VEGAN MOFO: CANADIAN THANKSGIVING FEAST; DELISH FALL SALAD RECIPE

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We had our Thanksgiving dinner last night with 3 vegan couples, good friends and fellow food-lovers. We had a great time and ate way too much, as usual! One really nice thing about the meal was that most of the vegetables and fruits-- the chard, the squash, the potatoes, the apples, the pears, the chantarelles, the beets, even the gourds decorating the table-- were locally grown (mostly by ourselves or our friends) and organic!

I made most of the meal, but I spread it out over the week, making the "Turkey" 4 days ahead, the stuffing, Cashew creme Topping, and Pear Cranberry Sauce 2 days ahead, and the Tofu Pot Pie and pastry for the tart the night before.

Our menu this year was:

Chard and Apple Salad with Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash and Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)



Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

Tofu Pot Pie

Traditional Sage and Onion Bread Stuffing

Pelka's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Rich Brown Gravy

Pelka's Orange and Wine-Glazed Beets

Pear Cranberry Sauce



Italian Pear Tart with Cashew Creme Topping



Sarah's Vegan Steamed Pumpkin Pudding with Pecan Topping and Brown Sugar Sauce


Sarah's Steamed Pumpkin Pudding was absolutely stunning and scrumptious!

I'd like to share the salad recipe with you. I wanted to use our chard and a nice local butternut squash that I had, and I needed a salad, so this is what I came up with. It was super-delicious and a big hit!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CHARD AND APPLE SALAD WITH MAPLE-BRAISED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RASPBERRY-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 4-8

Salad:
8 oz. Swiss chard (Ruby chard is nice), washed and spun, and thinly sliced
2 medium apples (crisp ones), thinly-sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Squash:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon soy bacon bits or chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
OPTIONAL:
8 oz thickly-sliced chanterelle mushrooms, sauteed in 1 tablespoon Earth Balance
Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette: (you can make this ahead of time)
4 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mashed fresh or frozen, thawed raspberries (unsweetened)
1/3 cup aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the chard, apples and lemon jujice. Cover and set aside in a cool place.

Heat the olive oil for the squash in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the squash cubes and soy bacon bits, the salt and pepper. Quickly brown the squash a bit on all sides, then turn the heat to medium, cover, and braise for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through but not mushy. Check it every few minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and turn up the heat, stirring gently to glaze the squash cubes. remove from heat.

To make the Vinaigrette, mix all of the ingredients together and whisk, blend or shake.

Divide the chard-apple mixture between your plates and then top each with some of the squash. If you are using the optional chantarelles, top the squash with them. Drizzle each portion with a little of the Vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 138.9 calories; 45% calories from fat; 7.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 229.0mg sodium; 381.5mg potassium; 19.7g carbohydrates; 2.7g fiber; 10.4g sugar; 17.0g net carbs; 1.5g protein; 2.8 points.

For 4 larger servings, the Nutrition Facts are: Nutrition (per serving): 277.8 calories; 45% calories from fat; 14.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 457.9mg sodium; 763.1mg potassium; 39.4g carbohydrates; 5.5g fiber; 20.7g sugar; 34.0g net carbs; 3.0g protein; 6.0 points.

For 6 servings: Nutrition (per serving): 185.2 calories; 45% calories from fat; 9.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 305.3mg sodium; 508.7mg potassium; 26.3g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 13.8g sugar; 22.6g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 3.8 points.


Enjoy!