Got Your Turkey? Here’s the Sides You Need for Thanksgiving

Vegetarian sides is the theme for my cooking class tonight.

I know from my own experience, and from speaking to friends and family, we lean towards tradition, nostalgia, and recipes we know will “work.” This may mean 5 sticks of butter, a bag of marshmallows, and a pound of brown sugar.

And that’s just for the sweet potatoes!

Somehow, Thanksgiving morphed into eating large volumes of high fat and high sugar foods until becoming uncomfortably full, then sleeping it off.

Lightening up some of your favorite dishes can still pack a punch of flavor, be naturally sweet and creamy, allow you to honor tradition, and leave you feeling satisfied, all without having to loosen the belt a notch.

Below are lightened up classics, plus some new recipes that I hope will someday become part of your holiday repertoire and favorites.

All are low in fat, and all are vegan with the exception of the Kale Pomegranate Pecan Salad, which has a little bit of Parmigiano Reggiano that you could omit to keep it vegan.

Always try out a recipe first before making it for a large group.

This will give you an idea of timing, and opportunity for any recipe adjustments, such as for seasoning.

The Delicata Squash with Wild Rice and Greens and Slow Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Tahini Sage Cream recipes were inspired by my Purple Dragon share.

 

Slow Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Tahini Sage Cream

Serves 4

This works great as a finger food appetizer. Use leftover Tahini Sage Cream as a condiment on grains.

1lb rainbow carrots

2 tsp good quality vegetable oil

Sea salt

1/4c tahini

1 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp fresh sage, divided

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 tbsp water

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees

-Wash carrots, trim ends and lightly peel

-Slice lengthwise into uniform strips, so all are the same width,  about 1/2″

-Place carrots on parchment lined baking pan, rub with oil, and sprinkle with salt

-Bake until carrots soften, about 30 minutes

-Meanwhile, blend tahini, tamari, 1 tbsp sage, lemon, and garlic until creamy

-Slowly add water, and blend until the consistency of honey

-Remove carrots from oven, and arrange on platter

-Drizzle with half of tahini cream, garnish with remaining sage, and serve

-Serve leftover tahini cream on the side for dipping

 

 

Baby Bella Mushroom Gravy

Makes 4 cups

Leftover gravy makes a great pasta sauce for a midweek meal.

1 tbsp good quality vegetable oil

1 cup chopped shallots

24oz package baby bella mushrooms

2 tbsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp tamari

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

-De-stem mushrooms and use for another recipe

-Brush dirt off mushrooms and slice thinly

-In a sauté pan, cook chopped shallots over low heat until soft, about 5 minutes

-Add mushrooms, cover, and cook over medium heat until mushrooms wilt

-Sprinkle in flour, and stir to incorporate

-Add 2 cups water, tamari, and pepper, stir, and heat to simmer

-Garnish with rosemary and parsley

Smashed Roasted Garlic Yukon Gold Potatoes

Serves 8

Yukon gold potatoes have golden flesh, and are creamy and naturally buttery. Keep the skins on for added fiber and texture.

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, washed, cut into 1″ chunks

1-1/2 tsp salt, divided

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, warmed

1-2 bulbs roasted garlic*

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

-Place potatoes and 1 tsp salt in large saucepan

-Add just enough water to cover potatoes

-Simmer potatoes over medium heat until very soft, about 20 minutes

-Reserve 1 cup potato water, then drain, and return potatoes to pan

-Add milk, garlic, and pepper

-Mash with potato masher until desired consistency, adding potato water as needed

*Roasted garlic is a delicious and easy to prepare condiment to have around the kitchen. I make it when I already have my oven on for something else. Just cut the tops off a few heads, top with a little olive oil, salt, and herbs of choice, wrap in parchment paper, and bake at 350 degrees until it caramelizes, about 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator, and squeeze garlic out of bulbs as needed. Spread on bread with brie, or stir into mashed potatoes or pasta dishes. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Sausage and Sage Dressing with Granny Smith Apple and Pine Nuts

Serves 8

8 cups cubed bread, toasted

1 tbsp good quality vegetable oil, optional

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup diced mushroom

1 Granny Smith apple, diced

1/2 cup dried cherries, diced

1 14oz package Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tbsp fresh sage

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

4 cups of water, or as needed

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Break up veggie sausage into bite size pieces, and bake on parchment lined paper until crisp, about 20 minutes, and set aside

-Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, cook onion, celery, carrot, and mushrooms in oil or small amount of water

-Add diced apple and dried cherries, and heat through

-Add thyme, rosemary, sage, and salt, stirring to incorporate***

-Stir in toasted bread cubes and veggie sausage, and add water slowly, stirring, just until bread is moistened

-and turn out into a 9×12 baking pan

-Top with pine nuts and parsley, and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered or until top is browned

***Spices can also be added to baking pan while toasting cubed bread, instead of to the sauté pan. If you are substituting boxed breading, be sure to check the package ingredients for salt and seasonings before adding more.

Kale Pomegranate Pecan Salad

Serves 8

2 bunches of purple kale, about 8 cups chopped

Pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp pomegranate vinegar

1-2 tbsp good quality vegetable oil (optional)

Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated off the block (optional)

-Finely chop kale, and place in a large bowl

-Using your hands, massage kale with vinegar and salt for about 1 minute, until leaves begin to soften

-Toss with remaining ingredients and serve

Orange Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

8oz package fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange, and juice of 2 oranges

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp Grand Marnier

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

-Rinse cranberries and place in a medium saucepan

-Juice orange into a 1 cup measure, and add just enough water to make 1 cup

-Add zest, juice, sugar and Grand Marnier to pot

-Cover and simmer gently until cranberries begin to pop

-Add jalapeno, simmer 5 minutes more, then transfer to bowl and chill in refrigerator

*You can cut sugar with stevia, monkfruit or erythritol if desired

Delicata Squash with Wild Rice and Greens

Serves 2

Sweeter and creamier than butternut squash, bitter greens and chewy wild rice blend balance delicata flavors, colors and textures. This makes for a delicious and complete main course for Thanksgiving.

1 delicata squash

1/4 tsp, plus a pinch of sea salt

1 cup chopped Vidalia onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp good vegetable oil

1/2 cup cooked wild rice

4 cups packed chopped greens, such as kale, spinach, or broccoli rabe

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Slice squash lengthwise

-Scoop seeds, clean and reserve seeds for toasting while squash is baking

-Lightly salt squash flesh and place cut side down on parchment paper lined baking pan

-Scatter squash seeds in same pan around squash and lightly salt

-Bake squash and seeds for about 30 minutes, until squash is soft

-Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic in vegetable oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes

-Add greens and 1/4 tsp salt, stir to combine, then cover and cook until greens are wilted

-Stir in rice and heat through

-Remove squash and seeds from oven

-Divide rice mixture between squash halves, and top each with about 1-2 tbsp toasted squash seeds, and save rest of toasted seeds for snacking

-Return to oven for 15 minutes, then serve