Non-traditional Thanksgiving

You could say our Thanksgivings have been anything but traditional since we became vegan. Despite the lack of a turkey centerpiece, I still love the multitude of dishes that are made for the day. Leftovers!

This year we went to my parent's to celebrate with them. My father has had a turkey aversion for a few years now, after getting sick after eating some. While I would say that suits me fine, it hasn't stopped my parents from having some meat dish for the day's meal. This year my mom settled on ribs. Knowing that the vegans in my family wouldn't be eating any, and that I would be cooking later in the day for a second feast (my kids work retail and wouldn't be home until evening), I volunteered to make a couple of sides to accompany my mom's choice of macaroni and cheese (non-vegan, of course!)

I went with potato salad and coleslaw. Completely non-traditional, but certainly an accepted accompaniment for ribs.

Dill and Sour Cream Potato Salad

3 lbs. red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 T. fresh dill
1/2 t. black pepper
2/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
2 t. fresh parsley
One container vegan sour cream
1/2 t. salt

Boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and cool. Refrigerate them until ready to mix with remaining ingredients.
When ready, add remaining ingredients to the chilled potatoes and mix well. Refrigerate again until serving time.

Tri-Color Coleslaw

One head red cabbage, shredded
One head green cabbage, shredded
One bunch kale, shredded
2/3 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. pumkin seeds
Vegan mayonnaise

Mix all the ingredients together with enough mayonnaise to coat well, but not too juicy. This makes a LOT of coleslaw, so make sure you are feeding a crowd!

My mom loves potato salad and my dad loves coleslaw, so the choices were a success. My husband thought the potato salad needed more salt (I tend to use less because of his propensity for salting at the table before tasting) and my dad doctored his coleslaw servings with more mayo (he likes his creamier), but everyone else thought the dishes were just right.

Personal preferences aside, try these out at your next cookout or non-traditional feast. Enjoy!

Crunchy Wraps

My kids and I went to the Vegfest earlier this month. It was the first time for us, and only the second year for the festival. We loved it! Seeing so many veg-friendly people gathered in one place was very exciting! There were numerous booths and displays to check out, and several places offered samples. We watched a demonstration on making kale chips. Note to self - make those chips tonight! Afterward we tried a new-for-us vegan restaurant and then hit a grocery store to pick up healthy goodies!

Getting home late I wanted to make something quick and easy. This definitely fit the bill!

Crunchy Wraps

Vegan cream cheese
Flour tortillas (we used spinach)
Shredded spinach
Shredded red cabbage
Sliced avocados
Chopped tomatoes
Diced cucumbers
Diced red onion

Spread the cream cheese on the tortilla and top with a sprinkle of the each vegetable. Roll up the tortilla and enjoy!

Even my non-vegan hubby loved these! Win!

Good Luck, Health and Prosperity For The New Year!

It's 2012! I'm so excited! I've been so remiss these last few months in posting anything because my camera died. It was good while it lasted, but it's time had come. Even my phone was older and took less than stellar pictures. December, however, was very good to me. I got a new smart phone with an excellent camera and then the hubby surprised me on Christmas Day with a new digital camera! I'm on cloud nine and ready to get back to posting recipes.

Every year my family begins our new year with with requisite black eyed peas and collards. This year I added to that favorite repertoire by adding red cabbage. It was a hit!

Hopping John

1 lb. bag of dried black eyed peas

5 c. water

One chopped onion

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. hot sauce

2 c. cooked rice

1/2 c. chopped green onions

Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover. In the morning drain and rinse the beans and add them to a crockpot. Add the water, the chopped onion, pepper and hot sauce. A friend of mine introduced me to this product:

Believe it or not, it's vegan! I even wrote to the company to verify it. It does contain MSG, but more on that later. I added two packets to the beans. Cook on low overnight. Before serving, stir in the rice and the green onions.

Red Cabbage

One head of red cabbage, sliced
2 c. water
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. vegan butter
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced and peeled

Combine all but the apples in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes add the apples. Simmer another 30 minutes. Serve.

My collards this year were chopped and frozen. I made them according to the package instructions.

Now about the MSG. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and just about any and everything processed. MSG is produced from seaweed or by a bacterial fermentation process with molasses or starch and ammonium salts. MSG can be processed with an enzymatic process using vegetarian ingredients such a soy or papaya. It is believed that large amounts of MSG may produce some negative physical reactions and many people have strong allergic reaction to products that contain MSG and symptoms after eating products containing it have been headaches, chest pain, numbness, mood changes and depression. The Mayo Clinic states that researchers have found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and these symptoms. Researchers acknowledge, though, that a small percentage of people may have short-term reactions to MSG. Symptoms are usually mild and don't require treatment. The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid foods containing MSG. My advice? As with all things, moderation is the key. Use sparingly if you do use it, or avoid it if you experience any of these symptoms.

Now, go and enjoy this gift of a new year!