First snow on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. A time for laughter, smiles, good food, and a great time. Or not.

This was probably the worst Thanksgiving I've ever had... My mother broke down crying in the middle of dinner due the fact I would not eat everything that was prepared that day... Oh well. Hopefully next year will go better. Actually, my next hurdle is Christmas, but I don't want to think about that just yet.

Anyway, here are the pictures and recipes of what I made:



Quinoa, Pumpkin, and Squash

3/4-1 cup Quinoa
1/2-1 Small Pumpkin
1 Acorn Squash
1 Pomegranate, seeded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2ish teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
Walnuts, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Slice the acorn squash and pumpkin in half and gut. Spray a baking pan with Pam and place the squash and pumpkin slices face down. Place in preheated oven and bake for approx. 30-45 minutes or until the skin on the outside of the squash is soft.

Start cooking quinoa according to package instructions with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Remove the squash and pumpkin from the oven (keep oven on 350°F) and scoop out the flesh into separate bowls. Mash both with a potato masher, and mix the onion with the pumpkin.

Spray another pan with Pam. Spread the pumpkin mixture in the bottom of the pan and cover with the cooked quinoa, pushing everything flat. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the quinoa, and cover it with the mashed squash. Top it off with the pomegranate seeds (use more if you like pomegranate, less if you don't) and the sliced walnuts if desired. Cover with foil and bake for 1/2 hour covered and 1/2 hour uncovered.



Vegan Green Bean Casserole

1.5 cups Soy Milk
2 cans green beans
French's onions or homemade fried onions
2-3 TB Corn Starch
2-3 TB Cold water
1/2 medium onion
1 Carrot
1 cup Mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of Salt, Pepper, Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, and Thyme
3 cloves Garlic

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat the soy milk (do not boil!). Saute the onions, carrots, and mushrooms (you can use oil or water) in a separate pot or pan. Add the salt, pepper, and other spices/herbs.

In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and cold water. Mix well and pour into heated soy milk. Make sure to stir well because this will congulate fairly quickly. Add the green beans, sauteed veggies, and some fried onions (you decide how much to put in). Coat veggies well. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with more onions. Cover with foil and bake for 10 to 20 minutes.



Delicious Apple Pie

Filling:
6 small or five large apples, cored sliced
1/3 cup Natural Sugar
1/3 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
Crumb Crust:
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)

You can make a crust for this pie, but I don't like crust, so I didn't use one. Also, the crumb crust is optional.

Preheat over to 350°F.

Filling- In a large bowl, mix the sugar, orange juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add the apples and coat with mixture well. Pour into pie dish.

Crumb crust-In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and margarine. Mix with a fork or hands until the crumbs are like peas and sprinkle over the apple mixture.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until apples are soft. Yum.



Vanilla Cinnamon Almond Rolls

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 TB yeast
1 TB vegan margarine

Combine flour, cinnamon, and yeast in a large bowl; set aside. Heat the almond milk (don't boil!), water, sugar, salt, and margarine until warm. Add the vanilla extract, and add this to the flour mixture. Mix well, cover will plastic wrap and a towel, and let sit for about an hour.

Place the dough on a floured surface and divide in half. Tear off pieces and shape into balls. Take a pair of scissors and cut an 'X' into the tops. Place rolls on a Pam-sprayed cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least 15-25 minutes. Then, preheat over to 375°F.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Variation: make the rolls orange rolls by changing the almond milk to soy milk, exchanging the vanilla extract for orange zest, and omit the cinnamon.



Last night was the first snow we've had. I thought it looked like raining Dippin' Dots!