Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks and be grateful for what is good in our lives. The Valter Longo Foundation and the Create Cures Foundation give thanks for your support on this special day and offer a complete Longevity -Thanksgiving menu that we especially created for you.
The typical meal Americans eat is the classic stuffed turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. We were inspired by traditional recipes and adapted them to support your path towards a healthy longevity. These portions serve 8 people.
Happy Thanksgiving! We are very grateful for your constant help that allows us to offer everyone the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. Please, share with us your comments and photos about your Longevity-Thanksviging menu in our social media o via email at info@valterlongo.com or info@createcures.org. Thanks!
• 600 g of corn flour
• 200 ml of water
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVO) to taste
• A packet of yeast
• Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix them together to form a homogeneous and non-sticky mixture.
Spread the dough with hands or with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of about 1.5 cm.
Place it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, make holes using a fork and brush them with EVO oil and water.
Preheat oven to 428° F and bake for ~15 minutes or until it reaches a golden color. Cut the focaccia into squares, the typical shape of American corn bread, and serve.
• 1 kg of squids
• 100 g of shredded capers
• 100 g of whole breadcrumbs
• 70 ml of EVO oil
• 200 ml of dry white wine
• Chopped parsley to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 300 g of shredded Taggiasca olives
• Untreated lemon peel
Rinse the squids abundantly under running water. Gently remove the tentacles, set them aside, and use a knife to remove the eye.
Remove the transparent cartilage from inside the body.
Empty the sack from the remaining viscera and wash it thoroughly under water.
Cut the squid and peel the skin.
Use a spoon to fill the squids with the filling by following the directions below, and close them with a toothpick.
Pour a little oil and a clove of garlic in a pan and sauté the squids.
Pour the white wine and cook slowly with the lid closed for 15-20 minutes.
Season with raw EVO oil.
Slice the tentacles of the squid into small pieces.
Pour a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic into a pan and sauté the tentacles with salt and pepper until they are soft.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
Now put the breadcrumbs in the same pan and toast it for about 2-3 minutes; stir often so that it does not stick and/or burn.
Move everything to a bowl and add the parsley, capers, olives, a little lemon zest and a drizzle of EVO oil. The dough will be sandy and compact.
• 3 Organic oranges
• 1 Organic apple
It is important that the fruits are organic since the rind will be used. If organic fruit is unavailable, don’t use the orange rind and peel the apple.
Peel the oranges by removing the zest, the white membrane and the cuticles, divide them into wedges and cut them into pieces.
Slice the rind into strips and set aside
Cut the apples into small pieces and blend them with an immersion blender until a smooth puree is obtained.
Put the oranges, the zest and the apple purée on the stove and bring to boil.
Cook over low heat for about an hour until the jam is thick.
• 2 Large cauliflowers
• 50 ml of EVO oil
• 100 ml of soy milk without added sugar
• Salt to taste
• 40 g of Parmesan cheese
• Grated nutmeg to taste
After dividing the cauliflower into florets, steam it until the consistency is “al dente.”
Combine all the ingredients in a kitchen mixer and whisk everything until the mixture is creamy and free of lumps.
Put the preparation in a non-stick pan and let it heat over a low flame, stirring often to prevent it from sticking.
• 120 g of whole wheat flour
• 130 g of emmer flour (or other cereal to taste)
• 190 g of raw cane sugar (130 g for the pastry and 60 g for the filling)
• 60 g of EVO oil
• 70 ml of water
• Half a packet of yeast
• 15 g of bitter cocoa
• 350 g of pumpkin
• 150 g of coconut milk (or other vegetable drink without added sugar)
• 55 g of cornstarch
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to taste
• A pinch of salt
Put 130 g of raw sugar, water, oil, flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth dough.
Now wrap the dough with plastic wrapper and place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
Peel the pumpkin and cut it into pieces and let it boil for about 20 minutes.
Once cooked, pass it with an immersion blender until a homogeneous puree is obtained.
Transfer the pumpkin into a bowl and add the vegetable drink, corn starch, spices, 60 g of raw sugar and a pinch of salt.
Whisk until mixture is homogeneous and free of lumps.
Now remove the vegan pastry from the refrigerator and roll it with a rolling pin on a floured surface until it reaches a thickness of half a centimeter.
Vegan shortbread may be less elastic than traditional shortbread, which is why it is recommended to wet the dough slightly if it is difficult to work or if it’s too crumbly.
Put some oil in the mold and spread it with absorbent paper; “Flour” with cocoa powder, removing excess as you would with flour, and place the pastry inside.
Place the pastry in the fridge for about ten minutes.
Prick the base of the mold with a fork, cover the base with parchment paper and place a weight on top (i.e. beans). Preheat oven to 392° F and bake for 10 minutes.
Once this precooking is complete, remove the weight and the parchment paper, and stuff the pastry with the pumpkin-based mixture. Preheat oven to 356° F and bake for about 50 minutes.
Prepare the cake in advance so that it’s hardened when served.
ALESSANDRA FEDATO
M.Sc in Applied Biology in Nutritional Sciences
