Shawarma mushroom and carrot loaf
with tahini drizzle and pomegranates
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For most people, Thanksgiving is a time for tradition. But for me, as a transplant in the United States, it is a time to break rules.
While I would describe myself as someone who adores traditions, carving out a Thanksgiving day that works for our family has been an important step in finding our own sense of belonging in our adopted home. While the turkey and sides were trialed and errored in the early years, we have, in more recent years, settled into a routine that reflects who we are and where we came from.
For us, thanksgiving day is my excuse to cook a feast with no prerequisites. Our day goes something like this:
I wake up and take the vegetarian ‘sausage’ rolls, that I have pre-prepared, out of the freezer. I throw them in the oven and when ready, we dunk them into tomato sauce (ketchup), devouring the hot cheesy pastry as we watch the Macy’s Day parade. We get bored after about 45 minutes. I retreat to the kitchen to do a bit of cooking. Fun cooking. Not cooking for social media, or ‘developing’. No scales or measuring spoons required. Just enjoyable and meandering cooking. I love it.
Our exact menu changes year to year. But the non-negotiable essentials are: hazelnut potato gratin (in the potato chapter of Tenderheart), Claire Saffitz’s sour cream and chive rolls, and sticky rice. Spring rolls are a recent addition to my roster but I think it is a dish that will stick. There is always several salads, Brussels sprouts and a salad with winter squash (pumpkin). When the kids were little, I’d make mac and cheese topped with tater tots (potato gems) and that is a dish that comes back time and again. There’s always pavlova. Often my husband and I will pop down to Sunset Park and pick up some Chinese barbecue meats for the kids, which they eat wrapped in steamed bao bun.
As I said, we break all the rules.
Rather than repeating the same old Thanksgiving advice and recipes, over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing some “celebration” dishes that could be served on ANY feasting table over the coming holiday season, suitable for both southern and northern hemispheres. Each recipe could also double as weeknight meals. They will, of course, centre vegetables as a main meal; I’d love to leave behind the idea that vegetables are only side-worthy. For me, vegetables will always be the main event.
We kick off with a dish I’ve so excited about. It’s a crave-worthy, visually arresting shawarma mushroom and carrot loaf, finished with a tahini drizzle, piled with herbs and pomegranate. It’s robust and satisfying, full of umami, and a real showstopper on the table. It’s also carve-able, which is always delightful. This is easily adaptable for vegan and gluten free diets and be prepped ahead. It’s wonderful. I hope you enjoy it.
I’m leaning into the holidays heavily and early this year because the joy and wonder and escapism is well needed.
Monday: Tomato and ginger braised tofu, an easy, flavoursome meal with rice
Tuesday: Tzatziki chickpea salad, light but substantial. Serving suggestion: top with slices of chewy fried haloumi and warm flatbread
Wednesday: remember this pandemic era hit? Miso squash ramen
Thursday: Potato, pea and cauliflower shepherd’s pie
Friday: Mango and cabbage rice vermicelli salad. One for the antipodeans, but also do-able up north. Sub the mango with thinly sliced persimmons (in season and everywhere right now in NYC) and I hear from
, in Cali too.
🥦 My cookbook, Tenderheart is for cooking vegetables, all year round. Pick up your copy here. It is also mostly vegan (or vegan-izable) and gluten-free adaptable.
Shawarma mushroom and carrot loaf
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love.
To make it vegan, use a melting vegan cheese. Gluten free breadcrumbs work perfectly as do flax eggs.
Any mix of mushrooms will work. I used cremini (swiss browns) and oyster. Shiitake will love a nice bite.
Serves 4-6
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (any colour), finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g (about 1 pound) mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon shawarma spice* (see note for substitutes)
250g (3 small) carrots, coarsely grated
2 cups (about 200g) dried breadcrumbs (regular or gluten free)
1/4 cup parsley or other such herbs such as coriander, mint, chives, plus more for serving
110g (1 heaped cup) grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten, (or 3 flax ‘eggs’*, see note below)
1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed
Tahini drizzle
2 tablespoons tahini paste
juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon (1 - 2 tablespoons)
sea salt and black pepper
Heat a large skillet / frying pan on medium high heat. When hot, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the onions, and garlic and stir until softened, 2 -3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have softened and the water has cooked out; the mushrooms should be starting to stick to the pan, 7 - 10 minutes (the time will depend upon the type of mushrooms you use). Add the shawarma spice and toss to coat.
Meanwhile prepare an 8.5 inch (21.5cm) by 4.5 inch (11.5cm) x 2.75 inch (7cm) loaf pan to by drizzling with a little olive oil and swirling it around so it coats the base and sides. Line with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 375˚F / 190˚C.
Transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl, making sure to scrape off any bits stuck to the pan. Add the carrots, breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese, eggs (or flax eggs), and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper. Mix well. Taste and make sure you’re happy with seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and press the mixture down to remove as much air as possible.
Bake until the top is golden, and it feels firm and springs back when pressed, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. Place the tahini into a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, a little at a time, until the tahini is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Remove the loaf from the oven and set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes (if you slice it too soon, it may fall apart). Cover the pan with a plate or board and carefully invert the loaf. Pour the tahini drizzle all over the loaf and top with herbs and pomegranate. Using a serrated knife, cut into thick slices and serve as is, with a side salad, roasted vegetables or as part of a feast.
Notes:
Shawarma spice can be substituted with another spice blend such as ras el hanout, baharat or harissa. Or try a combination of pantry staple spices such as ground cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric and paprika
Flax egg is a great substitute for vegans. To make 1 flax egg, stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and set aside for 3 minutes to thicken up. For this recipe, you’ll need 3 flax eggs (3 tablespoons ground flax seeds and 9 tablespoons water).
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Sounds wonderful. Do you line the whole loaf pan or just the bottom?
If this is anywhere near as nice as some vegetarian burgers I made for our granddaughter I know it will be amazing, and this is coming from a dedicated meat eater. Perhaps I can can make this as well as the bacon free zucchini slice at Christmas. Thank you