Thanksgiving is about tradition. Actually, who am I kidding…..we all know it’s about the food! I guess tradition comes into play because we tend to make the same dishes every year. Since we only eat them on Thanksgiving, it makes sense that we would cook the food we know and love. But what if you could change things up a bit? What would you do differently?

Well, I am definitely changing things up this year. No turkey for me. It is going to be a veg fest on my table and the star of the show is going to be a Kabocha squash. Commonly referred to as a Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha has become my favorite winter squash! Instead of being orange like a pumpkin, they are dark green with light green specs. It has a sweet, nutty taste and is high in Vitamin A (beta carotene), potassium and fiber. Kabocha is also low in calories and low glycemic!!

I remember the first time I bought one. It was a disaster! I tried to cut it into chunks to roast and nearly dislocated my shoulder in the process. Not only are they unbelievably hard, they are round and pretty unstable on the cutting board. In an effort to keep my upper body intact, I gave up. I never even got it into the oven. Truth be told, I put it out on my patio with some pumpkins for decoration!

I did not buy another one for a long time until one day I spotted some “baby” Kabocha squash. If you know me at all, you know that I have this weird attraction to “baby” vegetables. Not only are they adorable, but often they are much more flavorful than the full grown version. I could not resist these little guys so I decided to give them another try. This time I simply put a couple slits in the top and threw the whole thing in the oven. After roasting for about 40 minutes, the smell in my kitchen was amazing! I could hardly wait to cut into the squash. Before it was barely cool, I stuck a knife in and it was like cutting butter! Steam came pouring out and I cut off a big chunk. DELICIOUS!! I think I ate the whole thing right then and there. After all, that is why baby vegetables are so great….you can eat the whole thing and not feel guilty!

Like pumpkin, Kabocha can be used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. I have made soups, stews, cream sauces, salads and desserts with Kabocha. I even add it to my morning smoothie!!

For my Thanksgiving meal, I am going to keep it pretty simple. I will be roasting the squash and then using it as a bed for a wild rice and mushroom stuffing. I think the combination of rice and mushrooms will be a nice alternative to traditional stuffing made with bread. And, of course I will be cooking up some sweet potatoes. This year, however, I am going with purple sweet potatoes. If you have not tried these, you simply must pick some up the next time you are at the store! (spoiler alert…..I found a 3 lb. bag of organic “baby” purple sweet potatoes at Trader Joe’s last week for $3.99…score!) Not only is the color and taste amazing, but “purple” foods are loaded with nutrition. They contain anthocyanins which are compounds that soak up free radicals and calm inflammation. I will be serving my sweet potatoes with fresh spinach and pine nuts. If you live in Tucson, Southwinds Farms has awesome fresh spinach right now. They have a booth at the Sunday farmers market. Finally, I will be making an olive oil bread using chickpea flour instead of white flour. I have been gluten free for years and baking gluten free can sometimes be a challenge for me. Chickpea flour, also called garbanzo bean flour, is more nutritious than white flour and seems to work well for breads. This is a new recipe so wish me luck! If it is edible, I will definitely share the recipe.

As far as dessert, I do love pumpkin pie but I am going to make pumpkin fudge instead. It is made with canned pumpkin, coconut butter, a little coconut sugar and some spices. Pop it in the fridge and dessert is done! Can you guess where I found the best canned pumpkin? In the dog food section at the grocery store! Seriously…..100% organic pumpkin in a BPA free can by a company called Nummy Tum Tum! Isn’t that a great name!!

So, whether you stick with tradition or decide to change things up a bit, I hope I have given you some food for thought. Be sure to check out the recipe below and the photo of the Kabocha squash. I also included a pie pumpkin (love those) and some Delicata which is another one of my seasonal favorites.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter and healthy food!
Denise

 

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing (Vegan and gluten free)

1 c. wild rice blend
2 1/4 c. vegetable broth
I tbs. coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 tbs. fresh sage, chopped
1 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Combine the rice and vegetable broth in a large saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook 35-40 minutes until the broth is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, melt the coconut oil.  Saute the onion and celery until tender.  Add in garlic, mushrooms, herbs and salt and sauté 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are tender.  Combine the rice and mushroom mixture.  Stir in nuts and cranberries.

Recipe from Megan Gilmore @ Detoxinista.com