Enjoy these three vegan recipes on Thanksgiving.
Sweet Potatoes and Squash Corn Chowder (From www.vegkitchen.com)
Serves: 8
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)2 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, finely chopped1 celery stalk, finely diced1 large sweet potato, peeled and dicedOne 32-ounce carton vegetable broth,or 4 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes2 bay leaves2 teaspoons cumin1/2 teaspoon dried basil1/2 teaspoon dried thyme2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked fresh (from about 3 medium ears) corn kernelsor thawed frozen corn kernels1 cup rice milk, or as neededSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, or more, to taste
With a sharp knife, cut the squash across the center of the rounded part. Remove the seeds and fibers. Slice the squash into 1/2-inch rings, then peel each ring and cut into small dice. If you don’t have a knife (or patience) up to this task, partially prebake the squash to make the cutting and peeling easier.
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and celery and sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden. Add the squash and sweet potato dice and enough stock or water to cover all but about an inch of the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, then add the bay leaves and other seasonings. Simmer gently, covered, until the squash and potatoes are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, scoop out 2 heaping cups of the solid ingredients, mash them well, and stir back into the soup. Or simply insert an immersion blender into the soup pot and puree a small portion of the ingredients—enough to give the base of the soup some thickness.
Add the cooked corn kernels and enough rice milk to give the soup a slightly thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Serve at once, or let the soup stand for an hour or so before serving, then heat through as needed. Stir in the parsley just before serving. This may also be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated, since its flavor develops nicely overnight.
Pinenut and Raisin stuffing (from www.vegkitchen.com)
Serves: 6
6 cups firmly packed diced whole grain sourdough bread1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil1 cups chopped red onion3 scallions, minced1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley1/4 teaspoon each: dried thyme and rosemary1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, more or less to taste1/4 cup toasted pine nuts1/2 cup dark raisinsFreshly ground pepper to taste1 cup apple or orange juice, or as needed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the diced bread on a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until dry and lightly browned.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.
Combine the bread cubes with the onion in a mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice and toss together. Sprinkle the juice in slowly, stirring, to moisten the ingredients evenly.
Transfer the mixture to an oiled shallow 1 1/2-quart baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and still slightly moist.
Golden Orchard Quinoa (from www.gentlethanksgiving.org)
2 cups organic apple cider1 cup veggie broth1 cup whole grain organic quinoa, water rinsed1 tsp Satsuma Mandarin Orange Zest1 peeled Satsuma Mandarin Orange, chopped1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp black pepper1 tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves spice blend1/2 tsp cumin1/2 tsp dried orange peel1/2 cup diced yellow oniondash of paprikadash of cayenne (more for heat)1/4 cup soy creamer1/2 cup chopped pecans
Rinse and carefully drain your quinoa in cold water.
Pour 1 cup of veggie broth and 1 1/2 cups of cider into a soup pot, place over med-high heat stove top burner.
Pour quinoa into pot. Stir.
Add orange zest, chopped orange, chopped onion and all spices/pepper/salt to pot. Stir briskly until the liquid comes to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring and fluffing quinoa occasionally.
The liquid should be absorbed by now and the quinoa should beginning to ‘blossom’ or open. Continue stirring briskly uncovered until all the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan becomes dry and hot. You will now treat the grain almost like a risotto by adding more liquid to the uncovered pot, and stirring and folding the grain until the liquid is absorbed.
Fold in soy creamer and apple cider little by little until it has been absorbed and the quinoa is perfectly dense and tender. This is a heavier quinoa than you may have made in the past.
Remove from heat and set aside. If you’d like to plate your quinoa is a curved dome (as in the image), you can scoop it into a dome shaped bowl, cover and allow to firm a bit until plating. Spray the bowl with oil before filling so that it does not stick when you release the grain.