Don’t Touch That Thanksgiving Turkey!

I can’t believe it’s true, but Thanksgiving is only one week away!

This can be a pretty nerve-wracking thing for us raw foodists, a fact that is especially true for those of us planning on attending – or, God forbid, HOSTING – a big family feast.

We want to participate in all the food-focused festivities, but it is also important to maintain our healthy raw vegan diets and all of the wonderful results be have attained.

What to do?

I am actually having Thanksgiving at my aunt’s house this year (usually it’s just my immediate family and I) and I am considering bringing a special raw dish or two along…other than just a plate of crudites or a bowl of fruit.

Seeing that I don’t make many raw recipes in my everyday life (it took me a while to finally try one of Roger’s no-brainer Savory Veggie Stews), I’m just as stumped as you are!

Luckily, with the help of the internet and some fellow low fat raw vegans, I have found a couple of promising recipes I thought you all might like to give a go as well…

Something Sweet – Not Pumpkin Pie

Not Pumpkin Pie

As usual, I’m starting with desert!  And Sarah’s low fat raw Not Pumpkin Pie recipe should hit the spot.

*Ingredients*

• 1-2 lbs medjool dates
• 4-6 large ripe bananas
• 5-6 ripe persimmons – preferably a jelly like variety.

NOTE: If you want to make this recipe for Thanksgiving, you need to purchase the persimmons (the tear-shaped Hachiya variety) as soon and as ripe as possible.

When they are truly ripe, they will feel VERY soft and squishy.  Because this variety is astringent (containing tannin), they are *extremely* unpleasant if eaten before their peak (very chalky and drying).

To speed up the ripening time, you can put the persimmons in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or apple.

*Directions*

1. The Crust – Pit dates and press date halves all around the bottom of a pie plate.
2. The Filling – Peel bananas, break them in half and place them in the plate, mash lightly with fork until bananas are even all over.
3. The Topping – Scoop out persimmon jelly, spread evenly all over the top.  Slice, serve and enjoy! (Would probably taste good chilled, too!)

If you know anything about raw pies, you know how special this recipe truly is.

Typically, raw desert creations of any kind are full of nuts and dried fruits, which means they are very fatty and break the essential “no sugar and fat” rule.

You can check out an example of a gourmet Raw Strawberry Pie at Gone Raw.

Wow, that’s a lot of fat, a lot of fruit, and a lot of ingredients!

Sarah’s raw recipe above, on the other hand, is exceedingly simple AND healthy.  You certainly do not have to save this sweet treat for special events.

Plus, if you do not like persimmons or do not have access to them, you could easily replace them with a different fruit.  Just keep date crust and banana filling the same and then use a different mashed up fruit for the topping.

Sticky, juicy, thawed strawberries would be perfect for this!

Something Savory – Healthy Raw Guacamole

Healthy Raw Guacamole

While not Thanksgiving-e, Andrew’s Healthy Raw Guacamole recipe is delicious and is sure to please ANY diner, raw or cooked.

*Ingredients*

• 3 large Florida avocados or 4-5 smaller Hass avocados
• 3-4 tomatoes or equivalent portion of cherry tomatoes
• 1-2 bunches of cilantro (aka coriander)
• 1-2 squeezes of one Meyer lemon

*Directions*

1. Dice the tomatoes
2. Remove the cilantro leaves from their stems and finely chop them.
3. Cut the lemon in half
4. Remove the avocado flesh from its skin, place it in a bowl, add the other ingredients, and mash thoroughly with a fork.

Andrew likes celery as a vegetable dipper, but I much prefer English cucumbers cut into diagonal slices.

This recipe is so much tastier than my own guacamole recipe of Hass avocado, tomatoes, and lime juice.  The addition of the cilantro (my favorite herb) and the use of Meyer lemon juice instead of lime juice is really fabulous.

And with the replacement of the Hass with the Florida avocado, this guacamole is lower in fat as well!

If you’re worried about this dish being a little too bland for your audience, you could always add some onion, garlic, pepper, salt, etc. to the recipes to spice things up a bit.

While not optimal additions, this raw recipe will still be a heck of a lot healthier than the traditional fare you’ll find on Turkey Day!

Something Else?

Now that I think about it, there are several other healthy low fat raw recipes that you could present for Thanksgiving!  You could easily create a delicious raw pasta, soup, salad, fruit salad, or even ice cream or sorbet in a matter of minutes.

And as “boring” as it is, a simple bowl of assorted easy-to-eat fruits can really steal the show when surrounded by a never-ending sea of brown, white, and beige-colored foods.

But what about you?  Do you have any tasty raw recipes you’ll be trying out this Thanksgiving?  Maybe you have the recipes, but you’re worried about maintaining your “raw” resolve during all the cooked food craziness?

Leave a comment below, enjoy and have a terrific Thanksgiving!

Swayze

P.S. My bonus e-book “Surviving Sticky Social Situations on a Raw Food Diet” goes into detail about social events of all kinds and how to stay raw while attending them.

You can get this 30-page PDF book at an absolute STEAL when you order my step-by-step daily guide 21 Days to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings.

Just visit the following link:

www.cookedfoodcravings.com