dsm Dish - January 10, 2025

My experiment with vegan “meat” loaf

By Chris Diebel

When cold temperatures settle in, I start cooking classic comfort foods. Think spaghetti Bolognese, beef Bourguignon and pan-fried chicken piccata. Inevitably, my spouse puts a foot down and starts asking me to lighten things up.

With that in mind, I recently turned to an expert who excels at cooking in a way that’s far outside my comfort zone. Jackie Akerberg is the creative force behind the popular plant-based blog Jackfruitful.com and a beautiful cookbook titled “The Clean Vegan Cookbook.” Along the way, she’s racked up more than 467,000 followers on Instagram (@jackfruitfulkitchen), where viewers are treated to vibrant posts of fresh meals without meat. So who better to collaborate with on my quest to lighten up comfort food?

My challenge to Jackie: Help me create a vegan “meat” loaf dinner with mashed potatoes and a vegetable side. On a recent winter evening, she came over armed with tips, tricks and a bag full of groceries. There was a plain, unsweetened creamer that Forager Project makes from cashews, oats and coconut; an oat milk butter from Miyoko’s Creamery; and a dairy-free sour cream from Kite Hill. I was skeptical, but we tasted each product by itself to confirm that they’d pass muster. Indeed, they did.

With my fears of dry and bland mashed potatoes assuaged, we turned our attention to the main attraction, the “meat” loaf. How would we create something that didn’t turn out to be mush? Would it bind without eggs?

Jackie used a protein-packed recipe based on cooked lentils, along with mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic sautéed with Worcestershire powder for an umami punch. As a binder, she mixed ground flaxseed with water. Later, she minced walnuts in a food processor and then tossed in the lentils and veggies, taking care not to make the overall mixture a mush.

Once that was combined, she transferred the lentil mélange into a bowl and mixed in Panko breadcrumbs, a can of diced green chiles and a zippy sauce. That’s where I came in: As a native Texan, I grew up with meatloaf with a barbecue glaze, typically a mix of 50% barbecue sauce, 25% spicy mustard and 25% ketchup. Of course, the ratios are flexible and you can taste flavors as you go.

Once we were happy with the texture and spices, we formed a loaf in a greased pan, topped it with more sauce and baked it for about an hour. When we removed it from the oven, we drizzled additional mustard on top for a decorative kick and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Take it from me, a lifelong omnivore: The dinner was extremely satisfying. It’s ideal for those who want to incorporate a few meatless meals into their diet this winter. The full recipe can be found here.

Quick Bites

Jesse’s Embers has been listed for sale for $1.6 million. The steakhouse on Ingersoll Avenue has served diners for more than 60 years.

Chef David Baruthio is opening Cafe Madeleine Jan. 28, a tasting menu café with 16 seats and chef-driven service, at 218 Sixth Ave. on the ground floor of the Fleming Building. A French native, Baruthio trained as a chef in France before landing in Des Moines, where he’s run several restaurants, including the former Baru 66 in Windsor Heights.

Home Kneads, a homemade sourdough bakery in Madrid, is offering hands-on breadmaking classes with owner Nina Harris. Participants learn kneading, shaping and scoring techniques and go home with their freshly baked loaves, a step-by-step guide and sourdough starter. Choose your class date and register online.

Tone’s Spices, based in Ankeny, will no longer be sold at Hy-Vee, according to the Des Moines Register.

Oak Park is closed for a post-holiday break for staff until Jan. 14.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is now taking applications for vendors for three summer events: the Downtown Farmers Market, World Food and Music Festival and Out to Lunch series. Applications will close on Feb. 7. Visit the Partnership’s website to learn more.

Blue Ox, the Des Moines-based alcohol distiller, claimed the No. 1 spot for Iowa-based alcohol brands sold in the state in 2024, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue’s annual report. The other top brands include Gotcha Spirits (Clive), Cedar Ridge (Swisher), Revelton (Osceola) and Swell (Cumming).

Events

Tonight through Jan. 19: More than a dozen local restaurants offer three-course prix fixe menus for $50-$80, plus optional wine pairings, during Winefest’s Winter Wine & Dine Week.

Jan. 11: Court Avenue Brewing Co. is hosting a new event, “Foundations of Flavor: A Winter Barrel-Aged Beer & Bourbon Festival,” to benefit the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Education Foundation. The event features tastings of six barrel-aged craft beers paired with curated bites, a silent auction with bourbon-themed items, and limited-edition Foundation Series bottles available for purchase.

Jan. 24-25: West End Architectural Salvage hosts “Splurge: Wine, Cheese, Chocolate and More,” where you can sample all kinds of delicacies. Tickets are $50 online or $60 at the door.

Jan. 25: Indulge Des Moines celebrates wine, cheese and chocolate in the annual event’s new location at the River Center. Enjoy samples from dozens of vendors and free parking at the adjacent Iowa Cubs lot.

Feb. 7: The Rollins Mansion hosts a Galentine’s Party to “raise a glass to friendship, fun and all the fierce women who light up your life.” The menu by Artisanal Food Co. includes smoked salmon flatbread, mini chicken and waffles, raspberry baked brie and more. Tickets are on sale now.

Feb. 8: I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa, the state’s flagship African American festival, features soul food, barbecue, a health and wellness expo, and more at the Horizon Events Center in Clive.

Feb. 15: Salisbury House invites guests to High Tea at the Castle, with fancy treats, tea, punch, Champagne and live music.

Feb. 15: Step into Regency-era elegance during the “Death and Diamonds” immersive dinner event, featuring a farm-to-table dinner from chef Aaron Holt and a murder mystery from Newton Community Theatre.

Scenic Route Bakery’s kale salad

By Wini Moranville

Smack-dab in the middle of soup and stew season, I start to crave a little brightness in my recipe rotation. And yet, light and tender summery greens just won’t do. That’s when kale’s the ticket: Hearty, chock-full of nutrients and sparkly green (when prepped the right way), the cruciferous vegetable satisfies like no other salad leaves.

I’ve long admired the way Katy Nelson, executive chef and owner of Scenic Route Bakery, turns the rough, sturdy green into a luscious and colorful main dish. She massages the greens until tender and bright, then combines them with garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, sunflower seeds, a sprightly lemon vinaigrette and goat cheese. That last touch is the clincher: As you fork into the salad, the crumbles of goat cheese soften and meld onto the kale leaves for a rich and creamy angle.

I’m not alone in loving this dish. According to Nelson (pictured), it’s been on her menu since opening day in December 2014 and has emerged as her best-selling salad.

Scenic Route Bakery’s Kale Salad
For the Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
Zest of 1/4 of a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl, using an immersion blender if you have one, or a wire whisk. Transfer to a screw-top jar and store in refrigerator for up to three weeks. Makes about 1 cup (enough to dress around eight salads).

For each one-serving salad:
3 cups loosely packed de-stemmed, washed and dried torn kale leaves
(See chef’s tips, page 51.)
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 heaping tablespoons crumbled fresh
goat cheese

Place the kale in a large bowl. Add the dressing, salt, sunflower seeds, roasted red peppers and garbanzo beans. Using kitchen-gloved hands, massage the kale with the dressing by rolling the kale leaves between your fingers and palm until the kale has brightened, softened and reduced in volume. Transfer the kale to a large bowl and top with the other ingredients in the bowl, plus the goat cheese.

Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of dsm magazine.