Healthy food fast, is something we all crave. It sounds like a great idea, but the reality of eating on-the-fly isn't always a glittering success. From CEO's grabbing breakfast at Starbucks to drive-thru-window catered lunches and even a round of diet soda and fries for the ladies who lunch, you may be surprised to commonly see even the most sophisticated of people surviving on some not-so healthy food fast.

Life: Can I Get it To-Go? It's no secret that we are all busy, stressed, pressed for time, on-the-go, in-route-to our destination with an estimated arrival time of way-to-late-already. "Go.Go.Go." isn't just the mantra of everyone's favorite fashion guru Tim Gunn, it's the motto of our generation. Tweet it, fb it, post it, email it, text it...now! Please.Higher speed living: it's all round us. Advancements in technology have made communication faster and better. Yet somehow the translation of speed and 'betterment' of what we call healthy fast food, has not progressed as gracefully as one might expect. Yes we are all texting and downloading at 6G, 8G, billion-zillion mega-bytes per second speeds, yet most of us are still munching mega-burgers, too-much-coffee (perhaps from a to-go freeze-dried hey-it's-trendy packet), doughnuts, processed snacks, white flour delights and sugar-loaded 'crap' all in a handy dandy to-go bag.

Reality check: Some of the unhealthiest people I know are indeed very busy. However, most of the healthiest, most wellness-minded people I know are also very busy. The lesson: it can be done. And in my opinion, it all starts with a healthy on-the-go breakfast. This post is loaded with info. Here are five easy "fast food" upgrades for your morning routine. Go, go, go!...

Repeat Offenders. I don't know what you reach for in the morning, what you pack in your "snack pack" or what you spend your lunch money on, but I do know that there are a few repeat offenders in society when it comes to what we eat when we're in a hurry. For breakfast foods think: doughnuts, giant muffins and high fat 'loaf' breads, greasy proteins, over-sweetened 'fruit' juices and not-always-so-healthy smoothies, sugar/fat-loaded coffee beverages, overly-processed grains and that overall adding-sugar-to-everything mentality. A 'crappy' breakfast is pretty easy to find in America. Just drive on thru! You can probably name ten fingers (and ten toes) worth of fast food or to-go restaurants in your city, but can you name the last twenty fresh fruits and veggies you ate? If so, good job. If not, don't worry, you're not alone. Remember: healthy starts today, not yesterday or tomorrow. And good news: eating healthy food makes you feel better! You'll crave it.

Crave Wellness. Instead of feeling dehydrated, tired, hungry, bloated, sugar-needy, caffeine-obsessed and under-nourished, you might actually start to feel hydrated, energized, purified, nourished and even 'healthy'. And nothing tastes better than feeling healthy and energized to perform well during your busy day. So turn those repeat offenders into repeat winners, simply by substituting a few of my favorite 'fast' foods. And in this post I'm going to focus on morning foods, because there's no faster way to get your day started off right or wrong, than by considering what you put in your mouth in the morning.

Fast Food Trends. If you look at the 2009 Zagat Fast Food Survey you will find these all-American favorites scattered on the "best food" "best service" "best value" favorites lists: Starbucks, Pinkberry, McDonalds, In-n-Out, Panera Bread, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Au Bon Pan, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, Coldstone Creamery, Jamba Juice, Whataburger, Ben and Jerry's, KFC, Peet's coffee and Tea, Arby's, Corner Bakery Cafe, Dairy Queen, El Pollo Locco, Popeye's and more. You can see the complete survey results here if you really want to know who makes the best french fries, best hamburgers and will get you the best 'value' for your dollar according to Zagat readers. But if you really want to get the best return for your buck, I'd suggest investing in your health. Hungry for wellness? Keep reading.

Dismal Offerings. Even the healthiest of folks may say they haven't been to a Dunkin' Donuts in years, but they will admit to frequenting chains that could be 'considered-somewhat-healthier' like: Starbucks, Panera, Chipotle, Jamba Juice, Subway and more. These fast food chains may not offer 100% optimal wellness offerings, but they are the best of the worst and have taken significant steps to provide customers with healthier options.

Best of the Best Food. I have yet to find a nationwide fast food chain that rivals in health, the offerings that you can make quickly and easily in your very own kitchen. Yup, I said it. Do-it-yourself fast food. I know you wanted me to start listing off the names of all the 'healthy' fast food items you can freely indulge in, but that's not how I roll. I've been packing healthy to-go meals and snacks for myself and my family for years now. In college, while everyone was stampeding the snack and soda vending machines before class, I was reaching inside my bag for a granola bar, pack or nuts, fresh fruit nibble or swig of coconut water or fresh pure water.

Healthy Food Fast: Five Easy Upgrades.

1. Frequent Offender: Morning Cup of Coffee.
Whether you like it tall, grande, venti, de-caf, half-caf, soy, whole, skin, with whip or without, I think we can all admit to craving a hot warm beverage in our AM hours. And that's fine! People have been grabbing hot beverages for many years. But the hot beverage filling your coffee cup may have more effect on your day that you'd like to admit. If your very first sip of the day (aka, when you break-the-fast) is a whole milk triple shot latte, you're in need of an upgrade. Healthier options abound at home and on-the-go.

Easy Upgrade: At home you can make yourself a spicy soy milk chai latte. Super energizing, steamy hot and you can make it as caffeinated as you'd like by using black tea instead of coffee. Add in a green tea bag to your black tea and get an extra boost of antioxidants. Straight up green tea, for some, is very hard to sip in the morning-so simply do a black/green tea blend.

If you can't stop your coffee habit, at least nix the dairy milk and try soy. Do it a few times a week as a test. See how you feel. I've been anti-dairy ever since hearing Marilu Henner joke about the celebrity milk mustache ads, "I want to do one: “Not Milk.” Instead of “Got Milk?” I did my own reading on the topic and decided to break free from dairy. I decided it was healthier for me and for the planet. You can read my interview with Marilu here.

Bottom Line: Switch up the nutritionally devoid cup of dairy-spiked coffee for a dairy-free alternative such as green/black tea, roobios, yerba mate or chai. And if you don't want anyone messing with your coffee, simply try switching to soy a few days a week.

Helpful Products: For at-home frothiness try the Areolatte wand. I love mine. My favorite soy milk for hot beverages is Soy Dream brand. I have also been experimenting with hemp and almond milks in my morning beverage. My favorite tea bags are Peet's Coffee and Tea Masala Chai tea bags. I also love Yogi Super Antioxidant Green Tea bags. I also love to add dried goji berries to my morning tea. They add a savory-sweet flavor as well as nutrients. My Goji Chai Latte recipe.

2. Frequent Offender: Instant Hydration.
It's common to have an overwhelming urge of thirst in the morning. Wanted: thirst-quenchers. The frequent could-be-healthier offenders include not-so-fresh or reconstituted juices like orange, grape and apple. And the sugary beverages you see stocking beverage vending machines in your office or school. Hydration is a big issue for busy people, and sometimes straight-up water just isn't what you want.

Easy Upgrade: Fresh fruit is a great way to gain hydration as well as nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sometimes people forget that fresh fruits (and veggies) are made up of mostly water. Grapes are nearly 80% water. The great thing about fresh fruit is that you will get the hydration you crave, while also filling your tummy with more than just liquid. You won't be craving a bag of chips after eating a big baggie of plump black grapes or a giant juicy honeycrisp. However, if you are chugging sodas and sugary chemical/preservative-added beverages all day long to gain hydration, I'm guessing a salty bag of chips or another quick-eat snack will follow.

High water content fruits include: melon, citrus (grapefruit/oranges), apples, grapes, peaches, plums, strawberries, watermelon, blackberries, raspberries, pears, pineapple, bananas and blueberries. It's pretty hard to find a fruit that isn't high in water. I advise choosing farmer's market, local produce when possible. Try to buy organic, especially when your fruit has a thin outer skin or rind like grapes, berries and most non-tropical non-citrus tree fruits.

The second easy upgrade to make when hydration is what you crave: healthier beverages. Put down the soda and sugar water and reach for: coconut water, kombucha tea, pure fresh water, hot tea, nut milks, hemp milk, non-dairy milks, fresh-pressed bottled juices, smoothies and even veggie-based soups.

Bottom Line: Sometimes the best hydration doesn't come from a bottle. It comes from a tree, bush, vine or other fruit/veggie-yielding plant.

Helpful Products: ONE, Zico and Vita CoCo Coconut Water, Synergy Kombucha beverages, Living Harvest Hemp Milk. I advise investing in your own at-home juicer. Juicing 101: Tips and Buying Guide here. You can juice at home and bring fresh pressed juices in a to-go bottle, if juice is what you carve. And fresh fruits are easy to find, so you don't need my help there.

3. Frequent Offender: White Flour Delights.
Bagels, muffins, breads and baked goods of all kinds are easy, fast, cheap and somewhat satisfying to a growling tummy. But even the purest of intentions can turn 'bad' really fast. But it's just a bagel, you say. A plain bagel from Starbucks, perhaps. How bad can that be? Well you can't just get a bagel. You have to get the cream cheese to spread on it and a Venti Mocha to wash it all down. Or maybe you are "on a diet" and just get a black coffee and plain bagel, hold the cream cheese. Lower in calories right? But pretty much devoid of nutrients, fiber and other energizing elements that you could be putting into your body instead. And if you are fooling yourself that getting the blueberry muffin at Dunkin' Donuts is healthier that actually getting a doughnut itself, you really need to start reading the nutrition facts on that muffin. 510 calories and 16 grams of fat in that muffin.

Easy Upgrade: Carbs! The good kind. You know you crave them and that's OK. But higher quality carbs that taste good are available! If it's a bagel you crave, go with a whole grain bagel and grab a to-go squeeze pack of maple almond butter as your spread. Or use some high quality fruit preserves if you'd like. The more whole foods (almonds, fruit, grains) you can see and taste in your munchie the better. When your bagel looks like white sand with white cream or red goop pasted on top, that's not a good thing.

Bottom Line: Nix the processed white flour sugar-loaded carbs and go for complex nutrient dense carbs. You don't need to shun bread. High quality grains are incredibly healthy. Just switch up the white flour for whole wheat, quinoa, rice flour, spelt, oatmeal, whole grain rye, barley, bran and buckwheat just to name a few. I adore sprouted grain, aka flourless breads. A good rule of thumb for getting more 'whole minimally processed' foods is "if you can't see the whole food, it's probably barely there". But be smart about it, those little blue dots in your muffin are not the highest of quality, freshest blueberries...and you know that.

Helpful Products: Justin's Nut Butter squeeze paks, Crofter's superfruit spread, Alvarado Street Bread Co. sprouted wheat bagels, Trader Joe's complete protein "California Style" flourless bread, Ezekiel breads. And as always, if you make your baked good (muffins, rolls, biscuits) at home you can add all the healthy ingredients you'd like to the batter: wheat germ, flax seed, whole grains, fresh or dried unsweetened fruit, raw nuts, seeds and more. Nuts Online is a fun site with lots of healthy snacks. Also, muffins freeze very well. Bake a dozen over the weekend and eat them all week. My muffin recipes here.

4. Frequent Offender: What? It's a Smoothie?
I know you think you deserve a *pat on the back* for that 32 ounce strawberry smoothie you just chugged, but lift your lips from the straw for just a moment and take a look at the ingredients. Not all straw-sipped-smoothies are created equal my friends. Take it from me, my very first job was at my local Jamba Juice back in Capitola California. Back then, it was called "The Juice Club". It had an aqua green and orange logo and always smelled like sweet oranges when you walked in the door. I loved grinding fresh wheatgrass, plopping buckets of berries into the freezer, juicing giant bright orange carrots and scooping out vitamin and nutrient blends into the customers smoothies. However I didn't really enjoy the part that made me feel like I was working at an ice cream shop: plopping two heaping scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt or sugary sweet sherbet into each blender cup, when the recipe called for it. Cringe-worthy. This can't be healthy....I would think to myself. True, there was a scoop of bananas and a scoop of berries, but those two huge scoops of fro-yo really tipped those blends into 'milkshake' rather than 'fruit smoothie' territory. Thank goodness chains like Jamba Juice allow you to customize your smoothie to sub-out the 'bad stuff' for fruit. JJ has several healthy menu options for wellness-craving folks, but watch out. Just because it's from a Jamba Juice cup doesn't mean it's healthy.

Easy Upgrade: If you go to Jamba Juice, go for an all fruit smoothie. You can easily substitute fruit in any of the smoothies containing the dreaded "added scoops" aka, sorbet, fro-yo, sherbet. But the best smoothie sometimes starts at home. Acai-blueberry-spirulina, coconut papaya, hemp peach, pineapple enzyme. The options are endless. You can get some yummy recipes in my smoothies and drinks section here.

Bottom Line: Smoothies provide both hydration and nutrients. They provide fiber and flavor. But only if you make them from high quality nutrient dense, fresh ingredients. Blend good stuff in, sip good stuff out.

Helpful Products: Bolthouse Farms frozen fruit, frozen wild blueberries, frozen Samzabon acai smoothie packs, Green Superfood Powder add-ins, Trader Joe's flax seed meal, healthy 'blend-ins': raw nuts, probiotics like BioKPlus and other soy yogurts. High-Speed Blender: Vitamix, BlendTec Blender, Oster Fusion. A good example of a 'healthier' smoothie shop: Liquiteria in NYC. See my twenty smoothie tips here.

5. Frequent Offender: On-the-Go Oatmeal
I am somewhat perplexed by the new trend of serving oatmeal, a classic healthy breakfast food, as an on-the-go product. Starbucks, Cosi, Au Bon Pan and Jamba Juice have all hopped on the oatmeal bandwagon. And I can only imagine how much money is made off of selling oats and water for a much heftier price than they are worth. But overall, what's my problem with this seemingly super-healthy product? Not a lot! I actually love the idea of folks buying an oatmeal instead of a fat-calorie-loaded processed muffin or 'loaf' bread. Go for the oats! But again, even oatmeal can be easily upgraded.

Easy Upgrade: If you are choosing the on-the-go oatmeal (aka you can't make your own at home) remember these tips: add in fresh fruit and nuts. Don't add sugar or 'crumbles'. Don't get it with a side of 'muffin' or 'large whipped mocha'. Bring your own 'toppings' from home if you can (like fresh chopped fruit, raw nuts or a baggy of berries). Add in soy milk instead of dairy milk. But the best upgrade of all would be to make your own ultra-healthy 'oat'meal at home. And by 'oats' I really mean: hot grains. Barley, brown rice, farro and whole wheat are all options for making a hot grain breakfast at home. The fun comes with the add-ins: fresh fruit, raw nuts, seeds, unsweetened dried fruit, nut and grain milks and even some maple or agave syrup if you crave it. I know some folks who love sprinkling raw cacao nibs in their hot cereal for a choco-oat-meal effect. And it's easy to make your oatmeal "to-go" simply by prepping it in a non-breakable lidded bowl.

Bottom Line: Oatmeal on-the-go isn't a bad choice, but don't ruin its effects by adding sugary toppings or over-sweetened dried fruit to it. And as always, if you can make it yourself at home, you're guaranteed a healthier and probably much tastier bowl. But take a note from the to-go folks and keep your portion size moderate. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing...

Helpful Products: If you must choose a to-go option, try Le Pain Quotidien's Farro Porridge hot cereal with almond milk, fruit and nuts (it's a special right now, I hope it lasts!) For at-home, I like Bob's Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills and Nature's Path brands. Trader Joe's also has a fortified oatmeal that I like. John mcCann brand steel cut oats (in the tin can) are also high quality oats.

Healthy Rewards. These are a few easy upgrades for a healthier on-the-go morning. I know you want to simply drive thru a window, stand in a speedy line and 'phone-in' your order of health and wellness, but it's not always that simple or instantaneous. Wellness doesn't come in a to-go bag and it certainly can't be ordered on the value menu. Attaining true wellness is an ongoing process that takes a continued daily effort on your part. However, the healthy rewards of how you look and feel are so bountiful and significant that they will keep you going through even the busiest of days. Feeling good from the inside out is what will eventually persuade you to drop the doughnut and pick up the baggy of packed-at-home grapes, not just for one day, but for a lifetime. Resist the white sand bagels and neon-blue speckled muffins for something real, fresh, do-able and healthy: whole foods made, packed and inspected by you.

Good things come to those... As promised, here are the results of my lemon confit experiment. You may recall, two weeks ago when I posted my weekend experiment of lemon confit. I decided to go the 'old school' route and make the version that takes two weeks in the fridge before it is ready to use (despite the online availability of a quick-fix version of this recipe). I used Chef Eric Ripert's instructions and voila! Here are my results and a recipe...

Before:

After:

Lemon Confit Results: In two weeks time the lemon, salt and sugar mixture sitting in the back of my fridge began to mush and smush into a syrupy shallow mixture of what almost looks like melted lemon sorbet. Good thing this isn't April Fool's Day because I could easily have someone with a big spoonful of salty 'sorbet' as dessert. No, no I kid, I kid. But I was delighted to see that after 2 weeks (16 days actually) the lemons had indeed changed in size, color, texture, smell and even flavor. Yay, my experiment worked. But now what do I do with it?...

The instructions of use for the finished confit are to: remove the flesh part of the lemons, rinse the peel and use only the peel/rind in your recipes. (Sidenote: a blog reader commented to me last post that this seemed wasteful. I suggested to her to make a nice epsom salt/lemon flesh bath scrub and soak, so no waste at all. And pretty, exfoliated soft skin.) But question number one: what recipes do I use this in? I had recalled in my previous post how I first tasted lemon confit drizzled on top of Chef Amanda Cohen's Spinach Soup from her restaurant Dirt Candy. Perfect use. And Chef Eric Ripert says he likes to melt butter with strips of the confit and use the lemon butter on his prepared fish entrees and even along side as a dipping sauce of sorts. Nice, but I'm not into real butter or fish, so I'd probably have to do a major variation of that preparation.

Taste Test. The big test of the lemon confit was to taste the rind - raw. I bit into a section and it burst with bright, subtly bitter, lemon flavor in my mouth. A bit 'pungent', as Ripert commented on the flavor. But very well-developed and almost complex. There is a hint of the sweetness from the sugar and a hint of saltiness from the salt. The lemon rind has almost developed into a lemon oil soaked zest. I'm pleased. I actually expected the rind to be a bit softer, but maybe with a few more days or weeks in the fridge it will develop further. (Most sources say you can use your confit right away and store for a few months in the fridge. One source said a year would even work.)

So how do I use these lovely lemon rinds?

Recipe One: Lemon-Dijon Salad Dressing
I used this recipe over a bed of fresh organic arugula greens at my Thanksgiving feast. It was a big hit. Here are the ingredients:

1-2 tablespoon lemon confit rinds, sliced thin or minced
1 tablespoon olive or macadamia nut oil
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoon apple cider juice or fresh orange juice
black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Stir/shake well, allow to marinate in fridge for about an hour before serving.
You can modify the amounts of ingredients to suit your tastes, but this is the general flavor profile for this zesty-sweet dressing.

A few more recipes ideas:

Lemon Confit-Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Lemon Confit Peppered Tempeh
Lemon Confit tossed steamed spinach or kale
Lemon Confit braised tofu
Lemon Confit-"Buttered" Peas
Lemon Confit in a mixed beverage (alcoholic or non)
Lemon Confit Vanilla Mousse Pie
Lemon Confit Drizzle over Rosemary roasted mushrooms and seitan.
Lemon Confit White Wine Sauce

...just a few ideas off the top of my head. I'll post anything extraordinary that I come up with. It's a fun and easy experiment to do. I recommend it to any curious foodie!

I recently received this email from a blog reader,

"Hi Kathy,
I recently discovered your blog and am really enjoying all of your awesome recipes. I made your spelt biscuits for Thanksgiving and they were a HUGE hit - so thanks! I am a vegan and am trying to put together a hearty Christmas menu for my meat-eating parents. We traditionally have lasagna but having recently cut out all dairy and soy from my diet am looking for a flavorful vegan recipe that is soy-free (no tempeh, seitan or fake / veggie meats either) to prepare for them. I have found the recipes you have on your blog - but they either have tofu, cheese or are raw (a little too radical for my fam). Just wondering if you have any other recipes you could share or even a suggestion for what I could use to replace the tofu...I would really appreciate it!!
Thanks so, so much. Hope you had a very happy holiday!
Best, Lisa"
Here's my answer...

Hi Lisa,

That is a great question! I feel like I have been making tofu-based lasagna in place of traditional meat-lasagna, for years now. And sometimes it almost feels outdated! Though I must admit I still love it. But it's easy to forget that the true stars of any vegan recipe are the high quality veggies! And thus, I give you my answer... I have three easy solutions for your soy-free vegan 'holiday special' lasagna:

1) Replace the tofu/cheese with a nut-based basil pesto. A very hearty ingredient to add to lasagna is my pine nut (or walnut) pesto. It is incredibly dense, almost like ricotta cheese, and could easily take the place of both cheese and tofu. My layers would go like this: Noodles, marinara sauce, pesto, hearty EVOO/garlic-sauteed veggies (like zucchini/spinach/mushrooms/more ideas below), then repeat those layers. Plenty of veggies will fill the tofu-void, and a thin layering of pesto will fill the cheese-void. There is no need for cheese or tofu when you use pine nut or walnut based pesto sauce as the 'thick and dense' filling portion of your lasagna.

2) Straight-Up Mushroom Lasagna. Mushrooms are an incredibly flavorful and filling ingredient to add to pasta dishes, and by choosing 'hearty' varieties of mushrooms - like portobella, shiitake, chanterelle, bluefoot, hen of the woods and baby bella's (instead of simple white button shrooms) you will easily be able to create a satisfying yet flavorful lasagna. You can even keep this really simple and do your layers like this: noodles, sauce, mushrooms, noodles, sauce, mushrooms. Super simple, yet delicious. I'd add in a nice amount of fresh basil, oregano and garlic to give your lasagna a perky Italian flavor. *Yes, chanterelle mushrooms are expensive, but for a special occasion they are well worth it.*
Tip: Add gourmet chanterelle mushrooms to your lasagna and no one will miss the vegan cheese or tofu:

3) Potato Innovation. Another tip is to replace the cheese layer of your lasagna with a mashed potato layer. (You can also use a puree of parsnip or butternut squash). It might sound a bit odd, but some folks love it! Simply add a layer of garlic mashed white, sweet or red potatoes to your lasagna. A very thin layer on the bottom of the lasagna will do the trick. If that idea is too oddball for you, simply stick with a nice smorgasbord of mixed hearty veggies (spinach, mushrooms, fennel, kale, onions, zucchini, roasted peppers, olives, tomatoes, peas, asparagus and broccoli)...and your vegan, soy-free, dairy-free lasagna should be a hit.

...Veggies always save the day.

You can find my spicy pesto recipe here.
*to make it soy free, simply leave out the vegan parm cheese, it will be delicious without it.*

Hope that helps, and I'm so glad the spelt biscuits were a hit - my guests enjoyed the spelt biscuits I made too!

~Kathy

UPDATE: Received this idea from a tweeter: "From @Planithealthier: "I would make a soy-free lasagna with layers of garlic-basil white bean puree. Tahini on top bubbles like melted cheese."

...Great idea!!

Noodles, Veggies and good Marinara Sauce = delicious lasagna.

Gourmet Mixed Mushrooms will perk up any soy-free vegan lasagna:

A layer of sauteed zucchini is a delicious addition to a vegan lasagna:

A special purchase I made for my Vegan Thanksgiving Feast 2009 was the Dr.Cow Tree Nut Cheese 6 cheese sampler pack. It was the only item at my feast that I 'outsourced'. The pack included 5 aged cheeses plus one cream cheese. So what did my guests and I think of this gourmet vegan treat? What did the dairy cheese lovers have to say? Find out in my full product review...

Dr. Cow Discovery. I first tasted Dr.Cow cheese when I went to Pure Food and Wine restaurant in NYC for Valentine's Day Dinner last year. The salad had little balls of Dr. Cow Cashew Nut cheese in it. I was like, "what is that?!" omg. It was the taste of cheese without the dairy. I hadn't experienced those types of gourmet cheese flavors in about ten years. So my discovery was one that I would not let die. I had to find out who made the cheese and how I could get some myself. I later found that PFW uses Dr.Cow cheese, so my further research (and taste testing) began...

Product Review: Dr. Cow Tree Nut Raw Vegan Cheese
*6 cheese sampler pack

Shelf Appeal: I ordered my sampler pack directly from the Dr.Cow website, so the overnight shipping and cold-box packing is included. The cheeses arrived nicely wrapped in a sort of wax paper and plastic wrap. They do not expire until Jan 2010, so I was pleased about that. Leftovers for me! Each cheese is nicely shaped into a little cheese round shape. And a little bite goes a long way, so the size for each cheese is appropriate to the flavor intensity.

Label Check: I was pleased to see the only ingredients in each of the cheeses were tree nuts, pink salt and acidophilus - plus any additional flavors like hemp seeds or algae. Here is the nutrition info for one of my favorite cheeses in the pack (from the Dr.Cow website and my cheese packaging):

"Aged cashew & Crystal Manna Algae Cheese-Is sea-foam or light-blue in color, aged for 3 months, and made from organic raw cashew nuts with Crystal Manna flakes. Made with absolutely no preservatives, stabilizers, artificial ingredients or additives of any kind. Firm, mellow with a hint of tang, you can smear on crackers or vegetables. 100% dairy free, no gluten, no casein, no soy and lactose free, 100% organic and vegan!
Ingredients: Cashew nuts, acidophilus, blue green algae & himalayan pink salt.
One wheel Net Weight 2.5 ounces / 70 grams. –

...Continued on the Dr.Cow website for those who want more info. But overall, nutrition label approved. Good stuff, aka raw nuts and acidophilus, in these raw vegan gourmet cheeses. And obviously, if you've ever tasted this product, you'll know that one serving of this stuff is about a teaspoon of cheese. It's so incredibly flavorful and pungent that even a dime-sized strip does the trick. Less is more. But like I said, you have to taste it first to be able to judge and to believe this delicious flavor.

Update: So pleased that the wonderful 'cheese-makers' over at Dr. Cow provided me with this nutritional info for the cream cheese, cashew based. He said the info would be about the same for the various cheese flavors. And just think, my 8 guests only went through 2 cheese rounds and we were filled to the brim with tree nut cheese goodness. That's only 80 calories per person. We were all convinced that we had nearly done ourselves in on cheese. I guess not.
Lets compare nutrition info of a few "cheeses":
28g serving sizes
Gruyere Dairy Cheese:
116 calories, 9g fat, 5g saturated fat, 10% RDA chol.
Brie Dairy Cheese:
94 calories, 8g fat, 5g sat fat, 9% RDA chol.
Cheddar Dairy Cheese:
113 calories, 9g fat, 6g sat fat, 10% RDA chol.
Cream Cheese, Dairy-based:
96 calories, 10g fat, 5g sat fat, 10% RDA chol. 2g protein
Dr. Cow Cashew Nut Cream Cheese:
80 calories, 7g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 0% RDA chol. 3 gram protein
*best fact of all: Dr. Cow's is 100% animal-product free, cruelty-free*

Taste Test: Well I pretty much already knew that I loved Dr.Cow cheeses. But I had not tried all the flavors yet. I was thrilled and delighted in the different gourmet tastes and textures of the various cheeses. My favorites are the cashew/hemp seed and the green algae cheese. It is a beautiful aqua green color. Love it! But how did these cheeses go over with my non-vegan guests??? Well one of my guests had recently given up dairy and was craving cheese like never before. She couldn't get enough of the Dr.Cow cheese. She raved about the gourmet taste and texture. Everyone raved. Everyone was impressed by the cheese-like flavors. "Does this have cheese in it?" ...was my favorite question. Sigh. The taste consensus: Most of the non-veg guests hovered over the cheese plate with wide eyes and full mouths, whispering "OMG. This cheese is so good."

Price Check: Dr. Cow cheese rounds can be bought individually online for around $7-$12. The 6 cheese pack that I purchased was $75. Though it included shipping and packing. It arrived to my house in just over one business day. I looked at other online stores to purchase the cheese, but factoring in their shipping/ice packing costs- I found that ordering directly from Dr.Cow was the way to go. (Unless you are only buying one or two cheeses, then you'll have to choose another vendor.) Vendor info is all on the Dr.Cow website. $75 might seem like a huge price tag, but not if you compare it to traditional dairy-based aged cheeses. Yes it's a splurge, but for a special event I say it is well worth it. Plus, these little cheeses go a long way. All you need is a dime-sized sliver to get the flavor.

Final Word: This is gourmet high quality cheese. Period. (Minus the 'bad dairy cheese' stuff and plus some 'good tree nut cheese' stuff.) Everyone needs to try this cheese at least once.

More info at the Dr.Cow Website.

More cheese photos:

So your Thanksgiving feast was a hit and now you're fine tuned recipes are sitting lonely in your fridge, just begging for some post-party attention. Here are ten of my favorite Thanksgiving Leftovers ideas and recipes. I love a good 'after party'...

"What do I do with my Thanksgiving leftovers?" Simply zapping them in the microwave is such a bore.

Here are ten vegan Thanksgiving leftovers recipes and ideas...

1. Cranberry-Soy Sauce Tofu
I posted this delicious recipe this morning. I actually used this tofu recipe as my main protein for my Thanksgiving feast, but it makes a perfect after-party leftovers dish as well. Cooking the cranberry sauce tones down the sweet-tartness a bit and the mellow flavor is perfect for your worn-out after-party palate.

2. Sweet Potato Mash
Leftover sweet potatoes? Yes! Make my famous sweet potato mash. You'll add in some garlic hummus (maybe from a leftover appetizer dip) and some chopped parsley (also maybe a leftover.) This mash is a perfect snazified side dish, or you can use it in my Sweet Potato Pockets recipe below...

3. Sweet 'n Sassy Sweet Potato Pockets
I love this recipe. I used to make it every year for Thanksgiving, but now it has become an after party leftovers favorite. It utilizes a few of your leftovers: sweet potatoes, leftover veggies and cranberry sauce.

4. Spicy Potato Soup
If you're like me and have a lot of leftover potatoes (mashed, au gratin or even baked, you can easily blend them into a spicy, creamy potato soup. Simply blend in a high speed blender with a bit of veggie broth, soy milk and/or creamer, a few added spices and a side of leftover crusty rolls and you have an amazing potato soup perfect for these cooler fall nights. I like to add black pepper, cayenne and fresh ginger for "soup-er" spiciness!

5. Cranberry Sauce Muffins
Mornings are no place for stuffing and leftover tofu, but grab a warm zesty cranberry muffin and everything will be OK. Hot chai on the side and you are set. Simply make your favorite muffin recipe and fold in about a ½ cup of cranberry sauce as the last step. You can even fold in some chopped pecans for texture and added flavor.

6. Gravy Smothered Seitan
Seitan tastes delicious marinated in a creamy brown or wine sauce. So why not utilize the leftover veggie gravy you may have and bake up some warm seitan. Simply smother the seitan in your leftover gravy and marinate for as long as you can (overnight is best.) Then transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Or you can saute on the stovetop if you'd like.

7. Leftover Tangerine Juice
This is a refreshing idea as yes it tastes really yummy. And it's super healthy. Take your leftover tangerines and leftover parsley and juice them (juicer required) into a delicious parsley-tangerine morning juice. What a great way to wake up your palate and hydrate in the AM.

8. Tofurky and Mustard
Though I haven't made a Tofurky for a few years, I remember how much I loved the combination of leftover Tofurky and mustard. Mustard is not exactly a Thanksgiving Day condiment, but the day after, whip out the rustic, spicy or dijon mustard for a delicious sandwich: Tofurky, mustard and maybe a few fresh arugula greens. Grind in some black pepper too.

9. Centerpiece Fruit Salad
Fuyu persimmons, satsuma tangerines, bosc pears, pomegranates and honeycrisp apples made up my fruit bowl on Thanksgiving. It just looked so pretty. Pretty enough to eat! Now that the feast is over, you can certainly made a delicious fall fruit salad from your festive and decorative leftover fruit.

10. Creative cocoa with Rice Whip
You may have some leftover rice whip (even if the perfect pumpkin cheesecake pie has been gobbled up). So why not make some crafty creative cocoa and top it with creamy cool rice whip. Spicy cocoa? Add cayenne. Fall cocoa? Add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Vanilla cocoa? Add some vanilla sugar sprinkles or a tinge of vanilla extract. Dark cocoa? Add some melted dark chocolate chunks. Rice whip on cocoa is a festive dessert treat for these cold seasonal nights.

Looking for a creative and delicious way to use all that leftover cranberry sauce? This recipe is sticky sweet and mellows out the tart cranberries into a gooey sauce for perfectly savory-sweet braised tofu steaks. My recipe for Cranberry-Soy Sauce Sticky Sweet Tofu Steaks was actually a last minute addition to my Thanksgiving menu. It was a huge hit! They turned out better than I expected. The natural pectin in the cranberries and the sticky thickness of the brown sugar created an unexpected sauce for the tofu. The end result is reminiscent of a sticky sweet BBQ sauce. The combination of tart cranberries, rich brown sugar and savory soy sauce make the thinly sliced firm tofu steaks sing with flavor. This is a must try recipe-even if you think you hate tofu! Get my recipe...

Last Minute Creation. Here was my update that I posted in my perfect proteins recipes the day before Thanksgiving: "I just tested out an amazing braising liquid/marinade for firm tofu. It's a combination of fresh made cranberry sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper and poultry seasoning. For 1 block of extra firm tofu: pat tofu super-dry. Cut into thin slices and marinade in ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup fresh cranberry sauce, 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, ½ cup brown sugar, dash of vinegar, squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of black pepper. If you need more liquid, add in a ¼ cup of apple cider or cranberry juice. Let soak overnight and simply saute in a teaspoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoon of the marinade liquid (add more marinade to pan as you saute the entire batch of tofu squares). I think I am going to use these cran-soy tofu cubes in a fillo-wrapped stuffing and tofu purse as my main entree. I love the soy-cranberry-brown sugar-poultry seasoning flavors so much! Test a little batch and see what you think."

So here is the formal refined recipe...

Leftover Cranberry-Soy Sauce Sticky Sweet Tofu Steaks
vegan

1 block (14 oz.) extra firm tofu, sliced into ½" thick squares
½ cup leftover whole berry cranberry sauce.
*works best with homemade cranberry sauce that is less firm that 'canned'
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup apple cider
2 tablespoon lemon juice
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper
dash of salt
3 tablespoon olive oil (for braising in pan)

Directions:

1. Remove your block of tofu, pat dry with a few paper towels.

2. Slice your tofu into ½" thick strips. Squares work best.

3. Make your marinade by combining all the ingredients (except for the oil which is for sauteing the tofu later) in a lidded bowl. Note: If you are nut using a 'more liquid' cranberry sauce, heat in the microwave for minute until your cranberry sauce can be scooped with a spoon-into a oatmeal like consistency. A firm block of cranberry sauce won't be able to penetrate into the tofu.

4. Add the tofu. Squeeze the tofu a bit into the marinade and be sure to coat all side of the tofu in marinade. After you have added all the tofu squares, place the lid firmly on and shake the bowl a bit to swish around the sauce.

5. Place in the fridge and let marinate for at least one day. Mine marinated for 2 days and was perfect.

6. After the marination process is done, remove tofu from fridge. Heat your oil in a skillet, and when it is hot and sizzling, start adding in your tofu squares. Pour about 2 tablespoon of the marinade in with the tofu. Let the sizzle in the oil/marinade for a few minutes. Flip tofu. The bottom should have turned a dark brown color with nice rimmed char marks.

&. Next, add in about ½ cup more of the marinade liquid. This will braise the tofu steaks and you will watch as the marinade firms up to become a sticky sauce. If you want even more caramelized tofu-add a few more sprinkles of brown sugar.

7. Saute the tofu in the skillet until all the liquid has turned 'sticky' and almost black. You can add as much of the marinade as you'd like. Don't sog up the cooking tofu, but make sure it is still moist and tender.

8. Place on a plate to cool and firm up a bit before serving. I stuffed mine into vegan fillo purses. It was fillo, stuffing and tofu. Yum! You can also eat these plain, on top of a green salad or place in sandwiches.

Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, happy and yummy Thanksgiving!!!

Best, Kathy

You've already seen my Thanksgiving 2009 menu and hopefully you've been following my Thanksgiving series with recipes from appetizers to desserts. Complete series links here. Hopefully my recipes and menu has brought you a little inspiration.

Can I See a Menu? I love perusing menus. Menus provide culinary inspiration for new ingredients, flavors and trends. Highlights from the menus below include dishes like: Porcini Dusted Tofu, Jerusalem Artichoke Butternut Squash with cinnamon foam, Grilled lemon-rosemary seitan and coconut yams. Yum! Want more? Check out the Thanksgiving 2009 vegan restaurant menu highlights, from all over the USA...

Restaurant Thanksgiving Menus 2009

Blossom Restaurant NYC
Thanksgiving Menu 2009
*Three courses, prixe fix.

First Course
*Candied Yam Ravioli, whipped maple-sage butter
*Roasted Salsify Soup, Rosemary croutons, Lemon oil
*Beet Salad, Mache, Baby Arugula, Blood Orange, Thyme

Second Course
*Pecan Crusted Seitan, Seasonal Greens, Homestyle Stuffing, Port – braised
Cranberries, Pan Gravy
*Butternut Risotto Croquettes, Sauteéd Bitter Greens, Golden Beet Relish, Toasted Almond Cream
*Porcini Dusted Tofu, Parsnip Puree, Roasted Baby Vegetables, truffle oil, micro greens

Dessert
*Pumpkin Cheesecake
*Pecan Pie
*Chocolate Pear Mousse

Candle 79 NYC
Thanksgiving Menu 2009
*Three courses, prixe fix. $52.

Soups
*Jerusalem Artichoke Butternut Squash with cinnamon foam

Appetizers
*Risotto with mushrooms & butternut squash sauce
*Grilled Artichoke with trumpet royal mushrooms, celeriac puree & balsamic reduction *Yucca Cake with tofu cashew cheese, roasted shallots & red pepper coulis

Salads
*Arugula Salad with local pears, roasted baby turnips, almond-pumpkin cheese, pomegranate & cranberry dressing
*Wild Rice & Squash Salad with local lettuce, apples, toasted almonds, grilled fennel & ginger-pumpkin dressing

Entrees
*Butternut Squash Ravioli with sautéed shallots, cashew cream, crispy sage & rosemary oil
*Rosemary Crusted Tempeh Cake with roasted maple dijon squash,
sautéed broccolini, cranberry-tart cherry relish & roasted vegetable gravy
*Pomegranate Grilled Tofu with cornbread stuffing, sweet potato purée, sautéed haricots verts amandine & roasted vegetable gravy
*Pumpkin Grilled Seitan with roasted shallot-potato mash, sautéed brussels sprouts, cranberry-tart cherry relish & marsala-pumpkin sauce
*Harvest Plate (choose 4) pomegranate grilled tofu · rosemary crusted tempeh sweet potato purée · broccollini · brussels sprouts · cornbread stuffing · haricots verts amandine roasted maple dijon squash · roasted shallot-potato mash (Harvest Plate served with cranberry-tart cherry relish & roasted vegetable gravy)

Desserts
*PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE with lavender frosting
*APPLE-CRANBERRY CRUMB PIE with vanilla ice cream
*PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE with vanilla cream
*SWEET POTATO PIE with cinnamon ice cream

Millennium, San Francisco
Thanksgiving Supper 2009
5 course prix fixe, $60/person, $30/child under 12

Last year's menu highlights:
house-made walnut bread, caramelized onion-pumpkin butter, roasted chestnuts, winter squash, maple-pecan sweet potato pie, cranberry-apple relish, barley-wild rice risotto, cranberry beans, exotic mushrooms, truffled potato custard, porcini mushroom gravy, pumpkin cream pie, gingerbread ice cream & butterscotch.

Madeleine Bistro, Los Angeles
Thanksgiving Day Brunch 2009
4 course prix fixe, $50 per person.

First Course
Butternut squash bisque

Second Course
Classic Caesar salad with rustic biscuit

Main Course
Rustic mashed potatoes, pan gravy, coconut yams, pan-roasted vegetables, and cranberry sauce, served with the following:

Choice of: Grilled lemon-rosemary seitan, chicken-fried seitan, or braised tempeh
&
Choice of: Sourdough-sage stuffing or wheat-free, quinoa & herb stuffing

Dessert Course
Holiday pie trio

Sublime Restaurant, Miami
Thanksgiving Dinner 2009
prix fixe, $45/pp, $25/child portion (under 12)

Roasted Acorn Squash Bisque, Waldorf Salad
Choice of: Gardein "Turkey" or Wild Mushroom Stroganoff

Pumpkin "Cheesecake."

GOBO Restauarant, NYC
Thanksgiving Specials 2009
Featuring "house-made stuffing wrapped in soy sheets, crisply baked with fresh thyme and accompanied by three-mushroom gravy and roasted autumn vegetables" and "gourmet vegan pumpkin-spiced ice cream, topped with crushed, candied walnuts"

Pure Food and Wine, One Lucky Duck Takeaway, NYC
THANKSGIVING TAKEAWAY MENU 2009

SIDES
Marinated Portabella and Wild Mushrooms (pint)
Pecan and Herb Stuffing (pint)
Cranberry Sauce (half pint)
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts (pint)
Celariac Mash (pint)

DESSERTS
Whole Pumpkin Pie (9 inch)
Apple Crisp (9 inch)
Vanilla Cream (pint)
Vanilla Ice Cream (pint)

You've seen a yummy smorgasbord of my Vegan Thanksgiving recipes over the past few weeks, but now the real work begins! The first step to achieving your perfect feast is menu planning.

Project: Menu. Crafting a delicious, diverse and elegant menu is a fun project that requires analysis, inspiration and a sprinkle of heart. Designing a menu is like putting together a puzzle with too many pieces. You have all the parts, but you also have to know when to edit. You must decide which recipes end up on the chopping-block floor. Double check on any food allergies or special diets. Also consider how many guests to expect and how casual or formal you want your feast to be. Here is my personal menu, shopping list and cooking schedule for Thanksgiving 2009...

***11/24 Update: Made my first and hopefully last menu change: the seitan is OUT and a new tofu dish is IN! Cranberry-Soy Braised Tofu Steaks, to go inside my stuffing fillo purses. The stuffing will sit on top of these braised tofu steaks. See a recipe quip of my new main dish in the main dish proteins post. It is towards the beginning, sorry I do not have a image...yet!)***

...that's the easy part, now onto the ingredients list:

Kathy's Thanksgiving Feast 2009-Shopping List Ingredients
*This is a quick overview of ingredients needed per menu section-always double check the actual recipe for your own needed ingredients*

Appetizers
Dr.Cow Raw Tree Nut Cheese Tasting
Perfect Butternut Squash Dip
Radishes w/ Butter and Peas Shoots
Arugula-Wrapped 'Sausage' Bites w/ Rustic Mustard
Veggie Crudite, Grain Crackers, Crostini Bread
Ingredients: cheese (ordered online), squash, garlic hummus, maple syrup, dried orange peel, soy creamer, sea salt, pepper, sage, radishes, grain crackers, vegan buttery spread, pea shoots, Field Roast Sausage (2 flavors), arugula lettuce, whole grain mustard, celery, stem carrots

Bevies
Fresh Pressed Pear-Ginger Shooters
Pomegranate & Satsuma Mandarin Bellini Bar
water/wine/juice ~ chai/cocoa/tea/espresso
Ingredients: bosc pears, fresh ginger, satsuma mandarin oranges, prosecco, sparkling water, tea, cocoa, soy milk, chai concentrate

Dinner
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
Preserved Lemon Roasted Fennel
Citrus Sage Roasted Butternut Squash
Hearty Herb Roasted Forrest Mushrooms
Vegan Marshmallow Candied Sweet Potatoes
Arugula w/ Preserved Lemon-Macadamia Oil Dressing
Red Wine Marinated Seitan w/ Mushroom Shallot Gravy
Apple Sage 'Sausage' Chestnut Stuffing Fillo Purse
Tempeh ‘Bacon’ Shiitake Jalapeno Stuffing
Triple Spiced Potatoes Au Gratin
Cracked Pepper Spelt Biscuits
Golden Orchard Quinoa
'Buttered' Peas
Ingredients: whole fresh cranberries, vegan sugar, satsuma mandarins, tangerines, fennel bulb, preserved lemon (in fridge), EVOO, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, pepper, fresh sage, fresh cubed butternut squash, fresh rosemary, thyme, mixed forest mushrooms, sweet potatoes, vegan marshmallows, vegan buttery spread, arugula, macadamia oil, red wine, soy sauce, seitan, shallots, vegetable broth, maple syrup, panko bread crumbs, tempeh, liquid smoke, shiitake mushrooms, jalapeno, day-old bread cubes (whole wheat), celery, yellow onions, parsley, agave syrup, cumin powder, poultry seasoning, dried cranberries, pistachios, pecans, cashews, walnuts, vegan fillo dough, trio of white potatoes, fresh ginger, paprika, cayenne, soy milk, sour cream, arrowroot, vegenaise, garlic powder, vegan white cheese, coconut oil, spelt flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, black pepper-thick, quinoa, fuyu persimmons, cinnamon spice blend, fresh or frozen peas, sugar pumpkin-whole, apple cider

Dessert
100% Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Rice Cream Whip
Low Fat Pear Pecan Right-Side-Up Cake
Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse
Ingredients: vegan graham pie shell, vegan cream cheese, canned pumpkin, rice whip cream, sugar, raw cashews, raw pecans, raw brazil nuts, cinnamon spice blend, bourbon vanilla extract, pears, whole wheat flour, arrowroot, vegenaise, maple syrup, cayenne, salt, vegan chocolate pudding mix, vegan dark chocolate bar, silken tofu, espresso,

Final Ingredients List to buy (items not yet stocked):
*This list will obviously be different for you, but this is a good way to organize your shopping list...

PRODUCE
pears
fresh cubed butternut squash
satsuma mandarins and tangerines
fennel bulb
whole fresh cranberries
mixed forest and shiitake mushrooms
sweet potatoes
arugula
shallots
jalapeno
fresh or frozen peas
radishes
pea shoots
fuyu persimmons
celery
parsley
fresh ginger
onions
trio of white potatoes
fresh sage
fresh rosemary

PANTRY/BAKING
vegan chocolate pudding mix
vegan dark chocolate bar
vegan marshmallows
day-old bread cubes (whole wheat)
grain crackers
vegetable broth
coconut oil
vegan graham pie shell
canned pumpkin and squash
raw cashews, pecans, brazil nuts, pistachios
prosecco, sparkling water, red wine

REFRIDGERATED
silken tofu
vegan buttery spread
seitan
tempeh
sour cream
vegan white cheese
garlic hummus
soy creamer
Field Roast Sausage (2 flavors)
vegan cream cheese
rice whip cream

And lastly, the schedule of when to prep, pre-make or cook what...

Thanksgiving Schedule

Tues: Shop/Finalize table settings/Guests/Cleaning
*This is my personal schedule, you can craft your own how you choose*

Wed: prep/make-ahead items
100% Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake, Low Fat Pear Pecan Right-Side-Up Cake, Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse, Perfect Butternut Squash Dip, veggie prep crudites, Citrus Cranberry Sauce, Candied Sweet Potatoes, stuffing prep, Potatoes Au Gratin, quinoa, prep preserved lemon dressing

Thurs:Finish day-of prep recipes
beverages, plate radish apps, saute/plate sausage app, roast fennel-squash-mushrooms, toss/cook buttered peas, seitan and gravy, roast prepped sweet potatoes, toss arugula salad, bake stuffing and fillo purses, warm gratin and quinoa, make biscuits

Appetizers
Dr.Cow Raw Tree Nut Cheese Tasting - Done-ordered online
Perfect Butternut Squash Dip - make one day ahead
Radishes w/ Butter and Peas Shoots - day of make
Arugula-Wrapped 'Sausage' Bites w/ Rustic Mustard - day of make
Veggie Crudites, Grain Crackers, Crostini Bread - prep ahead

Bevies
Fresh Pressed Pear-Ginger Shooters - make day of
Pomegranate & Satsuma Mandarin Bellini Bar - made to order
water/wine/juice ~ chai/cocoa/tea/espresso - buy day before

Dinner
Citrus Cranberry Sauce - day ahead
Preserved Lemon Roasted Fennel - day of
Citrus Sage Roasted Butternut Squash - day of
Hearty Herb Roasted Forrest Mushrooms - day of
Vegan Marshmallow Candied Sweet Potatoes - prep day before, cook day of
Arugula w/ Preserved Lemon-Macadamia Oil Dressing - day of
Red Wine Marinated Seitan w/ Mushroom Shallot Gravy - marinate day before, cook day-of
Apple Sage 'Sausage' Chestnut Stuffing Fillo Purse - prep day before, cook day of
Tempeh ‘Bacon’ Shiitake Jalapeno Stuffing - prep day before, cook day of
Triple Spiced Potatoes Au Gratin - day before
Cracked Pepper Spelt Biscuits - day of
Golden Orchard Quinoa - day before
'Buttered' Peas - day of

Dessert
100% Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Rice Cream Whip - day before
Low Fat Pear Pecan Right-Side-Up Cake - day before
Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse - day before

So there you have it, my planned out Thanksgiving feast schedule from list to plate. It's always good to have a plan, but it's also important to stay flexible. What is the fuyu persimmons aren't ripe? What if I burn my tempeh bacon? What if the sweet potatoes take an hour longer than expected? And what if the store is all out of vegan cream cheese?! Have a nice back-up plan and plan on making more than you'll need. You can always drop a few recipes last minute if your cooking attempts gets discombobulated. Good luck planning your menu-I'd love to hear what scrumptious menu highlights you've planned for this year! Leave them in the comments of tweet me.

At last! Everyone's favorite part of the Thanksgiving Feast: the delicious desserts. The dinner planning is over, the dishes have been cleared from the table and you're ready for to relax with a hot mug of cocoa, coffee or tea to go with a sweet cozy dessert treat. So here are a few ideas for your vegan Thanksgiving dessert selection. Plus I've even included a never-before-posted recipe for my Chocolate Chip Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Fluffy Cashew Cream Frosting. Take a peak at my recipes and save room for dessert!...

Vegan Dessert Recipes for Thanksgiving

1. Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie
This is my twist on pumpkin pie, because I simply think it tastes better! Yes, you can certainly modify this recipe to be a pumpkin pie only version (no cheesecake swirl) but why would you want to do that? There are a plethora of vegan pumpkin pie recipes out there. But I prefer this version-a little pumpkin, a little nuttiness, a little creamy cashew cream cheese, a hint of vanilla and a pretty swirl to bring it all together. And you can easily make this recipe the day before Thanksgiving. This dessert is dreamy, creamy, swirled pumpkin decadence.

2. Right-Side-Up Pear Cake
Had your fill of pumpkin flavors? Want a light, fruity and elegant dessert? Perfect with your after-meal tea, coffee or chai? Then this pear cake is for you! Moist, low-fat and full of fall pear and cinnamon flavors. There's even my little secret blended in for taking baked goods like this from moist to super moist. This dessert is light and moist with spiced sweetness.

3. Chestnut Choco Cake with Pumpkin Cream Frosting
Incredibly festive flavors crowd this unique chestnut chocolate chip cake. I adore the light creamy pumpkin frosting that's swirled on top. Chestnuts as a dessert? Yes! This dessert is savory-sweet, home-style yet unique.

5. Fresh Fall Fruit Tart
I made this delightful fruit tart with summer flavors a few months back, but you can easily make the same vanilla cream base and add fall fruit to the top: persimmons, pears, satsuma mandarins, tangerines, pomegranate seeds, honeycrisp apples and even a few chopped chestnuts blended into the crust if you'd like. Cool vanilla pudding, sweet fruit: this dessert is fresh and fruity.

6. Diva-Chino Parfaits
For a unique spin on after-dinner-cappuccino, try my tofu-based vegan pudding parfaits. I call them Diva-Chino's because any coffee-loving diva will adore them. Flavors: cinna-vanilla pudding, mocha pudding and almonds. Add a shot of espresso and you are in caffeinated dessert bliss. Decaf is OK too... This dessert is energizing, creamy and cool.

7. Lemon Custard Pie Cups or Bars
Need a light lemon-infused dessert after your big Thanksgiving meal filed with savory flavors? Lemon is just what some folks crave. So here is a zing-filled lemon dessert to please. Tofu based and full of zesty flavor. This dessert is zesty, light and bright.

8. Ooey Gooey Vegan Smores
OK so smores aren't exactly traditional as a post Thanksgiving meal. But if you have a roaring fire going and your all snug, cozy and warm at home - why not break out the vegan marshmallows and vegan chocolate for some yummy smores? Your non-veg guests will be shocked to see that vegan smores can be crafted - and are mighty yummy. This dessert is fun, cozy and sweet.

9. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Mini Muffins with Fluffy Cashew Cream Frosting
As promised, here is my never-before-posted mini pumpkin muffin recipe. This is my spin on my pumpkin muffins recipe. This recipe adds in mini vegan chocolate chips, raw nuts and plenty of spice for decadent dessert mini muffins. A swirl of fluffy cashew cream frosting on top. Here it is:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
vegan, makes 24 mini muffins

1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup vegan sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped raw nuts (pecans, walnuts)
2 tablespoon walnut oil (canola works too)
¼ cup soy creamer
½ cup of soy milk
½ cup of soy chai concentrate
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
dash of cayenne (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
*I used EnjoyLife brand

Cashew Cream Frosting
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread, softened
1 container vegan cream cheese
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup agave or maple syrup
½ cup raw cashews
optional: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prepare muffins by combining all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then stir in the wet ingredients until you have a nice fluffy batter.

2. Spoon heaping amounts of batter into each mini muffin tin.

3. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until the tips of the muffins begin to crust up and brown. Remove from oven, allow to completely cool before adding chilled frosting.

4. To prepare your frosting, combine all the frosting ingredients in a food processor. Whip/chop until a fluffy wet mixture is formed. Place the frosting in a separate container and chill in the fridge for at lest an hour. The frosting will firm up a bit in the fridge.

5. Using a frosting tip bag or a simple spoon - swirl or dollop a teaspoon of frosting on top of each cooled muffin. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge until ready to be eaten. The frosting needs to be chilled.

There's no need to feel upside-down after a dessert treat. This recipe will leave you feeling right-side-up. My Pear Right-Side-Up Cake is a super moist, perfectly sweet, low-fat dessert or tea cake that will not only taste delicious, but look quite charming. Lovely layers of elegant bosc pears line the top of this tart-like cake. Serve with a hot steamy cup of tea, coffee or a spicy hot soy chai.

Low-Fat Bliss. The only added fat in this recipe is 1 tablespoon of vegan buttery spread and ½ cup of pecans folded into the batter. If you'd like to make a fat-free version, you are certainly welcome to. This 'healthier option' dessert is perfect for those guests who may not want to splurge on a more decadent vegan dessert. (However, I'll also include a few modifications for those of you who do want a more decadent version of this pear cake.) Get my recipe...

Perfect Pears. Perfectly mandolin-sliced pears are the secret to this pear tart. Thickly-sliced pears won't cut it.

Moist Secret. My secret for a low-fat, yet super moist cake is the butternut squash puree. For super moist baked goods, it just works perfectly every time. Plus it adds in a nice dose of healthy butternut squash fiber and vitamin A.

For the More Decadent Bunch. If you want to make this tart a bit more decadent, you can as well. Simply replace all the 'soy milk' with 'soy creamer'. And add 2 more tablespoon of vegan buttery spread to the soaked pears. This will create a more decadent cake. But either option fat-free, low-fat or decadent, will be delicious. These pears deliver...

Pear Right-Side-Up Cake
vegan, makes 1 tart

Soaked Pears:
2 large ripe bosc pears, thinly sliced (or 3 medium pears)
½ cup organic apple cider
¼ cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
¼ teaspoon grated ginger, fresh
¼ teaspoon tangerine or orange zest
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
optional: 1 tablespoon brandy

Batter:
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup vegan sugar, evaporated cane juice crystals
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon spice blend
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 ½ cups organic butternut squash puree, canned
1 cup liquid from the drained pears
¼ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla-bourbon extract
*TJ's brand, or just use plain vanilla
Fold in: ½ cup whole raw pecans

Coating:
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla soy milk
light sprinkle of sugar

Directions:

1. Wash your pears. Remove any soft or brown spots. Mandolin slice them into very thin slivers. You can have a few that are oddly shaped, but make sure to also get a few that have a pretty pear shape to them-these can be your top layer pears.

2. Add all your pears to a large bowl. Also add in your cider, citrus juice, zest, ginger, cinnamon and vegan buttery spread. Omit the spread for fat-free. Add more spread for a more decadent cake. You can also add in a tablespoon of brandy if you'd like.

3. Toss the pears gently in the liquid and set them aside to soak for at least 15 minutes.

4. Start your batter. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.

5. Next, drain the soaked pears and add that drained liquid directly to the batter mixing bowl. Next also add in the remaining wet ingredients: butternut squash puree, grated fresh ginger, soymilk and vanilla extract. Gently mix until you get a fluffy, well-mixed batter. Lastly, Fold in the raw whole pecans. (You can chop the pecans if you'd like-or simply add them whole like I did.)

6. Pour your batter into a lightly canola-oil-sprayed 9 inch cake pan or a similar sized baking dish. Pour about a 1 ½ inch thick layer of batter. Spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon-as the batter should be quite thick and fluffy. Make sure to leave room for layering the pears on top - about ½ inch. note: You may have a bit of batter leftover, you can use this to make a separate smaller tart - or a few muffins. (Larger cake pans will not have leftovers.)

7. Layer the pears. You will place about 3 layers of pears on top. You can start off with the oddly shaped pears, and work your way to a pretty design of the 'pear-shaped' pears. I like to layer from the outside-in.

8. Lastly, pour your 'topping' liquid mixture over top the pears, and add a very light sprinkle of sugar on top as well.

9. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Or until the pears look fully baked and the outer edges of the cake start to pull away from the pan. For the late 5 minute of baking, turn the oven on high broil to allow the top pears to caramelize and brown up a bit. This will also prevent 'mushy pears'.

10. Allow to cool. You can serve warm, but I actually prefer this cake chilled in the fridge overnight. It allows the cake to firm up and the pears to really soak into the top layers of the cake - in a right-side-up way. Remove cake from fridge about 15 minutes before serving.

Yummy!

Midway through my low-fat Pear Right-Side-Up Cake (to be posted tomorrow in my Thanksgiving Desserts post), I was wrist deep in perfectly mandolin-sliced pears when - slash! Sliced my finger. Lovely. And ouch. I bandaged my finger. Finished up my pear dessert. Wrapped up my dessert, and placed it 'on hold' in the fridge. My poor finger throbbing in pain, I decided I definitely needed a break from Thanksgiving recipes.

Recipe Overload: Break Time! Since I needed a little breather session from holiday-planning, I decided to also give YOU a little break from all the holiday buzz crowding the internet this week. So if you want a little break from "vegan desserts!" "holiday stuffing" "the best Thanksgiving ever in twenty easy steps" and "Thanksgiving drinks to make it through Thanksgiving" - here are my top ten "cool finds". This is my simple list of stuff I've found lately that I think is A) cool. and B) might aide your holiday a bit. These are gadgets, gizmos, foods, sites and things to make your holiday a little happier, healthier OR easier. Check out my Top Ten Cool Finds...

Ten Cool Finds for a Better Holiday
*note: these are all my 100% genuine cool finds. Just a bunch of stuff I've found, bought, perused, tried or loved - all on my own. No freebies for me, fyi.*

1. Aerolatte Frother
I love this thing! It's a gadget that you see and say "I bet it doesn't work". But it does! I bought it for $19 at Crate and Barrel, although you can easily get it on the web for around $15. I've tried many expensive frothers in the past - they always failed me. So off to Starbucks I'd go. But finally I found this totally satisfying frother for my extra foamy soy chai lattes. And yes it 100% works on soy milk. The trick is all in the temperature of the milk. About 60 degrees is perfect. For me, that's about 45 seconds in the microwave for my 1 cup of soy milk. If you want a better at home latte or chai this holiday - buy this.

2. Dr. Cow Raw Vegan Cheese Sampler
I've chatted about this before, but I can't tell you how much I adore this company. They make exquisite raw vegan nut cheese that will blow your mind. There's no better time to splurge on a $75 Dr.Cow cheese sampler than during the holidays. Dr. Cow cheese, a few crackers, some organic fruit, grapes, apples. Throw in some great wine and your apps party platter is done! For a better raw vegan appetizer spread this holiday - try this cheese!

3. Book: "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safron Foer
I just started reading this last week. Love it. I wish I had more time to finish it! Maybe Friday morning when everyone else is running circles at the stores. Hmm. Here is what I tweeted about the book thus far:
"..so far it's a exhaling cascade of life-affirming stories, honest curiosities & questions that leave you cloaked in pause & reflection." 9:33 PM Nov 16th

"With my kitty curled in my lap I stopped on page 36: day 1 of reading JSF's "Eating Animal's". 9:27 PM Nov 16th

If you doubt yourself this holiday when surrounded by people who may not support or may even look down upon your vegan or veggie diet, just read this book and you'll feel better. For a happier more assured feeling about helping animals this holiday - read this book.

4. TwitGrids.Com
Hello my name is Kathy and I'm addicted to twitter. Yup, I love twitter.com, but sometimes it feels like a sea of tweets with no true organization or ease of use. Ten minutes on twitter can quickly become an hour. So when I found TwitGrids.com my face got very smiley. It's like a sort of newspaper - with little grid boxes of tweets. All categorized. For an organization freak like me- it's dreamy. Plus it has plenty of "foodie-friendly" categories: lifestyle, green, food, foodies, chefs, recipes, brands and restaurants sections. You can even customize your own "My Grid". Hello my name is Kathy and I'm addicted to TwitGrids. To have your twitter (and eat it too?) in a more efficient and time-saving fashion this holiday - try this website.

5. Peet's Coffee Masala Chai Tea Bags
I'm always on the lookout for a new brand of chai tea bags. Most bags I've tried have a bitter or just-plain-strange aftertaste to them. These chai tea bags are the first ones I've found that are aftertaste free. No bitterness. Just warm spice flavors. Fellow chai-connoisseurs, if you can find these Peet's Coffee Masala Chai tea bags near you - try them. For a better at-home chai this holiday - use these bags.

6. Alicia Silverstone's Blog: The Kind Life
I recently discovered Alicia Silverstone's blog The Kind Life. I love it. She posts videos, recipes, lifestyle tips and more. I haven't bought her book - yet-. It's next on my list after Foer's Eating Animals. But I've gotten a real taste for what her message is - via her blog. It's a great community of kindness-minded veggie-heads. For an inspiring and entertaining time in the blogosphere this holiday- read this blog.

7. Handheld Oxo Good Grips Mandolin Slicer
How could I not include my inspiration for this post. The very mandolin slicer I sliced my finger on. Note, twas my fault, not the slicer. I should probably watch what I'm slicing... This mandolin is under $20 and works great! I used it to make a pear cake as well as my Potatoes Au Gratin recipe. I originally asked the Crate and Barrel lady where their mandolin slicers were and she brought me to a $80 mandolin! I was like...uh...sliced potatoes for $80? Maybe later. So I wandered around the store on my own and found this slicer. Bought it. Love it. I deserve a pat on the back for that purchase. For affordable perfect mandolin sliced veggies and fruit this holiday - use this.

8. Samsung Induction Range
My superstar pal, Food Network chef Melissa d'Arabian recently did a cool promo event for the new Samsung Induction Range. I was drooling. I want this thing. This was the first time I had seen an induction range and convection oven marketed to the at-home-chef. This one has an induction cook top, true convection oven, and warming drawer. Price: $1999. Now if only I had and extra 2k for one of these. Sigh. For faster, better cooked meals this holiday - load this in your kitchen.

9. Justin's Nut Butter Maple Almond Butter Packs
I love this stuff! Starbucks beware. With my areolatte frother and Justin's nut butter Paks, I can have a fine old time bageling and chai-ing it at home. These little to-go paks are also great for when Starbucks is out of almond butter and I need to supply my own! For a tasty maple-almond butter bagel this holiday - eat these packets.

10. Seasonal Fruit: Fuyu's, pears, Satsuma Mandarins and more...
Last 'cool find' for the holidays is 100% fresh seasonal fruit. I can't get enough of it. I'm at Whole Foods everyday buying fruit and veggies to re-stock my ever-dwindling fruit bowl supply. I've been eating fuyu's, pears, mandarins, tangerines, winter squash and more. I love always having my fruit bowl overflowing with seasonal fruit. For a happier and healthier holiday - eat some seasonal produce.

So I hope this was a somewhat mindless, yet useful and entertaining break from the usual holiday recipe posts. If you have any "cool finds" I'd love to hear them! Email me, tweet me, facebook me or leave a note in the comments.

And as the big (stressful yet satisfying) holiday feasts approach, just remember to ask yourself: Have you breathed today?

Wanted: "main dish protein" at my vegan Thanksgiving feast.

My no-Tofurky policy stands firm. I'm not against the cliche vegetarian turkey-substitute, but after a few Thanksgiving's of Tofurky-disappointment, I've moved on. To what, you ask? Quinoa, seitan, tempeh, braised tofu, Field Roast sausages, vegan Fillo Factory fillo purses and much more. Here are my top 15 recipe ideas for vegan main dish proteins. Ten are from-scratch recipes and five are easy-pre-prepped options. There is something for every type of veggie chef: busy moms, newbie vegans, gourmet foodies, Martha-Stewart-wannabes, takeout gurus and even the 'prepared foods only' cooks. I hope you will find something that inspires you on this list. Check it out...

Side note: Do I Need a Main Protein Dish? Tradition says yes. But, the truth is, most of the foods at your vegan table will probably be high in protein as-is. Some veggies, some fruit, most whole grains, nuts and beans are all good sources of protein for vegans. So you don't really need a 'main dish protein' if you are including protein-rich whole foods at your table.

The 'veggie/tofu burger myth' is just that, a myth. Whole foods provide protein. You don't need to eat processed soy and grain products (like many veggie burgers are) for your protein. But for those of you who want something tofurky-esque, this list is for you. Tempeh, tofu and seitan are all here. But I also included a few 'easy-prep' proteins for those who want a super easy protein dish.

Ten Main Dish Vegan Protein Recipes - From Scratch:

***11/24 UPDATE RECIPE ADDITION: New Protein Entree: Soy-Cranberry Braised Tofu Steaks. I just tested out an amazing braising liquid/marinade for firm tofu. It's a combination of fresh made cranberry sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper and poultry seasoning. For 1 block of extra firm tofu: pat tofu super-dry. Cut into thin slices and marinade in ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup fresh cranberry sauce, 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, ½ cup brown sugar, dash of vinegar, squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of black pepper. If you need more liquid, add in a ¼ cup of apple cider or cranberry juice. Let soak overnight and simply saute in a teaspoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoon of the marinade liquid (add more marinade to pan as you saute the entire batch of tofu squares). I think I am going to use these cran-soy tofu cubes in a fillo-wrapped stuffing and tofu purse as my main entree. I love the soy-cranberry-brown sugar-poultry seasoning flavors so much! Test a little batch and see what you think.***

1. Golden Orchard Quinoa
Quinoa is a high-in-complete-protein grain, so it has become quite popular among vegetarians lately. It is nutty flavored with a delicate yet hearty bite. This year, I created apple cider spiced quinoa. It's dotted with fuyu persimmons, chopped pecans, satsuma mandarins and plenty of fall spices like cinnamon. This dish is also a part of my "Pumpkin Platter" which is featured below in #2.

2. Pumpkin Platter: Pumpkin-Nut Crusted Tofu and Tempeh
It doesn't get more fall than this. Pumpkins, chopped nuts, cider and spices with a plating garnish of roasted chestnuts, pumpkin and arugula. My protein-rich pumpkin platter is centerpiece worthy for your Thanksgiving table. For those Martha-Stewart-wannabes, this intensive recipe is for you.

3. Tangerine Cinnamon Tempeh Cubes
I adore the simple flavor or lemon pepper tempeh-which is the recipe that the link above will direct you to. But you can easily make Tangerine Cinnamon Tempeh cubes by substituting the lemon juice for tangerine and also adding some cinnamon to the peppery spices. Delicious and oh so fall-harvest-inspired. Add some apple cider to the braising liquid and a few dashes of tangerine zest to complete this savory-sweet tempeh recipe for you and your guests.

4. Easy Braised Tofu or Tempeh Steaks
You will be spending a lot of time on your custom vegan stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce and perfect sweet potatoes, right? So why not make the protein dish super easy and simply flavored: Here is an easy recipe for braised tofu or tempeh steaks. Simply plate and serve. Easy. Protein-rich. Satisfying. Yummy.

5. Sweet and Sassy Sweet Potato Pockets
My make-them-every-year traditional Thanksgiving recipe: sweet potato pockets! I use Trader Joe's Soy Pita pockets which are higher in protein than traditional wheat pitas. So yes, they do have a nice dose of soy protein. But for added protein, you can stuff some sauteed seitan, tempeh or tofu into the pockets as well. They are hand-held and super casual to eat, yet the complex Thanksgiving flavors keep these oven-toasted pitas classy. Kids-friendly.

6. Saffron Scented Tofu Scramble - stuffed fillo purse
Here's a fun breakfast-inspired idea for your vegan Thanksgiving table. Make my recipe for saffron-scented tofu scramble and simply stuff the tofu into little individual fillo purse pockets. Bake until crisp and browned and serve. Super elegant with a home style flair. The citrus saffron-veggie tofu flavors will easily mesh with your Thanksgiving feast foods. Add in a few pomegranate pearls or chopped fuyu slices for a more complex fall-inspired purse. Breakfast for Thanksgiving, why not?! *Fillo Factory makes an awesome vegan fillo dough.

7. Home style Tofu and Veggie Pot Pie

Pot Pie for Thanksgiving: sounds like a great idea to me. I'd go heavy on the tofu cubes so that there is enough 'protein' in this dish to satisfy. The home style flavors should mesh well with your feast.

8. BBQ Tofu or Tempeh
A bit on the unusual side, but always a crowd pleaser- BBQ tofu or tempeh for Thanksgiving. If you want to turn the 'carnivores' onto your vegan lifestyle, try serving them some savory-sticky-sweet BBQ sauce this Thanksgiving.

9. Sauteed Seitan-Stuffed Fillo Purse
This idea is similar to the tofu scramble fillo purse, but instead would be filled with a simple veggie-sauteed seitan dish. You can flavor the seitan with anything you'd like: cranberries, mushrooms, apples, pomegranate, sweet onions, celery, black pepper, citrus or maple. Use the Fillo Factory fillo dough-it's vegan! Freezer section of Whole Foods.

10. Vegan Tofu Quiche
Another brunch-at-Thanksgiving style recipe. For those who like to make-things-ahead-of-time (and who doesn't when you're swamped with guests) you can easily make this a few days ahead and simply warm up in the oven on Thanksgiving. Again, do a few switcheroos on the 'flavor' ingredients to add some 'fall-harvest' to your quiche.

Five Pre-Made Easy-Prep Products/Options:

1. Tofurky
Not a huge fan, but for the busy cook, the Tofurky is super easy and feeds a lot of guests. It is a must-try at least once. My main prep tip: add moisture! Tofurky's easily dry out. So be sure to cook it covered and baste it. I'd stud it with tangerine and persimmon slices-use cloves to secure the slices-and drip maple syrup/citrus juice over top for extra hydration.

2. Lightlife Tempeh-tations Tempeh Cubes
Love these. Pre-flavored, all you have to do it saute and done. Easy and protein-rich. Tempeh is my fave vegan protein.

3. Field Roast Brand Celebration Loaf
I have not tried this, but it gets rave reviews from even the most gourmet of vegan foodies. Plus I adore the Field Roast Grain Meat Co's sausages, so I'd guess this product is also a winner.

4. Field Roast Brand Apple Sage Sausage
I love these vegan sausages. The Apple Sage flavor is perfect for Thanksgiving. Definitely serve these if you are having guests who are not veg*n. Here is a super easy 2 minute recipe that tastes amazing: Slice 2 apple sage sausages into ½" thick slices. Layer slices flat in a micro-safe glass dish. Grate a few tablespoons of Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack cheese over top the sausage slices. Place in the microwave for 2 minutes. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. Serve hot! You'll be shocked at how tender and moist the cheese keeps these sausages-even when cooked via microwave. Serve on a pretty platter and they will think you spent more than 2 minutes on these protein-rich sausage bites.

5. Thanksgiving Table To-Go
Too busy to cook this year? That's OK! There are plenty of vegan to-go-feast options from stores like Whole Foods. If you live in the LA or NYC area there are several vegan restaurants that offer to-go vegan meals. In NYC you can get a to-go vegan Thanksgiving feast from Candle 79, Pure Food and Wine aka One Lucky Duck and even vegan baked desserts from Babycakes. Yum and yay. So if you don't have time to cook, you can still eat happy, healthy and cruelty-free protein-rich Thanksgiving eats.

Tired of Tofurky? Try my protein-rich Vegan Pumpkin Platter which features my Pumpkin-Pecan Crusted Tempeh and Pumpkin-Almond Crusted Tofu. Also included on this festive platter: Golden Orchard Quinoa dome, maple roasted sugar pumpkin slivers and salted roasted chestnuts. Here's how to create this centerpiece-worthy platter in five steps...

New Traditions. To me, Thanksgiving is all about gathering family to feast on traditional festive foods. However, I strongly believe that 'tradition' needs a bit of graceful updating once in a while. By 'veganizing' my Thanksgiving I am forging a new trail of tradition. However, I keep my Thanksgiving menu vegan and traditional simply by staying in tune with delicious fall harvest flavors.

Fall Flavors: Veganized. I knew I wanted to serve tempeh and tofu at my vegan feast. So I decided to give them a boost of fall flavor. My inspiration: pumpkin! Pumpkin is one of (if not the most) symbolic food of Thanksgiving. Besides turkeys of course. But I prefer to think of turkeys as my feathered friends, rather than my main course. So pumpkins it is...

Yes, this Pumpkin Platter is intensive, but the results are well worth it - if you have the time, energy and heart to make it.

Pumpkin Platter in Five Steps:
1. Golden Orchard Quinoa - see recipe
2. Pumpkin-Crusted Protein Triangles (Tofu or Tempeh) - below
3. Roasted Sugar Pumpkin - below
4. Roasted Chestnuts - below
5. Platter Plating - below

Step One: Golden Orchard Cider Spiced Quinoa.

After you have prepared the quinoa, you can get started on the tempeh and/or tofu protein portion of the platter...

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Step Two: Protein Triangles
*You can choose one or both of the tofu/tempeh ingredient options.

Pumpkin Pecan Crusted Tempeh
-or-
Pumpkin Almond Crusted Tofu
vegan

Tempeh or Tofu
1 package tempeh, 8 oz.
-or-
¾ package firm tofu, 8 oz.
*slice protein into thin triangles*
1 tablespoon olive oil for skillet
1 cup soy sauce/apple cider mixture (half and half) for soaking

Pumpkin Sauce
½ cup vegetable broth
1 can of organic pumpkin
2 tablespoon whole wheat flour
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup vegan worcheshire sauce
*I used Wizard's brand vegan sauce
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon spice blend (cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
dash cayenne (add more for a spicy pumpkin sauce)
optional: 1 tablespoon olive oil

Nut Crust
1 ½ cups crushed raw pecans/pecan meal
-or-
1 ½ cup crushed almonds/almond meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon vegan sugar
pinch of salt

Garnish:
Candied Onions
1 onion, sliced thin
3 tablespoon vegan sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Pre-soak your proteins in your apple cider/soy sauce mixture. Half cider, half soy sauce. You can soak them overnight if you'd like - but at least for 20 minutes. Set aside.

2. Prepare your candied onion garnish by thinly slicing your onion and coating the strands in a mixture of oil and sugar. Spread then thin on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven on broil for 5-7 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, browned and crisp (but not burnt) remove them and set them aside to cool. Turn the oven to high to preheat at 400 degrees for the remaining portion of your platter components.

3. Start your pumpkin sauce on the stove over medium heat. Add to a soup pot all the pumpkin sauce ingredients. Stir briskly until well combined. Bring to a simmer. Cover. let simmer on low-med heat while you prepare your protein triangles.

4. In a saute pan add 1 tablespoon of oil. Lightly saute your well-soaked protein triangles so that you get a nice browning on either side and they are cooked through. The tofu should firm up quite a bit and be more handle-able. You can even add a few teaspoons of the soy/apple cider mixture to help braise the proteins. Set aside on a paper towel to cool. Tip: Saute your proteins so that they are tasty enough to eat 'as-is'. For optimal flavor and texture, you don't want to use raw tofu or tempeh for your dipping/coating process.

5. Check on your sauce and stir it every few minutes so that it doesn't burn. You can uncover it to let some steam off and allow the sauce to 'cook down' a bit. Keep an eye on it as you continue working on your other ingredients.

6. Prepare your nuts (Pecans or Almonds) by splitting them into two portions: With the first portion you will hand crush them into roughly chopped/smashed bits. The second portion you can puree in a mini-food processor until they come out as 'nut meal'. You can also buy almond or pecan 'meal' at the store. Combine both portions of nuts and disperse them in a shallow tray. Set aside.

7. Get a second shallow tray or plate and disperse your whole wheat flour, pinch of salt and sugar. These trays will be used in the coating process of your protein.

8. Check on your pumpkin sauce. It should be thick, yet creamy. Do a taste test. It should be sweet and tart yet savory and smooth. The pumpkin flavor will shine through as the dominant flavor. If you'd like to play around with adding in additional spices or herbs, go ahead. This pumpkin base is perfect for adding your own flavor touches if you enjoy 'getting creative' in the kitchen. Remove the finished sauce from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes.

9. Start coating your sauteed and cooled triangles with the pumpkin and nuts. There are two ways to coat your protein. The first way is to simply lay all the triangles flat in a baking dish. Then cover them all in pumpkin sauce and sprinkle a thin layer of flour, then a thick layer of the nuts over top that. (This method doesn't need 'trays'.) The second way is to do a basic dipping coating method. Dunk your protein in the pumpkin sauce, transfer the wet protein to the flour tray, coat. Then dip in the nut mix tray. The second method can get a bit messy, but it will allow for all sides to be coated in pumpkin and nuts. Continue this process until all the triangles are coated and laying in your baking tray. You can even pour a bit of extra sauce over top and sprinkle with the extra nuts/nut meal if you'd like. Otherwise, you can save the extra pumpkin sauce as a sort of pumpkin gravy for the table.

10. Cover your baking dish with foil and place in the 400 degree oven to bake for 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of baking time, uncover and place under broil heat-this will crisp and brown the nut crust. However if you are using tempeh, you must be careful to not 'dry out' the protein. Tofu may require a few more minutes under the broiler because of its moister texture as opposed to the firm tempeh.

11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before plating. Garnish with your candied onion strands.

Pecan Tempeh:

Almond Tofu:

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Step Three: Roasted Sugar Pumpkin

To Make: Clean and halve a sugar pumpkin. Remove seed pulp. Sugar pumpkins are smaller, sweeter, less grainy and lighter in weight than traditional large pumpkins. If you can't find a sugar pumpkin, you can use another sweet winter squash, or add a bit more sugar to a traditional pumpkin. Coat the flesh of each half with a bit of olive oil, maple syrup and brown sugar. Add a dash of sea salt. The oil/sugar mixture should create a nice pool in the center where you scooped out the seeds. This pool will dry out and marinate the flesh during the cooking process. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and transfer to a 400 degree oven to roast until tender. Usually about 30 minutes-depending on size and how 'crowded' your oven may be. Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven and slice into ½"-¾" thick slivers, place back on baking sheet, re-coat in oil/maple/sugar/salt and place back in oven, under the broiler for an additional 5-7 minutes. When finished, your pumpkin slices should be browned, caramelized, super tender and tasty. You will plate the pumpkin skin-on because it should easily pull away from the tender edible flesh. Set your slices aside to cool a bit before plating.

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Step Four: Roasted Chestnuts

To Make: Wash and dry about a cup of whole chestnuts. Shell on. Slice a medium sized "X" in each of the nut shells. Coat nuts in oil and a bit of salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the "x" marks burst open and the insides become tender. You will need to peel a few while they are still warm, but you can also leave a few unpeeled for pretty garnish. (You can peel then hot or cold, but it is much easier to peel them when they are still warm and the shell is soft.) Set aside.

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Step Five: Plating

1. Arrange a bed of arugula on a platter.

2. Carefully transfer your quinoa dome onto the center of the platter. Garnish your dome with a pointed fuyu persimmon slice.

3. Carefully transfer your triangle proteins to the platter.

4. Next, layer a few pumpkin slices around the platter - in between each of the protein triangles.

5. Lastly, dot the edges of the platter with the warm chestnuts. You can also add a few peeled roasted chestnuts for easy-easting purposes. You can also add a few dried cranberries if you'd like more color.

Serve and feast on your pumpkin platter! Certainly worthy to be a centerpiece dish at your vegan Thanksgiving table.

Traditionally when people think of vegan protein on Thanksgiving four things come to mind: Tofurky, tofu, tempeh and seitan. But I wanted to kick off my "main dish proteins" recipes with a nontraditional vegan protein: quinoa. Quinoa 101 here. This gluten free grain has become quite popular in the past few years, notably because it is one of the most complete protein grains out there. It is quite tasty too, with a mellow nutty flavor and tiny fluffy granules. It is a delicious substitute for rice, barley or couscous.

Apple Cider Quinoa. It all started with my idea to boil the grains in a mix of apple cider and veggie broth instead of just broth or water. My idea worked, with some flavorful results. My Thanksgiving-inspired Golden Orchard Quinoa recipe is infused with the flavors of fall, including: fresh organic apple cider, persimmons, pecans, satsuma mandarins and plenty of fall spices. The dish is heartier than most quinoa dishes. It takes on a risotto-esque texture as opposed to a fluffy grain 'side dish' texture. This dish makes an excellent centerpiece grain for my vegan pumpkin platter which also features roasted sugar pumpkin, roasted chestnuts and pumpkin-pecan-crusted tempeh and tofu. More on those recipes in my next post. Get my quinoa recipe...

Pumpkin Platter: Part One. This quinoa dish is part one in my pumpkin platter centerpiece dish. When you think back on childhood memories of Thanksgiving what three symbols come to mind? For me, they are turkeys, pilgrims and pumpkins. So why not swap out the turkey for a "pumpkin platter" as a symbol of Thanksgiving. On my platter I arrange roasted sugar pumpkin, a dome-shaped cider spiced quinoa mound, a few roasted chestnuts and a portioned vegan protein.

Vegan Protein: My protein is pumpkin-nut crusted tempeh and tofu. I will be posting this recipe next. You can also use another portioned protein for this platter. Ideas: Field Roast sausages, celebration loaf, simple sauteed tofu or seitan, seitan skewers, tempeh sticks or even a Tofurky. But I'm not a huge fan of the Tofurky. I don't think it is vegan protein at its best, and for newbie guests trying veg protein for the first time - I'd rather not give them the impression that Tofurky's are the best of the best. Because it's just not so-in my opinion.

Golden Orchard Quinoa ~ Apple Cider Spiced.
vegan, makes 5-6 cups

2 cups organic apple cider
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup whole grain organic quinoa, water rinsed
1 teaspoon Satsuma Mandarin Orange Zest
1 peeled Satsuma Mandarin Orange, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves spice blend
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried orange peel
½ cup diced yellow onion
dash of paprika
dash of cayenne (more for heat)
¼ cup soy creamer
½ cup chopped pecans
1 ripe fuyu persimmon, thinly chopped
optional: 1 tablespoon olive oil
optional: dried cranberries or golden raisins.

Directions:

1. Rinse and carefully drain your quinoa in cold water.

2. Pour 1 cup of veggie broth and 1 ½ cups of cider into a soup pot, place over med-high heat stove top burner.

3. Pour quinoa into pot. Stir.

4. Add orange zest, chopped orange, chopped onion and all spices/pepper/salt to pot. Stir briskly until the liquid comes to a boil.

5. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring and fluffing quinoa occasionally.

6. The liquid should be absorbed by now and the quinoa should beginning to 'blossom' or open. The small hard balls will expand into translucent fluffy little bits of grain. Continue stirring briskly uncovered until all the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan becomes dry and hot. You will now treat the grain almost like a risotto by adding more liquid tot the uncovered pot, and stirring and folding the grain until the liquid is absorbed.

7. Fold in soy creamer and apple cider little by little until it has been absorbed and the quinoa is perfectly dense and tender. This is a heavier quinoa than you may have made in the past.

8. You can now fold in the chopped fuyu, chopped pecans and if you'd like to add a bit of olive oil or vegan buttery spread as well. Optional. Also optional: dried cranberries or golden raisins. Garnish with a few more chopped pecans.

9. Remove from heat and set aside. If you'd like to plate your quinoa is a curved dome (as in my images), you can scoop it into a dome shaped bowl, cover and allow to firm a bit until plating. Tip: use a perfectly rounded out bowl. I use a large bowl I bought at Le Pain Quotidien. Also, spray the bowl with oil before filling so that it does not stick when you release the grain.

Don't forget the veggies this Thanksgiving! I know you are craving that decadent once-a-year stuffing, some rice cream topped pumpkin pie and that tart tingle of cranberry sauce hitting your taste buds. And you'll probably be spending a lot of 'kitchen energy' on whatever vegan "main course" you plan on making. But don't shuv the veggies in the corner! This is after-all a vegan feast, so it's wise to give the veggies a prime location on your Thanksgiving table. Need inspiration? Try crunchy sugar snap peas, lemon-roasted asparagus, maple roasted butternut squash, citrus braised brussel sprouts or even some classy 'buttered' peas. Get some farm fresh veggies this year and prepare them with pinache! If you must do the cliche marshmallow sweet potatoes...go ahead. But at least veganize them. That recipe, plus ten more Thanksgiving veggie dishes ahead...

Vegan Thanksgiving Potato and Veggie Dishes

1. Triple Spiced Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin
Decadent and delicious describes this vegan potatoes au gratin dish. These are presentation potatoes for sure. Triple spiced with a bold warm flavor that any foodie veg or not will appreciate. A small scoop of these potatoes will add some spicy home-style creaminess to your Thanksgiving plate.

2. Roasted Butternut Squash
Nothing beats roasted butternut squash-from a real squash-not a can! To me it's like biting into a pillow of gold that's marinated in sunlight and a crisp fall breeze. Even 'squash-haters' will appreciate the tender bite this delicate squash provides. Move over sweet potatoes, there's room for one more golden starch at the table. Butternut squash is sweet, warm, aromatic and bursting with bright orange flesh. Bring roasted butternut squash to your Thanksgiving table this year and soon you'll be basking in oo's and ah's from your guests.

3. Sugar Snap Pea Maple Nut Salad
This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving because it can easily be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. The maple-nut flavor compliments most any Thanksgiving-themed dish. Plus the grapefruit and peas are a refreshing palate cleanser amidst all the heavy flavors of fall. This cold 'bean' dish is also a great substitution for that classic green bean dish that everyone loves to hate. I've done away with green beans, I can't deal with the looks of disgust from those who have "green bean" issues. So Sugar Snap Peas it is!

4. "Classic" Veganized Sweet Potatoes 'n Marshmallows
It's easy to copy your mom or grandma's recipe for "candied sweet potatoes" just by using two vegan substitutes: Sweet and Sara or Dandies Vegan Marshmallows in place of traditional marshmallows. And Earth Balance vegan buttery spread in place of butter! Easy right? However, I prefer to add a hint of sweetness to my sweet potatoes by adding maple syrup. But if you want to go the sentimental favorites route....go marshmallow crazy! Vegan marshmallows are awesome substitutes for the original.

5. Kathy's Famous Sweet Potato Mash
I make my sweet potato mash every Thanksgiving. It's actually my very first 'ritual' dish. I've been making it since college every year. I usually don't serve it 'as-is'. I use it to stuff my Sweet Potato Pita Pockets. But you can easily serve it as a stand alone side dish. It has mellow garlic flavors, sweetness from a dribble of maple syrup, a tangy tahini accent from the hummus and a fresh light flavor from all the raw chopped parsley I fold in. Comfort sweet potatoes in a bowl.

6. Fennel Arugula citrus Tossed Salad
This is the only 'traditional leafed' salad I have on this list. I like it because, like the snap pea salad, it has some great palate cleansing ingredients like citrus, fennel and arugula. The fennel is also great for digestion. Refreshing, light and palate pleasing. These flavors will mesh well with a Thanksgiving feast. Yummy with a dab of cranberry sauce on top...

7. Cheesy Dill Potatoes with Citrus Braised Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts? Oh my. Yup. I love them and you can too. I find they hold up well for "dinner parties". And it's easy to make them delicious by adding tangerine juice, lemon juice, dill and cheesy flavors. Tell the kids that this is a 'cheesy potatoes' dish....oh yeah and there are a few brussel sprouts that might appear too.

8. Easy Roasted Mushrooms.
Must have at any vegan Thanksgiving: mushrooms! Mushrooms are by far the easiest veggie to prepare. Why? Because they require so work. No flavor-additions required! This Thanksgiving, I am going to be serving a roasted mushroom medley featuring shiitake, crimini and chanterelle mushrooms. I simply toss the shrooms in a bit of EVOO and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper and maybe a few herbs like rosemary and thyme - stick in the oven for 20 minutes, broil on high for a few more, and done! So delicious and so easy. My three fave ways to prepare mushrooms: saute, roast or bake.

9. Super Easy Buttered English Peas
Another easy one: buttered peas...veganized. I found some English Peas fresh at Whole Foods, but you can also use frozen if you'd like. Simply cook the peas and toss them in a few tablespoons of vegan buttery spread, pepper and a dash of apple cider vinegar. That's it. Super easy. And peas are a good source of vegan protein too.

10. Asparagus: Lemon Pepper Roasted.
Asparagus is another easy, elegant and delicious veggie. I like to toss mine in a bit of lemon juice, pepper and EVOO. Stick it in the oven to bake/roast for about 15-20 minutes and you are done. You can even roast these in the same dish as your mushrooms to save some space.

And because you know you will be having sweet potatoes somewhere at your table...here are a few Sweet Potato Superfood Nutrition Facts.

Good things come to those who wait. Patiently. How was your weekend my foodie friends? Mine consisted of just enough Venti soy extra hot chai lattes, maple-almond buttered bagels, red papaya bowls, cranberry sauce making and fuyu persimmon buying. I made a huge shopping trip to Trader Joe's to buy just enough fuyu persimmons to make the cashier look at me funny. I bought twelve. They were only $2.99 for 4. That's quite the deal in my neck of the woods. I know I will eat every last one of them too. I also experimented with something I've been meaning to try for a while now. Lemon Confit. Though I will have to wait two weeks to taste my experiment. I'm excited because it was easy and somewhat relaxing to make. Check out my lemon confit story and recipe...

What is Lemon Confit? From Epicurious.com: "Confit is the French word confire meaning to preserve, and from the Latin word conficere meaning “to do” or to “prepare”. It is known to be one of the oldest ways to preserve food. There are two known confits; one is of meat the other is of fruit."

First Taste: Lemon Confit. The first time I remember actually asking "what was that?!" in regards to lemon confit was when I first dined at Dirt Candy. The dish was made by Chef and owner of Dirt Candy, Amanda Cohen, who was also featured in my "Veggie Girl Power" series Amanda Cohen interview here. Amanda crafted this perfectly bright green spinach soup with drizzled bits of lemon confit on top. Tofu wontons on top too. Delicious. There is a nice picture of the soup here at Chocolate and Zucchini. You can see the glazed looking lemon confit rind strands on top. Yum! It was amazing, mostly because I had no idea what it was or how to get it. The lemon confit exploded with bright flavor in my mouth.

Researching Lemon Confit. When I embarked upon my online web search of how to make lemon confit, I found several options. But none more popular that the version by one of my favorite gourmet chef's Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, NYC. From theBittenword.com: “I add lemon confit to so many dishes—from broiled fish to pork and beans,” says Eric Ripert of New York City’s Le Bernardin. He blends his lemon confit with butter."

...So why not add lemon confit to a few of my vegan dishes? I say yes please. This is Ripert's recipe as posted on FoodandWine.com:

Eric Ripert's Lemon Confit
5 cups kosher salt
5 tablespoons sugar
6 lemons, scrubbed and quartered
Directions: In a large bowl, mix the salt with the sugar. Toss the lemons with half of the sugar-salt. Pour a small layer of sugar-salt into a clean quart-size jar. Layer the lemons in the jar, covering them with the remaining sugar-salt as you go. Refrigerate the lemons for at least 2 weeks. To use, rinse the lemons well and use the peel only.

Two Weeks is a long time to wait, so you know it must be good! We'll see. But what if you can't wait? Keep reading...

Lemon Confit 2009: Express Lane. Then there are the new-age recipes probably crafted for the younger foodie generation who really can't wait for much of anything. Yeah, OK I can certainly admit to being one of them. Although I will always wait for slow roasted winter squash, mushrooms and veggies. But anyways, it's in our blood to want things fast! We can communicate/text message/tweet with anyone in a blink of an eye, so can't we have the same speed with lemon confit? Maybe. There are several recipes online which boast lemon-confit-results in under an hour. Here is one example from Epicurious.com:

Faster Lemon Confit
4 lemons
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup canola oil
1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
Directions: Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds; drain. Repeat twice. Bring 6 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 1 hour. Cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled and completely covered in oil. Always use clean fork to remove lemon.

After reviewing both recipes, I decided to go the old traditional route and wait 14 days for my results. But I really only had enough salt for two lemons, so here is the recipe I used:

Kathy's Mini Lemon Confit

2 organic lemons, scrubbed and quartered
2 ¼ cups of sea salt, course grained
4 tablespoon vegan sugar, evaporated cane juice
1 mixing tub, 1 storing jar.

Directions: Cleaned and quartered my lemons. Then I mixed them around in the sugar-salt mixture, evenly. Then I layered the lemons into my storage jar with the salt/sugar. Covered tightly. Lastly, I stuck the jar in the very back of the fridge next to the half-full jar of apricot preserves. And just in time for Thanksgiving I will be able to unearth my lemons. Only the rind is to be used as the 'lemon confit'.

So for all the patient chefs and foodies out there, if you make your lemon confit today, we can both explore a few fun recipes together. In two weeks. I'll post about my results when my lemon confit is ready. Hmm, I wonder if my two lemons will 'confit' faster than Ripert's 6? Anyone know?

..Patience is a virtue. I can wait. And if I can't...I can always break out with the under an hour version too. We'll see...

I love cranberry sauce. It's a must-have dish at any Thanksgiving table. Those bright perky red cranberries bring a hint of sweet-tart zing to anything on your plate.

Cranberry Perfection. The trick to really good cranberry sauce is keeping that sweet to zing balance in line. Too much sweet and it becomes a 'jam'. Too much zing and the tart flavor overpowers the palate. The goal: perfect zing with a balance of natural sweetness. Some like it chunky with peeks of whole berries and skin. Some like is smooth and jellied with no chunks at all. This year, please everyone with my two recipe versions for Fresh Cranberry Sauce: one smooth, one chunky. Super easy. Very few ingredients. If you have 15 minutes, you can have fresh cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving...

Can vs. Bag? I'll admit I grew up loving straight-from-the-can cranberry sauce, ring lines and all. It tasted super sweet (something most kids/teens crave) and it added some zest to my meal. And it's still fun to purchase a 'back-up' can of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving (for sentimental value) but once I dig into my fresh made recipes...I never touch the can. It usually gets used once all the fresh stuff is gone and a few leftovers remain. The fresh stuff goes fast! So give your guests real cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, not "canberry" sauce.

E-A-S-Y. Buy a bag (or two) of fresh cranberries this Thanksgiving. It's the easiest traditional dish you'll make!

Smooth vs. Chunky. I like both. But some people hate one or the other. So it's always a great idea to have both options. Cranberry Sauce is a perfect addition to all your Thanksgiving leftovers recipes, so don't worry about making too much cranberry sauce for your meal. Simply wrap up the leftovers post-meal and stick in the fridge. Use it on everything from leftover tempeh stuffing sandwiches to sweet potato-cranberry pita pockets. Yum.

Smooth vs. Chunky (pre-fridge firming):

Onto my recipes...

Smooth:

Smooth Citrus Cranberry Sauce
vegan, makes about 2 ¼ cups

1 bag whole cranberries, 12 oz.
1 ¼ cup fresh squeezed citrus juice (combo of tangerines and oranges)
2 tablespoon citrus zest
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
½ cup evaporated cane juice crystals (vegan sugar)
1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
garnish: citrus zest

Directions:

1. Rinse your cranberries. Wash and zest your citrus until you get about 2 tablespoon zest.

2. Juice your citrus until you get 1 ¼ cups of juice.

3. Pour juice, sprinkle arrowroot powder and add vegan sugar into a soup pot over high heat. Dissolve the sugar and arrowroot.

4. Add the whole cranberries and bring to a bubbly berry-bursting boil.

5. Cover with lid or foil so berries don't burst in your face. Stir every few seconds.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon of citrus zest. Stir, mush around.

7. Wait until all the berries have burst and the liquid is a thick dark red chunky soup.

8. Remove from heat. Let cool for a minute.

9. Carefully add sauce to a high speed blender. Add maple syrup. Blend on low-med until completely smooth. (Proceed with extreme caution when blending still-warm liquids in a blender - never aim blender towards face.)

10. Pour into your serving dish, add citrus zest garnish, cover and place in the fridge to firm for at least 2 hours.

Pre-Firming in the Fridge:

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Recipe Version 2:

Chunky Lumpy Traditional Cranberry Sauce
vegan, makes 2 ¼ cups

1 bag whole cranberries, 12 oz.
¾ cup water
1 orange or large tangerine, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
1 teaspoon citrus zest
1 cup evaporated cane juice crystals (vegan sugar)

Directions:

1. Rinse your cranberries. Wash and zest your citrus until you get about 1 teaspoon zest.

2. Juice your citrus, should be about ¼ cup.

3. Pour juice, water and vegan sugar into a soup pot over high heat. Dissolve the sugar.

4. Add the cranberries and bring to a bubbly berry-bursting boil.

5. Cover with lid or foil so berries don't burst in your face. Stir every few seconds.

6. Add in 1 teaspoon of citrus zest. Stir, mush around.

7. Wait until all the berries have burst and the liquid is a thick dark red chunky soup.

8. Remove from heat. Let cool for a minute.

9. Pour into your serving dish, cover and place in the fridge to firm for at least 2 hours.

Chunky:


Add-in's and Modifications:

Chopped apples
Chopped pears
pureed fuyu persimmons
pear or apple juice instead of citrus
cinnamon
agave instead of maple syrup
blueberries added
whole chopped oranges added to chunky version

More cranberry sauce photos:

I hope you've already read my Vegan Stuffing 101 post, and now you are ready to continue my Vegan Thanksgiving Series by diving into three creative and delicious vegan stuffing recipes. This is the definitive post for vegan stuffing. Look no further. Three yummy recipes to choose from. It's all in here...

Where to "Stuff" the Stuffing.
I already went over this briefly in my Stuffing 101 post, but here again are your various options:

"Where to Stuff Your Stuffing" Options:
#1: Simply scoop it into a casserole dish and cover tightly with foil.
#2: Stuff into individual servings of baked mini squash.
#3: Stuff into one medium-large (still has to fit in your oven) baked pumpkin - slice in half before serving. The two halves become pumpkin bowls perfect for scooping out portions.
#4: Scoop into a butternut squash puree and citrus slice lined casserole dish for optimal moisture.
#5: Wrap into individual fillo dough purses. The Fillo Factory brand makes a vegan organic fillo dough. In the freezer section of Whole Foods Market.
#6: Scoop into hollowed out baked apples.
#7: Scoop into baked, half-hollowed fuyu persimmon shells.

Baking Times for "Stuff it" Selections:
If using a large casserole dish, bake at least 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees. If you are stuffing a squash/pumpkin, baking time should be about the same, but larger pumpkins-longer time. You may want to decrease the oven temp if baking very small squash. Stuffing fillo purses? Fillo purses usually take around 15-20 minutes in a crowded oven. Simply wrap the purse, secure with a toothpick or tie and spray lightly with oil for browning. Yummy idea: You can even place a thin slice of braised tofu inside your filo purse and layer the stuffing on top.

What Bread to Use?
I have had great luck with Whole Foods 365 brand Birdland Multi Seed Bread. I also love Vermont Bread Company's Soft 10 Grain bread. If you can't decide, simply choose a bread that you'd like to eat on its own, and you'll be OK. Breads that are too heavy or fiberous will not make the ideal stuffing. Choose something light and fluffy, but hopefully still with some grains and seeds built in. Also, choose bread that has been sitting out all morning or is already a "day old" aka dried out. Note: The drier the bread, the less of it you will need to use. Moist bread won't soak up as much liquid without sogging, so you'll need to use a tad more of it. Stuffing pros know that fresh vs. hard/super dry bread cubes will give you different textured stuffing. Experiment with both and see what you like. I personally like my bread on the softer side.
Another Note - about crusts: When trimming your bread, don't throw away your bread crusts! I'll teach you a delicious easy dessert stuffing recipe on my "desserts day" of this series.

Once you've decided where to stuff your stuffing and what bread to use, you can proceed with choosing a recipe. All three recipes below are vegan, and make about 6-7 cups-post cooking.

Recipe #1: Tempeh Bacon Shiitake Jalapeno Stuffing

Tempeh Bacon:
1 package tempeh, 8 ounces, cubed
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
*Colgin Brand is vegan
1 tablespoon agave syrup
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil - for greasing skillet
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon cumin powder

Stuffing:
6-7 cups of diced bread cubes
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
*Earth Balance brand
1 ¼ cups onion, chopped (white or yellow)
1 ¼ cups celery, sliced thin
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (spice blend)
1 ½ cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 large jalapeno, diced
*remove seeds and white vein for milder spiciness
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dry roasted pistachios
1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups tempeh bacon (see above)

Directions:
1. De-crust your bread. Slice into small cubes. Set aside.
2. Prepare the tempeh bacon by sauteing all the tempeh bacon ingredients in a skillet until the bits become browned and crispy on the outside. Set Aside.
3. In a medium soup pan, turn heat on med-high, and melt in the buttery spread. Add the celery, onion, parsley and poultry seasoning. Saute until tender and buttery spread is absorbed.
4. Add in the shiitake mushrooms, jalapeno, thyme, cumin, vinegar and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are lightly cooked through.
5. Add in the remaining ingredients: pistachios, cranberries and your veggie broth. Let simmer for a few minutes and go grab your bread.
6. Reduce the heat and fold in your bread cubes. Try not to 'mash' the bread into 'mush', but you also want them to be soaked through. You may need to add more or less bread cubes depending on the dryness of your bread. Too soggy? Add more cubes. Too dense? Add a bit more veggie broth.
7. Lastly, remove from heat and fold in 1 ½ cups of your tempeh bacon bits. You may have leftover bits - you can toss them in or use them in another dish.
8. Transfer stuffing into your "stuff it" selection and proceed as instructed above.

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Recipe #2: Butternut Tangerine Pecan Stuffing

6-7 cups diced bread cubes
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
1 cup onion, chopped (white or yellow)
2 cups celery, sliced thin
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (spice blend)
1 cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup pecans, whole
½ cup dried cranberries/cherries or chopped apricots
¾ cup fresh-squeezed tangerine juice
1 tablespoon tangerine zest
¼ teaspoon dried orange peel (optional)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
dash of salt
1 cup butternut squash puree (canned or fresh)
½ cup vegetable broth
optional: 1 cup fluffy wild rice

Directions:
1. De-crust your bread. Slice into small cubes. Set aside.
2. Prepare your fluffy wild rice if you are using it. Set Aside.
3. In a medium soup pan, turn heat on med-high, and melt in the buttery spread. Add the celery, onion, parsley and poultry seasoning. Saute until tender.
4. Add in the pecans, dried fruit, tangerine juice, tangerine zest, salt, pepper and dried orange peel. Stir for a few minutes.
5. Fold in the butternut squash puree. Then add in your veggie broth.
6. Fold in your bread cubes. Try not to 'mash' the bread, but you also want it soaked through. If adding wild rice, fold it in now. You may need to add more or less bread cubes depending on the dryness of your bread. Too soggy? Add more cubes. Too dense? Add a bit more veggie broth.
7. Transfer stuffing into your "stuff it" selection and proceed as stated above.

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Recipe #3: Apple Sage 'Sausage' Chestnut Stuffing

6-7 cups diced bread cubes
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
1 cup onion, chopped (white or yellow)
1 ½ cups celery, sliced thin
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (spice blend)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup roasted chestnuts, chopped
¼ cup roasted chestnuts, whole
1 medium apple, chopped (granny smith, fuji or honeycrisp varieties are my faves)
5 leaves fresh sage, chopped
¼ cup crushed walnuts
1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
2 links Apple Sage flavor of Vegan Sausage, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
*Field Roast Grain Meat Co. brand

Directions:
1. De-crust your bread. Slice into small cubes. Set aside.
2. Prepare the diced vegan sausage by sauteing in a skillet until the bits become browned and a bit crispy on the outside. Set Aside.
3. In a medium soup pan, turn heat on med-high, and melt in the buttery spread. Add the celery, onion, parsley and poultry seasoning. Saute until tender.
4. Add in the black pepper, chestnuts, apple and ½ of your sage. Saute until tender.
5. Add in the remaining ingredients: walnuts and your veggie broth. Let simmer for a few seconds and go grab your bread.
6. Fold in your bread cubes. Try not to 'mash' the bread, but you also want it soaked through. You may need to add more or less bread cubes depending on the dryness of your bread. Too soggy? Add more cubes. Too dense? Add a bit more veggie broth.
7. Lastly, fold in your sausage bits and last bits of fresh sage.
8. Transfer stuffing into your "stuff it" selection and proceed as stated above.

More Yummy Vegan Stuffing Photos:

Today is one of my favorite days in my Vegan Thanksgiving Series: Stuffing Day! Stuffing (and sweet potatoes) were always my favorite childhood Thanksgiving dishes. So it was important to me to perfect a few stuffing recipes that were 100% vegan. Later today I'll post a trio of my three favorite stuffing recipes. But before we can get creative with recipes (aka the fun part), we have to start with the basics of 'veganizing' stuffing. Let me answer the basic questions of: What vegan ingredients do I substitute my traditional ingredients with? Where do I 'stuff' my vegan stuffing? And what are some tips for making stuffing healthier (and tastier) than I remember? Here's my Vegan Stuffing 101...

Vegan Stuffing Substitutions

There are a few essential ingredients you should include when making stuffing. Here they are and the vegan substitution for each. All subs can be made on a 1:1 ratio (in general).

Key: Traditional Ingredient - Vegan Substitute

1. unsalted butter - vegan buttery spread (example: Earth Balance brand)
2. onions - no sub required
3. celery - no sub required
4. fresh and/or dried herbs (thyme and sage) leaves - no sub required
5. chicken broth - vegetable broth (low-fat)
6. white cubed bread, day-old/stale - cubed bread (white/wheat/spelt), day-old/stale
*note: you may need to use a bit less bread in your recipe if you are using a whole wheat/high fiber bread source (compared to white sandwich bread). Higher fiber bread will not bake-down as much as white will.
7. salt/pepper - no sub required (less salt may be required so salt to taste)
8. flat leaf parsley - no sub required

Non-Essential Ingredients - Common Flavor Add-ins
9. bacon - tempeh bacon
10. sausage - seitan or vegan sausage by Field Roast brand, (Apple Sage flavor)
11. nuts - no sub required
12. milk/cream - soy/hemp/oat milk and soy creamer
13. dried and/or fresh fruit - no sub required
14. mushrooms - no sub required (mushrooms are another great vegan sub for 'savory meaty flavors'
15. chestnuts - no sub required
16. sugar/honey - vegan raw sugar/agave/maple syrup
17. eggs (thickener) - squash purees/apple or pumpkin butter/nut meal/silken tofu
18. cornbread stuffing - vegan cornbread day-old

The Big Question: Where do I stuff my vegan stuffing?

Answer: There are several ways to 'stuff' your vegan stuffing, some are easy and some are bit more labor/time intensive:

1. Un-Stuffed. You don't need to stuff your stuffing. Baking it in a dish will work fine. How-to: Simply lay your stuffing flat in a deep casserole dish. Line the bottom of the dish with a few tablespoons of olive oil and veggie broth to keep the stuffing super moist. Cover with foil - very tightly. Poke a few vent holes for steam. Stick in the oven to bake for at least 20 minutes. If you are using this "unstuffed" method, I'd recommend adding extra veggie broth to your recipe to prevent dryness. Use your eyes and taste-testing to judge. Stuffing should go into the oven moister than you want it to come out. Another 'moisture option' is to line the casserole dish with a squash puree. You can even make it easy on yourself and use canned butternut squash or canned sweet potatoes. A thin layer will assist in adding moisture as your stuffing bakes. Canned is OK because it is more about effecting the moisture rather than effecting the flavor.

2. Squash Stuffed. I love this idea. In fact, I experimented with about 3 variations of squash and loved them all. The idea: every diner will get their own ½ of a stuffing-stuffed squash. Or if you are using mini squash you can give every diner their own stuffed squash. You can also use the small squash as serving bowls to simply scoop out portions. I experimented with carnival, acorn, white acorn and banana squash. I really loved how the white acorn squash came out the best. Just be sure to use a squash that you can easily hollow out (remove seeds) from via a top slice. Butternut squash is not a correct shape for this type of recipe.

Basic Instructions: 1. Wash squash thoroughly in hot water. 2. Slice out top and remove seeds as if you were carving a pumpkin. Rinse/dry insides. 3. Drizzle/rub a bit of oil/salt/sweetener (maple/agave/sugar) inside the squash. 4. Place squash and cap on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven until tender, but not mushy or falling apart. Edible at this point, pre-stuffed. 5. Remove from oven, stuff with cooked stuffing (prepared on your stove top). Pack in tightly. Keep top squash caps for garnish. 6. Place back in the oven for at least 20-30 minutes to bake until perfectly tender. Wrapping squash in foil is optional-this keeps it super moist, but will soften the squash skin a bit. (Foil wrapping is not a good idea if your squash is thin-skinned. However, it is a good idea for thick skinned squash like acorn.)

3. Pumpkin Stuffed. Same idea as above, only you can slice the pumpkin into two large 'bowls' and everyone cam scoop their portion directly from the pumpkin. Be sure to use a more generous amount of oil/sweetener (I love maple syrup) and salt on the inside of the pumpkin to bring out the flavor. Pumpkin is naturally much duller in sweetness and flavor than other winter squash.

4. Filo Purses. If you like working with filo dough you're in luck, because it comes in vegan sheets! Just check Whole Foods freezer section. Simply follow the directions on the box and provide every diner their own wrapped up purse of stuffing. I like to tie my purses with long thick strands of parsley stems. You can also use water-soaked twine, but an edible string is my preference.

Tips:

*Try to use a 'healthier' bread blend. Yes plain white sandwich bread will give you a more traditional stuffing, but not a lot of nutrients or fiber. Try getting creative with 6 grain, seeded, whole grain, wheat, spelt, quinoa and even vegan cornbread. You're stuffing will have a more complex flavor. Plus, healthier bread base, healthier stuffing.

*How much buttery spread? Traditional stuffing recipes call for a lot of butter. Some recipes call for a whopping 12-15 tablespoons of butter. And since stuffing turns out to be such a dense item, a lot of butter can infuse into even a small serving. Instead, halve the butter amount (or use even less) and add in a few tablespoons of a healthy fat oil like olive/canola/walnut/hemp or grapeseed oil. The great thing about stuffing is that you can easily adjust the ingredients to meet your flavor requirements. Depending on what ingredients you use, you may find that very minimal added-fat is required.

For example: using a few tablespoons of butternut squash puree and a nice helping of chopped nuts will provide your recipe with plenty of body and nut-infused fat flavor. Using a high quality or homemade veggie broth can also help with the flavor/moisture balance without making excessive added buttery spreads/oils a necessity for flavor. Use your taste-testing skills and prepare your stuffing the way you and your guests will love it best. Just remember you can always add fats to a recipe, but you can't remove them! So taste as you go, and start will less added 'buttery spread/oils' than you think you need.

*Health Tip: More Veggies Please! I always turn up the amount of veggies I put in my stuffing. Celery, onions, parsley. Add more of the good healthy stuff 'in' and your resulting recipe will be heartier in veggies and healthier in the end. Turn up the veggie add-ins!

*Stale Bread? The reason most stuffing recipes call for day old or stale bread is because stale bread is more dried out and will absorb more flavors than fresh moist bread. The drier the bread the more moisture you will need in your recipe. That is why you really need to take into account the type of bread you are using compared to what the recipe calls for. If the recipe calls for day old bread and you are using dried bagged bread cubes (not recommended) you will need to add more moisture so that you thoroughly saturate your cubes. An vice-versa.

If you are using fresh bread (which actually isn't as 'bad' as most recipes say it is) just use a bit less broth so you don't sog up your stuffing. Note: I have used 'nearly fresh' bread several times in my stuffing recipes and actually enjoy the flavor. The stuffing turns out super-moist and the flavor of the bread really shines through. Dried bread cubes can sometimes be devoid of 'bread flavor'.

*Vegan Add-Ins. It's generally easy to find vegan ingredients for your stuffing. Vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, mushrooms, spices, herbs are all fair game. However when it comes to ingredients like bacon, sausage and eggs you will have to put your vegan thinking cap on. See the ingredient subs above and think about what 'meat' substitutions you have tried, tasted and enjoyed in everyday life.

My Stuffing Rule of Thumb:

"If it tastes good on a sandwich, it will taste good as a stuffing recipe."

More on this: Imagine putting your flavors between two pieces of bread. If those flavors are hearty, flavorful and successful as a 'sandwich' they will probably work as stuffing. Example: blueberries and tempeh bacon would probably make a weird sandwich, thus a weird stuffing. (By weird, I mean odd tasting) However, sausage, apple and chestnut would make a yummy sandwich, thus a yummy stuffing.

So those are Stuffing Basics 101. Next up, I'll be posting a trio of my fave stuffing recipes...

The latest athletic shoe 'innovation' to hit the mainstream market and media: Reebok's EasyTone shoe. The edgy commercial promises 'a better butt' as well as more toned calves and thighs. At around $100 a pair, you have to ask yourself: will these shoes buy me a better butt? Or is it just a whole lotta hype? My analysis ahead...

The Claim: "Get a better butt and legs with every step". Emulates walking on sand.

The Ad: "88% of men are speechless.
76% of women jealous.
EasyTone helps you get better legs and a better butt with every single step."

The Science. I've tried similar shoes to these. They were marketed as 'the better butt' shoe. But this is the first time I've seen a mainstream brand like Reebok bring the 'better butt shoe' to a mainstream market. After wearing shoes similar to Reebok's (similar curved foot pads), I can attest that the fact that you will feel a difference when you walk around in these shoes. You're working muscles that you wouldn't normally be working when walking around in a tennis shoe. It is a bit like walking on sand. And yes, your butt muscles can feel it. Walking does become a bit more challenging. The feeling of 'toning' is there. But here's the rub for the 'better butt' promise...

Any trained physical trainer will tell you: "It doesn't matter how much you work your butt muscles, if you don't trim the fat, you won't be able to see the tone. And have an, aka 'better butt'" So it all depends on what you are trying to achieve. What does 'better' mean to you? If you are simply trying to build butt and leg muscles during your everyday walking activities, these shoes may be for you. But if you want a 'better butt' and are currently a few pounds over your target weight, don't expect these to be miracle shoes. And if you wear your traditional workout shoes and go to the gym, you'll probably get better results that not going to the gym and just walking around in these shoes.

I'm all for strength training, but shoes that promise a 'better butt' kinda get me down. I wish Reebok had marketed them as shoes that work your muscles and assist you in building muscles. Not simply 'get a better butt'. Building healthy muscles shouldn't be about looking a certain way, it should be about building your strength and overall physical fitness of your body.

OK, off my shoebox, er, soapbox....

So, Should you buy a pair???

If you are already looking into purchasing a new $100+ pair of athletic shoes, I'd give these a look. But be warned-you will need a while to get used to the feel of these shoes. They really do feel different on your feet. And guess what, you probably won't be able to use these shoes for much more than walking around town and running errands-not running marathons. So if you are looking for an all-purpose 'cross trainer' shoe, I'd skip this one.

Who this Shoe is for. If you are simply looking for an everyday casual wear shoe that will boost your muscle usage while you walk, go for Reebok EasyTone. There are several trendy styles and colors to choose form. With names like "Go Outside" "Inspire" and "Rush" you can see that Reebok is trying to market this shoe to the busy individual who is focused on everyday wellness and health. And guess what, you can even buy a flip-flop version of the shoe for around $60. Same effect, less shoe. Beach ready. But wait, if you are at the beach you probably don't need a flip-flop that emulates walking on sand. Hmm...

The Moral of the Shoe Story.... Anything that promises a 'better body' with little work by you is usually just hype. I mean you do have to wear these shoes and walk around in them a lot to get the toning effects. Wearing them while watching TV, won't cut it. And like I said, it doesn't matter how much muscle you have if your body weight isn't at an ideal state to begin with. The good news: muscle burns more calories than fat, so adding muscle tone will assist with weight loss. But you must lessen the body fat before you can truly see the muscle tone. Good habits for wellness (and a better butt): diet, exercise and a lot of walking around...in the shoe or not, your call....

Reebok's EasyTone Website

Continuing my Vegan Thanksgiving Series, with the topic of beverages, drinks and sips! You've already bitten off a few nibbles of my vegan cheese log from my appetizers post, and now you need a tall cool glass of something to quench your thirst. Hydration is a must on Thanksgiving! So here we go...

Over the River and through the Woods. Your guests may be traveling long distances to arrive at your home on Thanksgiving, and we all know how dehydrating travel can be. The dry dusty air of a train, plane or crowded car will leave anyone feeling less than perky. It's a fact: being dehydrated can actually drain you of energy and make you feel fatigued. And who wants fatigued guests before the big meal? So here are my ten Thanksgiving beverage ideas for before, during and after the meal! Drink up...

Vegan Thanksgiving Beverages: Before, During and After the Meal.

1. Ginger Juice Shooters - Before the meal
I love my Ginger Juice Shooters! The idea came from how I crave a shot of ginger-infused juice first thing in the morning. There is something refreshing and energizing about that spicy, warming, energizing ginger flavor. It is a perfect palate cleanser for your guests. I advise making your batch of shooters right before your guests arrive and you can even have them on a platter by the door so they can 'shoot' them before even taking off their coats! Some folks do shots of alcohol as a pre-party ritual....I do shots of ginger juice!

2. Bottled Water 'Bar' - Before/During/After the meal
No, I do not recommend drinking bottled water with every meal, every day. It's true that the bottled water industry produces a lot of excess 'bottle trash' that may or may not be recycled. Bravo to the tap-water-crusaders out there. I've never been a fan of the marketing ploys that can 'scare people' into being afraid to drink their own tap water. (Of course tap water will vary by location.) If you are anti-bottled-water, simply skip down to number 3. But for a special occasion or dinner party I crave a sparkling mineral water. Well-sourced water drawn from deep within the earth or from the purest parts of the world provide various health benefits and nutrients that are simply not available in most tap water. Varying pH levels, mineral analysis and source factors can make a big difference in how your water tastes and what nutrients you are drinking in. I suggest setting up a beverage bar which includes a few bottled waters. From sparkling to still, Italy to Norway - it's fun to taste exotic waters from around the world. And some of your guests may prefer bottled over tap and vice-versa. On a hectic day, it's always nice to have options. So yes, a tap water pitcher also deserves a place on your 'beverage bar'. See #3.

3. Tap Water Pitcher - Before/During/After the meal
Bottled water option or not, you must have a nice pitcher of tap water at your 'beverage bar'. I like to have three options: chilled, room temp and one chilled with coconut water ice and lemon. Mint is optional as well. Use glass pitchers for optimal temperature keeping for the chilled options. Keep a pitcher out for your pre-meal party as well as throughout the night. Guests will be thirsty before, during and after the meal. A 'water' section on your beverage bar will keep everyone healthy, happy and hydrated.

4. Fresh Pomegranate Juice Bellinis - Before the meal
Festive, delicious and fizzy! A fresh pomegranate juice bellini couldn't be easier. (You will need a manual juice press such as an OrangeX). If you do not have a juice press, you can always go with the pre-bottled POM juice. But fresh is best. Simply pour ⅓ pomegranate juice, ⅔ prosecco or champagne, per glass. Delicious, refreshing and fun. Add a nice garnish of a few pomegranate seeds at the bottom of each glass. You can even rim the glasses with lime/sugar if you'd like.

5. Fruity Fizz White Sangria - Before/During the meal
Something about white sangria makes it a nice idea for Thanksgiving. A big pitcher of sangria is meant to be shared among friends. So having a sangria option is a nice touch. You can even make it the night before and pull it out of the fridge the next day. Or make it the morning of your dinner party - for optimal sangria taste, you'll want to flavors, fruits and juices to marinate together for at least a few hours. Add in a few seasonal touches like tangerines, crushed persimmons and seasonal pears.

6. Ginger Snap Smoothie
- After the meal
This is a fun after-meal recipe for anyone needing a stimulating, cooling refreshment boost. Plus, ginger can aid in digestion. This is a sweet option for anyone who may shun the traditional pumpkin flavored desserts you have prepared.

7. Pumpkin Pie Shake
- After the meal
Not into pie, but love pumpkin? Perhaps this pumpkin pie shake is for you (or your guests). It's easy to make, so don't feel shy in offering it post meal. You can even make one blender-ful and pour it into little shooter glasses with a big swirl of rice whip cream on top. I mean, can you really ever have too make pumpkin pie flavors for desert? And after chugging this healthy sip, maybe your guests won't request a big piece of pie (maybe just a sliver). Or maybe not...

8. Poor Man's Fire Chai
- After the meal
I like this recipe because it is fast, easy and cheap! Yup. I know that those boxed chai tea concentrates can be pricey - I often see them for $5 each! So if you are hosting a big party, you may want to save yourself some money and go with my recipe for poor man's fire chai. It's just a firey and delicious as the boxed chai, only a tad less expensive. Tea bags and spices take the place of the boxed stuff.

9. Goji Berry Chai Tea Latte - After the meal
Chai is the perfect post-meal beverage in my opinion. But why not dress up your chai mug with a sprinkling of some goji berries. Your guests may be shocked to find the delicious flavor that dried goji berries add to tea or chai. And goji berries are high in antioxidants as well! You can add goji berries to a traditional chai, boxed chai concentrate or even my poor man's fire chai above.

10. Coconut Water - Before/During/After the meal
How could I make it through a beverage top ten list without adding my favorite beverage of all: coconut water! I will definitely be adding a nice helping of boxed coconut water at my beverage bar. And yes, I will make sure all the coconut water virgins try a little sip before leaving...I haven't had a complaint yet from a first-time-coconut-water drinker...

Need more info on Vegan Wine and Vegan Beer?
Vegan Wine list from Barnivore.com
Vegan Beer post from my blog

There's nothing like a shot of fresh pressed ginger-infused juice to wake up your taste buds and refresh your palate. Elegant and fun shooter juices are the perfect touch to add to any festive celebration. Impress your guests with this first-impression-worthy sip.

My fresh-pressed Ginger Juice Shooters with a ginger-peanut chew garnish are a perfect pre-meal palate cleanser. I've posted two recipe variations to choose from. Accent flavors from organic pear or apple, seasonal tangerine, and lemon give this sip a sweet yet invigorating bite. Prepare the juice right before your guests arrive and serve it as they walk in the door! It's sure to supply your holiday bash with a boost of warmth and energy! Get two versions of my recipe...

Apple or Pear. I did two variations of this recipe. One with pear and one with apple. I personally like the pear recipe better, but you may want to experiment and see what you like best. You may also want to do a taste test of the amount of ginger you use.

Lets take a little break for an urban lingo lesson from UrbanDictionary.com...

Bevies - (n.) Any beverage that helps you achieve richter status. Usually Natural Light or its economic equivalent.

Richter - (adj.) 1. Totally awesome, moving, groundbreaking 2. Earth-shattering, beyond any measurement on the "Richter Scale"

...now lets put our new vocab to use...

WARNING: These Bevies have Bite! Raw ginger is strong! It is in the same 'bite' category as wasabi, spicy salsa or a shot of hot mustard. Some guests will love the heat and spiciness from the ginger-and actually want more spice! Some may not. So I advise you to do a few juice shooters that have less or no ginger. You can also have a few with a dash of cayenne built in, for those fire-eating rebels who want their juice as spicy as can be!

Finishing Touch. I added a ginger-peanut chew garnish to the shooter. It is a great way to end (or start) your ginger shooter sip. Sweet and refreshing to the palate, and the tummy!

Fresh-Pressed Juice. Yes, you will need a juicer for this recipe. Wait, you don't have one? What are you waiting for? Read my Juicing Tips 101 Guide. (Get a juicer) Then, get my two recipes below...

Ginger-Pear Juice Shooters
makes 5-6 shooters

1 large organic pear
*I used an organic Bartlett
1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger
1 medium sized tangerine
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
garnish: 3 ginger chew candies, diced small
*I used ginger-peanut flavor
5-6 toothpicks

Directions:

1. Prepare your ginger chew skewer garnishes by slicing the ginger chews into pea sized bits and skewing them on toothpicks. Set aside.

2. Wash your pear, slice into juicable strips. Yes, I juice the entire pear-seeds and all.

3. Peel your 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger. I peel my ginger because otherwise my juice comes out brownish.

3. In a manual citrus juicer, juice your tangerine and lemon juice. Set aside in a glass.

4. Turn on your electric juicer. Juice your pear and ginger. Finish the juice by pouring the citrus juice right into the juicer-this will blend all the flavors together and even infuse your citrus juice with the ginger and pear flavors that just ran through the juicer.

5. Now that you have your completed juice, pour each shooter to the brim. Add your ginger chew garnish on top and place on a platter to be served. Cayenne for extra spice is optional, and as I mentioned, having a few low or no ginger options may be useful.

Pear Ginger Shooters:

Version 2...

Apple Ginger Juice Shooters

*Follow the exact same recipe instructions as above, only substitute the pear for 1 large apple. I prefer honeycrisp, golden delicious or granny smith apple's for juicing.

*An apple will provide a less sweet, more tart flavor.

Enjoy!

Apple Ginger Shooters:


Shooter Glasses: I purchased my shooter glasses at Crate and Barrel. They were only $2.95 each. They are called "spirit cordial glasses".

More Photos:

I love a fine glass of water with my meal. Yes, I said water. Don't get me wrong, for a festive celebration, champagne, prosecco and wine is fabulous. But pair my meal with an exceptional glass of bottled water and I am a very happy (and hydrated) girl.

Water Obsessed. Not only do I love bottled water, but I am a bit obsessed with different brands, mineral analysis, source and differing PH levels. Even though all bottled water looks about the same, the chemical analysis and source origins will reveal a wide variety of differences in taste and health properties. Every time I go out to eat I request "sparkling" water for the table, not really because I want to pay $10 for a $3 bottle, but because I love discovering new brands of bottled water. I always say, you can judge a restaurant by the bottled water they serve. A good example: Delano in South Beach (one of my fave hotels ever) always serves VOSS water, one of my bottled water faves. Check out the rest of my top ten list...

My water preferences. Everyone will crave different qualities in a bottled water. Here are my basic preferences:

Still or sparkling: sparkling with meals.
Minerality: high in minerals (for health of course).
Source Origin: Anywhere as long as it is pure, natural and from a 'deep' source.
Glass or Plastic Bottle: Glass. Duh.
With lemon or Without: With. But not always.
PH Level: Highest possible! I want water that is low in acidity.

Kathy's Top Ten Bottled Water Brands (Suitable for Dining)
*in no particular order

1. VOSS Water - Norway est. April 2000
I adore VOSS water. It always tastes amazing and it gives me happy memories of chugging it all day long at the Delano hotel in South Beach. VOSS in the glass bottle is best. But the glass vs. plastic can sometimes be twice as expensive. VOSS comes in sparkling or still. Both versions are divine.
From FineWaters.com: "VOSS Artesian Water is amongst the purest waters in the world. Taken from a virgin aquifer shielded for centuries under ice and rock in the untouched wilderness of central Norway."

2. Sanfaustino - Italy
I adore Sanfaustino. It is naturally lightly effervescent. So for those of you who like bubbles, but just a little, Sanfaustino is for you. My favorite thing about Sanfaustino is that it is a very good source of calcium! Calcium from water? You have to be impressed with that. Fast Fact: "Eight glasses of refreshing, all-natural Sanfaustino provides 80 percent of the adult calcium RDA. And Sanfaustino is sodium free."

3. San Pellegrino - Italy est. 1899
OK, so San Pel is a bit mainstream, but really it's delicious and high quality all the way. You can find it just about anywhere, so bottled water cravers can indulge at a pizza place or even while fine dining. You can even find it in the fridge at most drug stores. While it's not my fave in terms of exoticness, San Pel is classic sparkling bottled water. For best taste, buy it in the glass bottle, not plastic.

4. Eternal - New Zealand est. 2005
Eternal is a newer bottled water. Established in 2005. But the actual water is very very very old. It is still, not sparkling. I have tried it a few times and love it. Not a big fan of plastic bottles, but check out this Fast Fact...
FineWaters.com: "Eternal Artesian water has been carbon dated at over 50,000 years old. This is because the bore is extremely deep and taps into the oldest part of the Aquifer. The water that you are drinking fell from the sky long before modern humans were around and pollution existed. Eternal Artesian Water is high in bicarbonates and has a natural pH of 8.0 making it the perfect alkaline water to help balance your body’s Ph."

5. Gerolsteiner - Germany est. 1888
Gerolsteiner is my favorite German sparkling water, and maybe even my overall fave sparkling water from overseas! I love that I can always find this exotic high quality water at my local Trader Joe's. Very sparkling. Fizzy. Yum.
FineWaters.com says: "The closest thing to taking mineral supplements in a naturally-occurring water; Since 1888, a famed health tonic, naturally carbonated."

6. Saratoga - USA est. 1872
I try to be local. And this is one of the more local waters on my list. Bottled in upstate New York in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga is the water in that flashy blue bottle. Still or sparkling available. Fresh, crisp, delish. (And for me, local)
FineWaters.com says: "In the 14th Century the Iroquois Indians discovered the therapeutic value of Saratoga Springs. In 1872 the first Saratoga Springs bottling plant was opened on the same site on which it is still bottled today."

7. Penta - USA
Penta was once known as 'the oxygen water'. And there was some controversy about 'oxygen-infused' waters. Well Penta is really not about oxygen-infusion, in my view, it is about the intensive purification systen the water goes through. This still water product is incredibly pure.
FineWaters.com says: "Penta water is natural and pure - free of chlorine, fluoride, bromate, arsenic, MTBE, and hundreds of other chemicals found in some tap water (see Contents). Using a proprietary, patent-pending process, Penta water is cleaned, processed and stabilized for absolute safety without the use of chemicals or additives."

8. Calistoga - USA est. 1924
This is a sentimental fave for me. I frequently visited the small spa town of Calistoga as a kid growing up in California. I love that little town, with its NAPA Valley style (and close proximity). Calistoga is dotted with many casual mini spa hotels featuring pools of the hot mineral sprigs water. Bathing in Calistoga water? Yes please! And the water is divine to drink. Not the same water you've bathed in mind you. 🙂 Nice mineral analysis as well.
FineWaters.com says: "Geothermal rock strata give Calistoga Sparkling Mineral Water its own mineral base. Not only does Calistoga® Brand Sparkling Mineral Water help restore a fluid base, but its minerals add a distinctive, refreshing taste."

9. Volvic - France
I love Volvic as a sippable still water. No fancy packaging, just a clean fresh taste. Totally explosive purity-maybe because it comes from ancient volcanos.
FineWaters.com says: "Volvic is drawn from a huge underground reserve in the heart of the volcanic range and bottled immediately without any contact with the outside world."

10. eVamor - USA
I love this still water because it has such a low acidity/high pH of 9. Fabulous for drinking all day long or at my meal. I wish they had a glas bottle version! eVamor even claims to assist with weight/fat loss. But I wouldn't go that far, I prefer the science that is cold stone: the low acidity level. Awesome. Features: "Ancient Artesian water; Uncontaminated by surface waters; Naturally high Alkaline pH of 9; Antioxidants and essential trace minerals; Great tasting."

Have you Tried This Water? Perusing the FineWaters.com website I found a few bottled waters that I am just dying to try. Have you seen or tried any of these??? They sound fantastic:

1. Staatl. Fachingen - Germany
"To this day, Staatl. Fachingen is one of few nationally distributed and most-known mineral water brands in Germany. Due to its unique combination of mineral nutrients and its high concentration of hydrogen carbonate (higher than 1.800 mg/l), it has a positive influence on the natural sensitive acid-base balance of the body. Its basic character helps to neutralize acids in the body and stomach and thus contributes to a daily well-being."

2. Ferrarelle - Naples, Italy
FineWaters says: "Source dates pre-Roman; From Southern Italy mountains, Val D'Assano, inland from Naples; Devotees drink nothing else; high minerals."

3. Penguin Ice - Canada
With the adorable bottle with a little penguin on frosted glass, how could anyone resist trying this water?

4. Wattwiller - France
100% nitrate free. (most bottled waters contain very trace amounts of nitrate.) This ancient pure water must be fantastic!

Water Sites I Love:
www.FineWaters.com
www.aquamaestro.com

***ALWAYS RECYCLE YOUR BOTTLES***

More Saratoga Bottle Eye Candy:

"Mission Pneumonia" Online Game: Powered by Vicks. Last week I participated in the World Pneumonia Day Global Summit in NYC. In honor of the event, Save the Children, with the support of the Vicks brand, launched an interactive, fun and educational online game called "Mission Pneumonia". It's now easier (and more interactive) than ever to do your part in the fight to end millions of preventable deaths caused by pneumonia: Simply Play the game. Pass it on. Spread the Facts. How simple is that?Learn more about the cause, the game and why you should help...

At the World Pneumonia Day Global Summit in NYC, I live-tweeted the event as a Vicks Advocate. The event proved to be an inspiring launching pad for scientists, media, activists, public health leaders, sponsors, artists and educators to gather and declare their support and dedication to lessening the number of preventable deaths caused by pneumonia. The pneumonia statistics are startling: Pneumonia claims the lives of more children under 5 each year than measles, malaria and AIDS combined.

About "Mission Pneumonia" from the Save the Children website:

"Players of Mission: Pneumonia are invited to take a 7-level quiz to test their knowledge. As they advance through the game, they are encouraged to take simple actions, such as sharing what they learn with friends and family through twitter and facebook or signing a petition to Congress in support of legislation to expand life-saving health measures to more mothers and children in poor countries."

Why is fighting pneumonia important?

Mary Beth Powers, chief of Save the Children's Survive to 5 campaign says: "Childhood pneumonia is the disease that no one is talking about. In the United States we have vaccines to prevent the illness and antibiotics to treat it. When a child gets ill with pneumonia, he usually recovers," she continues, "But in poor countries, pneumonia is a major killer of young children, especially children living in remote areas, where health care is not available or is located far from a child's home."

Vicks: Bringing the Cause to an Audience. There are so many causes out there today: animal rights, human rights and welfare, poverty relief, world hunger relief, clean water, government causes, public health causes, I could go on and on...

My point is, how do the scientists and activists bring their cause mainstream?

*One way is through mainstream corporations such as Vicks. Vicks is an official member of the Global Coalition Against Childhood Pneumonia and they have partnered with Save the Children to help deliver treatment to children stricken with pneumonia all over the world.

*Another way is by getting the support of celebrities. Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Laurie are two celebrities who publicly support the World Pneumonia fight. These partnerships are more powerful than you may imagine.

*And lastly, by getting creative (and online). Through "Mission Pneumonia", Save the Children has created a wonderful vehicle to communicate pneumonia facts to the world and foster support for this very devastating cause.

The Lesson: For all my 'activist' friends out there (and really, who doesn't support something nowadays), I hope you will look beyond the statistics and the facts and find creative and interactive ways to bring your cause to the people of the world. Every cause needs something to catch people's attention in this twitter/facebook/fast-paced information-saturated world. So take a minute to check out Save the Children's "Mission Pneumonia" game, you'll learn a few facts and awareness is golden. The interactive game is powered by Vicks.

PLAY NOW!

If you want to help:
*read my previous post for a list of specific ideas and links for you to click.
*Play the game and share it with your friends, kids and families.?
*Tweet the Facts! The online game is genius! It makes it incredibly easy to tweet the facts that you learn throughout the game.

website: www.missionpneumonia.org

By now you've read my Vegan Thanksgiving 101 post, and you're ready to start some serious menu planing. First up in my Vegan Thanksgiving Series is Appetizers, aka pre-meal munchies. Don't let the "apps" portion of the day get ignored. It's easier than you think to create delicious, crowd-pleasing vegan appetizers. Tossing some mixed nuts or veggie sticks in a bowl won't cut it. You want your appetizers to make a good first-impression and leave your guests seriously excited about the meal to come.

Happy Guests. The last thing you want is grumpy hungry guests chugging glasses of wine and nibbling dry salty mixed nuts. Keep your guests happy and satisfied with a few of my oh-so-easy appetizer ideas. And yes, most of these can be made in advance so all you have to do it reach in the fridge, transfer to a serving table and you're done. Now onto my Vegan Thanksgiving Appetizers Top Ten List (and a few tips)...

Vegan Thanksgiving Appetizers: Ten Scrumptious Ideas!

1. "Nut" your Average Cheese Log
Really, who doesn't love a festive holiday cheese log?! (Or as a blog-reader pointed out, possibly a cheese ball). And who can resist when it's a vegan cheese log?! There are endless possible flavor combos for my easily customizable 'cheese log' recipe. Plus, healthy ingredients means no post-log guilt. Fresh raw nuts, spices, fresh herbs, healthy oils, chopped veggies and fruit..the ingredient possibilities are endless. Super easy. This recipe is a creative crowd pleaser for sure!

2. Perfect Butternut Squash Dip
I'm a sucker for pumpkin and squash recipes around the holidays. And I must admit this is my favorite appetizer recipe on my list. I will have 2-3 big bowls of this dip on my appetizer table this Thanksgiving for sure! Simply plate it with some whole wheat toasted pita bread, crackers or sliced baguette bits. It's a lighter dip than you might imagine and a perfect accent to sipping wine or other pre-meal beverages. The fresh sage and orange citrus aroma will put any guest in a festive mood. Try this recipe! And yes, it's super easy and make-ahead-approved.

3. Vegan Ranch Dressing Dip
Need a vegan dip for those classic sliced veggies at your appetizers table? Well here it is. Vegan Ranch Dip! It doesn't get more simple and deliciously pedestrian than this. Any non-vegan guest will want to try this cool and creamy dip. They will be pleasantly shocked that it is vegan. Note: if you want it a bit thicker in consistency, just add more vegan sour cream.

4. "Better" Party Mix
Kids may not go for the crunchy veggie sticks, but they will love this crispy snackable "better" party mix. Just a small napkin-size scoop will leave them (and their tummies) happy and satisfied until the big meal. And I'm guessing the adults will be sneaking a few palmfuls of this stuff as well. It's addictive!

5. Micro Veggie Cream Cheese Dip and Spread
My Veggie Cream Cheese is another fabulous vegan dip to place beside your veggies and bread/cracker platter. You can even pre-spread a bit of this dip on crostini bread, add some sprigs of parsley or watercress for garnish, place them on an elegant serving platter and you're done! Flavorful and light for a pre-meal snack. Oh and did I mention healthy?! Raw veggies blended into creamy soy cream cheese...yum.

6. Easy Cheesy Party Tempeh
I love this recipe. I like it because it will give the non-veg guests a sneak peek at tempeh-an ingredient they might be unfamiliar with! Sad, but true. Tempeh is my fave vegan protein. Guests can try a small bite of tempeh smothered in melted cheese and discover how delicious and unique tempeh is. Plus, a bite of protein pre-meal is always a welcome idea. And since these bites are quickly melted in the microwave, you can have them on a platter in under ten minutes.

7. Mango Pepper Bruschetta
I'm not a big fan of tomatoes on Thanksgiving. But I do think that bruschetta is a perfect party appetizer. So I offer you my tomato-free bruschetta recipe. This recipe combines the sweet flavor of mango with basil and bell pepper. Sweet, light and hydrating. Add some fruit color to your appetizer table! Note: if you want to put a more festive spin on this recipe, substitute the mango with fuyu or hachiya persimmon flesh! Must try that. Yum!

8. Radishes with "Butter"
Elegant. Classic. Sophisticated. Colorful. Flavorful. French-inspired. Vegan! I veganized the classic radishes with 'butter' appetizer snack a while back. And I think it is perfect for Thanksgiving. You will probably hear a few "wait, this is vegan??" responses from this recipe!

9. Field Roast Sausage Bites
I love Field Roast Vegan sausages. If you want more protein in your appetizers menu, simply saute a sliced sausage and stick a toothpick in each sausage round. You can add a veggie dice as well. Tomato. Fennel. Pepper. Arugula. Any veggie will accent the warm savory sausages perfectly. Place on a platter and serve hot. Easy and your guests will be shocked that vegan protein can taste soooo good.

10. Dr. Cow Cheese Platter
This is for all the cheese lovers out there - vegan or not! At some point in your foodie life, you must try Dr. Cow raw cheeses. 100% vegan 100% raw. Made from nuts. I can't fully explain how delicious these cheeses are. You have to taste them for yourself. I first tried them at Pure Food and Wine in NYC. But you can order them online, if you'd like. They run about $8 per small cheese round. Or you can get an entire sampler pack for $75. Totally worth it my friends...

Happy Apps!

Remember these Appetizer Tips:
*Decorations are Fun, and Tasty! Add a nice big bowl of seasonal fruit on your appetizers table: tangerines, pomegranates, persimmons, oranges, squash. Who knows, maybe someone would like to eat a tangerine too! Festive and functional.
*Make it Easy! Make your apps ahead of time or be sure to choose my easiest recipes. Actually everything above can be made a day in advance and placed in the fridge, except for the sausage rounds and tempeh bites. And you'd have to layer the bread apps the day-of (like the bruschetta). Take advantage of the make-ahead recipes!
*Labels. Use labels on all you appetizers. You don't want to be explaining everything while you are trying to finish up on your mashed potatoes and stuffing! And be sure to put any notes, like *vegan *contains nuts *contains soy *contains gluten. Always a nice elegant and thoughtful touch.

The Series Continues! Next Up...Beverages for your Vegan Thanksgiving feast...Post on 11/10...

Remember those paperweight-heavy, waxy, nut-slathered logs of cheese? They always seem to pop up at an office holiday party or in those holiday gift basket catalogues. You can easily spot that electric orange cheese log from across a crowded room, the creamy filling spilling out of its crumbly brown nut coating, dancing with a ring of cracker rounds brimming a silver (or plastic) serving platter. They are so 80's. But wait, aren't the 80's 'in' right now? Really, who doesn't love a cheese log?!

Cheese Log: 2010. OK, so once you've banned cheese and dairy from your diet you must shun the fabled "log" as well, right? Wrong! Vegan cheese and raw nuts make a great 'log'. And with my super simple recipe you can easily turn any leftover blocks of vegan cheese into an elegant and artisanal appetizer. Holiday party approved. Totally customizable. Grab the wheat, flax and spelt crackers, maybe a few apple slices and lets get this cheese log party started! Here's my recipe...

Kathy's Custom Cheese Log. The idea for this recipe came to me when I made a small dish of nachos one night. I melted Follow Your Heart brand Monterey Jack cheese in the microwave over a few organic blue corn chips. I topped the cheesy chips with diced onions, diced tomatoes and diced jalapenos. I set the nachos on the table. Somehow I got side-tracked and forgot about the dish. I came back to the nachos about 20 minutes later and the melted cheese had fully hardened. Darn! Better re-melt the cheese I guess. Or did I? I tasted the melted and then hardened cheesy chips and they were quite tasty! I even peeled a bit of the hardened, yet still moist cheese off a chip. It was almost like flat string cheese. Plus, little bits on onions, jalapenos and tomatoes had hardened right into the cheese to create a flavor-infused cheese snack! I immediately got an idea to create my own cheese log. And the fun begins...

"Nut" Your Average Cheese Log. So this is easy. Too easy! The basic process goes like this: Melt your leftover cheese cubes in the microwave until it becomes bubbly liquid. Then quickly pour it into your 'mold'. You can use any shaped dish you like. The dish will be pre-seasoned with anything you'd like. Nuts, veggies, spices, herbs, oils, syrups, fruit - you name it! Then you place the dish in the fridge for a few hours to harden. Then transfer it onto a serving plate, add garnish and crackers and you're done! Here is the recipe I used for my first (but not last!) nutty cheese log...

Pecan Parsley Pepper Cheese Log
vegan

1 cup vegan cheese chunks
*I used half Mozzarella/half Monterey Jack, Follow Your Heart brand
¼ cup chopped raw pecans
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon orange juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
a few dashes of black pepper
pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Grab your 'mold' dish. Just make sure that it has a large flat surface area on the top and bottoms so that you can properly season the dish before pouring in the cheese. I used a more angular rather than round dish, but it worked out well.

2. Crush you pecans, chop your parsley and tear your cheese into rough chunks.

3. Prepare your cheese mold dish. Wipe the inside surface with olive oil and drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the dish. Add a hefty layer of pecans and half your parsley. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper int he bottom as well. Sprinkle half your red pepper flakes. Set aside.

4. Using a separate small container you will be melting the cheese. Spray this dish with oil spray so the the melted cheese easily slides out. Microwave on high for about 1 minute - or until the cheese bubbles and is fully liquid.

5. Immediately pour the melted cheese into your mold dish - right on top of the pecans/parsley/pepper.

6. Next, cover the top of the melted cheese with your remaining topping ingredients. The pecans, parsley, red pepper, black pepper and salt. Lastly, drizzle your maple syrup, orange juice and remaining olive oil right on top and around the inside brim of the dish.

7. Fully harden in fridge. Cover your dish with foil and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight if needed. Note: a shallow dish with a thinner 'log' will harden faster than a dense thick log.

8. Serve with crackers, sliced apples, flax seed chips, seaweed chips and veggie sticks. You can even add another drizzle of oil or maple syrup to the cheese before serving. Plate with a cheese or butter knife so that guests (or you) can easily get a nice thin portion of the cheese.

Enjoy!

Flavoring Ideas ~ Nut Log Recipes:
There are so many options, but here are my faves:
*Fiesta Cheese Log: Spicy jalapeno, onion and tomato. Crumbled corn chips.
*Fruit Log: Diced apples, grapes and maple syrup.
*Veggie Log: Diced bell pepper, carrots, chives and dill. With olive oil.
*Greek Log: Olives, thinly sliced grape leaves and crushed walnuts with maple syrup.
*Italian Log: Tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, capers, sauteed mushrooms and olive oil. With balsamic vinegar.
*California Log: Crushed almonds, citrus juice, chopped artichoke hearts, sunflower seeds and diced dates. With olive or almond oil.
*Central Park NYC Log: Raw crushed cashews, diced 'big' apple, maple tree syrup, 'bird-lover' sesame or poppy seeds, and organic chopped arugula. (Serve with bagel chips)
*Miami Log: Chopped mango, lime juice, cayenne and cilantro with Brazil nuts.
*Sweet 'n Savory Log: Maple syrup, strawberry jam, olive oil, crushed walnuts, cinnamon, raw sugar sprinkle.
*Health 'nut' log: flax seeds, sunflower seeds, crushed raw nuts (mixed), apple cider vinegar, hemp oil, whole fresh blueberries.
*Holiday Log: Chopped roasted chestnuts, raw pecans, pomegranate seeds, tangerine juice with olive oil and a thin layer of warmed butternut squash/maple puree on the bottom of the plate. Set cold cheese on top of squash.
*New Year Festive-Detox Log: Diced raw fennel, diced apples, lemon zest, chopped parsley, apple cider vinegar, agave, macadamia oil drizzle.

Seasonal fall produce. That phrase evokes visions of persimmons, tangerines, butternut squash, pears, pomegranates and mandarins. All foods that give me the warm fall fuzzies inside.

Seasonal: In Style for Foodies. The word seasonal, is quite the trendy buzz word nowadays. You'll find chefs and foodies everywhere spouting off on the glories of using 'in-season' ingredients. Who is in on this trend? Everyone from Michelin Star restaurants like Jean Georges, the New York Times Food Section critics, the judges on Top Chef and even the foodie hosts on Food Network Shows. If it's not seasonal, why even bother.

Trendy Food Terms. Other buzz words include: local, organic, sustainable, fair trade and hydroponic. So if you are serving strawberries and peaches in winter, you probably don't get the seasonal thing. "But what grows in winter?!" ...the newbies ask. There are plenty of produce items that are seasonal to fall and winter. So enjoy them with your fireside hot cocoa and dusty fall leaves..while you can. See five seasonal foods and why you should be eating them...

Seasonal Fall Produce

1. Pomegranate
Pomegranate flavored everything is so trendy nowadays. But the nutrition and taste of a pomegranate will never go out of style. Try fresh pressed juice, add the seeds to salads and savory dishes. You can even make delicious festive party drinks using pomegranate juice. Sweet, tart and crisp. Tastes like the holidays to me.
Why Eat This: Pomegranate juice is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin K and is particularly high in three types of polyphenols (antioxidants): tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid. Studies have shown that pomegranate juice may be effective in promoting prostate and cardiovascular wellness.

2. Pears
So many pears, so little time. Pears range in variety from the elegant Bosc and the large Comice to the more standard varieties like Bartlett. I recently picked up a bag of Seckel pears at my local farmer's market. They are tiny little pears that resemble mini-bosc's with a smoother skin. They were fantastic! I highly recommend seeking out the Seckel Pear. Plus, they are so darn cute.
Why Eat This: Pears are a great source of fiber, vitamins C and K and the important electrolyte potassium.

3. Winter Squash
There are so many varieties of winter squash. I am obsessed with trying them all! But the most well known (all are varieties I have seen at my local Whole Foods Market) include: pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, carnival squash, hubbard squash, kabocha squash, speghetti squash, banana squash, delicata squash, buttercup squash, sweet dumpling squash and turban squash. My personal favorites are a white acorn squash variety, butternut squash, delicata squash and buttercup squash. You really can't go wrong with butternut squash because it is always a crowd pleaser and contains fewer seeds/more flesh than most other varieties.
Why Eat This: Winter squash are high in vitamin A and fiber. Super cleansing and sweet tasting whole food complex carbohydrate. If you like sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, I'd suggest getting creative with winter squash. Go for darker colored squash for a higher concentration of vitamin A.

4. Hachiya Persimmons and Fuyu Persimmons
There are two varieties that you will find in most any store this fall and winter season: Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu's are the short and stout variety (they look kinda like a tomato). Fuyu's can actually be eaten while slightly firm (although I still prefer them soft). Hachiya persimmons are the more traditional pointy variety. DO NOT eat a Hachiya until it is super-soft and mushy inside. The longer a persimmon or fuyu ripens, the sweeter, creamier and 'liquid' it will be. You can literally eat the flesh of a super ripe hachiya (or even a fuyuy) persimmon with a spoon. Delicious! Eating a hachiya persimmon before it fully ripens, is like biting into a sweater. And that experience can scar you for life into hating persimmons. I think most foodies will agree that persimmon and fuyu season is a welcome time of year. I recently bought several creamy orange colored hachiya gems and let them sit in my fruit bowl for weeks until the ripened. A true lesson in patience.
Why Eat This: Persimmons are a great source of vitamin A, B6, C and manganese. One persimmon can have 6 grams of fiber! That's more than an apple.

5. Winter Citrus
If you've only been eating oranges, you're missing out! Winter citrus offers some of the sweetest, juiciest and freshest flavors and citrus varieties all year round. Winter citrus includes: Oranges, Mandarins, Grapefruit, Tangerines and more. There are many exotic varieties of mandarins and tangerines that each have a unique flavor. Some are ultra sweet while some are bright and tart. Some citrus is rich and juicy like Valencia oranges (perfect for juicing) while other varieties like Navel oranges are perfect for peeling and eating because of the sturdy flesh.
Why Eat This: All varieties of winter citrus are rich sources of vitamin C; they contain potassium and citric acid; and their peel contains valuable aromatic oils. Citrus pith contains bioflavenoids, needed by the body to absorb vitamin C.

Other seasonal fall foods include:
Fruit: cranberries, apples, grapes, guava, huckleberries, passionfruit, banana, lemons, papaya, pineapple.
Veggies: Avocados, Bok Choy, Broccolini, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Cauliflower, Celery Root, Chayote Squash, Radishes, Garlic, Ginger, Jalapeño Peppers, Kumquats, Mushrooms, Pumpkins, Quince, Rutabagas, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Winter Squash.
*just make sure to (try) and buy organic, local and sustainable produce! Farmer's Markets (even in fall/winter-if you can find one) are best!

6am. Half-awake. In bed. Under the Covers. My drowsy mind was brain-storming for my chestnut post. Nutrition facts, snack ideas - an easy, informative post. But a little boring for a Friday. Two post day, I decide. Chestnuts. Chestnuts. Chestnuts. What can I do with a chestnut that's sweet, fun, creative and TGIF-esque? Hmmm. Roasted Chestnuts. Canned Pumpkin. Vegan Chocolate Chips. Maple Syrup. Raw Pecans. Vegan Cream Cheese. Cinnamon. Vanilla Sugar. Formidable ingredients. All yummy. But together? In a chocolate-chestnut-creamy-pumpkin dessert? Hmm... I fell back asleep....

9am. Fully Awake. I suddenly recalled dreaming about some crazy-creative recipe: Chestnut Choco Cake with a Cinna-Pumpkin Cream Frosting. Wow. Should I do it? What would Martha do? Oh who cares, I'm so making my dreamed-up chestnut dessert recipe. Get my recipe and check out the results...

Taste Test. I couldn't wait to try this creation. I had no idea how it would taste, but oh my it smelled divine! The pumpkin puree was fragrant and added a fluffy moisture to the cake. The aromatic combo of cinnamon, chestnuts and vanilla almost knocked me over when I pulled the cake out of the oven. If "sweet fall breeze" had a perfume fragrance, that smell would be it. Hmm, maybe I should brand that. Anyways, back to the taste test. First bite: yum! Super moist pumpkin cake. Those large chewy soft chunks of chestnuts are amazing. I actually wanted more chestnut chunks! (Feel free to add as many as you'd like to your batter.) The speckled bits of chocolate chips were a nice touch, but actually not necessary. You can leave them out for a lower-calorie treat. The chestnuts stood out well all on their own. Yum. The frosting was the perfect accent. It smelled like cinnamon, vanilla and pumpkin. Beautiful orange color. I loved the spice accents in both the frosting and the cake. Don't skimp on those high quality spices.

What's in a Name? Blondies or Cake. Hands down, this is a dessert. Aka, treat. But perhaps a treat to be eaten with tea, coffee or chai. At first I wanted to call these 'blondies' aka vanilla brownies, but then I realized that they really bake up light and fluffy like a cake. However, because this recipe has so much 'good stuff' in it (not simply flour and sugar like a traditional 'cake') I wanted to call it a tea cake. But I ended on just plain old 'cake' branding for it. 🙂 And by good stuff in it, I mean whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree, pecans, chestnuts, spices and soy milk. Whatever you call it, it's delish. Oh, and the sweet pumpkin cream frosting certainly sweetened up the 'cake' part of the deal...

Chestnut Choco Cake with a Cinna-Pumpkin Cream Frosting
vegan

Cake Batter
dry:
2 cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup raw vegan sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla Powder Flavoring
*You can also use vanilla extract as a substitute if needed
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
wet:
½ cup melted vegan buttery spread
½ cup canned organic pumpkin
¼ cup vanilla soy creamer
1 cup vanilla soy or hemp milk
Batter Fold in:
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 cup roughly chopped chestnuts
Drizzle:
1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
pinch of salt

Cinna-Pumpkin Cream Frosting:
6 oz. vegan cream cheese
2-4 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
*more buttery spread will make a richer frosting
1 tablespoon Vegenaise
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon spices (cinnamon/nutmeg blend)
¾ cup canned pumpkin
4-6 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy creamer
5 tablespoon raw pecans
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder (optional)

Topping: Leftover Raw Pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease with spray oil, a casserole dish.

3. Add all dry tea cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

4. Add in the wet ingredients. Stir until well blended. You should have a fluffy dense batter. It will not be of liquid consistency.

5. Fold in the chopped chestnuts and chocolate chips.

6. Pour batter into casserole dish. Smooth out batter to edges with a knife or back end of a spoon. Drizzle better with a bit of maple or agave syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt.

7. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Or until a light brown crust forms on the edges and the cake begins to pull away from dish.

8. Prepare the frosting. In a food processor, add all the frosting ingredients except the pecans, maple syrup and creamer. Blend until smooth. The frosting will be thick.

9. Add the maple syrup and creamer slowly. Lastly, add in the raw pecans and blend until smooth. Do a quick taste test and adjust flavor to taste (salt, sweetness, creaminess, nuttiness). Don't worry if the frosting consistency seems watery. It will firm up in the fridge.

10. Pull cooked cake from oven and allow to cool. Stick frosting in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

11. When both the cake and frosting have cooled, you can frost the cake. Sprinkle with leftover chopped raw pecans. Slice into squares.

12. Serve cool. Store in fridge.

Notes:
Vanilla Powder - *I used a vanilla-sugar sprinkle that I found at Williams and Sonoma. Similar to what you might sprinkle on your chai latte at Starbucks.

If you're like most people, you probably only eat roasted European chestnuts during the fall and winter seasons. You consider them seasonal. But snackable? Year-round? Yes! The nutritional facts (and taste) say it all: Chestnuts are full of flavor, yet much lower in fat that other nuts.

Chestnut Recipes. So what can you do with a roasted chestnut? A lot! Yes, chestnuts are a traditional ingredient in holiday favorites like chestnut stuffing and chestnut gravy, but the year-round recipe possibilities are endless. And easy-open roasted/peeled chestnut snack-pouches make adding chestnuts to your diet super easy.

Chestnut Ideas. You can chop, crumble, add whole, candy, saute or crush roasted chestnuts into just about any recipe: cookies, rice, pasta, breads, biscuits, salads, pies, muffins, smoothies or even use them as a dessert topping. Vanilla soy pudding with warm maple chestnut drizzle - yummy! Your new-found chestnut creativity may take some getting used to, but once you taste these creamy crumbly little nuts you just may get hooked! Check out my review of "Chestnut Snack in a Pouch" and get nutrition facts...

Straight from a pouch! You may have seen a semi-new handy-dandy snack idea: chestnuts from a to-go pouch. Yup, instead of a sack of peanuts or almonds or trail mix, you can now munch chestnuts on the go-as an everyday snack. How do they taste? I found them delicious and cravable!

Are Chestnuts 'Nuts'? Does this chestnut-craze sound a bit 'nutty' to you? Well it should. Chestnuts are indeed nuts, but unlike most nuts, they are very low in fat. Chestnuts are high in complex carbs and even a good source of vitamin C. You can now find chestnuts for sale in snack sized pouches. Simply open and eat! You can also warm them in the microwave for a few seconds. I like to warm a handful in the microwave, and crumble them right over my salad or into my mashed sweet potato.

Nutritional Info on Chestnuts (from a pouch, roasted , peeled):
Serving Size: 3 chestnuts, roasted.
calories: 69
fat: 1g
protein:1g
carbs: 15g
fiber: 1g
Vit C: 12% RDA
Potassium: 5% RDA
B6: 7% RDA
Manganese: 17% RDA
Flate: 5% RDA
Thiamin: 5% RDA

Product Review: Raw snack sized chestnuts
Shelf-Appeal: Small easy open bag.

Label Check: Very low in fat, high in fiber and Vitamins C and B6.
Only 50-60 calories per ounce. (Cashews have 160 calories)

Taste Test: Nutty, creamy, crumbly texture. Sweet yet savory from the high starch content. Almost like a soft, puffy pecan. Great stand-alone snack or as a flavor enhancer to many dishes.

Price: Small pouch was $3.99 at my corner health food store. About 3 snack servings in there.

Last Word: Different. Very different. Certainly breaks the boredom if you are a nut-snacker. Get creative with chestnuts, your recipes will thank you.

A few more chestnut nutrition details here:
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chestnuts-raw-i12098

http://www.chestnutsforsale.com/nutrition_chestnuts.htm

Bring on my Vegan Thanksgiving! I'm so ready. Wait, you're not? Ah, I've been there. You're up half the night with nightmares of maple-glazed Tofurkys, drowning in a sea of vegan gravy. You have wild dreams of sliding down fluffy rice-whip-clouds into cinnamon pools of perfect pumpkin pie. Any mention of 'the holidays' and you break into a cold sweat and convince yourself that it's still October. And the snowman/snowflake/tinsel-infused 'holiday aisle' at your local drug store is making you nauseous. Holiday cards and Carol of the Bells already?! "Uh, not quite ready!" you plead, throwing your arms in the air, "...my Halloween costume is still draped over the towel rack in the bathroom!"

But don't fret, your vegan Thanksgiving feast will be a smash hit, if I have anything to do about it. But before you can start mashing the potatoes, boiling the cranberries and dotting your yams with Dandies marshmallows, there are a few basics to grasp. So whether you are a seasoned vegan Thanksgiving pro or a total lost newbie, these tips will calm your anxiety and hopefully put your Tofurky nightmares to rest. Check out my Vegan Thanksgiving 101: the basics...

Vegan Thanksgiving 101

The Basics: Ingredients Substitutions
It's easy to 'veganize' even the most traditional of Thanksgiving menus. Just stick with a few basics when it comes to ingredient substitutions:
Non Vegan Ingredient - Substitution
Butter - Vegan Buttery Spread, Earth Balance brand
Milk - Soy Milk or (hemp, rice, almond, grain non-dairy milks)
Cream/Evaporated Milk - Soy Creamer, Plain Flavor
Sausage - Vegan Sausage, Field Roast brand
Eggs - depends on use. Possible subs: nut meal/ground nuts, soy yogurt, fruit puree, silken tofu, bean puree, vital wheat gluten
Gravy - Vegan Gravy
Chicken Broth/Stock - Vegetable Broth
Cheese - Vegan Cheese, Follow Your Heart brand
White Sugar - Maple Syrup, Agave Syrup, Raw Vegan Sugar
Bacon - Tempeh Bacon
Turkey - So many options, wait until my 'main event' post in this series!

The Basics: General Tips and Advice.

*Well Spaced Prep Schedule. DO NOT leave all your kitchen work until the day of Thanksgiving. That will make you nuts. There are plenty of dishes that can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, such as cranberry sauce, pies, appetizers, cold veggie dishes and salads. If you can make ahead - do it. Thanksgiving isn't about perfection, it's about family and friends. You'll want to spend more time with your guests that making everything day-of fresh. And guess what, some dishes actually taste better sitting in the fridge for a day!

*Outsourcing. Yes I'll admit that sometimes I get tempted to simply send in my entire Thanksgiving meal order to Whole Foods and put my kitchen to rest on Thanksgiving. But then I stop stressing and remember how much I love to cook and how satisfying a homemade Thanksgiving meal can be to make and eat. But guess what, it's perfectly OK to outsource a few of your meal items. Pies can be purchased from vegan bakeries (like BabycakesNYC and One Lucky Duck here in NYC.) And you can even get gourmet vegan cheese online from Dr. Cow. And if you really want to order something from Whole Foods or another vegan-friendly establishment, go for it. I won't tell. But the more you make yourself, the better.

*Dish Labels. Be sure to place little labels in front of your dishes if you are not going to be around to explain what is in them. This applies mostly to the "appetizers table". Labels aren't needed for the dinner table. Discussing your dishes outloud makes for perfect dinnertime conversation.

*Green Meal: From Glass to Plate to Farm. Keep in theme with your cruelty-free 'green' Thanksgiving feast and make sure to add a few green accents to your meal. Don't use paper/disposable plates or napkins (even for appetizers). Also, make sure to purchase organic ingredients and biodynamic and/or organic wines. Sustainable and local ingredients are always a plus! Head to your local farm market for some locally harvested fall squash or locally made vegan apple butter.

*Adopt a Turkey. Celebrate your vegan Thanksgiving by donating to a Save a Turkey fund. My fave it the Adopt a Turkey fund. www.adoptaturkey.org

*Bring-a-Dish. It's always nice when guests offer to bring a dish. Let them! But be sure to communicate that you are having a vegan Thanksgiving meal. If your guests offer to bring their favorite non-vegan dish, it's your call as to whether you want a 100% vegan table or not. You can always politely challenge them to 'veganize' their dish. Offer your advice on ingredient substitutions they can make. Most cooks will like a good kitchen challenge!

*Traditional vs. Progressive. You'll want to keep a good balance of tradition and innovation in your dishes. If you want to have tempeh sticks, seitan skewers and braised tofu at your table - that's great. Just be sure to keep the basics around: cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, fall veggies and marshmallow topped sweet potatoes all vegan of course. Thanksgiving is all about traditions, savoring the old and creating the new!

*Homemade-Musts. There are a few things I beg of you to make from scratch (And not a store-bought mix) 1. Stuffing. Please don't buy the boxed or bagged mix. It is always overly seasoned with salt and sometimes chemicals! Use your own day-old bread, the flavor difference is like night and day. 2. Cranberry Sauce. OK, I love that jellied straight-from-the-can stuff too. So I like to have a variety of cranberry sauces. One I make from whole berries and maybe one with the can ring lines...just for old times sake. 3. Pie. If you want to buy your pie from a seasoned vegan baker, go ahead. But those mass-made supermarket pies are no substitute for the real homemade thing. 4. Mashed Potatoes. No instant potatoes please. 5. 'Yams' Just because it says yams on the can doesn't mean they taste like yams. Please use real whole fresh sweet potatoes for all your 'yam' dishes. 6. Gravy. Make it from scratch. It's too easy. Vegan-gravy-in-a-can subs need not apply.

The Basics: Guests.
* Get an RSVP. Be sure to get a count of your expected guests. Sure this may change last minute, but getting an early estimate is essential to menu planning.
* Special Diets? Give your guests the same respect that you expect when dining out - ask them if they have any special diets, food allergies, dislikes, likes or other dietary restrictions. Are they on a low fat diet? Low sodium? Kosher? Gluten-free? Get this info before you start menu planning.
* Schedule. Communicate to your guests how the day will progress. In your invite you may want to give an estimate time for when drinks/appetizers will be served and when the expected main meal dinner time will be. Even a casual schedule can be helpful to guests, especially if they have low blood sugar issues or might be diabetic.

The Basics: Kid Guests.
* "I don't like green beans!" Be sure and ask the parents if their kids have any specific hates or loves when it comes to food. Also be sure to ask about food allergies or sensitivities.
* The V Word. Young kids won't know what vegan means. And quite frankly that's OK. Don't try to force the word vegan into a discussion about the food. It doesn't have to be vegan pumpkin pie. It's just pumpkin pie! Just let the kids eat and enjoy. Let the parents do the food discussions with them later - if they choose.
* Hot Dog or Soy Dog? Most kids will eat something that looks familiar. If they see a slice of pizza, they will eat it, even if they don't know that the pizza has a gluten-free crust and is topped with soy cheese and soy pepperoni. So make sure that you have some food options that look simple, traditional and kid-friendly. Kids don't care about the lemon confit drizzle or the garlic puree garnish.
* The Anxious Parent. If the parents insist on bringing some non-vegan dishes for the kids 'just in case' - let them. A gracious host makes for happy guests. And I'm guessing the kids won't be able to stop scarfing your cheesy tempeh sticks and butternut squash dip.

The Basics: Pre-Meal. Make a Good First-Veggie-Impression.
* No veggie sticks! OK, some veggies sticks are OK, but make sure you have some awesome hearty vegan dip to go along with them. You don't want to start off with a cliche munchie.
*Keep it Simple. Don't go overboard on the fancy appetizers. You know your main meal is going to be labor-intensive, so make sure your apps are easy! Anything you can make ahead and simply pull out of the fridge or warm/toast up in the oven is best.
* Vegan Tasting. I like to make my appetizers traditional, yet vegan. I'm not going to put a big plate of tempeh cubes with flax seed crackers as appetizers. I'd rather put out some butternut squash dip and vegan cheese and crackers. Why? Unless your guests are seasoned vegans, they might get scared off by too many new ingredients at the start of the meal. Give them some familiar looking basics to warm their palates. Leave them wanting more!
* Beverages. Make sure to have plenty of beverages on hand when your guests arrive. And not just of the alcoholic kind! Travel can leave your guests feeling dehydrated, so a plentiful supply of water, coconut water and fresh fruit juice is a great idea. Self serve pitchers make it easy on you.
* Palate Cleansers. I love palate cleansers. Fresh pressed ginger-lemon-apple juice is a great one. Or a small spoonful of zesty lemon sorbet. Some raw fennel sticks are a great digestive and palate cleanser. Or even lemon ice water will do the trick. If you serve your pre-meal palate cleanser in individual small cups/spoons your guests are more likely to engage in the 'palate cleansing' process.

The Basics: Turkey-Free Thanksgiving.
*Beyond Tofurky. There is something psychologically pleasing about having a 'centerpiece dish'. And you guests will probably agree. No turkey on Thanksgiving? Quite a stretch for some. But there are so many options for a meat-free meal. Yes you can buy a Tofurky. That's the mindless and I'll admit, 'fun and kitchy' thing to do. Or you can do a less traditional protein main-dish from ingredients like tepeh, seitan or tofu. Or you can do some savory beans paired with rice. Lentils are fabulous. Vegan Sausage is always a crowd-pleaser and even an elegant pasta or risotto dish may do the trick. Remember, you don't need a "main event" dish as a turkey-substitute, but if you want one the options are out there. I'll have more on this later in the series.

The Basics: Inspiration!

*Inspire Me. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is actually the menu planning! I love to get creative with my ingredients, themes, twists on tradition and innovative recipes. Its not hard to find Thanksgiving inspiration all around you this time of year: plump pumpkins, magenta cranberries, dusty fall leaves, apple butter, crisp air, barrels of fresh apple cider, steamy muffins, spiced holiday chai, lumpy bumpy squash varieties with character, shiny tangerines, persimmons, nutty crumbly chestnuts, warm coats, squishy scarfs and that mellow blue dusk sky. Fall is everywhere, go out and taste it.

I know, you're still dusting the Halloween glitter out of your hair, and the last thing you want to do is start thinking about planning for the holidays. Especially the always work-intensive Thanksgiving Dinner feast! That's why this year, let me do all the brainstorming, test-kitchening and menu planning for you. All you have to do it read, shop and cook your way to the best vegan Thanksgiving celebration ever. If I can do it, so can you. And yes, even the carnivore(s) in your life will love these recipes.

You Be the Host. If you'd like, you can pick and choose from my series recipes and make a few to bring over to your not-vegan relatives' homes. Perfectly fine, I've done this many times. But if you're super adventurous, try hosting Thanksgiving Dinner at your home this year. And don't be shy about the 'vegan' part. I find that most people are thrilled about trying something new (and healthier) for Thanksgiving. Most non-veggies have had turkey and gravy so many times that a vegan Thanksgiving might actually sound like a thrill! Love it or hate it, at least try it. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to experiment with vegan recipes because of the nature of the meal - there are so many items on the table to choose from, you are bound to fall in love with a few. So check out my Vegan Thanksgiving recipe series schedule...and start sending out those invites!...

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Series: Healthy Happy Feast!

Thurs, Nov 5th: Vegan Thanksgiving 101 - the Basics.
Sun, Nov 8th: Appetizers - Before the Meal Munchies.
Tues, Nov 10th: Beverages - Before, During and After the Meal.
Thurs, Nov 13th: Stuffing - A Trio of Flavors.
Sun, Nov 15th: Cranberry Sauce - No Can Opener Required.
Tues, Nov 17th: Potatoes and Side Veggies.
Thurs, Nov 19th: Perfect Proteins - Cruelty Free.
Sat, Nov 21st: Desserts - Delicious Desserts
Mon, Nov 23rd: My Menu-Thanksgiving 2009.
Wed, Nov 25th: Restaurant Menus 2009.
Thurs, Nov 26th: HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Fri, Nov 27th: Leftovers - the After Party.

Excited? So am I!

I can see the British tabloid headlines now:
"The Royals Have Gone Vegan!"
"Royal Castle Gets Veganized!"
Then in small print it will say,
"...for one day."
Find out more, read the menu (and my one annoyance with it) and wait, what's a cobnut?...

I love reading menus. Special event or gourmet tasting menus are my favorite. So much thought goes into planning them. So when I found out that Windsor Castle's special event menu "went 100% vegan" for a day, I was giddy with a royal glow. Meat-free royal dining! Love it. Goodbye wild boar and plum pudding, hello wild mushrooms and fresh fruit reductions! Who says tradition can't be turned upside-down for a day?

Long Live the Vegans! Well, for a day anyways. It took an 'act of God' to convince Windsor to go vegan for a day - literally! The veganized menu was for the ARC Event: Many Heavens, One Earth: Faith Commitments for a Living Planet. What do you do when you gather a wide variety of faiths and religion-based diets all at one dinner table? You can't serve meat. And in fact onions and alcohol were off the list too. Solution: go vegan! Everyone is happy, no one gets offended and everyone eats deliciously. I drooled over the menu. I tip my hat (or crown?) to the chef! Hazelnut oil, mushroom pearl-barley risotto, roasted cobnuts and red grape reduction anyone? Yum. Wait, what's a cobnut?

Vegan banquet menu for Windsor Castle

STARTER
Salad of roasted English pear steamed celeriac and oven roasted cobnuts
Frizee leaves tossed with a hazelnut oil and lemon oil dressing
Served with a red grape reduction
Ciabata bread served with olive oil

MAIN COURSE
Portabello mushroom stuffed with artichoke, red onion and thyme
Set on pearl barley and butternut squash risotto with Gremolata oil
Roasted root vegetables to include carrots, parsnips and beetroot turned with baby chard

DRINKS
Cranberry & fresh orange cocktail
Jugs of iced tap water and lemon on the tables
(No dessert due to extremely tight schedule)

Royal Vegan Terms. FYI, Here are a few items on the menu that you may need terminology for:
Cobnut - The large edible nut of a cultivated variety of hazel.
Celeriac - also known as 'celery root,' 'turnip-rooted celery' or 'knob celery'. It is a kind of celery, grown as a root vegetable for its large and bulbous hypocotyl rather than for its stem and leaves.
Gremolata - a chopped herb condiment typically made of garlic, parsley, and lemon zest.
Pearl Barley - is barley processed to remove its hull and bran. Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten; pearl barley is taken a step further, polished to remove the nutritious bran layer.*Kathy says: Hmm..why didn't they just leave the nutritious bran on the barley? Boo that!

My Annoyance: No Dessert??? The no-dessert thing makes me weep. Just imagine these regal religious leaders all biting into a glorious chocolate-frosted Babycakes vegan cupcake. Or perhaps a scoop of some Pecan Salted Caramel vegan STOGO ice cream or maybe a vegan milkshake from Lulu's Sweet Apothecary. Or maybe a raw vegan One Lucky Duck Mallomar! I say, skip the starter, just give them a dessert! It's vegan - no guilt!

Bravo Windsor Castle! Very pleased with this news story. What's more traditional that royalty? And the fact that they figured out to serve a vegan meal makes me want to hail to the Queen and salute the guards! ...or something like that.

You can read all about it at these links:

Telegraph UK - Meat Off the Menu as Windsor Castle Goes Vegan
PDF Menu - Vegan at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle.org ARC Event info and photos

And good job on choosing a mushroom-based entree! Vegan eats are so mushroom-friendly. The mushrooms salute you! -->

It's always nice to be recognized. And today when I found out that I won 2nd place in the Whole Grains Council, "I Love My Whole Grains" recipe contest, I was grinning ear to ear. I am in no way, shape or form a seasoned recipe contest participant, I've only entered a handful of humble recipe/photo contests. However, I am proud to say that I have won or placed in a few. I am always especially thrilled when one of my recipes (which are always vegan) win or place in a mainstream-food recipe contest. So while you definitely won't see me competing in the Pillsbury Bake-Off (even though the top prize is 1 million bucks) I do love entering my vegan recipes in a few inspiring (and healthy-friendly) contests here and there. And I'd like to share with you my contest recipes. I'm proud that two of the contests were associated with two of my fave chefs: Bobby Flay and Eric Ripert. Check out my Top 5 Contest-Worthy (Sometimes Winning) Recipes. (and find out what I won)...

Kathy's Top 5 Contest-Worthy (Sometimes Winning) Recipes:

1. Recipe: Spicy Mushroom Blossom Bowl
Contest: FLAYvors of Washington Bobby Flay Grill-it Challenge
Contest Entry: Photo/Video/Recipe
Place: One of 20 Finalists chosen from a nation-wide pool of entrants.
Prize: Autographed copy of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook.
Blog Post..

2. Recipe: Kitchen Sink Granola Bars
Contest: "I Love My Whole Grains" by the Whole Grain Council
Contest Entry: Photo/Recipe
Place: 2nd Place Winners category
Prize: A LOT of free 'whole grain' products...from various brands like Barbara's Bakery and Barilla Pasta.

3. Recipe: Salsa Verde Guacamole
Contest: AvecEric.com - Cinco de Mayo Food Photography and Recipe Contest
Contest Entry: Photo/Recipe
Place: Grand Prize Winner
Prize: Olympus Stylus Tough Camera
Blog Post.

4. Recipe: Lemon-Aide Tofu Cups (spin on my lemon custard bars)
Contest: Tofu Takedown Cookoff NYC
Contest Entry: In-Person Cookoff/Taste Test
Place: Judges Award: "Best Disguise of Tofu"
Prize: A few awesome chef/kitchen tools and a nifty tofu-takedown certificate 🙂
Blog Post.

5. Recipe: The Perfect Roasted Pepper 101
Contest: Grubs Club Food Photography Contest
Contest Entry: Photo
Place: Honorable Mention/Runner's-Up
Prize: none
Blog Post.

"You can eat it with a spoon." She said.
"Eat what with a spoon?" I asked.
"Vegenaise. OMG, it's so good." She replied.
"Yuck. I'm not a big creamy-condiment fan." I scrunched my face.
"Just try it." She answered. I tried it. Loved it.

Vegenaise was invented in the early 1970's by the Follow Your Heart (FYH) brand, which originated in Topanga Canyon, California as a hippie-vibed vegetarian cafe/market. Since then, both the store and innovative product brand have gained a loyal fan following. And yes, you can eat Vegenaise with a spoon. But why do that when I've come up with Fifty creative uses for Vegenaise Spread...

VGP Trend Product. Vegenaise was on the "product trends" list from my Veggie Girl Power interview series. I'm always trying to get more foodies and chefs (veg or not, mayo-lovers and mayo-haters) to try it.

Vegenaise Facts:
*Facts obtained from the Follow Your Heart website.

*Vegenaise or Veganaise? Why is a vegan product, called Vegenaise instead of Veganaise? Here's the answer from Follow Your Heart: "When we first invented Vegenaise in the early 70's, the word vegan was not widely recognized. We named it Vegenaise for vegetarian-mayonnaise."

*4 varieties of Vegenaise: Original (Blue Label), Expeller Pressed (Green Label), Grapeseed Oil (Purple Label) and Organic (Gold Label). There is also a reduced fat version with a yellow label. However, I have yet to see that one in stores.

*Mayo Alternative? Sort've. "The Federal Standard of Identity specifies that mayonnaise must contain eggs. Vegenaise is egg free. Therefore, it comes under the FDA category of Dressing and Sandwich Spread."

*Why is it healthier than mayo? "Vegenaise is 20% lower in total fat than ordinary mayonnaise. It has approximately nine grams of fat in a serving. However, do to the fact that it is egg and dairy free, Vegenaise is very low in saturated fat, and has absolutely no cholesterol. Vegenaise contains no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat and no transfat."

*Common Allergens/Special Diets: Gluten Free. Vegan. Egg Free. Milk Free. Corn Free. Honey Free.

*Sodium Content? "Vegenaise is actually low in sodium. It contains about 80 milligrams per serving."

*Refrigeration Required? Yes, (and no). "Unlike mayonnaise, since Vegenaise contains no eggs, there is no health risk associated with lack of refrigeration. We have simply found that Vegenaise tastes best when kept refrigerated. Even, if it is accidentally put in the pantry for a day, there is no need to worry. If it still looks and tastes good, it's almost always okay."

The list! Here are my 50 creative ideas for Vegenaise. Some of the ideas are commonplace, and some are uber-creative. Don't knock it until you've tried it! Who knows, you may find that "Vegenaise-infused muffins" or "Vegan-Wasabi-Mayo" are your new fave foodie ideas.

Fifty Creative (and yummy) Uses for Vegenaise Spread

1. Salad Sandwiches. Substitute Vegenaise and a vegan protein in virtually any 'salad sandwich' recipe. Vegenaise's bright perky flavor beats out traditional mayo in taste and health.

2. Salad Dressings. Make 'creamy' salad dressing from scratch using Vegenaise, healthy fat oils, vinegar, lemon juice, tahini salt pepper and fresh herbs....just to name a few ingredients.

3. Vegenaise Garlic Bread. Use Vegenaise in place of 'butter' on your next garlic bread recipe. Toasts up creamy and flavorful!

4. Vegenaise-spread Muffins! Spread on muffins. Better than artery-clogging butter.

5. Soy Blended. Blend Vegenaise with soy sauce and a bit of maple syrup for a unique salty-sweet dressing dip.

6. Vegan Cole Slaw. Whip up tangy sweet vegan cole slaw in a snap with Vegenaise instead of mayo.

7. Lemon 'Mayo'. Blend Vegenaise with lemon juice and black pepper for lemon-pepper vegan mayo.

8. Baked Potato Craving? Satisfy that craving for a classic baked potato by adding Vegenaise and fresh chopped chives to a foil wrapped baked golden potato.

9. Sweet Sauce. Maple Syrup whipped into Vegenaise makes a simple sweet sauce that can be drizzled on just about anything you choose.

10. Got Spinach? Try a VSP: Vegenaise spread in a pita that's stuffed to the brim with raw fresh spinach leaves.

11. Pizza Spread. Spread it right on pizza. A small dab brightens up any pizza. (Especially one that may be cheese less due to an absence of vegan cheese!)

12. Vegenaise Ranch Dip. Make a vegan ranch dressing/dip with it.

13. Vegenaise Savory White Sauce: Vegenaise, roasted garlic, olive oil, citrus juice spritz, salt, pepper. Goes great with pasta and mushrooms.

14. 30 second Lemon Custard. Mix 1 tablespoon of Vegenaise into a lemon soy yogurt cup. Watch it instantly turn into a light yellow, creamy dessert with a custard-like flavor. Can be repeated with any yogurt flavor, although lemon is my fave.

15. Toast. Vegenaise on sprouted grain toast is a yummy way to start the day.

16. Spinach Dip. Substitute it for 'mayo' in any classic spinach dip recipe.

17. Spicy Potatoes. Pair roasted potatoes with spicy harissa. Then add a dollop of cool creamy Vegenaise to calm the spicy flavors.

18. Soup Topping (Dollop). A tiny dollop of Vegenaise perks up virtually any vegan soup recipe.

19. Out of Vegan Sour Cream? Vegenaise can easily be used as a 'sour cream substitute' for your Mexican tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Ole!

20. Sweet Potato Mash. Mash it into sweet potatoes for a creamy bold flavor.

21. Tempeh Dip. I love dipping tempeh cubes or strips into a simple dollop of Vegenaise.

22. Saute Add-in. I love adding a bit of Vegenaise into the pan whenever I am sauteing veggie proteins like tofu, tempeh or seitan.

23. Mac 'n Cheese. Whenever I make vegan Mac, I like to add a bit of creamy Vegenaise to the final product. It gives my pasta that shiny creamy sauce glow that I crave. Plus it adds a boost of flavor.

24. Chili Topper. Vegenaise is the perfect dollop of delight for your vegan chili bowl-especially if your chili is spicy!

25. Fruit Salad. I'm actually not a big fan of 'creamy' fruit salad dressings. I like fruit in the raw. But if it's a creamy fruit salad you crave, simply use some Vegenaise mixed with soy yogurt for a better-than-dairy flavor.

26. Vegenaise Morning Muffin. Try a breakfast Sandwich with vegan toppings, vegan sausage, Vegenaise!

27. Tempeh Reuban. Sauerkraut, tempeh and a Vegenaise-based Russian dressing.

28. Wasabi 'Vegan-Mayo'. Blend a bit of wasabi into Vegenaise for a spicy kick to any innovative dish or sandwich.

29. Tomato Love. Tomatoes pair fabulously with Vegenaise...so add those two ingredients to a sandwich and you are half way to bliss.

30. Vegenaise Muffins (No oil needed)! Use it in place of 'oil' in your next batch of muffins. It adds a tangy-sweet flavor to the batter. Great in apple muffins!

31. Grilled "Cheese". Spread Vegenaise on the tops, and bottoms of your grilled vegan-cheese sandwich. It will toast up nicely in the pan and add a creamy 'mayo-esque' flavor that will remind you of your childhood.

32. Vegenaise Frosting. Use this easy recipe for vegan cream cheese frosting: 1 container vegan cream cheese, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoon Vegan buttery spread, 1 heaping tablespoon Vegenaise, pinch of salt. Blend and chill in fridge. The Vegenaise adds a perfect 'edge' to your frosting.

33. Pie and Pudding Accent. Add it to your pie and pudding recipes for a tangy twist. Examples: Banana Cream, Key Lime, Lemon, Chocolate, Vanilla, Peanut Butter...ect. Works best for creamy blended vegan pie fillings.

34. Artichoke Dip. Whatever your artichoke dip recipe is, add some Vegenaise and 'veganize it' for flavor and health! Reverse it: You can even dip artichoke leaves into Vegenaise.

35. Roasted Garlic-Vegenaise Pasta. Toss your pasta in a big mash of roasted garlic and Vegenaise. Creamy, decadent, vegan.

36. Pancakes and Vegenaise. Whether your making sweet brunch blueberry pancakes or savory sweet potato pancakes with dinner, try some Vegenaise as a creamy accent. Plus, Vegenaise goes great with maple syrup if its a pancake-breakfast your making!

37. Sorbet Add-in. OK, want a trick to change your vegan sorbet into a vegan sherbet really fast??? Fold in 1 tablespoon of Vegenaise to 1 cup of sorbet! Yes it will taste a bit tangy, but give it a try! Works best with very sweet sorbet flavors like mango, raspberry and passion-fruit.

38. TVP Flavor-Booster. Create an awesome vegan 'sandwich salad' with some cooked TVP and Vegenaise. Add some seasonings.chopped veggies and chill in the fridge.

39. Tofu Scramble. Add some Vegenaise to your tofu scramble recipe. Boosts flavor and ads a 'buttery' creamy texture to the tofu.

40. Rice Dishes. Fold some Vegenaise into your Rice recipes. Super simple way to boost a bit of flavor and texture.

41. Bagels and Vegenaise. Out of cream cheese? Simply add some Vegenaise to your bagel. Top with tomatoes, greens, sliced apples, sprouts, shrooms, onions, black pepper, sesame seeds...anything you'd like!

42. Veggie Burger Perfection. Makes any veggie burger or grilled portobello cap much happier sitting in a bun.

43. White Sauce Pizza. Craving a 'white pizza'? Add a thin layer of Vegenaise to your crust, layer with vegan cheese and toppings and bake!

44. Vegenaise Tahini. Change up your traditional tahini sauce recipe by blending in a bit of Vegenaise. Goes perfect with falafel pitas.

45. Vegenaise Brownies. You've heard of cream cheese and peanut butter brownies, well now put a savory twist on your brownies by swirling in a bit of Vegenaise. Great for blondie brownies too.

46. Vegenaise Oats and Wheat. Swirl a dab of Vegenaise right into your morning oatmeal or cream of wheat cereal. Adds a savory flavor and a bit of body.

47. Vegenaise Roll-Ups. Make some delicious lavash bread wrap-up spirals by using Vegenaise as your inside spread.

48. Peanut butter-Vegenaise Cookies. There's something delicious about adding a few spoonfuls of Vegenaise to your peanut butter cookie recipe. A must try for pb cookies. (Plus, you can replace any oil in your recipe with the Vegenaise).

49. Roasted Veggies and Vegenaise. Instead of using your old stand by of "olive oil and sea salt" tossed roasted veggies, try tossing your veggies (squash, mushrooms, potatoes and more) in a bit of Vegenaise. You'll probably use less 'sodium' in the end and get an amazing zesty flavor.

50. Eat it with a Spoon...

Do you have any more ideas for Vegenaise spread??? Let me know! And as always, don't be afraid to get creative in the kitchen. Yes you may create a few "misses" but those creative "hits" will make it all worth while!

Give me a big bowl of warm pasta on a chilly fall night, and I'm a happy girl. Especially if that bowl contains some big yummy chunks of my Roasted Butternut Squash. This is a great pasta recipe for when 'red sauce' just won't satisfy. I call this dish simply, Kathy's Fall Pasta. It combines the flavors of sweet Roasted Butternut Squash, lightly smoked shiitake mushrooms, warmed fresh sage, plenty of black pepper and one of my all time favorite pasta add-in secret ingredients. Get my totally cravable recipe and find out my secret ingredient!...

Secret Ingredient: Home-Roasted, Oven Roasted Garlic!
Yes, my secret ingredient is simply, roasted garlic. But not the kind you find in a jar. It has to be at-home-roasted. A big whole bulb smothered in EVOO and sea salt. Yum. Here's how you do it:
1. Chop off the top ⅛ " tip of a fresh garlic bulb. So the garlic cloves are exposed. (Peel is still in tact though)
2. Place whole bulb in a piece of foil.
3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of EVOO over top of garlic. Pinch of sea salt too.
4. Wrap tightly in foil so oil doesn't spill. Place in 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from foil, let bulb cool for about 5 minutes.
6. Hand-squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves out of bulb case and into a bowl. It's that simple! You'll get about 3 tablespoon of roasted garlic per small bulb.

Kathy's Fall Pasta
vegan, serves 4

4 cups cooked pasta (any variety you'd like)
2 cups of Kathy's Roasted Butternut Squash
*use my recipe for best flavor results
1 ½ cups shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
*I use Colgin vegan brand
2-3 tablespoon fresh orange juice (or 1-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
1-2 tablespoon Vegenaise
3 tablespoon Olive Oil (extra virgin always)
3-5 tablespoon at-home roasted garlic (see above)
palmful of fresh sage leaves, chopped roughly
sea salt
black pepper
optional: half a sweet white onion see below for add-ins

Directions:

1. Prepare the Roasted Butternut Squash. Set aside. If you'd like, you can use less than 2 cups of squash in this dish. I use the full 2 cups, because I love butternut squash. Use my squash recipe to prepare - Link above.

2. Prep your mushroomhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs, sage, fresh OJ and optional onions. (You may want to start boiling your pasta water with a pinch of salt as well.)

3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon orange juice (or ½ tablespoon vinegar) to a skillet. Saute mushrooms, (optional onions) and liquid smoke on med-high for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking.

4. Turn skillet heat to low, add a pinch of salt, a few dashes of pepper, a few pinches of sage leaves and toss in pan. Remove pan from heat, set aside.

5. Boil pasta (you can use any variety of pasta you'd like.) You will want about 4 cups of pasta. Drain cooked pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

6. Add 2 tablespoon EVOO, 1 tablespoon orange juice (or ½ tablespoon vinegar), 1-2 tablespoon Vegenaise, a few dashes of black pepper and the rest of your chopped sage to your (still hot) pasta in the mixing bowl. Toss well. Make sure pasta is well coated. The hot pasta will gently heat up the fold-in ingredients (especially the sage) to intensify the flavors.

7. Next, add your oven roasted garlic. Again, use as much as you'd like - I like a lot! I used two small bulbs of roasted garlic. (Remember, roasting garlic greatly mellows out the 'garlic' flavor) Fold garlic into your pasta. It should be creamy, a bit sticky and perfectly translucent-esque cream colored - with a few darker edges around each clove. Smells divine, right? The creamy roasted garlic almost mimics the texture of adding a pinch of Parm cheese.

8. Next, fold the shiitake mushroom (onion optional) saute into the pasta.

9. And finally, gently add into the mixing bowl about half of your roasted butternut squash. Fold it into the pasta. It's OK if it 'mushes' around a bit and coats the pasta. Just don't over-mush. Leave the remaining butternut squash out, to be applied directly to the top of your pasta plated dishes. (Not folded in). Also, those diners who want more squash can easily add it to their plate.

10. Garnish with the leftover squash, fresh sage, black pepper and even a squeeze of fresh OJ/vinegar/EVOO if you'd like.

Eat at once, also tastes great the next day for lunch!

Add-ins:
*Vegan Tempeh Cubes.
*Vegan Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Sausage-Apple Sage flavor.
*Roasted Beets.
*Olives.
*Parsley, chopped.
*Fresh Chopped Spinach or Fresh Arugula
*Beans! Toasted garbanzo beans would be divine.
*Toasted nuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts.
*Sliced apples.
*Fresh Ground White Pepper.
*Cayenne or harissa for spice.