What's on the Tgiving menu?

[Gator-mom]

I know it's still early, but just wondering if anyone else here has been thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving? I think I seem to typically go a little too crazy and make things too complicated. I want a nice well rounded meal, with one or two special dishes and then a few easier but equally tasty dishes.

In the past I've done stuffed acorn squash, baked tofu, orange green beans, and then the normal mashed potatoes and a veggie gravy.

What are you guys thinking this year?

[wytchywoman]

I always do the traditional side dishes. Even when I ate meat I usually only had the normal stuff, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry salad and sweet potatoes, etc...So I have just figured out ways to veganize those dishes and that's what we have.

[catnip]

It will probably just be the three of us at home for Thanksgiving. Last year my husband woke up sick after we'd planned to go to a potluck. I had made my variation on the V'con pumpkin baked ziti (I use cubed roasted butternut squash instead of pumpkin, and a lot of it, and about a 1/4 the oil she calls for), a beet and arugula salad with spiced candied pecans, cranberry-pear sauce and pumpkin oat cookies to take to the potluck. But that wasn't happening. So we stayed home, and I knocked together some chipotle mashed yams and some biscuits, heated up the casserole, and tossed together an apple crisp.

Best, most stress free Thanksgiving EVER. SO doing the same prep-ahead deal this year. If my mother wants to come over, great. If she wants turkey, she can go to my brother's place. Of course he lives on the other side of the country, and I live 2 blocks away. But I just don't want to do the big stressful family meal-deal.

[Weevil]

We keep it pretty simple: Celebration Roast, mashed potatoes, another veggie (squash/carrots/kale/etc), cranberry sauce, gravy and some sort of dessert like apple crisp.

But it's just 2 of us so that makes it easy

[Sayward]

Last year I posted a big 'recipe round-up' on my blog, if you're interested. =)

vegan t-day!

[nicky85]

I made a pumpkin pie the other day from pumpkin, dates, and spices! My husband cooked the pumpkin and I threw some in our blender with a bunch of dates and spices and poured it in a rice flour crust I had baked already. No dairy at all. We thought it tasted really good. Easiest pumpkin pie I have ever made.=)

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by nicky85

I made a pumpkin pie the other day from pumpkin, dates, and spices! My husband cooked the pumpkin and I threw some in our blender with a bunch of dates and spices and poured it in a rice flour crust I had baked already. No dairy at all. We thought it tasted really good. Easiest pumpkin pie I have ever made.=)

Not to turn this thread into a plug for my website, but I saw in another thread that you guys are high-raw, so I thought you may be interested in my RAW pumpkin pie recipe! It's seriously soooo good. =D

[nicky85]

I bookmarked your recipe. It sounds sooo good-especially the cacao nibs in the crust! Unfortunately, DH is on a hard core elimination diet for rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome and isn't doing nuts right now. It's in my recipe "hope chest" for next year- hopefully he'll be able to eat more stuff by next Thanksgiving!

[Gator-mom]

Thanks everyone, for posting your ideas! It's getting the juices flowing in my brain. I think I'm most hung up on whether or not to try a Celebration Roast this year, or to try to make something from scratch, like a lentil loaf or a Galette. The rest is easy to throw together...

I have at least decided that we are going to be cooking at our place this year. It will be the first year without the family, as they are all seeming to revolve their plans around the football schedule (which we care little about!) so everyone is sort of all over the place this year. We decided that we will cook here, and then invite friends to come over, and if they want to come over, the hoorray, and if not, oh well. More food for us!

Catnip: I love what you say about your mom coming over vs seeing your brother! I was seriously laughing when I read that! I hate how some family members think, 'well what's the big deal if I just make a turkey'... Well, for some of us, that kind of ruins the appetite!!

[katroshka]

We are going to our family's beach camp in Mexico for Thanksgiving, there are small cabins with tiny old propane stoves from the 50's that take forever to get going, and no electricity... so I plan on making almost everything before heading down. I may take some mini sweet potatoes and squash to roast there, either delicata or acorn, those are my favorites. Other than that, I will be bringing cranberry sauce (made with OJ and ginger), tofu roast (I food process extra firm tofu with lots of nutritional yeast, a little Braggs, and Spike Seasoning, then smooth it into a pan and roast until browned), stuffing, and some kind of dessert. Don't know what yet, thinking about a bread pudding for something different.

[nicky85]

It's been fun for me to think about making a little Thanksgiving feast this year too. One that doesn't involve a lot of salt, meat, and processed sugar. We'll probably visit family after dinner since they'll all be eating a more traditional dinner. Gator-mom- I see you're from SLC. I take it your family will be participating in the "holy war" festivities? My in-laws are rabid BYU fans and I expect school spirit will be whipped up into a frenzy when Saturday rolls around.

[Gator-mom]

Originally Posted by nicky85

It's been fun for me to think about making a little Thanksgiving feast this year too. One that doesn't involve a lot of salt, meat, and processed sugar. We'll probably visit family after dinner since they'll all be eating a more traditional dinner. Gator-mom- I see you're from SLC. I take it your family will be participating in the "holy war" festivities? My in-laws are rabid BYU fans and I expect school spirit will be whipped up into a frenzy when Saturday rolls around.

The in-laws are actually NOT BYU fans, but U fans.lol. Not sure if either is any better than the other! My family lives out of state, so it's not really an option to see them this year, as there is no money for travel! We usually head down to Kanab and meet the extended family, but since there is a game Sat(?) everyone is heading back home on Friday, so it hardly seems worth the 5 hour drive. My SIL and her family are not even planning on going, so it just seems dispersed. Honestly, it will be nice to just be in charge of my own family and not have to put up a fight to get access to an oven or a stove top!!

[nicky85]

I'll agree with you there- the only difference is which side of point-of-the-mountain they are on! (And I went to the Y!) =)

[Gator-mom]

Alright so for my main course, I'm deliberating between making a mushroom and spinach galette (anyone every made/eaten this before?...I have not, but it looks good!) or stuffed acorn squash, a lentil loaf with gravy or just buying the Celebration roast.

Anyone have any in-put on those options?

[SummerLove]

Have you tried the celebration roast yet? I don't really like that one, but I do like tofurkey- that is usually on our holiday menu.

[Gator-mom]

Originally Posted by SummerLove

Have you tried the celebration roast yet? I don't really like that one, but I do like tofurkey- that is usually on our holiday menu.

I have not really tried anything yet, except last year I did a Quorn roast thing that was pretty good although small. I am a little concerned about the price of the faux roasts as well. So that's the other reason I'm contemplating making something else from scratch.

[kangamitroo]

i need to browse through some cookbooks. i want a very special squash recipe, but one that can be done for a crowd. i was thinking of stuffed acorn squashes....but not sure it's practical.

i will be a guest at my sil's, so also want to bring some kind of special legume-based dish for protein. she'll serve turkey.

[catnip]

That's the sort of dish I like to make. I don't really like to mimic meat for holiday meals. Maple baked lentils go well with the flavors of a a fall meal, and they are super easy and unfussy. I've made some amazing stuffed squashes, using just a veganized version of my mom's very basic breadcrumb stuffing. If you're wanting to serve a crowd, you might consider a carnival or turban squash, or even a pumpkin.