Thanksgiving brings up mixed emotions for me. There is always so much I feel grateful for and giving thanks regularly comes naturally to me. However, something about sitting around the table with family members and thanking the Almighty for abundance with a carcass as the centerpiece really ruins it for me. It doesn’t make sense to me to thank God for bounty, while a murdered soul lies in front of me. I prefer compassion – for all beings, including turkeys, because to me, we are all souls in different disguises. Do you know how that soul lying in front of you lived?
Before I became vegan, I was aware of the death involved, the act of killing even, as an inevitable part of what I was eating, however I really wasn’t informed about the suffering and the torture that animals go through prior to ending up on our plates. In fact, I truly believe everyone should know the truth. Why wait? Get informed, so that you can make informed choices.
There are peaceful alternatives for a tasty vegan Thanksgiving. Usually I give you one vegan recipe per week, but since it’s Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is all about abundance, I am sharing several recipes with you this week! A complete Thanksgiving menu, completely vegan, completely delicious!
How about some yummy hummus and pesto as dips for raw veggies to start with? Following that, I gave you a perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving soup last week: the Three Squash Soup. Easy to make, this soup is a delightful way to start a satisfying meal. The main course can be lovely baked tempeh strips, topped with a zesty cranberry orange gravy. To complete this course: serve it with mashed potatoes and baby peas!
Room for dessert? Come on: it’s Thanksgiving! We must have pumpkin pie for dessert! Below I share with you a simple vegan pumpkin pie recipe I created. Try it!
Live in gratitude. Be kind to all creatures. Be Love.
Enjoy, in joy and in health!
Baked Tempeh Strips
Ingredients:
1 package tempeh, cut into thin strips, marinated and baked
Method:
1. Marinate tempeh strips overnight, using recipe below.
2. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
3. Cover baking sheet with coconut or grapeseed oil. Place tempeh strips on baking sheet in single file. Bake for 20 minutes and turn over. Bake for another 20 minutes.
4. Serve warm, with cranberry orange gravy.
How to marinate tempeh:
In a large glass container, place sliced tempeh, 1/2 cup purified water and the ingredients which follow. Refrigerate overnight.
2 gloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive OR grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons unsalted steak spice
1 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari
1 bay leaf
Cranberry Orange Gravy
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 oranges, zest and juice
1 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Method:
1. Place cranberries in a saucepan. Add orange zest and juice from both oranges. Cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add maple syrup. Stir mixture to combine and bring up to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Stir occasionally. Taste-test for sweet/tart ratio and add more maple syrup if desired. Turn off heat.
3. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Serve warm over tempeh strips.
Pumpkin Pie
Crust
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups raw almonds
15 dates, pitted
½ teaspoon sea salt
Method:
1. Place almonds and dates in food processor and blend until firm.
2. Coat round, shallow baking dish with coconut oil. Place date/almond mixture into dish and pat down evenly.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin, baked and flesh scooped out (approximately 2 cups)
1 cup silken tofu
½ cup raw agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Place all ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour mixture into baking dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Let cool thoroughly before serving.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~Martin Luther King
Follow Maria on Facebook and Twitter.
