A Thanksgiving Menu (swoon worthy recipes)

Are you gearing up for Thanksgiving, yet? 

I absolutely LOVE a holiday that revolves around gratitude, friends & family and of course, delicious food!

I always have so much fun creating menu plans (seriously, I can’t get enough) so I have been planning & dreaming of my menu for weeks now!

Below are the recipes that have caught my eye and are certain to make my Thanksgiving menu.

These nutrient-rich salads, side dishes and desserts are an easy, delicious twists on the richer, heavier choices traditionally offered. High-impact flavors like fresh herbs & seasonal fruits eliminate the need for loads of butter, cream and salt.

I hope that these recipes help set in motion a plan for you so that you can emerge on the other side of your meal not just relieved, but feeling great!

How well we feel begins & ends with what we put on our plate.

Stuffing. Who doesn’t love stuffing?

But who said that stuffing has to consist of discombobulated soggy bread and saturated fat?

Combining sweet & savory and seasoned with fresh herbs, this “stuffing” plays a key role at my Thanksgiving meal.

Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Apple and Dried-Cranberries

(recipe and photo credit www.food52.com/ by darksideofthespoon)

Aside from having this at your Thanksgiving meal, this would make a delicious main dish when topped with roasted butternut squash. Or you could pair it with a crisp salad — it stores very well and tastes even better the next day.

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth, for quinoa
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks of celery, finely diced
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, de-skinned and chopped
• 1 bunch (about 5 to 6) green onions, chopped (green parts only)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped * see note
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, thoroughly rinsed and chopped
• 1 gala apple (really, any kind of apple will do)
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• Generous drizzle of any kind of oil (I like hazelnut)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 325F and toast your hazelnuts for about 7-10 minutes. Let them cool completely. You should begin to hear their skins crackle while cooling; this is a good sign!
2. Meanwhile, cook your quinoa. Importantly, rinse it well! Boil the broth and add your rinsed quinoa. Turn your stove down to medium-low and let it cook for roughly 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork, and let it cool in the fridge.
3. Going back to the cooled, toasted hazelnuts; remove the skins. Chop the hazelnuts up, leaving them in large pieces.
4. Preheat a skillet with 1 tbsp of oil and soften your finely chopped onion and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Try not to brown them, 5 to 7 minutes on medium – low heat should do the trick. Set aside in a large salad bowl.
5. Rinse your parsley well and chop it finely followed by your dried cranberries and green onions. Add all this to the onion and celery mixture.
6. Core and dice the apple, put your apple chunks in the bowl with the other ingredients. Squeeze the entire lemon over the apple to season the salad and prevent the apple from turning brown.
7. Add your quinoa and hazelnuts to the mixture, drizzle with the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Season with more lemon juice if you like.
8. Mix well and cool completely. Allow the flavors to meld for 20 minutes before serving! (serves 4)

Nikki’s Sweet Potato Recipe: (recipe and photo credit www.101cookbooks.com )
If you’d like to prepare part of this recipe in advance you can certainly bake the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance and save the mashed sweet potatoes in the refrigerator until you are ready to move forward with the remaining steps. Also, you can make these vegan by using olive oil and not butter.

2 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup raw, unsweetened grated coconut
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, a rack in the upper third. Butter or oil 6 ramekins or a single medium-sized casserole dish.

Wrap each sweet potato in foil, pierce numerous times with the tines of a fork and place in the oven for somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half, until each is baked through. Times vary greatly depending on the size of your sweet potatoes – in the end you should be able to cut through the center flesh as if it were soft butter. Remove the potatoes from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and cut each sweet potato in half. Scrape the flesh into a medium mixing bowl. You should have about three cups of sweet potatoes. In a large bowl mash the sweet potatoes with the coconut milk. If my sweet potatoes are on the fibrous side, l take a hand blender to them for a minute or so (alternately you could use a food processor). Stir in the ginger, maple syrup and salt. Let it sit for a few minutes, stir again and taste – adjust the seasoning if you need to – this is your chance to get the right amount of salt and ginger in the sweet potatoes before they go in the oven.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into individual baking dishes (or single larger baking dish), sprinkle with coconut, drizzle with olive oil and bake uncovered until warm and the coconut golden roughly 30 – 40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the toasted macadamia nuts. (serves about 6)

As many of you know, I love kale. So naturally, it has to make a cameo on my Thanksgiving table.

This salad has a fine balance in taste and texture and it is also so incredibly beautiful!

Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Salad with Pomegranate

(recipe and photo credit www.tastespace.wordpress.com)

1 medium butternut squash (~3lb), peeled, seeded and chopped into 1″ pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
couple pinches of sea salt

1 bunch kale (2lb), thinly sliced
3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon) (zest reserved for garnish)
pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1 tsp agave or maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup pomegranate arils (from 1 large pomegranate)
zest from 1 lemon

1. In a medium bowl, combine butternut squash cubes with the oil, minced garlic and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast until fork-tender, but not falling apart (around 30-40 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, mix the kale, lemon juice and salt with your hands, massaging it together. It should wilt into half its volume after 3 minutes or so.

3. Make dressing by whisking olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, agave and mustard together. Pour over kale, toss to coat.

4. When the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add to kale and gently toss together. Stir in the pomegranate seeds, and garnish with lemon zest. Season to taste.( Serves 8)

Fried onions with hydrogenated fat? Canned cream of mushroom soup with a days worth of sodium?

I think not. Try this easy twist on traditional green bean casserole.

Green beans with walnuts and balsamic

(recipe and photo credit www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com)

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound green beans, trimmed (about 8 cups)
Instructions

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until the garlic is just barely showing signs of turning brown, 30 to 90 seconds. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl to stop cooking.
Meanwhile, add 1 to 2 inches of water to a large pot fitted with a steamer attachment, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add green beans to steamer, and cook, covered until the beans are crisp tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the green beans to the bowl. Add walnuts, balsamic and salt and toss to coat.

Isn’t it time to take a break from roasted beets with goat cheese? I thought so.

Beets & Herbs Salad

(recipe and photo credit www.food52.com/Amanda Hesser)

• 1 1/2 pound baby beets (weighed after trimming)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons each chopped basil, tarragon, chives and mint
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Scrub the beets and lay them on one end of the foil. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt. Fold the foil over the beets to make a packet and roll the edges to seal. Bake until the beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheet until warm but not hot.
2. While the beets are still warm, peel them (I find that pressing against the sides of the beets with your thumb loosens the skins) and slice into 1/2-inch wedges. Add the wedges to a serving bowl as you go.
3. Whisk together the mustard, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, until the dressing is emulsified. (You can also just throw everything into a jar, screw on the lid tightly and shake until emulsified.)
4. Pour about half the dressing over the beets. Sprinkle in the herbs. Season generously with pepper. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding more dressing or salt as needed. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

 

I’m going to be wrapping up my meal with a bite-sized piece of pie!

Over the years, I have found that raw desserts made with nuts, dates, coconut, etc. are even better than the real deal AND they don’t make you feel crummy. Please, give this recipe try — it just may change your world.

Raw Pecan Tartlets

(recipe and photo credit www.thesweetlifeonline.com)

makes (2) 4” tarts or (18) mini tartlets
* double the recipe to make (1) 9” tart

Walnut Tart Shell
1 3/4 cup walnuts
3 dates
pinch of salt

Pecan Filling
1 1/2 cups large medjool dates, soaked for at least 30 minutes
about 1/2 cup pecans

In a food processor combine the ingredients for the Walnut Tart Shell. Blend until the pieces are broken down and stick together when pressed. Spoon evenly into tart pans or an oiled mini muffin tin (for tartlets) and press down gently to create a thin, even crust on the bottom and sides. Place in freezer while making the filling.

Place the soaked dates in a food processor or powerful blender. Add about 1-2 tbsp fresh water and blend until smooth and gooey, scraping down the sides often. Spoon or pipe filling into chilled crusts and top with pecans. Place in refrigerator and allow tartlets to set up for at least 1 hour.

edit: several people have mentioned difficulty in removing the tarts from the muffin tin. If they don’t want to come out, stick the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes until shells harden. Remove and run a knife around the edge of each tart. Using the knife, pop tarts out from the bottom.

So, here you have it, a dream menu so you can just relax…

What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes?

Leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you!