Candle Cafe is known for its upscale dining experience and artful menu that caters to both vegans and meat-eaters alike. The restaurant has gained a celebrity following and top reviews, making it a popular spot in New York City. For the Thanksgiving edition of the Cooking for Compost series, the award-winning chefs at Candle Cafe designed a completely waste-free Thanksgiving meal for Earth911.com.
Co-owner Joy Pierson and COO Benay Vynerib carefully selected the menu for this special Thanksgiving meal, which was prepared by Chef Eugenio Miranda. The recipes were adapted from the Candle Cafe Cookbook, with some added special touches for the occasion. We had the opportunity to sample these dishes and were impressed by how easy it was to create a five-star dinner at home with little to no waste.
One of the featured dishes is the Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries. Chef Miranda added leafy greens to the original recipe to give it an appetizer feel, and suggested using it as a stuffing later on. The dish is a perfect blend of flavors and textures, with the sweetness of cranberries complementing the nutty wild rice.
Another highlight of the meal is the Pecan-Crusted Seitan. Seitan is a great meat substitute with a firm texture that works well for breading. Paired with Brussels sprouts and cashews, this dish is a crowd-pleaser that even meat-eaters will enjoy. The crispy crust of pecans adds a delightful crunch to the dish.
For the main course, Chef Miranda prepared Stuffed Winter Squash. This dish features a blend of winter squash, mushrooms, and herbs, all stuffed into a baked squash half. Paired with blanched green beans and grilled tofu, this dish is a hearty and satisfying option for Thanksgiving dinner.
To complement the main dishes, Chef Miranda also prepared Wild Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry Relish. The gravy adds a rich and savory flavor to the meal, while the relish provides a sweet and tangy contrast. These condiments are perfect additions to the seitan, tofu, and stuffed squash.
Overall, the waste-free Thanksgiving meal prepared by the chefs at Candle Cafe is a testament to the creativity and innovation that can be achieved in plant-based cooking. With a focus on sustainability and zero waste, this meal proves that delicious food can be both environmentally friendly and satisfying. Thanksgiving is a time for indulging in delicious food and spending time with loved ones. However, it can also be a time of excess waste, with leftover food scraps and packaging often ending up in the landfill. To combat this wasteful trend, consider incorporating waste-free recipes into your Thanksgiving menu.
One such recipe that makes a great addition to post-Thanksgiving sandwiches is a hearty vegetable soup. Using leftover vegetable scraps, such as potato cubes, Brussels sprouts, and onion peels, you can create a flavorful stock that serves as the base for a nourishing soup. Simply throw the scraps into a stockpot, cover with water, and boil for about an hour. Once the stock is ready, pour it into a reusable container and compost the remains. This way, you can make the most of your vegetable scraps and reduce food waste.
For a delicious and compostable dessert option, try making pumpkin pudding. This smooth and creamy pudding is made with dairy-free ingredients, making it a perfect addition to your waste-free Thanksgiving meal. To prepare the pudding, dissolve arrowroot powder in vanilla soy milk, then add canned pumpkin purée, maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix well and transfer to a baking dish, then bake until lightly browned and bubbly. Let the pudding cool before serving, and enjoy a dairy-free treat that is both delicious and compostable.
By choosing waste-free recipes like vegetable soup and pumpkin pudding for your Thanksgiving meal, you can reduce food waste and make a positive impact on the environment. These recipes not only taste great but also help you make the most of your ingredients and minimize your carbon footprint. So this Thanksgiving, consider adding these waste-free dishes to your menu and enjoy a sustainable and delicious holiday feast.
