Happy Thanksgiving

I hope y'all had a Happy Thanksgiving! I have spent the entire weekend munching on yummy leftovers and now that I'm finished stuffing my gourd I finally got around to posting. This holiday I made some original recipes as well as adapted from other bloggers (love the PPK and Minimalist Baker!). Enjoy :)

The Feast
The main course: Field Roast Forager's Roast with a pineapple mustard glaze.
The verdict: A+++
Dat glaze tho...
My stuffing was a recipe adapted from the Minimalist Baker but I used dried ciabatta bread,  fresh sage, fresh thyme, and added about 2 tsp dried rosemary.
Lentils! Lentils everywhere!
I love a good creamed vegetable...so why not kale? It is heartier than spinach and the addition of nooch gives such wonderful nutty flavor that compliments the cashew cream.

Creamed Kale
1/2 bag kale
1/2 onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic
1 C unsweet soy milk 
1/2 C veg broth
2 Tbsp nooch
1 tsp miso paste
1/2 C cashews (soaked in water all morning) 
1/2 tsp chili flakes 
salt
fresh ground black pepper.

1. In a skillet with EVOO cook onions and garlic until they begin to brown. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set aside.
2. Drain cashews from soaking water. In a food processor blend cashews to a paste.
3. Add onion mixture, soy milk, broth, nooch, misco and chili flakes. Pulse until well combined.
4. In the same skillet as before add more EVOO. Add kale and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream mixture and cook for another 10-15 minutes over low heat. 
Kale: creamy and dreamy
This is a slight update to my go-to gravy...this time adding a bit of red wine and finely chopping the mushrooms so that it is more of a jus than a creamy gravy. This went well on top of everything...everything I say!


Mushroom gravy

16 oz crimini (chopped in food processor, but leave a handful of larger bits for texture)

½ onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 C mushroom broth (more as as needed)

2 Tbsp unsweet nondairy milk

1 Tbsp Earth balance butter

1/8 C red wine

fresh ground pepper

thyme


1. Heat butter in skillet. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown. Add garlic and mushroom. Add salt, pepper to taste.

2. When mushrooms are beginning to brown sprinkle with  cornstarch. Stir so it sticks onto all the pieces and soaks up the liquid.

3. Add wine. Cook 1 minute.
4. Add broth, milk and thyme. Cook until you reach your desired thickness (remember it will be thicker as it cools)


Cranberry sauce is so easy to make homemade...I never buy the canned stuff. Just add all the ingredients to a pot, bring to a low boil, then turn down to a simmer. You can control the thickness, but remember it will thicken up some as it cools.

Cranberry Sauce
1 bag  fresh cranberries (rinsed and pick out duds)
1/2 C sugar (or more)
1/2 C water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 lemon (juice)
Tangy and cinnamony, this sauce is hitting all the right notes
I grew up eating poppy seed bread during the holidays. It is a great dessert because it is not so sweet, so you can have a piece and a large slice of pie and not go into sugar shock. This year was my first time making it and veganizing the recipe was really easy! I used premade filling which made this recipe pretty hands off (it takes a while for the yeast dough to rise so make this one in the morning!).

Poppy Seed Roll
2 C flour
2/3 C soy milk (heat in microwave for about 30 seconds)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (liquid state)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 can poppy seed filling
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
maple syrup
Earth balance butter

1. In a large bowl whisk together yeast and warm milk (milk should be warm, but not hot because it will kill the yeast). Set aside and let bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Add coconut oil, vanilla and whisk. 
3. In another bowl add flour, sugar, salt and mix to combine. Slowly add wet mixture to dry. When it is mostly dry, knead with your hands (spray your hands first with some canola oil so it won't be as sticky). 
4. Transfer dough to clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit out on the counter for 1 hour.
5. Punch down dough and roll it into a large rectangle. Spoon filling evenly across dough leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges. 
6. Melt 1 tsp Eath balance and brush it onto edges. 
7. Roll dough and tuck in sides. Carefully transfer to large oiled baking sheet and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
8. Melt 1 tsp Earth balance and combine with 2 tsp maple syrup. Brush onto top of bread.
9. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes.
Poppy love.

I followed the Post Punk Kithchen's Isa's recipe for a maple pecan pie (but added 2 Tbsp of brandy to keep it a bit naughty)

Perfectly sweet pecan pie!

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