By: Gracie Watt
Essay:
-According to a 2018 Gallup poll, 5% of U.S. adults consider themselves to be vegetarian.
-I have been vegetarian since 2018, and have tried to cook for myself frequently, finding various recipes on Pinterest.
-Some of the recipes that turned out the best, according to my family and friends, were from a popular recipe blog, Half Baked Harvest.
Let’s play the word association game– the word is Thanksgiving. I’m willing to bet one of the first words that comes to mind is turkey. However, for people like me who practice a vegetarian diet, Thanksgiving can be tricky if you’re trying to uphold the tradition of getting stuffed. I went home and cooked and baked everything following vegetarian recipes, and you can do it too.
Starters and Salads
Goat Cheese and Apricot Crostinis with Pistachios and Mint
Fall Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad
Before the big meal, everyone expects a few appetizers, a soup or a salad. I decided to make Goat Cheese and Apricot Crostinis with Pistachios and Mint and a Fall Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad. Both of these I would rate about a 6/10. The crostinis were a bit of an acquired taste. My Aunt Bridget loved them, but my cousin Beau spit it out. The kale salad has a really unique dressing that I enjoyed, but could only eat so much of.
Sides
For vegetarians on Thanksgiving, the sides are really where it’s at. So, I went all out on some really tasty options for side dishes.
Roasted Carrots with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese
These roasted carrots with candied pecans and goat cheese were a pleasant surprise for me. I honestly didn’t think they would be one of my favorites, but I give them an 8/10, and all our Thanksgiving day guests gobbled them up as well. The brown sugar is really what makes these so tasty.
Baked Brie Mac and Cheese
This was my second consecutive year making this dish because it was such a hit last year. This baked brie mac and cheese from half Baked Harvest is well worth the work. It consists of three different cheeses and you can use elbow macaroni or large shells. This one is always a crowd pleaser, and I rate it a 9/10. I only took a point off this year because the recipe is a bit elaborate, so making it slightly stressed me out, but it was definitely worth it.
Crispy Rosemary Butter Roasted Potatoes
These crispy rosemary butter roasted potatoes were my favorite. I could’ve just eaten a plate of these, landing them as the only recipe this year that I am giving a 10/10 rating to. I made this for a friendsgiving with some of my oldest friends, and these potatoes were certainly a highlight.
Dessert
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Truffle Tart
Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
As a chocolate-lover, these desserts definitely hit the spot. I give the dark chocolate and sea salt truffle tart a 7/10. It was very good, but just a bit too rich for my liking. The espresso chocolate chip cookies were pretty addictive, and pair excellently with vanilla ice cream. I give these cookies a 9/10.
So you see, it’s definitely possible to avoid meat on Thanksgiving if you so choose. From these pictures, you can see that I had not one but two very full plates, and the effort I put into making all of this food left my heart very full as well. And there’s nothing like walking it off with a nice hike with your best furry bud.
