I’m happy to report that I am not making Thanksgiving this year. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t make it, but this year I managed to pass the torch. I can’t help but be amused by the flurry of panic across this country, though. Anyone who makes the equivalent of Thanksgiving every week (twice) has to also marvel.
So here’s my best advice: relax. There will be enough food. And enough of it will taste good. Unless you’re a gourmet chef, no one expects you to be one for this one day of the year. And most of all, remember to be thankful for your blessings. That’s the point of it all, right?
Below are some tried and true (and easy!) recipes that are pretty foolproof–even if you’ve never made them before. For dessert, try these cookies or pumpkin squares. Happy Turkey Day!
WILD RICE WITH CHESTNUTS
1 cup of wild rice
T olive oil or Earth Balance
For the chestnuts:
1 package of chestnuts, already peeled
T olive oil
t salt
freshly ground pepper
t chili pepper
t cocoa powder
t paprika
t garlic
Prepare the rice according to the package and mix in a T of olive oil or Earth Balance and salt and pepper when it’s done. Crush the chestnuts into smaller pieces. Mix the spices, olive oil and chestnuts together in a bowl. Roast at 350 for 20 minutes and stir them into the rice. (Note: You can use fresh chestnuts in the shell. They’ll taste better if you do it right, but it’s easy to overcook them. Here are instructions.)
ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES
Peel and dice any of the following root vegetables:
sweet potatoes
potatoes
beets
rutabaga
squash
parsnips
carrots
whole crushed garlic
red onion
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and any other herbs you like
Toss them all into a large pan and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add some sprigs of rosemary too, if you like. Roast, stirring once or twice, at 375 for at least 45 minutes. (If you’re using rutabaga, start roasting that first, as it needs extra time to soften.)
MOIST CORNBREAD
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
1/4 cup sugar
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
2T oil
1 cup milk or milk substitute (I used coconut milk)
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 400. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the oil, milk, apple sauce and egg in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Bake in a greased 8×8 pan for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
CORNBREAD STUFFING
Stale cornbread and at least 1/2 a loaf of bread diced into 1-in.-square pieces
2T oil
1 egg
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
a handful of fresh herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, or whatever you like)
diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3 stalks celery
1 diced carrot
sliced mushrooms
Preheat oven to 400. Soak the bread and cornbread in water for a few seconds and drain. Stir in the egg, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside. Saute the onion in oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Add the garlic and other vegetables and saute until soft.
Mix vegetables into the bread mixture. Pour mixture into a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until stuffing reaches desired crispiness.
You might also want to try these squash recipes.
You might like these Thanksgivukkah latkes with cranberry apple sauce as well.
granoladox.com 