Side Quest: Four New Thanksgiving Recipes

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Side Quest: Four New Thanksgiving Recipes

Nov 16, 2023

Spice up your Thanksgiving feast for the vegetarians in your circle or just try something new. Theresa assigns each Cooking Crew member a recipe beyond the traditional Thanksgiving spread. Discover the verdict on Scot's Three Sister's Harvest, whether Nayeli's Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding stole the spotlight, if Jhonny's Roasted Beet Crostini was a crowd-pleaser, and whether the Miso Spinach Salad felt like an odd one out or seamlessly blended with the rest of the festive fare.

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    Three Sisters Harvest

    Serves: 6 sides

    Ingredients

    • 3 tsp. olive oil, divided 
    • 1 large acorn or delicata squash, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
    • 2 finely chopped shallots
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 15-oz can of Black beans, rinsed and drained 
    • 2 cups canned hominy, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup vegetable broth, low-sodium
    • 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
    • 1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ cup pepita seeds, or other roasted squash seeds

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a sheet pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown. Set aside.
    2. While squash is roasting, heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium, add shallots and garlic to the oil, and sauté until opaque. Add hominy, black beans, vegetable broth, bay leaf, sage, and mint. Allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring intermittently to avoid sticking. 
    3. Reduce heat to low for 10 minutes, stir as needed. 
    4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in roasted squash slices. Top with pepita seeds. Enjoy!
    Roasted Beet Crostini

    Serves: 12 appetizers

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 beets
    • 1 baguette, sliced
    • 1 clove garlic 
    • olive oil for brushing
    • 4 oz chevre 

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°. Clean beets and wrap in tinfoil. Place on baking sheet/pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft through the center. Allow to cool slightly.
    2. When beets are cool enough to handle, using the tinfoil scrap away outer skin. Trim off edges and slice thinly. 
    3. Brush baguette with olive oil and toast in oven with beets approximately 10 minutes.  Once out of oven and still warm, cut end off garlic clove and rub toasts.
    4. Top toasts with chevre and sliced beets. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
    Crackled Miso Spinach Salad

    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup organic miso paste
    • ½ cup avocado oil
    • 1 leek, both white and green parts, halved and thinly sliced
    • ½ teaspoon Maldon flake salt, or other flakey salt
    • 1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced
    • 1 lime, juiced
    • 1 Meyer lemon, juiced (regular lemons work too)
    • 3 tbsp. truffle-infused olive oil (regular olive oil works too)
    • 10 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
       

    Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 190°F.
    2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the miso paste as thinly as possible using a soft spatula or icing spatula. Bake for 45 minutes or until browned, checking frequently toward the end to avoid burning. Remove from the oven, cool.
    3. Crumble miso into pieces and set aside.
    4. Heat the avocado oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the leeks into the skillet with the oil and fry until lightly browned and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the oil from the leeks and lay them on a paper towel, sprinkle with flake salt.
    5. Whisk the shallot, lime, lemon, and truffle-infused olive oil together in a small bowl to create a vinaigrette.
    6. Toss the spinach with the shallot vinaigrette, then top the salad with the crackled miso and crispy leeks.
    Pumpkin Chia Pudding

    Serves: 6

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups milk (of choice)
    • ¾ cup chia seeds
    • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
    • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
    • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • ½ tsp. ground cardamom 

    Directions

    1. Place pumpkin, spices, maple syrup, and chia seeds in a medium bowl, and stir to combine. Add milk slowly, while stirring to combine.
    2. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
    3. Serve and enjoy!

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