Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Nov 13 2013
1 Comment
Recipes

Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

We write about Brussels sprouts quite a bit, and it’s because they are freaking delicious! They’re definitely a winter veggie for me. I see a Brussels sprout and I think of Thanksgiving and Christmas and Sunday dinners. I’ve toyed around with several recipes, but I finally found one that I think is going to be my go-to recipe.

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Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(adapted from About.com > Vegetarian food)

1 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts, cut in half
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp safflower or canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly incorporate the olive oil until a dressing is formed.

Gently toss the Brussels sprouts in the dressing.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle some salt on those babies if you’d like.

Bake for 20 minutes, turning once. Sprouts are done when they are lightly browned.

zOMG. These were so good! The mustard added a nice little pop of flavor that’s been missing from other recipes I’ve tried. The best thing about this is that they can easily be served with any meal, from a vegan roast to pasta to tofu to pizza! Yum. –Melissa

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Nov 26 2012
8 Comments
Thoughts

Thanksgiving Recap!

Today was a definitive Back to Reality day. After a long and lazy weekend (though I did have to work on Friday), it was time to get back into gear. I felt a little gross about having pigged out for a few days straight, but I felt really good because I managed to have a 100% vegan meal for Thanksgiving! Though the turkey smelled pretty good cooking in the oven, I was extremely happy with the Wild Rice Cranberry Roast en Croûte that my loving sister ordered for me from Schmole Broods. Oh, what the heck! We ordered Thanksgiving from Whole Foods this year, including my vegan meal.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the vegan roast, but it was really delicious. It tasted like Thanksgiving! Unlike turkey, it had no cholesterol and stayed delicious even though I reheated it. It looked nice and fresh before I heated it, but I won’t be surprised if this was a frozen product to begin with. Field Roast has a product that is a doppelganger for the roast if not the actual roast that I received. This doesn’t disturb me one bit. My original Thanksgiving choice was going to be a Tofurky meal since I have never tried it, but this was different, I don’t recall having seen it before, my soy-sensitive sister is able to enjoy it, and I’m totally psyched that I can buy a frozen version to have any time.

The following sides came with the meal:

  • Health Starts Here® Ginger Mashed Yams (5 oz): I was a little disappointed. There wasn’t much flavor here except for shocking busts of very strong ginger.
  • Health Starts Here® Garlicky Braised Greens (5 oz): This was really good.
  • Health Starts Here® Wild Rice and Whole Grain Stuffing (5 oz): This was hearty and the grains were plentiful, but I had to add some salt to it.
  • Fresh Cranberry Relish (4 oz): I’m not a cranberry person so I didn’t try this.
  • Vegan Mushroom Gravy (4 oz): YUMMMMMM

I will definitely try the Field Roast version. My sister even expressed interest in getting a whole loaf for everyone to share over the holidays. I’m glad I tried the Whole Foods vegan meal, but I’ll definitely make all the vegan side dishes next time. Until then, it’s back to reality! –Melissa

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Nov 26 2011
2 Comments
Cooking, Links Link

Vegan Thanksgiving Inspiration

Vegan Thanksgiving Inspiration

Jorge Garcia of LOST fame posted a Plant vs Animal recap of his Thanksgiving this year on his blog. He’s so awesome!

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Nov 25 2011
5 Comments
Cooking, Recipes

Dairy-Free Thanksgiving

WARNING! Photo of meat below. Poor turkey.

THIS IS NOT VEGAN!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I had already decided that I was going to eat meat for the holiday. I’m really glad because the only vegan dish served for lunch at my Aunt’s house was Brussels sprouts. Of course, I would have planned ahead and made or brought something vegan for myself and everyone else to eat, but I’m not quite ready to have the “I’m trying to go vegan” talk with the extended family just yet.

Lunch consisted of a small piece of teriyaki chicken, four lumpia shanghai (those suckers are gonna be tough to give up), a piece of roast pork, Brussels sprouts, and white rice. Dessert was a no as all the options contained dairy: buko pandan, pumpkin pie, and sweet potato cake. I felt sorry for myself for a minute, but then thought about all the calories I wasn’t having and immediately felt better.

Brussels sprouts

Mom made the Brussels sprouts using a recipe that she saw on The Chew. They were freaking delicious. Check out the recipe – it’s straightforward and yields great results. She also prepared the turkey using a recipe that she saw on The Chew. For my contribution, I made quinoa potato cakes using a recipe I found on Vogue Vegetarian. People, check out this blog! The Vogue Vegetarian has some amazing recipes. I veganized the recipe by using instant potato flakes and about a 1/4 cup of water instead of an egg. They turned out pretty tasty, along with the roasted red pepper sauce.

I like quinoa and really appreciate how nutritious it is, but I’ve had a hard time really enjoying it. I think it’s because I’m so used to the texture and size of jasmine rice. Packing the quinoa in a crispy cake like this is a genius idea. I can see putting the entire mixture in a dish and making it a quinoa casserole. I can’t wait to try this again with different ingredients. I’m already thinking of adding corn and tiny raisins to it. I think the cumin was a turnoff for some. I’m thinking that they would probably taste OK without the cumin or by replacing the cumin with something else. At any rate – it’s vegan, soy-free, and the quinoa cooked perfectly in a rice cooker. Yay!

For dessert, I was able to enjoy a slice of pecan pie. I was a bit annoyed that it wasn’t totally vegan (egg in the crust), but was super happy that it was dairy-free. In fact, I got through the entire day without having any dairy and I don’t feel like I missed anything at all.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate lots of veggies!

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