This year has been flying by (again), another Thanksgiving has come and gone.  We hosted another wonderful vegetarian thanksgiving dinner with my parents.  I always look forward to Thanksgiving as a time to showcase delicious vegetarian dishes that are even better than traditional dishes.  This year was very special, my mother came over early in the morning and helped me cook all day, while my father, husband and kids played outside.  It was a Thanksgiving for the books.

My parents have really changed their lifestyle over the past couple years.  They have been learning and really diving into the vegetarian lifestyle.  They have always been healthy people but after seeing all the possibilities of cooking vegetarian and getting protein from plant sources, they have taken the challenge and have been eating mainly vegetarian meals.

In morning on Thanksgiving Day, my mother came over and started helping me cook.  I believe that cooking is one of the best ways to spend time with loved ones.  It had been so long since my mother and I cooked a meal together.  She was so interested in all the spiced and different herbs I used in making the meals.  Finding the perfect mixture of spice and richness is the key in making a delicious dish.

I love trying new recipes so when my mother said she found some she wanted to make for Thanksgiving I couldn’t wait.  She found a really interesting recipe for Portobello mushroom caps and parmesan-herb stuffing.  They ended up turning out great; I will definitely being making them again. 



Overall, our Thanksgiving Day was one of the best I have ever had.  Spending all day in the kitchen with my mother cooking and sipping cider reminded me of all the years as child trying to help her cook dinner.  The meal turned out absolutely incredible.  Everyone, especially the men and the kids, scarfed downed our vegetarian Thanksgiving meal and fell into a food coma, the sure sign it was a great meal.

When I decided to make the change and become vegetarian, I never expected my parents to change their lifestyle but watching them grow and change their eating habits has been a truly rewarding experience.  This Thanksgiving has been one I will never forget.  I am so thankful for my wonderful family and everything I have been blessed with.  Hope everyone had a special Thanksgiving as well.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

As much as I love October, November has so much to offer and so many delicious vegetables and fruits in season.  Root vegetables are some of my favorite vegetables to prepare and are in their prime.  They make for great rich and flavorful soups and stews.  I still get to use pumpkin in my recipes but I also love using other root veggies to create rich fall flavors. 

Here are some of the best fruits and vegetables that are in season…varying depending on where you are: apples, artichokes, arugula, bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, cranberries, dates, endive, garlic, kale, leeks, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rutabaga, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, and watercress just to name a few.

Chili is one of my favorite fall meals and it is so easy when you make it in the slow cooker.  Here is my recipe for

Slow Cooker Chili

 Ingredients-

•    ½ tbsp. olive oil
•    1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
•    4 cloves garlic, minced
•    1  chipotle chili, chopped
•    2, 15 oz. cans of dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
•    2, 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
•    2, 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
•    1, 15 oz. can of light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
•    1, 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
•    1 cup of beer
•    2 tbsp. chili powder
•    1 tbsp. ground cumin
•    1 tsp. salt
•    1 tsp. sugar
•    ½ tsp. black pepper
•    Toppings if you want, I like to use shredded cheddar cheese, sometimes tortilla strips, or sour cream

Instructions- 

•    Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with desired toppings and enjoy your perfect November fall chili!

I love roasting squash this time of the year.  It has such a unique taste that is prefect for fall and November!  Here is a wonderful way to roast a squash:

Spicy Roasted Herbed Squash 

Ingredients-

•    1 large acorn squash, seeded and sliced
•    3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
•    3 tbsp. brown sugar
•    1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
•    ¼ tsp. salt
•    ¼ tsp. pepper
•    4 oz. crumbled feta
•    1 tbsp. chopped basil
•    1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
•    1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

Instructions-

•    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place the sliced squash on a lined baking pan.
•    Mix the coconut oil, brown sugar, and chili garlic sauce together in a small bowl.  Pour over the squash slices and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top.  Roast for about 20 minutes, move the slices around and roast for another 20 minutes. 
•    Remove from oven and sprinkle the feta, basil, cilantro, and oregano over the top.  If there is any extra sauce over flowed on the baking pan, put it on the squash.  Let cool a bit and serve your wonderful roasted squash.

Just in case that recipe didn’t satisfy your roasted squash fix, here is a delicious recipe for

Parmesan Roasted Squash

Ingredients-

•    2 small acorn squashes, sliced in large chucks and seeded
•    ½ cup heavy cream
•    8 sprigs of dried oregano
•    ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
•    Extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and drizzle

Instructions

•    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place the sliced squash on a lined baking pan and season with salt and pepper.  Spread the heavy cream and herbs evenly on the slices.
•    Bake for about 40 minutes until the squash is tender.  Remove from the oven and top with the parmesan cheese and place back into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
•    Remove from oven, drizzle with olive oil and enjoy another wonderful roasted squash!

November is such a great time to bake and make some delicious fall food.  I consider October and the beginning of November the preparation for Thanksgiving!
 
Hope you are having a great November!

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

With thanksgiving right around the corner we have spiced up our menu at the restaurant.  We have created a little “holiday section”. We finalized the dishes and desserts last week and have had tremendous feedback this week. 

My favorite part of the menu to decide on was the dessert menu.  Who doesn’t love dessert?  We had quite a few different options and I couldn’t be happier with the ones we chose.  Although the desserts we are serving now are phenomenal, the other ones we came up with and tried were fabulous too.  I have made two of them at home already. 

Here are our vegetarian (mostly vegan) desserts we did not chose to serve.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients-
•    ½ lbs. firm tofu, pressed
•    1, 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
•    ½ cup sugar
•    ¼ cup maple syrup
•    1 tsp. vanilla
•    ½ tsp. nutmeg
•    ½ tsp. cinnamon
•    ½ tsp. ground cloves
•    2 tbsp. soy milk
•    1 pre-made pie crust




Instructions-
•    Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.
•    Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender, obviously not the pie crust , and pulse until creamy and pour into pie crust.
•    Bake for 30-35 minutes and enjoy the wonderful combination of pumpkin and chocolate.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
 
Ingredients-
Crust-
•    2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
•    2/3 cup butter, softened
•    1/3 cup sugar

Filling-
•    5 packages, 8oz. cream cheese, softened
•    ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
•    ¾ cup granulated sugar
•    3 tbsp. flour
•    1 tsp. slat
•    1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
•    ½ tsp. ground all spice
•    ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
•    ¾ tsp. ground ginger
•    6 eggs
•    1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin puree
•    2/3 cup evaporated milk


Instructions-
•    Preheat oven to 350 degree F
•    In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients for the crust and stir with a fork until mixed.  Press the mixture to the bottom and sides of a 10x13 inch pan.
•    In an electric mixer mixing bowl beat the cream cheese at low speed until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. 
•    Pour the batter into the crusted pan and bake for 1 hour then turn off oven and let sit for 30 minutes.  Let the pan cool and refrigerate. 
•    Enjoy!

Cranberry Sorbet
 
Ingredients-
•    2 cups cranberries, either fresh or frozen rinsed and stems removed
•    1 ½ cup sugar
•    1 ½ cup water
•    ½ cup orange juice
•    ¼ cup lemon juice
•    2 tbsp. Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur


Instructions-
•    Make a syrup by adding sugar and water to a pot and bring to boil.  When the sugar has dissolved add the cranberries and orange juice.  Continue boiling until the cranberries burst. 
•    Let the mixture cool and then blend or puree until smooth.  Strain the mixture into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and orange liqueur.  Freeze the mixture and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy your delicious vegetarian thanksgiving desserts!

Go green and stay keen,

Julie