Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Menu And Recipes For 2010

Countdown to Thanksgiving!

Well, here it is - this year's complete Thanksgiving menu! And just in time as there's only one week left until the big day. I hope you enjoy it - I think I've gained a few pounds creating and testing all of these recipes but it was for a good cause. Now, vegan or not, you can create healthful holiday dishes for you and your family.

This year's menu has the look, feel and taste of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Appetizer

For starters, serve Sweet and Spicy Kalamata Olive and Artichoke Tapenade. With all the cooking you have to do on Thanksgiving, you can make this quick and simple appetizer the day before so it's ready to go as soon as your guests arrive. Serve with crackers or a sliced baguette.

Main Course

* Stuffing:

One or two days before Thanksgiving, make your cornbread, leaving enough time for you to make cubes and dry them out for a Healthy Vegan Cornbread And Cornbread Stuffing. For an alternative "main attraction" dish, this can be used to stuff a sugar pumpkin or acorn squash.

* Green Veggie:

Last year's Garden Fresh Green Beans may be a safer choice as some guests may not be big Brussels Sprouts fans, but this Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Seed Vinaigrette, Dried Cranberries and Almonds won't disappoint. The orange vinaigrette can be made ahead of time.

* Cranberry Sauce:

Here's a choice of Two Different Cranberry Sauces: Raw Cranberry Relish, a simple combination of fresh cranberries and Medjool dates, or Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce sweetened with apple juice, a small amount of organic cane sugar and stevia. Both can be made the day before.

* The Main Attraction:

For that "meat and potatoes" part of the meal, we're serving Vegan Sliced Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy. The turkey is made from Butler Farms' Soy Curls, a minimally processed soy product and it really has the look, feel and taste of poultry. For the best flavor, make these right before serving. The mashed potatoes are light and delicious, made from Yukon golds whipped together with silken tofu. The gravy has plenty of mushrooms in veggie broth easily thickened with cornstarch. You can make this ahead of time also.

Save Room for Dessert

I went a little cranberry crazy this year but I won't apologize. This Orange Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake is not only delicious, but it makes a beautiful presentation and is less than 200 calories a slice.

For More Raw and Cooked Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas

If you want more recipes to choose from, check out 2009's Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes featuring 8 recipes from an antipasto appetizer to our popular sweet potato casserole and two wonderful desserts.

If you want a "raw" experience, check out A Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving Menu. From pesto stuffed mushrooms and sprouted garbanzo hummus appetizers to a raw pear and apple crisp, these 8 recipes are sure to satisfy all your guests.

Vegan Thanksgiving Potlucks- Why take the chance?

There are vegan Thanksgiving potlucks all over the country. It's a place vegans gather after having spent their first Thanksgiving dinner, earlier in the day, with their families picking at the cranberry sauce and vegetable crudité. This will be a place to gather where everything on the menu is edible. Call me a control freak, (I am), but why take the chance that everyone will show up with pumpkin pie and no one will show up with appetizers? Why not print out these Thanksgiving recipes and assign them to different people so that you end up with a well coordinated meal?

Most of All

I want to wish everyone of my readers a happy and healthful Thanksgiving!

I've only been blogging for a little less than two years now and because of you, the site has exceeded 80 thousand hits and 150 thousand page views! You inspire me every day to create simple, healthful and delicious recipes.

My site originated as one with healthful recipes and nutritional information. Although mostly plant based, these included a modest number of recipes with eggs, some dairy and seafood, etc. But four months ago I changed the site to focus exclusively on vegan nutrition and recipes due to my concern for health, food safety, and my profound commitment to the environment and the welfare of helpless farm animals. Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, omnivore or just on a journey to a healthier lifestyle, I hope you continue to join me each week as I discover and create recipes with Foods For Long Life!

Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK!