For the crust:

• 1 c almond meal
• 1 c oat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c fruit juice (orange works well)

Press into a pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the filling:

• 1 c fruit juice (apple or orange works well)
• 1 c water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4-6 apples (peeled, cored & cut)
• dash or two of nutmeg (optional)
• dash of cloves (optional)

In a large saucepan, mix liquids with cornstarch and spices. Simmer over low heat until thickened. Add honey and stir frequently. Add apples and cook, stirring frequently, just until apples soften (10-20 minutes). Pour into baked crust.

For the topping:

• 3 tbsp margarine
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c oats
• 3/4 c chopped raw walnuts (optional)

Mix well and sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until apples are soft.

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• 1 gallon apple cider
• 4 small cinnamon sticks
• 20 whole cloves

Put all in the slow cooker or crockpot and and turn on high until hot and then turn on low or just put on low and leave it. Serve from the slow cooker or crockpot all day.

For the dressing:

• 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Blend these ingredients well in a blender, or shake in a closed jar.

For the salad:

• 1/4 c sliced black olives
• 3 c fresh kale, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped

Mix well with dressing and marinate 1 hour. Just before serving, add

• 2 1/2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
• 1 roma tomato
• 1/4  of a red pepper

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You can roast the garlic in tin foil, but it turns out much better when done in a terra cotta roaster, specially designed for this purpose.

• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• dashes of salt, fresh ground black pepper, rosemary, oregano, basil, curry powder and red pepper flakes (or whatever seasonings you have on hand!)
• 1 pkg goat cheese
• 1/8 or so each of  red and yellow bell peppers, finely diced
• crusty bread

Cut the top 1/2 to 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic bulb, exposing the individual clove tops. Remove the loose outer skin, but leave the bulb intact. Place garlic onto roasting plate or foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings on and around the garlic bulb. Cover and roast, starting in a cold oven, at 325 or 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you squeeze the sides of the bulb and it’s soft. Serve the bulb whole. Scoop or squeeze out a soft clove of garlic onto a slice of crusty bread. Spread goat cheese on top and add a bit of bell pepper.

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• 4 lb. sweet potatoes
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 c margarine
•  2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 c crushed ginger snap cookies
• juice of 1 or 2 tangerines

Roast the sweet potates at 375 degrees for an hour, or until very tender. When cool enough to touch, peel and discard skins. Mash in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and serve. Reheat in oven or microwave if necessary.

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• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• ~1 c coconut
• ~1/2 c margarine
• ~1/4 c maple syrup
• ~1/2 c chopped pecans

Bake the sweet potatoes at 400 for about an hour or until very tender. When cool enough to touch, peel and discard skins and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash sweet poatoes and add pineapple, coconut, margarine and maple syrup. Mix well. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 400 for about 45 minutes. Let cool, for several hours or overnight, and then bake again at 400 for about 45 minutes. Top with chopped pecans and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

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• 1 lb. fresh cranberries
• 1-2 c honey
• 1/2 c water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• juice of 2 oranges
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• orange zest

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add allspice. Simmer 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat and add orange zest. Let cool completely before serving.

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• ½ c butter or margarine
• ½ large onion
• 1 c celery
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pkg cubed stuffing mix
• 1 can Worthington Diced Chik (reserve the liquid and set aside)
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• Dash of sage
• 1 pkg G. Washington broth
• Diced Chik liquid
• Hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion, garlic and celery in margarine until tender and translucent. Mix with stuffing mix, diced chik, water chestnuts and sage in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the G. Washington broth in the diced chik liquid and enough hot water to make 1 c of liquid. Pour over stuffing mixture and mix well; add more water if it seems too dry. Place in 9×13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce and/or brown gravy if desired.

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• Lentil Roast: Crunchy corn flakes and chopped walnuts make this a savory main dish with just a hint of garlic and sage.
• Vegetarian Stuffing: With just the right amount of crunch, this stuffing is flavored with garlic, celery and water chestnuts.
• Cranberry Sauce: A tangy compliment to both the lentil roast and vegetarian stuffing. Growing up we always had the jellied cranberry sauce from a can that held its shape, but I’ve taken to making my own and love it. I’m eager to try this recipe this year, with a cinnamon stick, allspice, orange zest and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
• Sweet Potatoes: In my Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, with crushed pineapple and coconut, the sweetness intensifies when the potatoes are baked and re-baked. This year I’m going to try these Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes, with freshly grated ginger and crushed gingersnap cookies.
• Mashed Potatoes: An old favorite. I leave some of the skins on the potatoes, am generous with the garlic, and use soymilk instead of regular milk.
• Brown Gravy: I’ve only ever had (I think) and made this from a package, but I think I’ll try making this Vegetarian Brown Gravy from scratch this year.
• Bread: The last few years I’ve served a flax bread I get from the bakery at Bi-Lo, my local grocery store. It’s sort of a sourdough-type loaf with whole flaxseeds generously sprinkled throughout. My husband and I love this bread and lately eat it on pretty much every special occasion.
• Roasted Fist of Garlic: To die for, spread on crusty bread with a little goat cheese!
• Salad: I make either Kale Salad or my Favorite Salad.
• To drink, usually a local apple cider, either alone or mixed with Martinelli’s. This year I plan to make a batch of this spiced apple cider in the morning and let it steep in the crockpot all day, and we’ll dip out of it whenever we want to.

I know, just like in the rest of American households, it looks like we should be feeding an army! There’s dessert too…

Not so different than a non-vegetarian’s, and I confess, not really very healthy! My parents are coming to our house, and my mom likes to bring her signature pies even when I’m hosting, so this year we’ll be having:

• Pecan Pie: My mom will make this; she likes to say hers has a secret ingredient. I worked with someone in Oklahoma who had perfected a vegan recipe, but she also kept it a secret. One of these years I’ll get around to experimenting with a “healthier” recipe, ’cause I do love me some pecan pie. (I inherited the affinity from my dad.)
• Apple Pie: My mother will also make this one; she’s proud of her flaky, buttery crust! Her pies are always good. I don’t have her recipe, but I love this apple pie recipe I got from a friend, which has an almond-oat crust, fruit juice-and-honey-sweetened filling, and crumbly topping.
• Pumpkin Pie: I’m actually not a fan, but my husband wants a pumpkin pie, so I’ll be making one.  I don’t think I’ve made one before. I’ll be looking for a recipe or experimenting with “healthifying” the one on the pumpkin can! I’ve already bought a frozen whole wheat pie crust.
• Ice Cream: Since we received an ice cream maker for the wedding, I’m going to make some kind of homemade ice cream or sorbet. Likely we’ll have two batches, one vanilla and some something else. Pumpkin, maybe? I haven’t decided.

Because we get to host the holiday this year for the first time as a little family of two in our own new home, we’re making our own traditions. Which actually just means combining some of my favorites with some of my husband’s favorites from his family’s Thanksgiving dinner traditions. I haven’t gotten those recipes yet, so maybe I’ll post them after the fact.

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• romaine lettuce
• spinach
• green onions, diced
• cilantro, coarsely chopped
• fresh or canned pears, sliced or diced into large chunks
• dried cranberries
• pecans (almonds are good too), raw or toasted lightly in the oven for a few minutes

Top with Newman’s Own Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. I’ve made it without the green onions and cilantro, but they really add a kick that I miss if they’re not in the salad. Something about the sweet and savory, and then the toasted pecans in there… Yum.

It’s also really good with feta.

Click here for my complete traditional vegetarian holiday dinner menu.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.