Thanksgiving RETURNS: less flesh, more people (not in a diet-y way)

My plans for Thanksgiving have evolved in a way I'm rather pleased with.  As alluded to in my title (and in the borrowed image above), I've reconsidered the meat portion of my Thanksgiving meal.  The impetus for this decision is laziness.  Every time I thought about scrounging for a '2-kg gammon,' I just really wanted to lie down.  I've decided to go with it, and instead I'm adapting a recipe for a sweet potato-chevre galette as the main dish.  It seems that "a Vegetarian Thanksgiving" is a meme this year.  Martha Stewart had an episode about it, tying it to the wholesome foods and farms eco-movement.  I remember growing up with people who didn't eat meat for moral reasons, but now it seems many vegetarians are ecologically motivated.  Martha's having a veggie Thanksgiving with her daughter, though she is still roasting a turkey at home.  NPR also had special coverage.


When I made the decision to go veggie for Thanksgiving, I also solidified my plans to celebrate with my roommates, one of whom is a vegetarian for reasons a little more idealistic and less pragmatic than myself.  We divvied up the food load, and I'm responsible for the vegetarian main dish, popovers, whatever brussels sprouts I have, and cookies for after dinner (in case our foreign friends aren't game for pumpkin pie).  My roomie is making mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, dressing, and maybe roast root vegetables.  We are making anyone who attends bring wine.  I might also bake a swedish limpa or some other bread to add heft to the spread.  Maybe I could make baked beans or hoppin' john too...


I'm still going to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with the family via Skype, but now I'm having a real sit down meal too!  My veggie roommate's family has the same tradition as mine of going around the table and naming something you're thankful for.  We're going to do this, and we even plan to light candles for the centerpiece.


As for my changing menu, I made a half batch (8 mini-cookies) of the almond ambrosia macaroons and they are already gone.  I will not be making them again.  Calorically, ounce for ounce, it's like eating butter.  Instead, I've put together some slice-and-bake cookies from the leftover toasted coconut and orange zest.  I spiced it with cardamom and vanilla sugar to echo the kheer I made a few nights ago.  I've been really into quasi-Indian flavor profiles lately.  I blame it on my meatless, legume-heavy diet.


As in my previous Thanksgiving post, I'm including the links to recipes and details about how I'm altering them after the jump.








Sweet Potato-Chevre Galette
I'm mainly using the first recipe I link to, and then checking the spicing and proportions against the NPR Mushroom galette in the second link.  The third link is for an intriguing sweet-potato mushroom lasagna, which augments sweet potato with the flavors of both mushroom and chevre.  Hmmm... maybe I could prepare both.  Or at least, add the mushrooms to the galette.  Sauteed mushrooms are so good.


http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/sweet_potato_galette.aspx


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97137098&ps=rs


http://savour-fare.com/2009/03/26/sweetpotatolasagna/




Toasted Coconut, Orange, and Cardamom Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Again, I used the general ratios of the first recipe, checking it against the second as I adapted it.  I made a half batch (25 cookies), adding 1 tbs orange zest, a pinch of cardamom, and replaced 1/2 cup of the flour with toasted coconut.


http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/a-slice-and-bake-cookie-palette/


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/toasted-coconut-and-orange-icebox-cookies-recipe/index.html


Swedish Limpa/Joululimppu (finnish)
I think I will make limpa/limppu afterall.  I have fennel seeds that I need to use.  Combining these recipes, using barley flour for rye and double portions of fennel for anise (because I don't have rye or anise) should work out well.  I just have to remember to lengthen the rise.  Of course, I'll use molasses as my primary sweetener.


http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/swedish-limpa-recipe


http://www.finnguide.fi/finnishrecipes/recipeinfo.asp?c=1&t=1&p=1


Vegetarian Baked-Beans
It has been surprisingly difficult to find an enticing vegetarian baked-beans recipe.  I am not quite sure what to do.  My instinct is to add butter and vegetable stock to compensate for the missing fat and flavor that would be supplied traditionally by bacon.  I'll definitely throw some molasses and maybe smoked paprika in there.  The links below are the best of the bunch.


http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/baked-beans


http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/vegbakedbeans.htm


http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/veggiebostonbakedbeans.htm