5 Recipes For Vegetarians On Thanksgiving

Looking for five recipes for vegetarians on Thanksgiving? Vegetarians can feel left out during Thanksgiving dinner, when the focus is on turkey. That doesn't mean, however, that vegetarians can't serve up some stunning main dishes and side dishes to rival any traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Lasagne Florentine

You will need:

• one tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup each diced onions, carrots and mushrooms
• two cups each alfredo sauce and ricotta cheese
• one teaspoon each oregano and black pepper
• salt to taste
• one pound fresh spinach, washed and dried
• 1/2 pound uncooked lasagna noodles
• one cup grated mozzarella cheese

1. Sautee the vegetables in the oil until soft, about five minutes. Combine vegetables, alfredo sauce, cheese and seasoning.
2. Layer the noodles, sauce and spinach in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. Turn off oven and uncover lasagna; leave in the oven another fifteen minutes to brown.

Cranberry Sauce

You will need:

• four cups fresh cranberries
• two cups each water and packed brown sugar

1. Rinse cranberries and remove stems.
2. Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer about twenty minutes, stirring frequently, until berries pop and sauce thickens.

Pumpkin Seed-crusted Cutlets

You will need:

• twelve chicken-style seitan cutlets
• two cups milk or unsweetened milk substitute
• one tablespoon minced fresh sage
• two tablespoons nutritional yeast
• one cup each toasted, shelled pumpkin seeds and Panko bread crumbs
• one teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

1. Combine sage, yeast, pumpkin seeds, bread crumbs and spices in a food processor.
2. Dip cutlets in milk and then in pumpkin seed mixture.
3. Fry in olive oil over medium heat until a good crust forms.

Glazed Brussels sprouts

You will need:

• two pounds Brussels sprouts
• three tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup each dry red wine and water
• 1/2 tablespoon each soy sauce and cornstarch

1. Simmer Brussels sprouts, covered, in maple syrup, red wine, soy sauce and water for about fifteen minutes.
2. Remove cover and simmer another ten minutes.
3. Whisk cornstarch into a small amount of the cooking liquid, then stir into Brussels sprouts. Cook five minutes to thicken.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

You will need:

• three 1 1/2-pound acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• three tablespoons melted butter
• one tablespoon brown sugar
• salt and pepper
• two shallots, chopped
• four celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• two cups cooked wild rice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• one tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1. Brush acorn squash with one tablespoon butter and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Roast at 450 for 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Sautee vegetables in one tablespoon butter until soft. Mix with rice, cranberries, pecans, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stuff acorn squash and drizzle with one tablespoon butter. Roast another twenty to 25 minutes.