I just had my annual sit down Thanksgiving Meal Saturday evening. It was wonderful to sit down with my students and friends to share great food and great conversation. People who appreciate healthy, vegan, whole foods eating together is good energy all around.
What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
Every year I host my Thanksgiving sit down dinner. I do not know exactly what year I started. I have been in business and teaching classes for 25 years, I just can not remember if I started the Thanksgiving meal the year I started my business or if I started the next year. So my point is, it has been many years. I love cooking all the food. They are the same recipes every year, with a few exceptions, like this year I added a Pecan Caramel Sauce over the Pumpkin Pie. Here is the menu:
Tofu Turkey stuffed with Whole Grain Sprouted Bread Stuffing
Gluten free Millet Sweet Potato Stuffing
Millet Mashed Potatoes
Onion Gravy
Colorful Sweet and Sour Kale
Cranberry Sauce
Fig Blackberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Caramel Sauce and Aquafaba Whipped Cream
All the recipes for my Thanksgiving Dinner are in my, Year Round Healthy Holiday Dishes, cookbook.
Some Tips for Creating Your Healthy Whole Foods Thanksgiving Dinner
Start cooking the day before or even two days before. Pies taste better the next day. When making pies from scratch, it can be time consuming and making them the day before or even two days before can be helpful.
Do not try a new recipe if you are serving a lot of people. Go with the delicous recipes you know will come out perfect and will tasted the way you want them to. Plus it can be stressful to do a new recipe.
You can go a little heavier on the seasonings for your special Thanksgiving dinner. If everyday you eat whole, organic foods then you have a strong healthy body and you can handle a little extra seasoning for a holiday. (I am not saying fall completely off and eat too wide.)
Chop your vegetables the day before (if you have time) for quicker cooking that day. Simply put the vegetable you have chopped into bowls, cover them and put in refrigerator and you can use them the next day.
Have fun while cooking. Put some holiday music on or whatever music makes you happy. You impart your energy into your dishes you are creating. It is all about energy.
Have easy, colorful side dishes to complement the more fancy, main course dishes. The side dishes are just as important as the main course.
Get my recipe for, Three Roasted Squash, a delicous, colorful, easy side dish.
https://www.macroval.com/foodofthemonth.htm
For some great Cooking Tips for your Holiday Cooking, listen to my latest radio show, REAL FOOD with Chef Val.
Basil - Sage - Thyme
Adding extra seasoning for your holiday dishes can be as easy as adding basil, sage or thyme to your dishes. These three are some of the most popular holiday seasonings. Sage is the one most people recognize because it is what makes stuffing tastes so good. Basil is my favorite. I love the smell of basil and the taste. Basil has a slightly sweet taste and a fresh, up lifting fragrance.
Health Benefits:
Basil:
Anti inflammatory, anti bacterial, anti viral, anti microbial
Helps calm your nerves and can help with mild depression
Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Folate
Antioxidants to help fight off diseases
A natural mosquito repellent
Sage:
Anti inflammatory, anti bacterial, anti viral, anti microbial
Natural decongestant
Astringent for inflamed skin
May improve brain function
Helps boost immune system
Anti spasmatic, may help against asthma attacks
Vitamin K for bone help and blood clotting
May help with diabetes. Contains certain extracts that act mimic diabetes drugs, by regulating and inhibiting the release of stored glucose in the liver
Good for dental health, mouth rinse has anti bacterial properties to help fight against dental plaque
Thyme
Anti inflammatory, anti bacterial, anti viral, anti microbial
In the mint family and related to oregano, powerful antioxidant
Helps relieve lung congestion
Can help with candida, indigestion, and whopping cough
Supports healthy blood pressure and cholesterol
Strong anti septic and used in vapor rubs
Which spice is your favorite?
For more cooking videos, please join my Patreon Group, Chef Val’s Whole and Healthy Cooking Channel. A wonderful way to learn more about whole foods, healthy vegan cooking. Holiday recipe videos on the channel: Parsnips Carrot Squash in a Sweet Sauce, Mushroom Gravy, Making the Perfect Pie Crust, Millet Mash Mock Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce from Scratch.
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=63892185
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Enjoy Cooking and Have a great Thanksgiving!