My Trendy Thanksgiving Menu

2009 is the year turkey-free Thanksgiving became mainstream. The New York Times has been sharing vegan and vegetarian recipes on its Well Blog, and last week Martha Herself dedicated a show to vegetarian holiday recipes. Even my local paper, the Bangor Daily News, jumped on the bandwagon with a story last week (I'm in there, five or six paragraphs down).

Despite the hostility evident in some readers' comments (why so defensive, meat-eaters?), I hope this recent attention helps allay the anxiety of hosts and hostesses cooking for vegan guests. Creating colorful, interesting plant-based dishes is easy; the links above include more than a dozen recipes.

One great thing about vegan dinner guests is that by and large, they love to cook and share. I'm eating elsewhere this year, and bringing the following:

A salad of spinach, sliced apple, pecans, red onion, and pepitas with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Chickpea Pot Pie
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Pecan Pie a la mode, made with Namaste Gluten Free Biscuits, Piecrust & More flour mix

I'm most excited about the pie; I used the recipe last year and adapted it this time, omitting the ginger and adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and a cup of shredded coconut. I believe the Pilgrims would have approved.

A happy and relaxing Thanksgiving to you, whatever you're eating.