Thanksgiving 2009

I can't believe all of the positive press this year about alternative offerings at the Thanksgiving table!  US Weekly featured Kimberly Snyder and her Raw Pecan Love Pie in their recent issue, the local paper today had a cover story about gluten-free side dishes, and even Martha Stewart had an episode about having a vegetarian Thanksgiving!

When alternative eating goes mainstream I get super excited.  We all have our reasons for veering from the Standard American Diet- and the more veg press (or even GF press) there is, the better chance that us who choose alternative diets wont feel so ostracized or alone.  

This year my Thanksgivings were great! and I think everyone left the table full and happy.  I could have easily served this meal in courses, but I think everything served family style is essential for holiday dinners.  I had two Thanksgivings at my house this year, most dishes were overlapped, but some things were different.

For starters on Thanksgiving #1, I served olive hummus on sliced cucumbers out in the living room.  I had sparkling water, blackberry sage iced tea, and an iced yerba mate for drink options (as well as coffee just in case).  When we said our thanks at the dinner table we had creamy turnip soup, fennel salad, basil green beans and tomatoes, cranberry apple dressing, shitake and millet casserole, and curried sweet potato fries.  After dinner we got comfy back in the living room for pecan pie and pumpkin ginger ice cream.

Saturday morning I visited the farmers' market (for you Louisville locals- the Bardstown Road market is year round) and picked up some turnips, potatoes, baby tomatoes, apples, onions, and sweet potatoes.   The creamy turnip soup is actually a modified version of the potato and root vegetable soup I posted a few weeks ago- I just added more turnips and cashews and switched the yukons for russets- although I prefer the yukons for a soup potato- the russets made the soup very gelatinous.  

The fennel salad was inspired by my Aunt Lynn.  When I saw fennel bulbs at the market I knew I had to include them for Thanksgiving because she'd been raving about how wonderful fennel was for months.  I then found a recipe in my Raw Food Real World book that paired fennel with grapefruit and avocado- and knowing her signature Christmas salad includes citrus and avocado- I made the match and added some pomegranate seeds, coriander, lemon, mint, and black pepper.  

I couldn't believe that local fresh tomatoes would still be for sale in Kentucky in late November, but they were perfect to toss with some blanched green beans and a great pairing for the (super easy) shitake and millet casserole.  Thanksgiving wouldn't be thanksgiving without cranberries and sweet potatoes, so I jazzed up the cranberries with apples, walnuts, and an orange and tossed the sweet potato fries with some cayenne, cumin, maple syrup and garam masala. 

For Thanksgiving #2, I skipped the appetizer, but for drinks fixed a rooibos and fennel iced tea and popped opened a bottle of sparkling apple cider.  The meal included the same shitake and millet casserole, cranberry apple dressing, and sweet potato fries from the first meal, but I served the green beans with almonds, made some redskin and cauliflower mashed potatoes, and garlicky kale.  The pecan pie and pumpkin ginger ice cream were served again for dessert.

I hope everyone's holiday was wonderful.  I am so thankful for my family and friends and for my comfy home.  

If you'd like to get a recipe of something I mentioned above, please comment!  

Super Easy Lentil Soup, Greens and Leeks, and Caramelized Carrots

Mom came over for tea one afternoon and this ended up being our clean-out-the-fridge lunch.  I already had rice from a curry I had made, so I just scooped that on top of the super easy lentil soup.  Greens are my favorite side dish of 2009- whether kale, spinach, collards, or mustard greens- you can pair them with garlic, onions or any other member of the allium family (leeks!) and saute with a little hot sauce.  I usually add a dash of lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to my greens, and if I'm working with super bitter greens, agave nectar may find its way in as well.  To round out this lunch I had baby carrots in the fridge for snacking that were tossed with brown sugar, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt and baked at 450 until they caramelized.  I added sliced a granny smith on top of the carrots for a nice crunchy tangy contrast.  

Super Easy Lentil Soup

2 cups dried red lentils

2 cups veggie broth

2-4 cups of additional water

your choice of cumin, poultry seasoning, garlic, and/or curry powder

Cook lentils on medium/med high with 2 cups of broth (or check out a veg bouillon cube- I like Rapunzel's Sea Salt and Herbs), after about 10-15 minutes add one cup of water, then after 5 minutes more add any additional water, depending on desired consistency.  The soup will take about 30-35 minutes total.

Serve with rice!

Greens and Leeks

1 Leek

4-6 cups of fresh greens (kale is my favorite)

1 tsp of thai chili garlic sauce

dash of apple cider vinegar

pinch salt

Cut leek crosswise and lengthwise, discarding the end and the dark green tops.  Soak cut leek in water to ensure the dirt that gets in the leek does not get in your food.  In a skillet or wok (lightly coated with olive oil), toss leeks on medium high for about 3 minutes.  Add the hot sauce, then the greens, coarsely torn and stems removed.  Toss with vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt until bright green and ready to serve!

Caramelized Carrots

3-4 cups of chopped carrots or baby carrots

1 tbsp of coconut oil (or soy free earth balance)

1 tsp brown sugar

pinch cayenne

1 tsp garam masala

pinch salt

Toss carrots with seasonings and butter and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes until brown and caramelized.  Top with sliced granny smith apples.