By: Sarah Zitin

These Organic Thanksgiving Recipes are easy to make, inexpensive, healthy, good for the Earth and a great way to teach your kids how to eat organic foods. With any good luck, more people will go vegan this Thanksgiving, and healthy vegan organic Thanksgiving recipes will be the new normal!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small sweet white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cups basmati rice
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into ½” cubes
• 1 cup freshly grated Vegan Parmesan cheese* (about 2 ½ ounces)
• ½ cup dry white wine, optional
• 3 tablespoons unsalted farmed butter, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper 
• Fried sage : olive oil, fresh sage leaves chopped, red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Place your oven racks in the lower third and upper third positions, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for the butternut squash. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-to-large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is pungent, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Cover the pot and bake on the lower rack until rice is tender and cooked through, about 65 to 70 minutes.
4. After placing the pot of risotto in the oven, toss the cubed butternut with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on your lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and arrange the butternut in a single layer on the pan. Roast on the upper rack until the butternut is fork tender and the edges are deeply caramelized, tossing halfway 55 to 60 minutes, but start checking around 40 minutes.
5. While the risotto and butternut are in the oven, fry the sage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
6. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and pour in the remaining cup of broth, the  Vegan Parmesan, wine and butter. Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, a generous amount of pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
7. Stir in the roasted butternut. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of fried sage.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup chopped scallion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup grated Vegan Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper 
2. To prepare the squash, use a sharp knife to slice through it from the tip to the stem. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, and discard those pieces
3. Place the squash halves cut side up on the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the squash, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Rub the oil into the cut sides of the squash, then turn them over so the cut sides are against the pan. Bake until the squash flesh is easily pierced through by a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes. 
4. Cook the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary. Simmer, uncovered, until all of the water is absorbed, 12 to 18 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cranberries. Cover, and let the mixture steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
5. In a medium skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they turn golden on the edges and making little popping noises, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
6. Pour the fluffed quinoa mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped green onion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. 
7. If the mixture is very hot, let it cool for a few minutes before adding Vegan Parmesan cheese. Gently stir the mixture to combine.
8. Turn the cooked squash halves over so the cut sides are facing up. Divide the mixture evenly between the squash halves with a large spoon. Return the squash to the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the vegan cheesy quinoa is turning golden on top.
9. Sprinkle the stuffed squash with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and serve warm.1 cup wild rice, rinsed.

Ingredients:

•  1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 
• ½ cup dried tart cherries, chopped
• ½ cup crumbled Vegan feta or goat cheese 

Lemon dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

To cook the wild rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and boil, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow, for 40 minutes to 55 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return to the pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and let the rice cool.

1. To toast the almonds, warm one teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and a pinch of salt and cook until they’re turning lightly golden and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until blended.
3. To assemble the salad, transfer the cooked cooled rice to a large bowl. Add the arugula, chopped basil, almonds, sour cherries and Vegan feta. Pour in the dressing, toss well, and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. 

Set the salad aside for 10 minutes before serving to give the rice time to soak up some of the dressing.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces (1 bag) fresh cranberries
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup water
• Zest of 1 medium orange, preferably organic (about 1 teaspoon)
• Truly optional add-ins: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup water
• Zest of medium  organic orange
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup orange juice

Instructions:

1. First, rinse the cranberries well and drain off excess water. Pick through the cranberries and discard any squishy ones.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the orange zest. If you’d like to add cinnamon or orange juice, add it now. Taste and, if the mixture is too tart, add more orange juice maple syrup to taste.
4. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 2 tbsp organic nut butter of choice
• 2 tbsp raw cacao or dark chocolate
• 8 medjool dates
• Pinch salt

Caramel layer:

• 1 cup medjool dates
• 2 tbsp nut butter of choice
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp organic coconut oil 
• 1 tsp sea salt

Toppings:

• Pecans
• Sea salt flakes

Instructions:

1. To make the crust add the pecans to your food processor or high speed blender until it is crumbs. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients and mix again until everything comes together.
2. Press the crumbly mixture into your pie tin with your hands then put it into the freezer. Wash out your mixer and add in the caramel ingredients. Mix until smooth – it will be a few minutes before all the dates are thoroughly blended in.
3. Take a drop of the caramel on the base and smooth out. Return to the freezer for at least 1 hr to firm.
4. Add the pecans to a pan and dry toast on a medium heat for a few minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside.
5. Remove the pie from the freezer and top with the toasted pecans.
6. Store in the freezer. Take out 1 hour or so before serving.

These are only a few of the delicious organic Thanksgiving recipes you can make this year! They’ve all been tried and true, are tasty and healthy at the same time. You can trade off ingredients for others to your taste, and play around with them to your liking. Organic Thanksgiving recipes have a way of healing your body with foods, herbs and spices that are healthy and delicious. Make this Thanksgiving organic and sustainable, and enjoy family, friends and festivities this year!