Alright, so I went a little wild this Thanksgiving. Hell, I go a little wild every Thanksgiving. I made butternut squash risotto, mushroom gravy, maple sweet potato mash, kale caesar salad and (*drumroll please*) raw pumpkin pie topped with coconut whipped cream. Please note that all the food below was: a) made for 2 people and b) consumed within 24 hours. I will be signing autographs all week, thanks.
Two of these recipes have already been posted on Vegan Girlfriend! For the maple sweet potato mash, view the original post here. For the kale caesar, add fresh lemon to the original post here.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS…
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, chopped coarsely
- 3 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup chopped kale leaves
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/4 cup almond or soy milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp cold-pressed EVOO
- 2 tbsp ground sage
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS…
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Cook arborio rice re: instructions on packaging. Risotto is unique because you have to cook rice in a saucepan, not a pot. Slowly add white wine and 2 cups vegetable stock while cooking. Be sure to stir regularly, as arborio rice sticks and burns easily! Drain and set aside.
- Place cubed squash in pot of boiling water on medium-high heat. Cover, then let cook until squash is tender with fork (approximately 10-15 minutes). Drain, then set aside.
- Blend squash, 1 cup vegetable stock, “butter,” almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper into a puree.
- In a large saucepan, saute garlic and onion in EVOO until browned. Add rice and kale and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add squash puree and turn up to medium heat. Cook 5 minutes while stirring regularly. Once rice has absorbed, remove from heat.
- Transfer everything to casserole dish and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until top layer firms up.
- Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 heaping servings.
IMPROVED MUSHROOM GRAVY:
INGREDIENTS…
- 2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
- 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1/4 cup gluten-free brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup almond or soy milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp ground sage
- 2 tbsp vegan butter-style spread
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS…
- Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes until browned. Add sage, garlic, mushrooms, almond milk, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring regularly. Add vegetable stock and vegan butter-style spread, lower heat to simmer. Once most liquid has evaporated, add vegetable stock and brown rice flour. Stir occasionally and cook for an additional few minutes. For thicker gravy, feel free to add additional flour by the tbsp.
- Remove from heat. Top with additional sage. Serve hot!
Makes approximately 2 cups of gravy (4 servings).
RAW PUMPKIN PIE WITH COCONUT WHIP:
INGREDIENTS…
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- Pinch of raw pink mountain salt
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1/2 large can pure pumpkin puree (not technically raw, but cut me some slack)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
- 1 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
FOR THE WHIP:
- 1 standard can full-fat coconut milk, left in fridge overnight
- 2 tbsp 100% maple syrup
- 1 tbsp organic vanilla extra
DIRECTIONS…
- To make crust: pulse walnuts, shredded coconut and dates in food processor until crumb-like consistency has been reached. Line a small 5-inch round pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Press mixture into bottom of dish firmly to form an even crust.
- To make filling: blend all ingredients until smooth. Spread onto crust and let set in freezer overnight until set. Additionally, leave can of coconut milk in fridge overnight to set.
- Next day: Leave in refrigerator for 2 hours to thaw, or room temperature for 1 hour.
- Make coconut whip while pie is thawing. Carefully open coconut milk without tilting or shaking the can. Scoop out all the cream from the top, leaving the coconut water that has separated at the bottom of the can.
- With an electric mixer, beat cream together with maple syrup and vanilla extract until sharp peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip.
- Serve pumpkin pie sliced with dollops of coconut whip on top. Leftovers can be kept in fridge.
Makes 1 small pie (4 servings).