Still one of our all time favorites this time of year for it’s delicious variety… a Vegetarian (and Vegan) Thanksgiving Feast. This Video features a fantastic Thanksgiving menu from Beth (Entertaining with Beth / KIN EATS)

BETH’S VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING MENU

1) Arugula Salad with Grapes and Candied Pecans 01:24
2) Homemade Cranberry Raisin Walnut Bread 03:17
3) Vegetable Green Curry 06:27
4) Coconut Rice 09:22
5) Pear Walnut Tarte Tatin 10:37
6) Vegan Baked Pears 13:21
7) The Game Plan 14:01

To assist, Beth’s recipe ingredients and cooking method details are listed below.

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ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRAPES, PECANS AND GOAT CHEESE WITH WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Serves 8

Ingredients:

10 oz of Arugula
2 cups red grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 cup of candied pecans
4 oz goat cheese

For the Vinaigrette

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp balsamic vinaigrette
4 tbsp walnut oil
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Combine Dijon mustard with vinegar and whisk.  Slowly add the walnut oil, 1 tbsp at a time.  Then season with salt and pepper.
Place arugula, grapes, and pecans in a bowl, toss with vinaigrette.  Portion out salad onto plates and top with crumbled goat cheese.

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CRANBERRY, ORANGE RAISIN BREAD

Serves 8 (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml)
4 cups flour (480 grams)
1 packet yeast (1/4 oz) (14 grams)
2 tsp salt (8 grams)
2 tbsp sugar (25 grams)
1 ¾ cup (420 ml)  warm water (between 115-125 degrees)
1/3 cup cranberries (50 grams)
1/3 golden raisins (50 grams)
1 zest of 1 orange

METHOD:

Place 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Prep a large wooden cutting board, dusted with flour, and set aside.

Zest orange and set aside.  Then slice in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl.  Place cranberries and raisins in juice and allow to sit for 20mins and then drain completely. (This will allow them to plump up and retain some of the orange flavor)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, sugar.  Then add cranberries, raisins and zest of 1 orange.

Heat water in microwave.  It should be between 115-125 degrees F (43-51 C) (feels like bath water).  Add water to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough comes together.

Place hands in mixing bowl with the oil.  Rub hands with oil, and then remove dough and knead it well on your floured board incorporating the olive oil into it.  Form into a ball, and place in the bowl with the olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm place in your kitchen and allow dough to rise for 1 hour (will double in size).

Remove dough and place back on the cutting bowl, kneading it again, for about 20 turns.  Dust with a little flour, shape back into a ball, and place back in the bowl,  with new plastic wrap.  Allow to rise again for 30 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees (218 C) for 25-30 minutes.  Slice and serve!

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VEGETARIAN THAI GREEN CURRY SERVED IN A ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 acorn squash
8 tsp brown sugar
8 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced thinly into half moons
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
1 clove of garlic
4 tsp of Green Curry paste (cut in half if you don’t like “spicy”)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans lite coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp of brown sugar
2 cup sweet potato, diced
1 cup cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 cup of eggplant, cut into bit sized chunks
½ cup fresh basil, chopped

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice off tops of acorn squash, and set aside. Also slice off a small sliver of the bottom, just to allow squash to sit upright. Scoop out seeds. Sprinkle inside with sugar and salt and pepper. Place 1 tbsp of butter in each squash. Place squash in a shallow greased Pyrex baking dish, and their tops in another. Roast for 1 hour or until squash inside is tender.

In a large soup pot sauté onions, garlic and ginger.  Once fragrant and soft, add green curry paste.  Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt, brown sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cover and simmer for 7-10 mins until sweet potatoes are tender.

Add cauliflower and eggplant.  Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender.

To serve place 1-2 ladles of curry inside each squash, garnish with chopped basil, and top with squash top. Serve immediately.

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COCONUT RICE

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 can of lite coconut milk
1 ½ cups of water
1 tsp salt
2 cups jasmine rice
¼ cup of unsweetened coconut
1 cup coconut chips, toasted
zest of 1 lime

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place coconut flakes and chips, separated, on a sheet pan, in a single layer.  Toast until golden brown. Allow to cool and set aside.

Place coconut milk, water and salt in a sauce pot.  Allow to bowl, add rice, reduce heat to simmer, stir and cover.  Cook until liquid is evaporated.  About 15-20 minutes.

Add lime zest, and toasted coconut flakes and fluff with a fork (rice will be sticky!)

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with toasted coconut chips.

PEAR WALNUT TATIN WITH BRANDY SCENTED WHIPPED CREAM

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup of raw walnuts, chopped
2 Firm Comice Pears, sliced vertically
1 sheet puff pastry

For brandy cream:

2 cups of heavy cream
1 tbsp of powder sugar
1 tbsp of brandy (*if you don’t drink, replace with 1 tsp vanilla)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place a 10” sauté pan, upside down on top of puff pastry, and cut around pan to create a circle.

Put the sauté pan over a medium flame and melt butter, add sugars and spices. Sprinkle pan evenly with walnuts, and then place pears in a single layer all around the perimeter of the pan. Place the final pear slice in the center of the pan.

Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes on low.  The sugars will begin to caramelize. Then, place the puff pastry on top, fitting snugly.

Bake tart for 20-25 minutes, just until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Allow it to cool in the pan, and then place a large cutting board over the pan.  The board should be larger than the pan, and flip tart upside down.

Allow tart to cool on board, and then transfer to a cake stand.

Meanwhile combine heavy cream, sugar and brandy in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

Serve tart with a dollop of brandy cream.

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BAKED VEGAN PEARS

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 pears
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup of raw walnuts, chopped
½ cup of  raisins
1 tbsp canola oil

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice pears in half, length wise, and remove cores with a melon baller. Brush pears (cut side) with canola oil.

Combine sugars, spices, walnuts and raisins. Fill pears with about 1-2 tbsp of this mixture.

Bake until pears are tender.

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