice flour and the nutritional yeast. Blend until ingredients are combined and no more cashew pieces remain.
6. Pour the cashew mixture over the layered root vegetables and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.

Gluten-Free Brownies

Here’s a diabetic-friendly, gluten-and-dairy free, four-ingredient brownie recipe that’s rich, delicious and sure to be a hit with your guests!

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1/2 cup soft almond butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons stevia

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Coat a 6-by-6-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. (A smaller pan yields thicker brownies.)
2. Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender, food processor or large bowl, and mix until batter is thick and fully combined.
3. Transfer brownie batter to loaf pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pan after 6 or 7 minutes, until a skewer comes out almost clean. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan completely before slicing into bars. Serves 6.

TIP: For those who want a topping, a dollop of vegan or dairy-free vanilla yogurt is delicious!

Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis