Thanksgiving Menu

Our 2009 Adopted Turkey-Gideon

On Saturday we were able to share a compassionate Thanksgiving meal with a local group, The Society of Peace. We had a great meal, a good time, and we won a massage and a gift certificate to a vegan restaurant. Of course we are going to have our own Thanksgiving meal on Thursday and I thought I would share with you our vegetarian menu...and hopefully you will rethink what you are eating for Thanksgiving.

We are not going to be making all of this food, but this is a sample of all of the food you could make! Possibilities are endless!

APPETIZERS:
Mini zucchini and hummus
Pumpkin dip with cinnamon crisps (thanks Nicole)
Carrot dip and crunchy breadsticks

ENTREES:

Roasted Acorn Squash with wild rice stuffing

Vegetable Stew in a Pumpkin

Butternut Squash with Whole Wheat, Wild Rice and Onion Stuffing (not pictured)

Thanksgiving Tofu Loaf

This year we are going to have Quorn Turk'y Roast. It is made from mycoprotien and it actually tastes just like turkey!

SIDE DISHES:

Sensational Sweet Potato Bake

3-4 sweet potatoes, pre-cooked

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tsp ginger powder

¼ cup flour

½ cup pecans, chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. margarine

½ tsp. cinnamon

dash nutmeg

Mash sweet potatoes with orange juice, ginger powder and spoon into casserole dish. Mix flour, pecans, sugar and margarine until well combined. Spoon pecan mixture over sweet potatoes and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed potatoes

Herb Gravy

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 cups vegetable broth

1 to 2 tsp dried herbs, such as thyme, sage, rosemary, or tarragon

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together flour with 1 cup broth. Pour into a saucepan and add remaining broth and herbs of your choice. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat while whisking. Reduce heat to low and simmer until desired consistency is achieved. Add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, adjust consistency by adding more diluted flour to make thicker, or more broth to make thinner

Fruit and Nut Stuffing (This is the BEST stuffing I've ever had!)

1 Tbsp. margarine

3 Tbsp. minced onion

3 Tbsp. finely chopped celery

3 Tbsp. chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. copped, dried apricots

2 Tbsp. dried cranberries

2 Tbsp. raisins

4 cups cubed, day old bread

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable broth

¼ cup milk or soy milk

1/8 tsp. salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt margarine in large skillet and stir in onions and celery. Sauté 3-5 minutes and add pecans, apricots, cranberries, and raisins. Sauté 2-3 minutes longer; stir in bread. Whisk together egg, vegetable broth, milk, salt and pepper. Gently stir well into bread mixture. Place into a greased 8-inch loaf and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes, remove foil and bake 5-8 minutes longer or until top is lightly browned.

Cranberry Sauce

¾ cup sugar

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup orange juice

½ cup crushed pineapple

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1 Tbs. nutmeg

orange zest

½ cup pecans, chopped

Bring to boil water, orange juice, and sugar stirring until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and pineapple and return to boil. Reduce heat, simmer until berries burst. Add orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans. Remove from heat; cool completely at room temperature. Chill, sauce will thicken as it cools.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Dinner rolls

DESSERTS:
Poached Pears
Roasted Apples
Blueberry Crisp

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup vanilla soymilk

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 Tbs. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp. ground allspice

In a blender combine ingredients and pour into 9” pastry crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, cover edges with foil and bake another 20 minutes. Cool before serving.

BEVERAGES:
Silk Nog (hmmmm....)
Sparkling Apple Cider

If anyone wants to come to Thanksgiving Dinner, let us know...you are all invited!