We hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday, full of family, friends, and of course, amazing food! We certainly lucked out with our Thanksgiving feast. We spent the day with Aric’s family as well as with friends of ours and everyone contributed to the whole meal. We not only ended up having quite the tasty spread but it was by and large very health conscious as well. I know the words health conscious and Thanksgiving generally don’t go together but this meal proved that the two can harmoniously coexist.
Since a lot of the mothers attending Thanksgiving dinner have had to forgo dairy in their diets to appease the allergies and sensitivities of their young babies, there was a limited amount of cheese in the dishes. On top of that, one of the moms has recently had to cut out dairy, wheat, soy, eggs, and nuts from her diet. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone not being able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal so I went in search of food that everyone could eat and enjoy.
All of the dishes Aric and I are posting on for Thanksgiving are dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, wheat-free, and egg-free. And each were met with great enthusiasm by the 20 something people that tasted each recipe, and the crowd ranged from vegans to carnivores. So whether you are on a strict diet, are vegan, or just want some healthy ideas that taste unbelievably delicious, these recipes are bound to satisfy everyone’s palates.
First up is Maple-Dijon Roasted Root Vegetables. I have made both Gwyneth Paltrow’s and Ina Garten’s versions of this dish before and have enjoyed both immensely. So I thought it would be fun to combine the two and get the best of both dishes. This is a very easy dish to prepare and can be prepped ahead of time so all you have to do is pop it in the oven before the guests arrive.
Ingredients
4 tablespoon maple syrup
4 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips or rutabaga, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small.
Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Mix together maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper then drizzle the vegetables with the mix. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.
Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.
Serves 8.
Next up is the Butternut Squash Soup. I have made this soup numerous times before and it is one of my favorites to make on Sunday for weekday lunches. It is also quick and easy to make and the best part is that it tastes creamy without any cream or dairy required. This recipe is taken straight out of Daniel Green’s Healthy Eating for Lower Cholesterol
. Don’t let the slightly medical title deter you - all of the recipes in this cookbook are ridiculously yummy and yet so simple. It is one of my favorite cookbooks.
I doubled this recipe for Thanksgiving and there was enough for at least 15 starter soups.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 small potato, quartered
2 garlic cloves
850 ml or 4 cups of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Handful of chives
Directions
Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut into thick wedges. Heat the oil in a large pan or soup pot. Add the onion and cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the butternut squash and potato and coat in oil. Cook for two minutes on medium heat then add garlic and season.
Add the stock and simmer for 25 minutes. Using a hand blender or food processor, blend thoroughly.
Serve with some sprinkled chopped chives.
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