Harvest Butternut Squash Stuffing and Seitan Roulade En Croute

Thanks to everyone who came out to Tanaka Farms on Saturday for the Plant Powered OC Vegan Holiday Cooking Demo and Talk. It was a great turnout and we had a super fun time!

A couple of notes about the following recipes. THEY ARE FLEXIBLE! Don't like pecans? Use walnuts. Don't like yellow onions? Use red ones. Don't like cranberries? Use raisins. Don't like wild rice stuffing? No worries, use your favorite stuffing recipe instead. Don't want to put the puff pastry on? Don't! It's all about making food that YOU like. Not me. So have fun with it.

Vegan Thanksgiving Survival Guide!

Maybe this is your first Thanksgiving as a vegan. Or maybe this year, the rest of your family has decided to come to your house for a cruelty free holiday and you are freaking out about how to make a meal to make converts out of all of them. Or maybe you just want an easy Thanksgiving dinner you can have on the table in about an hour. In any case, I'm here to help. I'll share some of my own recipes, and point you to a few of my favorite vegan bloggers out there who have done a damn fine job of making incredibly tasty Thanksgiving treats.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
This bad boy has been in my repertoire for ages, and it never disappoints.  Creamy and pumpkin-y and autumn-y and cinnamon-y and nutmeg-y. It has all of the goodness that is required of a dessert worthy of a holiday feast.  Oh, and it's mega easy to make, to boot. (Oh, and hey, if you use a gluten free crust, this one is totally easy to make gluten free.)

The obligatory "What I'm making for Thanksgiving dinner" post

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the day before Thanksgivng.  I have been working so much lately helping everyone else get ready for Thanksgiving, that I really haven't had any time at all to prepare for my own!

So, as I previously mentioned, I am working Thanksgiving morning, so I will need to do all of my cooking tomorrow night.  Knowing that tomorrow will be a horribly long and strenuous day at work, I am going to go simple, yet traditional.  There are only 4 vegans at dinner this year, so I don't need to go overboard, and even I have come to admit, that it is okay to buy some things from the store...

The Menu:
*Seitan en Croute

*Cheesy Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Made super easy by jazzing up some instant potato flakes!)
*Garlic and Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts (RECIPE BELOW, from 500 Vegan Recipes)
*Bread Stuffing (Stale bread cubes baked with The leftover Sippity Soup from the other night, with dried cranberries and rosemary added, and the beans and broccoli fished out.)
*Storebought Vegan Mushroom Gravy from Whole Foods Market
*Storebought Vegan Cranberry Sauce from Whole Foods Market
*And for dessert...Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie


Garlic and Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Sorry I don't have a picture of these...you'll just have to trust me on this.  I just bought mine on the stalk today.  Less than $3 for the whole stalk!

*Gluten Free
*Soy Free
Even if you don't care for brussel sprouts, give these a try. The marinade is so flavorful you will totally forget you are eating this high protein, high fiber, calcium rich, mini cabbage!

1 pound (454 g) Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (84 g) agave nectar
2 tablespoons (30 g) prepared stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons (30 g) minced garlic
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or aluminum foil.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, agave, mustard and garlic.
Toss in brussel sprouts to coat.
Spread evenly on baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Giving Thanks!

Wow, Thanksgiving is next week. I can't believe how quickly this year has passed. There is so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my health.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for my husband.
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful that I have a safe roof over my head.
I am thankful that I have food on the table.

I am thankful that I have the opportunity to do what I love and share it with you!

Next Thursday, when you sit down and give thanks, what are you going to eat? Here's what I was thinking about:

Seitan en Croute
(from 500 Vegan Recipes)
RECIPE HERE



Stone Ground Spinach Mashed Potatoes
(from 500 Vegan Recipes)



Cranberry Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
(from 500 Vegan Recipes)



And for Dessert?
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
(from 500 Vegan Recipes)
RECIPE HERE




And lest I forget...I AM THANKFUL FOR MY PUBLISHER, Fairwinds Press! Celine and I are writing another book together...woo-hoo! It is tentatively titled The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions and will be chock full of fun foods...and guess what else? Full color pictures!

Thanksgiving !?!

Wow. My most favorite holiday has gone and snuck up on me! Here it is, Monday, and I am only just beginning to plan my menu.

For sure, I am making Pumpkin Cheezecake Pie for dessert, but since Thanksgiving also doubles as my daddy's birthday (and my husband's, too!) I will also be making a nice Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Side dishes will include my standard fare, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Greek Stuffing, Bourbon Sweet Potato Mash and maybe some Green Beans Almondine.

I am still trying to decide on a main dish. Should I go easy and make the Straight-Up Thanksgiving Burgers? Or should I make another Festivus Loaf? Hmmm.

Here's some pics for you. Most of the recipes are in the links above!