Raw Thanksgiving!

In August, when my friend Ann found out I was eating all raw for a year, she said "What will you do for Thanksgiving?!"  I didn't quite know the answer at the time. Three months later, as I google "raw thanksgiving recipes," I'm delighted to discover a multitude of dishes that sound amazingly delicious. I have a feeling that instead of feeling deprived, I'll be loving every bite, and not going into a coma afterward! 


Below are the recipes I'm making.  


Living Waldorf Salad
2 apples, cored
2 oranges, peeled
2 pears, cored
1 bunch broccoli
1 cup dates


Chop and combine in a bowl.


For the dressing:
1 cup cashews
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup local honey
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of kelp


Combine in food processor. Stir into fruit and broccoli.


From Local Wild Life by Katrina Blair.


Thanksgiving Stuffing
1 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight, drain
1 cup lentils, soaked overnight, drain
1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins, soaked
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons sage
pinch of kelp


Combine in food processor. Put in casserole dish. Dehydrate 4 hours.


From Local Wild Life by Katrina Blair

Mushroom Gravy

1/4  cup warm water

1/4 cup Brazil nuts or almonds, ideally soaked for 6 hours, rinsed, and drained

1 shallot or 1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons dried mushrooms, ground to a powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Make just before serving so that it's warm.

From http://www.therawdiet.com/thanksgiving.html.

Parsnip-Pine Nut Whip (or Better than Mashed Potatoes)
2 cups parsnip, washed and cubed
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced - or more to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil


Blend all ingredients until creamy. Serve with a drizzle of flax oil or a simple gravy, such as: 0.5 cup chickpea miso and 0.5 cups water whisked with some seasoning, such as a drop of cumin or pepper, or chopped mushrooms.


Created by chef Bruce Horowitz.


Turkeyless Turkey
1/2 pound almonds, soaked overnight if possible
1/2 pound walnuts, soaked overnight if possible
1 pound carrots, finely grated
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, ground
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Sea salt to taste


Combine all ingredients and put through a champion juicer with the blank plate in or mix in a food processor. If the mixture is not firm enough, add one or a couple of the following thickeners: dill weed, dried garlic, dried onion, dried parsley flakes, nutritional yeast, psyllium husk powder, ground flaxseeds.


Form into drumsticks, sprinkle with paprika or ground black pepper before serving.


From Eating Without Heating by Valya and Sergie Boutenko.

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 apple, cored

1 whole orange, peel and all

2 tablespoons local honey

Combine all in food processor.

From Local Wild Life by Katrina Blair

Pumpkin Pie with Thyme

For the Crust:

2 1/4 cups pecans, soaked overnight and dehydrated at 118 degrees for 24 hours

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon date paste

1 pinch sea salt

Place prepared pecans in food processor; pulse into small crumbs. Mix pecans and all remaining ingredients together well by hand. Press in plastic-lined 9-inch tart pan by desired thickness. Dehydrate 48 hours. Chill crust in freezer for 15-30 minutes before filling. If not using all the crust mixture, store extra in containers in the freezer. 

Filling:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 4-6 hours

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup agave (I add maple syrup, instead, in the called-for amount. Click here to read why.)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons carrot juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 vanilla bean, scraped

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Blend all ingredients except thyme in Vita-Mix until very smooth. Stir in thyme. Fill candied tart crust and chill in freezer overnight. Remove pie from tart pan, cut into 12 slices, and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Yield 1 pie

From Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney.

Happy Thanksgiving!