I love Thanksgiving & what a wonderful Thanksgiving it was! I have so much to be thankful for! My family celebrated the holiday in our “cabin” in Julian, California, with 22 hungry people and 4 dogs, which has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. My Mom is the only vegetarian in the family, and I’m the only “mostly” vegan. I did have a few cheese cheats yesterday, oops! Thoughtfully, my family members were very sensitive to my new dietary desires & substituted a few of our traditional recipes. Of course, for the carnivores, there was the traditional spread of turkey, gravy, buttermilk mashed potatoes, etc., which was fine with me. As I have said before, I don’t expect anyone to compromise their cravings to accommodate me. But, I certainly appreciated the efforts my family took to make sure there were plenty of vegan options! At some point, I hope to take on the very ambitious task of hosting a totally Vegan Thanksgiving celebration!
Vegetarian/Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
Starters:
- Cranberry-Lime Bellini: Prosecco, Cranberry Juice, Squeeze of Lime.
- Sliced Baguette & Brie covered with Warm Brown Sugar-Kahlua Syrup & Pecans.
- Crudites & My Aunt Jan’s Curry Dip (a vegan version was nicely prepared for me with vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream, curry powder & apricot chutney).
Main Dishes:
- Pomegranate Spinach Salad: spinach, fresh pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, candied pecans, homemade pomegranate vinaigrette, & gorgonzola crumbles on the side.
- Veggie Tricolor Pasta Salad: Tricolor fusilli, broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, & black olives with dijon vinaigrette & parmesan cheese on the side.
- Orange Scented & Toasted Almond Green Beans: Fresh steamed green beans tossed with orange zest, toasted almonds, Spanish olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Local Farmer’s Market Fresh Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Baby Beats, & Brussels Sprouts (from Chino Farm in San Diego).
- Tofurky with vegan mushroom gravy & spicy tex-mex cranberry sauce.
- Butternut Squash & Kale Bread Pudding -from Molly Wisenberg’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipe (veggie, but not vegan).
- Corn Souffle (veggie, but not vegan).
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (veggie, but not vegan).
- Sourdough Rolls
Desserts:
- Apple Pie (vegan)
- Pumpkin Pie (veggie, but not vegan)
- Hot Apple Cider
If you would like any full recipes please email me at vegenista@att.net
