our thanksgiving spread has worked out pretty well this year!
we made this seitan roast, mashed potatoes, and smashed acorn squash. (again, sorry for the bad lighting, we’re doing this in our hotel room.)
make brussels sprouts that don’t suck!
- place them in a pan, and fill the pan 1/2 full with vegetable broth.
- drizzle olive oil over the tops and sprinkle on sea salt.
- bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until you can stick a fork through one.
one of my favorites - this warm barley salad.
- bring 1 cup unhulled barley and 3 cups water to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.
- as soon as the barley is chewy and ready, stir in 1 cup dried cranberries, 2 cups shredded fresh spinach, and 2 tbsp non-dairy butter (earth balance). serve hot!
check out more of our favorite holiday foods if you’re still stumped as to what you’ll make for thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. good luck!
SO EXCITED FOR SEITAN ROAST
this pumpkin pudding is a welcome break from all the hot roasted food that i’ve been eating all night.
for the pumpkin:
- blend together 1 package firm silken tofu, 1 large can pureed pumpkin, and 2/3 cup raw sugar until everything is consistent.
- stir in 2 tsp ground cinnamon, a dash of ground cloves, and a dash of nutmeg.
- this can be refrigerated for a while to make it taste even better.
for the coconut cream (good for topping or swirling in, really just good in anything!):
- refrigerate two cans coconut milk either overnight or at least for a few hours.
- when it’s fully chilled, there should be some solid coconut milk sitting on the top of the liquid in the can. spoon that solid coconut out, and set aside the liquid.
- whip the solid coconut in the blender for a few minutes, and you should get a creamy, light cream. do this right before you serve the dessert.
for the sweet toasted almonds:
- pour 1 cup slivered blanched almonds into a small sautee pan with a splash or two of the leftover liquid coconut.
- pour in 2 tbsp sugar and stir everything around until the nuts start slightly browning.
- serve hot with the cold pumpkin and coconut cream.
this makes a ton, but it’s pretty delicious so it should be gone fast :p enjoy!
to me, thanksgiving (and any other holiday) isn’t about meat - it’s about friends, family, being together, food, and festivity.
people think that being veg*n is about giving up so much, when that’s not the case at all. we throw just as good parties without meat! this is just one of many ways you can bring that “spectacle” to a holiday party without having a big dead animal on the table. (it’s also one of the easiest ways to do this, without having to make tofu or seitan. it’s all vegetables and grains!)
try making multiple kinds of foods and serve them in squashes, it looks really awesome and everyone at our big party this weekend loved it.
- hollow out a large pumpkin.
- put on to boil 2 cups wild rice.
- break apart 1 head cauliflower, place in a pan and drizzle on olive oil. bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes, or until they start slightly browning.
- prepare 3 cups chickpeas (either by boiling dried or heating canned & drained.)
- when the rice and cauliflower are almost done, toast 1 cup raw sunflower seeds on a medium-low heat pan.
- stir everything in a large bowl, folding in 2/3 cup dried cranberries.
- pour into the pumpkin and bake at 450F for 20-30 minutes.
serve hot! feeds about 10 people.
mmmm i can’t wait for my vegan thanksgiving!
