Alterna-Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year that has a set menu, and while each family has their traditions, the basics are fairly common: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie…

What about mixing things up this year? You don’t have to go crazy or change every single memorable moment of Thanksigivings past, but you could add a new dish or two. Even one that’s – GASP – healthy?

Here are some delicious, easy recipes that you might be interested in adding to your traditional holiday table. Maybe you don’t even have to tell your guests that they’re low in the salt, fat, butter & sugar that Thanksgiving is known for. Maybe. That’s between you and your conscience.

Sides (my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving):

Baked Butternut Squash w/ Cranberries from Eat, Live, Run

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad from OhSheGlows

Savory Pumpkin Quinoa from The Wannabe Chef

High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes from OhSheGlows

Carmelized Brussels Sprouts from Eat, Live, Run

Cornbread Dressing with Tempeh Bacon, Cherries and Portobello Mushrooms from Peas and Thank You

Entrees:

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf from OhSheGlows

Sprouted Grain Stuffing with Field Roast Sausage from Peas and Thank You

Mushroom-and-Spinach Lasagna  from Rachel Wilkerson.

Pumpkin Chili from Rachel Wilkerson

Seitan log from Hungry Hungry Hippie

Desserts:

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (5 ingredients) from Blisstree

Pumpkin Pudding & Chocolate Mousse Parfait from Choosing Raw

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding from Choosing Raw

Pumpkin Gingerbread w/ Spiced Buttercream from OhSheGlows

Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Eat, Live, Run

If you’d like to brush up on your cooking basics, head over to The Wannabe Chef for instructions & tutorials, from dicing an onion to dairy-free mashed potatoes to making your own ice cream and bread. Or check out the Huffington Post’s take on a Vegan Thanksgiving here and Vital Juice’s Skinny Thanksgiving Side Dishes here.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

November 19, 2011 | Categories: Food | Tags: Blisstree, Butternut squash, Carmelized brussels sprouts, Chickpeas, Choosing Raw, Cornbread dressing, Cranberries, Eat, field roast sausage, Garlic mashed potatoes, Hungry Hungry Hippie, Lentil Walnut Loaf, Live, OhSheGlows, Peas and Thank You, pumpkin cheesecake, Pumpkin chili, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin gingerbread, pumpkin pie pudding, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin quinoa, Rachel Wilkerson, Run, Seitan log, Sweet potato, Tempeh bacon, Thanksgiving, The Wannabe Chef, Vegan cooking, Vegetarian recipes, Veggie lasagna | 4 Comments