Thanksgiving

It's another year my husband is working the holidays at the fire station. We are lucky he doesn't have to work them every year, but it does happen. I admit it was hard to get used to, at first, and I felt very sorry for myself. But now it's just another day, and the kids and I go to other family for dinner, or to friends.

Still, it's another year I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and that always makes me a little sad. So instead of posting my holiday delicacies here, I thought I'd share with you some links to recipes I think look tasty.

 Eating Well has a whole vegetarian menu, and I think the Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Mushrooms looks delightful, don't you?

 

 

Or how about the Spinach tartlets?

 

 

Though I have to say, that this dish is probably what I'm going to make to share: Sweet potato, red onion and fontina tart. I love making dishes with this rustic feel to them, and the same idea can be used to make sweet tarts like pear or apple. You simply fold the edges of your pasty up and over to create it's own "dish" and bake on a cookie sheet.

Of course, mashed potatoes aren't so exciting without gravy, and Martha Stewart has a nice recipe here for it.

And then of course, Cooking Light has a whole vegetarian menu ready for you here.

So there you have it. Lots of options to choose from.

Happy Turkey Free Thanksgiving, friends!

 

 



Coconut and Pumpkin Chai Cream Pies

Two pies, one variation. How easy could that be? The coconut milk reduces the calorie count, so now you can have your pie and eat it too.

As I have to transport these babies to mutiple households tomorrow, they are still naked on top, but you can top them with whipped cream just before serving.

Coconut Pie Indredients:

1 baked pie crust
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups coconut milk
1.5 cups half and half
1/2 cup flour
1 cup toasted or raw coconut
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, eggs, coconut milk, sugar and flour. Whisk continuously over medium heat until thickened (about 10-20 minutes)

About the time you are ready to give up, sure that it isn't EVER going to thicken, it does. So hang in there.

Remove from heat and stir in coconut and vanilla. Pour into pie crust and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Top with whipped cream just before serving.



                                           **If you are making the pumpkin pie**
 
You will substitute 1 cup of pumpkin puree for the dried coconut, and add it to the milk base with 1 tsp each garam masala and cinnamon, and cook until thickened. Stir in vanilla after you remove from heat. Continue with directions as stated.

Broccoli Casserole

I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, and I'm kind of disappointed to not be happily buzzing away in my kitchen come T-day. But I will be sharing a few inspired dishes. So come back tomorrow and look for coconut cream pies, a polenta recipe and a post-Thanksgiving left-over manifesto.

This broccoli casserole was today's big hit, and I love the idea of bringing to dinner, replacing that tired, old green bean casserole that is so traditional. The sauce came out perfect, without any grainy-ness and is actually less cheese than you think, with a few hidden ingredients that both jazz it up and cut down the calories at the same time.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of broccoli florets (about 7-8 cups) steamed until bright green, but still crispy
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
1/2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1.5 cups flavor-free nondairy milk
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
10 or so crushed vegetable crackers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saucepan, combine flour, cumin, broth and milk over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses, salt, pepper and mustard. Add broccoli, coating evenly.

Pour into casserole dish, top with a bit more parmesan and cheddar if desired, as well as the crushed crackers. Bake about 10-15 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Cool 5 minutes before serving.