Thanksgiving for all: Three sisters salad for vegans

"Chef Pyet DeSpain, winner of the first season of Gordon Ramsay's "Next Level Chef," is releasing a new cookbook, "Rooted in Fire," on Nov. 18, showcasing recipes inspired by her background as a Native American and member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi tribe and as a Mexican American. In its pages, she describes growing up on the Osage Nation Reservation and in Kansas City."

""I loved watching the grandmas and aunties cook big pots of beans, squash, and rice outdoors over an open flame during the ceremonial powwows and then place their labor of love on the long tables for all to enjoy during the supper break," she writes. "I dug in, and instantly fell in love with that three sisters salad. I have re-created that dish here, keeping it simple so you too can savor the traditional flavors of my youth.""

"The three components of this salad - corn, beans and squash - are often referred to as the "three sisters" in Native American culture. The three crops were often planted together and, when eaten together, complement each other to provide the amino acids the others lack alone, offering a complete source of protein, according to the Food Studies Institute. This makes it a great menu option for satisfying your Thanksgiving guests on a plant-based diet."

Rooted in Fire features recipes inspired by Native American Prairie Band Potawatomi and Mexican American heritage. The book recalls childhood on the Osage Nation Reservation and in Kansas City, with grandmothers and aunties cooking large pots of beans, squash and rice outdoors over open flames during ceremonial powwows and serving them on long tables at supper. The Three Sisters salad pairs corn, beans and squash to provide complementary amino acids and a complete plant protein, making it suitable for plant-based holiday menus. The recipe sautés onion, corn, zucchini and thyme, then combines cooked black beans and seasons with salt and pepper.

Read at The Mercury News