Veggie Thanksgiving

Hi everyone! I don't have a ton of time to chat today, but I DID want to post the recipes that I will be bringing to all of the Thanksgiving festivities next week! You CAN be a Vegetarian on Thanksgiving!! You can, you can!! This is my VERY FIRST year of being a veggie over the holiday season, so I'll let you know how it goes!

In the meantime... here are some recipes that I will be making:

Crockpot Stuffing (from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/perfect-homemade-stuffing-crockpot.html)

--1 loaf of bread, lightly toasted in the oven (I used the pink bag of Food Life brown rice bread)
--1 large yellow onion, diced
--1 cup celery, diced
--1 cup tart apple, peeled and diced
--1/4 cup butter, melted
--1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
--1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (and maybe 1/4 cup later if needed)
--1 T ground sage
--1 tsp ground marjoram
--1/2 tsp savory
--1/2 tsp thyme(if you have poultry seasoning in the house, use 1 tablespoon and omit these spices.)
--1 tsp salt
--1 tsp pepper

Toast the bread slices in the oven at 300 degrees. I needed to keep the brown rice bread in for about 30 minutes before it was all toasty. Regular bread will toast much quicker, be aware. While the bread is toasting, chop up the onion, parsley, celery, and apple. Add to crockpot. Add the seasoning, and add melted butter. Stir well.

When the bread is done, cut into 1/2 inch size-or-so cubes. Add to the crockpot. Toss very well with the butter, chopped vegetables, and spices. When the bread is coated nicely, pour in 1 1/2 cups of broth. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Sweep up the bread crumbs. When finished, the bread will have browned a bit on the top and around the edges, and it will be hot throughout. It can stay on warm for probably another 2 hours before serving, if needed. Stir. If you'd like it a bit more moist, you can add a 1/4 cup more (or as much as you desire) of broth.


Vegetarian Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf (from http://vegetarian.about.com/od/ricedishes/r/wildricepilaf.htm)

--1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
--2 3/4 cups vegetable broth
--3/4 cups brown rice, uncooked
--1 onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--2 tbsp olive oil
--3 cups mushrooms, sliced
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--1/2 tsp sage
--1/2 tsp marjoram
--salt and pepper to taste
--1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
--1/3 cup chopped almonds

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large saucepan and add the wild rice. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then add brown rice. Cover and cook for another 45 minutes, or until rice is done cooking.

In a large skillet, sautee the onions and garlic until onions are brown and carmelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, celery and spices and cook for another 5 minutes, adding more oil or a little bit of broth if needed.

Add the cooked rice, fresh parsley and almonds, and stir well to combine. Cook for another minute or two, until everything is just heated through.


Lentil Loaf (from http://www.ivu.org/recipes/main/lentil-loaf.html)

Cook 1 1/2 C of rinsed lentils in 3 1/2 C of water until tender. Partially mash lentils and mix with 2 medium onions that have been sauted in 1/4 C oil (you can use less). Add to the onions and lentils:
--2 C cooked rice
--1 tsp garlic powder
--1 tsp salt
--1/4 C catsup or barbecue sauce
--1 tsp sage
--1/2 tsp marjoram

Press into an oiled loaf pan and spread catsup or barbecue sauce over the top. Bake for 1 hour.


Stuffed Mushrooms (from http://family.go.com/food/recipe-cp-236137-stuffed-mushrooms-t/)

--15-20 large mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and finely chopped
--2 tablespoons olive oil
--1/2 medium red onion, very finely diced
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1/2 pound sausage patties (omitting, of course)
--1 teaspoon salt
--1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon paprika
--1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
--4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

Wash and scrub the mushroom caps. Set on a paper towel to dry.
In a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, onion, garlic and mushroom stems. Cook 2-3 minutes until onion begins to soften. Add the sausage patties and crumble with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika and cook until lightly browned through.
Transfer the sausage to a heavy mixing bowl along with the parsley and gruyere cheese. Stir to combine ingredients and stuff 1 tablespoon of mixture into each cap. Place mushrooms into the Crock-Pot® slow cooker, place on heating base, cover and cook on High for 2 hours.
Serves: 8-10Size: 2-5 quarts

Raw Pumpkin Pie (from http://rawfoodswitch.com/raw-food-recipes/festive-raw-pumpkin-pie-recipe/)

Raw Pumpkin Pie Crust

2 cups pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup soaked dates
Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, then evenly distribute in the bottom of a pie plate.

Raw Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups shredded pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato flesh
1 cup soaked dates
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly diced ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. coconut oil
Dash of vanilla
1/4 cup almond milk or water to help blend

If you donʼt feel like shredding the pumpkin by hand, simply cube and place in a high speed blender or food processor until itʼs nicely chopped.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until nice and smooth. You might need to add more liquid to get it to blend well.
Pour into crust, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. This dessert might not seem overly sweet, but trust me when I say it can rival even the most traditional of pumpkin pies.



I'll also be doing some fresh veggie options, too.... but those don't need recipes hehehe.