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.

An Easy Interesting Meal

So I was browsing in one of the many health food stores I visit and found an interesting product: organic black bean spaghetti. It looked rather strange, so I had to try it. This recipe is what I came up with to try out the pasta first.

Roasted Asparagus and Spinach Black Bean Spaghetti
(this recipe is for one person, sorry I am the only one who eats my meals most of the time)
For the Asparagus:
(an 1/8 of a teaspoon for each seasoning or so, I normally do not measure when I do somethings in the kitchen)
Salt and Black Pepper
Onion Powder
Coriander
Oregano
Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 400. First take off the ends of the asparagus, then I cut the asparagus in half. Toss with seasonings and oil, place on a pan and roast for 20-25 minutes, until they are browned and soft.

Sauce/Main dish:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/8 teaspoon Fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Ground coriander
6 oz Fresh spinach
1/2 of the bunch (about 12) Roasted Asparagus
8 springs Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon walnut oil
1 handful of the black bean spaghetti

Boil water for pasta.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water 6-8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.

Heat the oil over medium high heat, add the lemon zest, pepper, and coriander.

Add the asparagus and a splash of the lemon juice.

Toss in the pasta and reheat, about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add in the spinach and parsley. I did not want the spinach to actually cook, I wanted it to be almost salad like, but let the residual heat cook it slightly. When spinach is cooked it has a very bitter taste like most greens have once cooked, I did not want that taste in this dish.

Toss everything together and enjoy.

It turned out to be very delicious. The pasta is very good and interesting in taste and texture. You can definitely taste the black bean-ness. This was a good find in the health food store. I recommend trying it. I can't wait to make a few other things with the pasta. Oh and fyi the pasta is gluten free!

I am also going to try to post my Thanksgiving meal before Thanksgiving just to show everyone what I will be having. This is going to be possible because I might have to work on Thanksgiving, so I plan on making everything before hand so I can just heat and eat and enjoy =]!!