You might be surprised to hear that I have only once in my entire life hosted Thanksgiving! I live 10 minutes from my parents and they always host—always that is, except for the one time they went to visit my brother. Even though I am not hosting a whole dinner, I am collaborating with my mom and dad so that we have a full spread with something for everyone! We finally sat down today to chat about who should make what. My parents are being very thoughtful and tweaking their non-vegan dishes by using vegetable stock and Earth Balance butter so that David and I can really dig in! I’m going to make a few yummy dishes too.
I am going to make this Fig Hazelnut Jam that my friend Bonny Belle introduced me to last week! It was delicious and so pretty the way she served it on crostinis with little pear slices on top. I will be sure to post a picture once I make it.
I’m also going to be making this Delicata Persimmon salad, which I’ve adapted from a recipe I found during the Virtual Vegan Potluck.
Thanksgiving isn’t right without sweet potatoes, so I’ll try out Chef Chloe’s
Coconut Mashed Yams.
Coconut Mashed Yams With Currants
3 large garnet or other yams, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
1/3 cup maple syrup or packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup currants, soaked in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes and drained
Place yam pieces in a large pot and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
Add coconut milk, maple syrup, salt and spices, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more coconut milk for a creamier texture and more maple syrup for a sweeter flavor. Mix in currants and serve.
I’m also going to make her Golden Gravy. I made it a few months back with her meatloaf and it is definite Thanksgiving flavor!
Golden Gravy
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup flour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion until soft. Add nutritional yeast and flour, and stir for about 1 minute. Add water, soy sauce, thyme and garlic powder. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick. Transfer gravy to a blender and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste.
My family has never all settled on one way to make mashed potatoes. I like them a little chunky and loaded with garlic, my mom prefers them whipped with butter. So we’ll be dividing up the potatoes like usual.
My dad will be making his Cranberry-Orange Relish, one of my favorites!
For dessert my mom is making pumpkin pie and I’m going to make my apple pies and maybe some coconut whipped cream. Yum!
And if those ideas don’t seem right for you, here are a few other dishes that would be great for Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Soft Pretzels with Cranberry Mustard
Pumpkin Butter—perfect on a bagel for a light breakfast if you are having overnight houseguests!
For a simple main dish, stuff your stuffing into roasted, halved delicata squash.
Just thinking about all of this makes me full! Now to brave the grocery store and get the rest of the ingredients that I need!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you ! I’m looking forward to time with my two favorite guys, my sisters, and my mom and dad. I wish my brothers and their wives could join us, but excited that they’ll all be here for Christmas, which is coming up so quickly!
After a whirlwind of yummy food and family on Thursday, Irving and I are heading off to Vegas to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary!!! I will be checking out the plant based food scene while we’re there and will give you a full report next week!
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