First the cranberries, because I love them so much. These are really easy to make, and infinitely better than the kind in a can. I think of these more as a side dish than a condiment.
Chipotle-Orange Cranberries
1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
zest and juice of 2 organic navel oranges
apple juice added to orange juice to make one cup
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
Rinse and sort cranberries, and bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Boil gently for 10-15 minutes, until berries pop open and sauce starts to thicken. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
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Both cauliflower and potatoes are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Cauliflower is lower in calories and carbs, and is a good choice if you avoid foods from the nightshade group. It's a nice change from the usual potatoes, and just as easy to make.
Mashed Cauliflower
Boil or steam fresh cauliflower until very tender. Mash by hand, or whip with a mixer, adding vegan butter and nut milk to get the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Think about adding fresh garlic to the cooking water, and stirring in some Daiya cheese and fresh basil to the mash. Oh yum!
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The Sweet Potato Biscuits I tested last week were just the right addition to this meal. So often, bread at Thanksgiving is just filler, and something to sop up gravy with, but these stand alone as a high fiber, high protein, delicious part of the meal. All that, and they're really pretty too. Click this link for the recipe. Here they are, ready to pop in the oven. I cut them smaller this time, so everyone could go back for seconds, which they did!
I don't know about you, but I like to have greens with almost every meal. People tend to wrinkle their noses at salad on a Thanksgiving plate, but I made everyone take some, because I knew the fresh crunchy spinach and root veggies would be so good with all the softer cooked foods, and the gently smoky dressing complimented the other flavors without competing. The colors were gorgeous too. I was right, and they all happily ate their spinach!
Spinach Salad
baby spinach
chopped raw beets, carrots, and jicama
Dressing
1/4 c flax seed oil
1 T rice vinegar
1 T maple syrup
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
That's it for today. Next time, we'll have dessert - a beautiful Apple-Cherry Cobbler!
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the Feast - Part I
the Feast - Part II
the Feast Part III
