Corridor Veg Week highlights vegan dining

As chef at Red's Alehouse in North Liberty, Mike Osler cooks a lot of burgers, pork tenderloins and bacon cheese fries.

But recently, he's flexed a different culinary muscle - developing an alternative all-vegan menu for the restaurant. Vegan means eating no animal products of any kind - no dairy or eggs as well as no meat. Red's vegan and vegetarian customers can now order beet burgers and 'chicken” sandwiches and flatbreads made with chicken substitute Gardein.

'I've been chef here just over a year, but I've been creating vegan dishes for more like 12 years,” Osler said. 'It's great to be able to use some of those specific talents.”

Those talents will be on display tomorrow (4/22) through April 29 during the first Corridor Veg Week. Eight local restaurants are serving special vegan dishes throughout the week.

Organized by Thais Carnall, of Cedar Rapids, the week seeks to showcase vegan dining options and, she hopes, highlight food delicious food.

'When people are looking to switch over to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, the learning curve of eating in a restaurant can be difficult,” she said. 'But I've seen some local restaurants that really, really have been able to understand what vegan means.”

Some eateries are simply spotlighting food from their regular menu, like New Pioneer Co-op's Cashew on a Hot Tin Roof sandwich, a best-seller at the Co-op's cafes, with cashew-jalapeno spread, green peppers, red onions, tomato and spinach on toasted sourdough bread.

Others are creating new dishes, like curry-glazed tempeh steak at Sauce Bar & Bistro, which comes with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and caramelized onions on coconut rice.

'I think a lot of times people focus on what you're missing, But what you realize is all the great things you haven't been eating before,” Carnall said.

She listed off foods that are now a regular part of her diet: chickpeas, seitan, tempeh, and simply more vegetables, cooked more ways.

'I think what it comes down to is the feel and the taste,” she said. 'If you say you're missing meat, you're missing the salt and fat, which you can get in different products.”

People have many different reasons for switching to vegan, from health to environmental to concerns about animal welfare. All three played into Carnall's decision. She was vegetarian for about seven years before switching to vegan about a year ago.

'The more I was reading up on it, the more I wanted to make the switch,” she said. 'It comes down to, once you learn about where our food comes from, you really have to decision to make for yourself every day about what you want to put in your body.”

Osler said highlighting vegan options has been good for business. The restaurant hosted a vegan beer dinner last fall that sold out in about three hours. It's success convinced the restaurants manager's to go ahead with the vegan menu. Now, Osler said people come in to eat there because they know they'll find things for their diet.

'It's definitely a trend as opposed to a fad,” he said.

If you go

What: Corridor Veg Week

When: April 22 to 29

Where: Participating restaurants include: Greyhound Cafe, Lion Bridge Brewing Company, New Pioneer Food Co-Op, Oasis, Quarter Barrel, Red's Alehouse, Sauce Bar & Bistro and Trumpet Blossom Cafe,

More information: corridorvegweek.com

Chef Mike's vegan lentil loaf with ketchup glaze

There are a ton of lentil loaf recipes out there. I encourage everyone to experiment with ingredients and find the little nuances of flavors they most enjoy. Strive for a balance of sweet and savory, fat and salt. The key things besides flavor to go for are texture, the binding of the loaf and moisture content. Nail those things, and you'll have friends and family wowed, saying, 'I can't believe there is no meat in this! I could eat this every day,” etc... Sure, these might be healthy ingredients, but we're making some comfort food here.

I made this lentil loaf for Christmas dinner last year. It was a hit. This recipe is inspired by Oh She Glows and Minimalist Baker (plus my grandmother's meatloaf). I like to throw in the occasional sweet potato. Sometimes I'll use different nuts and herbs, maybe throw in some chia seeds or sweet peas, or I'll use raisins or omit the apples. The sky is the limit.

Note there is a lot of dicing in this recipe, but use a small dice. Your knife cuts will greatly affect the texture of the dish. You may also try using a grater on the carrots, apple or potato. Experiment.

Lentil Loaf

Loaf

1 cup uncooked brown lentils

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

3 tablespoons ground flax, plus 1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon cooking oil

6 garlic cloves, diced

1 medium-sized onion, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

1 medium-sized carrot, diced

1 small potato, diced

1/3 cup apple, diced (I like Granny Smith)

1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil (my preference, olive oil will do fine as well)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

Ketchup glaze

1 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water (add water last and adjust for consistency)

Cook lentils in pot with about 3 cups of water (or veggie broth if you really want to impress). Start with high heat until the pot is boiling, then reduce to medium-low heat and partially cover with a lid, allowing steam to escape. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes, or until lentils can be easily smashed. You will smash about 50 percent of the cooked lentils into a paste with a spoon or potato masher to help bind the loaf.

While lentils are cooking, place ground flax in bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of water with a fork. Let it set for at least 10 minutes until you have a strange slimy liquid similar to an egg white (this is called a flax egg and it is crucial in a lot of vegan baking).

Use a good-sized saute pan and heat a tablespoon of cooking oil. Saute onion, carrot, garlic and celery until onions are translucent. Try to get a good sear on the vegetables - more color equals more flavor. I usually throw in the potatoes when sauteing as well and get them starting to cook and the apple and dried cranberries. If you find a lot of brown sticking to the pan when you turn the heat off, let food set in pan and cool down for a few minutes. This will let you scrape pan with a rubber spatula with ease.

Now that the lentils are cooked and partially smashed, the veggies are sauted and the flax egg is ready, put it all in a large bowl and mix everything else in. Incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly by hand.

In greased bread loaf pan, put in lentil mixture. Line the pan with parchment paper; it may make it easier to remove loaf. Add a layer of ketchup glaze.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Edges will be crispy brown and glaze will be bubbly and sticky. Let loaf set in pan for 10 minutes before removing. The longer it sets, the better. You also can let the loaf cool completely, slice it and then sear the slices on a skillet. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables if you'd like. It also makes great sandwiches.