Thanksgiving Cooking

Last year was the first year I made a vegetarian thanksgiving, so it took me a couple weeks of planning to decide on what to make. This year, I didn't do as much planning mainly because I have been cooking vegetarian this past year so I have a general idea of what I want to eat, plus I was just a tad lazy. Most are dishes I've cooked successfully before (so I can guarantee we'll have tasty food at home and don't need to give up and resort to eating out :) and some are new but simple to make. I wanted a traditional menu - salad, entree, bread, and gravy while taking advantage of the abundance of the winter produce.

This year, I am thankful to the farmers who made it possible to bring this food to my dinner table. Without them, this meal would not be possible.

Here's what I cooked this Thanksgiving, with links to the recipes I followed -



Thai-spiced Pumpkin soup
Tuscan Kale Salad

Instead of bread crumbs, I made my own version to toss in the salad -
Mix 1/2 cup panko crumbs, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 egg white, pinch of black pepper.

1. Bake on a single layer on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for approx 15-20 min or until it's slightly browned.
2. Remove from oven, crumble over salad.

Five Spice Chicken
So it's definitely not vegetarian, but I tucked this dish in here as a special occasion. Bought from PCC Natural Markets - free range, local, and organic.
Mac & "Cheese" Chard
Mushroom Gravy
Who says tasty gravy needs to be made from beef broth? This recipe uses mushrooms and vegetable broth as the foundation for the gravy.

Sweet Potato Rolls
Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies
I didn't have any mesquite flour, so I substituted it with whole wheat pastry flour.