Michelle Harris is well-known thanks to her work as the host of Alive & Well with Michelle Harris, a national TV series promoting the wellness lifestyle! She has provided LA-Story.com a complete menu for Thanksgiving– and it’s a 100% VEGAN menu! She has included photos, recipes and lots of great ideas!
Hope you enjoy it!
How To Veganize Your Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner!
by Michelle Harris!
(All photos courtesy of Michelle Harris!)
Preparing a delicious plant-based Thanksgiving dinner is easier than you think! You can still serve all your traditional favorites by simply veganizing some of the dishes and recipes. Thanks to great tasting meat alternatives, it’s easier than ever! Your family might not even know it’s vegan because it looks the same and tastes so good!
Appetizers:
Everyone wants a little something to nosh on before dinner. A great way to do that is with a fully plant-based charcuterie and cheese board. It’s quick and easy and makes a great presentation!
Vegan Charcuterie & Cheese Board
Ingredients:
Fresh seasonal fruit (in this case, I used fresh pears and organic red and green grapes)
Dried cranberries and multi-colored jumbo raisins
Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies
Macadamia nuts
Almonds
Mini-breads (I used mini-naan bread)
Flatbread crackers
Hummus (works great plain or flavored like red pepper hummus)
Plant-based cheese (I used one of my favorites, Via life Smoked Plant-Based Provolone)
Mia plant-based carpaccio
Yves pepperoni slices (these are delicious and taste just like “real” pepperoni)
Rosemary and other fresh herbs to garnish
Assembly:
Assembly is easy for any charcuterie or cheese board.
I use a combination of ramekins for dips or nuts and display the fruits, breads, crackers, plant-based cheeses throughout the board. Garnish and serve!
Talking Turkey!
Stuffed Tofurky!
Now that we are onto our meal, it’s time to talk turkey! Plant-based turkey! Fortunately, there are many great options. Most supermarkets and natural grocers carry a variety of plant-based turkey alternatives! Best of all, many also include stuffing!
Here are some of my favorites!
–Tofurky Veggie Roast and Wild Rice Stuffing
–Gardein Holiday Roast
–Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
–Field Roast Celebration Roast
Going for the Cranberry!
Michelle Harris with her cranberry sauce and the key ingredient that makes it special: Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup
Now for the cranberry sauce….
This recipe is always a hit and it takes very little time to create! The addition of Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup gives it an immune boost!
Orange Black Elderberry Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 12oz package fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup orange juice
2 capfuls of Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup
1 cup raw sugar (or sugar alternative of your choice)
Assembly:
Combine orange juice and sugar in a saucepan and stir.
Add cranberries and bring to a gentle boil.
Continue cooking until cranberries are soft (usually about 10 to 15 minutes).
Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature,
Add Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup,
Stir and refrigerate until ready to serve.
More Sides
–Baked sweet potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser. Keep it simple with a pat of plant-based buttery spread and a little brown sugar!
–Roasted green beans with onions or topped with almonds are always a holiday hit!
–Roasted Brussel sprouts are a great side dish that can be served with a little sea salt, fresh lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Top with your favorite nuts for perfection!
The Grand Finale—Pumpkin Pie!
Don’t forget to leave room for dessert! Pumpkin pie is a time-honored Thanksgiving tradition. My pumpkin pie recipe is plant-based and deliciously decadent!
Crust:
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1 TBS raw sugar
5 TBS olive oil margarine (I use Earth Balance)
3 TBS cold water
Assembly:
Combine pastry flour with sweetener.
Add in olive oil margarine.
Next, add the water one tablespoon at a time.
Once all the ingredients are moist, you no longer need to add water.
Roll out the dough.
Place in the pie plate and cut away excess dough at edges.
Use a fork to prick the crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Allow the crust to cool.
Pumpkin Filling:
Ingredients:
1 package Japanese silken tofu
16 oz can of pureed pumpkin
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1tsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
Preheat oven to 350.
Place tofu in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Next, add the pumpkin and blend.
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, olive oil, and ginger.
Blend again.
Pour filling into the crust and bake for 1 hour, or until it sets.
Usually, it’s a good idea to cover the exposed crust with tin foil so that it doesn’t burn.
Cool the pie and serve as is or with a dollop of non-dairy whipped cream such as Truwhip and enjoy!
These dishes will make it easy to prepare a plant-based Thanksgiving dinner that the whole family will enjoy!
About Michelle Harris:
Michelle Harris is the host of Alive & Well with Michelle Harris, a national TV series promoting the wellness lifestyle. Michelle is one of the media’s leading lifestyle experts and is a frequent guest on TV shows, radio shows, magazine interviews, red carpets, and live events. Michelle is also the co-founder of Animal Angels, a non-profit advocacy group where celebrities promote pet health and adoptions.
Follow Michelle on these social channels;
FB_@aliveandwelltv
IG @michelleharris_tv
This way you can stay up to date on any additional recipes and treats that Michelle comes up with!
Thanks to Michelle Harris for all the photos and recipes she has featured in this post about cooking a VEGAN Thanksgiving Dinner! This dinner looks
quite appetizing.
The only thing missing would be a wine or other beverages to serve with this dinner. Because it’s Tofurkey I would suggest you could serve a white wine.
White wines go well with these dishes. My suggestion would be to buy some prosecco and use this sparkling wine throughout the dinner. OR you could choose to serve it with dessert! If you choose prosecco for dessert, I would think a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio would be great partners for this lovely dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Stevie Wilson
LA-Story.com
Want to leave a comment or ask a question? Please send an email to stevie.wilson@LA-Story.com
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