Vegetarian Thanksgiving Ideas

If you're not ready to go all the way to vegan this Thanksgiving it's okay. Instead here are a few more great recipes that would be perfect for any Thanksgiving table. The first is a strudel that looks elegant and tastes really delicious. It's also fun for kids, since its got lots of phyllo dough. Then, there's a tasty pumpkin soup that uses miso to help give it a unique and more complex flavor. I made it for Thanksgiving a few years ago and it was a big hit. Finally, if you are just looking for a simple Thanksgiving main look no further than a fall inspired pasta. The one below has a tantalizing mix of sweet and peppery, with roasted butternut squash and arugula.

Mushroom, Cheese, and Vegetable Strudel

FILLING
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large organic red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced (5 cups)
2 10-oz. bags organic baby spinach
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 14-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
8 oz. Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

STRUDEL
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. whole-wheat phyllo dough, thawed
½ tsp. poppy or sesame seeds, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 18- x 13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. To make Filling: Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic, and thyme in oil 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook 10 minutes, or until wilted. Stir in spinach and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until spinach has wilted, stirring occasionally. Drain, and cool in bowl.

3. Purée tofu, Neufchâtel cheese, and Cheddar cheese in food processor until smooth. Stir into mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

4. To make Strudel: Heat oil, garlic, and thyme in small pot over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool.

5. Cover bottom of prepared baking pan with 2 phyllo sheets, allowing sheets to overlap each other and hang off sides. Brush with garlic oil. Place 2 more phyllo sheets on top, and brush with garlic oil. Repeat 4 times, until you have a 6-layer bottom crust.

6. Spread Filling in crust, leaving 3-inch edge all around. Brush edges with garlic oil. Fold sides of phyllo over filling. Cover filling with 2-sheet layer of phyllo (4 sheets total), overlapping sheets in center. Brush with garlic oil. Repeat layering 2 sheets at a time until you have 4 layers (16 sheets phyllo total), brushing every second sheet with garlic oil. Tuck under edges. Sprinkle top with seeds, if desired. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into slices.


Pumpkin and Potato Soup with Kale


2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. miso paste
3 quarts water
1 lb. organic new potatoes
1 small pumpkin, about 1-3/4 pounds
1/2 bunch organic kale, leaves only, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
3 Tbs. minced parsley
red wine vinegar to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion, reduce the heat to moderate, and cook until the onion is just wilted. Add the garlic and miso; stir until the miso dissolves and colors the onion and garlic.

2. Add the water. With the pot covered, bring liquid to just below the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Peel and cut the pumpkin into smallish chunks. Add them to the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes have cooked. Puree soup.

3. Just before serving, add the kale, the parsley, and the seasonings. Cook just long enough to wilt the kale, less than 1 minute.



Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Arugula, and Pine Nuts

This recipe was featured in Cooking Light magazine in Dec 2004.

4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
Cooking spray
8 ounces uncooked pappardelle or fettuccine
1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. pine nuts
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups trimmed arugula
1/2 cup grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475°. Combine squash, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange squash mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

2. While squash bakes, cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon cooking liquid.

3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts, sage, and garlic; cook 3 minutes or just until the pine nuts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Place pasta, reserved cooking liquid, pine nut mixture, and squash mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, arugula, cheese, and black pepper; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Happy cooking!!!