Less Carbs at Thanksgiving?

Question

I'm a vegetarian and making Thanksgiving dinner . . . I'm totally fine making turkey for my friends and all the sides which I've always enjoyed more than turkey - when I ate turkey - anyway. I'm not into Tofurkey or any kind of faux turkey, so I'm not going that route, but my problem is that every side dish I'm making is really carb-heavy . . . what are some ideas for some kind of traditional Thanksgiving side dishes which are a little less starchy? Or do I just cut my losses and carb it up for a day and enjoy myself?

Answer 1

Do a broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus ring. Basically cut them into decent sized pieces - not too small and line a bundt cake pan with them. Add some butter, olive oil, garlic and herbs - parsley, thyme, salt pepper and a little water to the bottom.

Cook at 350 degrees for thirty minutes. Add Parmesan or cheddar for last five minutes and then let stand for five when pulled from oven. Invert onto a serving dish and add a Dijon mustard and olive oil dressing across the top. Fill center with parsley or kale for decoration.

Answer 2

Make a Mock Potato Casserole.

Cauliflower - steamed until soft and mashed
your vegan version of cream cheese
your vegan version of cheddar cheese
your vegan version of imitation bacon
sliced green onions

I know there are soy versions of the cheddar cheese - not sure about the cream cheese. And I know they have imitation bacon bits - non animal.

It is really very good. Mix all together and refrigerate overnight to meld the flavors. Heat in 350º oven until everything is hot and bubbly. It is low-carb. I fix it every Thanksgiving for hubby who eats low-carb. But, he's not a vegan so we use the "real deal".

You may also be able to modify the Green Bean Casserole to change out the regular milk for soy milk. I don't know if they make creamed soups with soy?

Answer 3

In addition to all the carb heavy standards, have a green vegetable without a heavy sauce, or some roasted vegetables including red and green pepper, onion, etc - and make a nice fall salad with field greens, gorgonzola (if you eat cheese) and pear slices. Or a traditional green salad. Offer fruit or sorbet in addition to the pumpkin pie for dessert.

Answer 4

Carb it up!!!
Thanksgiving only comes once a year!

But there are some lower-carb options, like instead of making a heavy green-bean casserole, try fresh sauted green beans with some garlic and shallots.

Answer 5

Here are a few we love

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions Recipe

2 oz. smoked bacon
4-6 small white boiling onions
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1/4 C. water
1/4 t. sherry vinegar
Coarse salt
Black pepper

Slice bacon into thin slices. Peel onions and slice across 3 or 4 times so that you end up with small rings. Trim base of sprouts and slice in half, top to bottom, then cut into chiffonade (shreds). In a heavy skillet over medium heat cook bacon until lightly browned. Pour off all but 2 T. bacon fat.

Add onions and saute briefly. Add shredded Brussels sprouts and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add 1/4 Cup water and cover. Steam until bright green and tender, about 8 minutes. Season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Glazed Carrots Recipe

6 C. carrots cut into 1-inch diagonal slices (or use little baby carrots)

1/4 C. orange juice

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 C. brown sugar - I use splenda brown sugar to save lots of carbs

1 t. cornstarch

1/2 t. salt

1/4 C. butter

Cook carrots in a small amount of salted water until tender then drain water. Combine orange juice, nutmeg, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small sauce pan and mix until smooth. Pour over carrots and cook over low heat for several minutes until mixture thickens. Add salt and butter and toss. Serve hot.


Green Beans With Almond Butter

2 lb Fresh Green Beans, trimmed
1/3 c Butter
1 c Toasted, Slivered Almonds
1 tb Whole-Grain Mustard
1 tb Honey
1 tb Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tb Grated Lemon Zest
2 tb Minced Shallots
1 ts Minced Garlic
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Blanch the green beans in lightly salted boiling water just until tender and bright green, 3-4 minutes. Plunge them into cold water, drain when cool, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, mustard, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallots, and garlic, and saute gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans and continue cooking until they're heated through, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Answer 6

i say carb it up. especially if ur a vegitarian theres not much you can do about thanksgiving carbs. make baked mac and cheese. yummy and vegetarian!!!