Happy Thanksgiving!!

I know I said I would post all throughout the week of what my thanksgiving meal was going to be, but due to working longer some days I just didn't have the time, so sorry. That said, I hope all of you did not over eat (as my family, mainly my older brother, does very year) and that you enjoyed spending time with your families. The one good out come, besides health reasons, of becoming a vegetarian is that I never really gain weight at the holidays because you can still over eat the vegetables but I never do.

My meal this year was yummy. I absolutely love roasted root vegetables, I make this fresh cranberry sauce, and I tried to make a "turkey" cutlet. Everything tasted delicious.

Thanksgiving Meal:

Roasted Root Vegetables
3 Idaho potatoes
3 sweet potatoes, peeled
3 large parsnips, peeled
1 1lb bag carrots, peeled
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded

Olive Oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, ground coriander

Preheat oven to 400.
Cut up all of the veggies to be roughly the same size.
Toss with veggies with the seasonings. I used about a total of 1/2 teaspoon of each spice and herb and about 3 tablespoons of the oil.

"Granberry" Sauce
(This sauce came about because one year my mom wanted to try it. So of course I had to make it. The original recipe called for White Zinfandel and red grapes to be added. This year I used fresh orange and lemon juice and black grapes.)

2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (I had tangelos so I used them)
Zest of the orange
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
water to equal 1 cup
1/2 cup black grapes
dash salt, ground ginger, ground cloves (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Heat juices, water, zest, agave nectar, and spices in a medium sauce pan over med-high heat, bring to a boil.

Add in the cranberries and grapes and return to a boil.

Cover with a lid and lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Uncover and cook for 10 minutes more stirring occasionally.

It can be served right away, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

"Turkey" Cutlet
(This year I wanted to be different than previous years and have something like meat. I am against eating the soy products that are trying to be steak, chicken, patties, sausage ok well I kind of do like the sausage, but hot dogs are gross. Even if I eat hamburgers they are these potato based ones from Trader Joe's. But I really do have to work on this recipe because it didn't come out exactly as I wanted it to. So keep this in mind because this recipe will come back so that it stays together as a patty and not crumble, I know it needs a binding agent but I didn't think it would really be necessary, but it was. The flavor was there.)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
3 springs fresh rosemary
1 spring fresh oregano
1 lemon, zest and juiced
Salt and pepper (1/8 teaspoon each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 sprigs fresh parsley

Cut garlic into large pieces. Chop the herbs.
Roast the garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper, tossed with the oil, for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

In the food processor, process beans with the roasted herbs, slowly add some of the lemon juice until it becomes creamy.

Add in the parsley and pulse to chop.

Form into patties and coat in corn meal.

Pan sear to try and form a crust on the patties.

The meal was very satisfying and I do plan on having something like this again.  The chick pea patty with be worked out in the future.