Your Kale & Caramel vegetarian Thanksgiving feast has arrived! If I had a specially dedicated K&C cheerleading squad, I’d have them doing backflips and triple salchows (I know, wrong sport, but STILL) to herald the arrival of this meal. Even better? Once you figure out your menu, head over to Nourish Bodies, Change Minds: Holiday Edition to assemble your toolkit for hosting a sociopolitically powerful and conscientious dinner party this year. I’ve even got conversation starting questions and required reading and listening for you, specifically geared to the holiday.
Ready for food? Here’s the rundown:
Shaved Kale, Fennel & Asian Pear Salad (vegan, gluten-free)
with maple stoneground mustard vinaigrette
Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate, Feta & Mint (gluten-free)
and pomegranate molasses roasted pecans
or
Sage Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cheesy Bread Chunks
plus pomegranate and parmesan
Rosemary Chevre Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free)
with crispy garlic
Brown Butter Citrus Sweet Potatoes (gluten-free)
with spiced walnut crunch
or
Creamy Roasted Squash with Crispy Mushrooms.
and crispy shallots and thyme
Herb Crusted Tofu with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy (vegan, gluten-free)
get to know Life-Changing Gravy™
Fennel Spiced Cranberry Sauce (vegan, gluten-free)
with cloves, fennel, and star anise
Gingersnap Chocolate Cream Pie with Bourbon Pecan Crumble (vegan, gluten-free optional)
and mountains of coconut whipped cream
or
Pumpkin Mousse with Ginger Caramel (gluten-free optional)
plus gingersnap crumbles and mascarpone whipped cream
or
Caramelized Pecan Pumpkin Pie (gluten-free optional)
with a gingersnap crust
Rosemary Pomegranate Martinis
with a touch of honey
These dishes are as nourishing as they are delicious: Each plate is studded with gem tones of ruby, sapphire, topaz, and emerald. I’m not going to go so far as to compare the mashed potatoes to pearls, but I will say that this food is powerfully vibrant. It’s also completely gluten-free and almost entirely vegan.
Though I’m not vegan, celiac, or even vegetarian, this is, quite simply, the food I want to eat on Thanksgiving. The magic of it all is that it tastes heavenly mixed and matched and smooshed and slathered every which way on your plate.
Now, some notes on preparation timing, to be adjusted per your unique schedule and needs:
TUESDAY
Anytime. Make shopping list. Go shopping.
This will ensure you have plenty of time to realize you got the wrong this and too little of that, without any stress or last minute hustle.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
8 pm. Make cranberry sauce. Refrigerate.
8:30 pm. Make gravy. Refrigerate.
9 pm. Make gingersnap crust and overnight chia portion of chocolate cream pie.
THURSDAY
8 am. Make sweet potatoes.
9 am. Make mashed potatoes.
10 am. Make herb crusted tofu.
11 am. Make rest of gingersnap chocolate cream pie.
Noon. Make brussels sprouts.
1 pm. Make shaved kale salad.
2 pm. Remove cranberry sauce from fridge to get to room temperature.
3 pm. Reheat gravy and mashed potatoes over low heat on stove top, with lids.
Reheat sweet potatoes, herb crusted tofu, and brussels sprouts in low heat oven, under foil (adjust reheat timing for your meal schedule).
4 pm. Hallelujah jones: You’re done! Kick your feet up, sip on a glass of champers and count your blessings til the crowds storm the kitchen. Make some rosemary pomegranate martinis if you feel like it.
Have a beautiful holiday, sweet friends!
