DOSSIER

It’s the holiday of all holidays: Thanksgiving. Surrounded by friends and family, amazing food and bottomless drinks, what more do you need?

This year we will be up at our cabin for the festivities. Since our place isn’t fully equipped with kitchen utensils yet, we will be cooking at my brother-in-laws who lives a few houses down the road. His state-of-the-art kitchen is spacious and fully stocked with every cooking gadget you can imagine. My husband and I do most of the cooking each year so I spend countless hours gathering and testing vegan recipes in an effort to convince carnivores that vegan food is quite delicious. My mother-in-law makes a bit of meat for our guests, but all other dishes are completely vegan. I have rounded up some reoccurring favorites and introduced a few new recipes this year.

Here is our plant-based Thanksgiving menu for 2018…

CORIANDER WHITE BEAN DIP | Everyone loves a good dip to snack on while sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. This go-to dip pairs perfectly with fresh baguette and sliced veggies alike.

FIG AND OLIVE TAPANADE | A tried-and-true simple yet, flavorful appetizer. To add a little extra, serve with goat cheese (vegan or not).

BRUSSELS SPROUT BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFING | I like to add spicy vegan sausage to this hearty stuffing so it acts more as a main dish for the vegan guests. I also prepare most of it the day before to free up more time on Thanksgiving day.

GRILLED MUSHROOMS AND CARROTS | Adding a little Asian flare to the menu is a nice change. The ginger in this recipe adds an unexpected autumnal flavor to the meal.

CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES | We can never have too many potatoes in our house, so my mother-in-law makes mashed potatoes with parsnips and we make our favorite Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES | I’ve tried dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes, and this is the best one to date. It only makes a few cookies, so I tend to make more than one batch so there are enough cookies to go around. After such a large meal, sometimes a chocolate chip cookie with a cup of tea is all you need.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COCONUT WHIP CREAM AND FRESH BERRIES | The chocolate cake recipe is from Sunday Suppers, it just happens to be vegan, and quite delightful. Instead of using small bundt pans, as the recipe suggests, I will make cupcakes or small loaves that can be sliced and topped with coconut whip cream and fresh raspberries and blackberries.

For more plant-based recipes, visit us here.