Fantasy Plant Strong Thanksgiving Plans

You've heard of fantasy football, right? Well, in my life, cooking is sport. And here's my Thanksgiving fantasy lineup.

My husband and I are petitioning his parents to let us host the holiday this year. What do you think? Should we be allowed to do it?

Pear and Toasted Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Pretty self explanatory. These flavors just scream fall to me.

Pumpkin Bulgur Stuffed Acorn Squash
I made this a little over a month ago to rave reviews from all who tried it. I knew right then it would be the focus of our Thanksgiving meal.

Terry Walter's Cranberry Chutney from her book Clean Food
This is so good, you'll want to eat it throughout the year, not just on Thanksgiving.
Makes 4 cups

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup raisins
½ cup sucanat
½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup water
1 small onion, chopped
3 medium apples, cored and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Combine cranberries, raisins, sucanat, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and water in Dutch oven. Place over medium heat and cook 15 minutes. Stir in onion, apples and celery and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from heat, fold in lemon peel, and serve.

Chutney can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

Braised Brussels Sprouts
An old standard at our house.

Fat Free Vegan's Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
To say that a sweet potato casserole is a  must for me at Thanksgiving is a total understatement. I plan on taking Susan's beloved recipe and simplifying it a bit, leaving out all of the vegan margarine and getting creative about the sugar (has anyone made date paste yet?).

Fat Free Vegan's Green Bean Casserole

A healthier vegan adaptation of Paula Dean's Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
In my opinion. this is simply one of the best desserts ever to have been created. I have made it many times in it's non vegan state, including for Thanksgiving last year. This year, it's time to step it up a notch. I'm gonna healthy-veganize it.

What's on your list for this year's Thanksgiving meal? Have I forgotten anything? Feel free to make recommendations of things that have been successful for you in the past or dishes that you are going to be preparing this Thanksgiving. We could all use the help!

Also, FYI . . . Forks Over Knives is presenting a LIVE Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cooking Show with our friend Julieanna Hever, R.D.

Join FOK Thursday November 17th at 9:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM PST on thier Facebook or Livestream page for a live cooking demonstration with Julieanna Hever, R.D. Julieanna will demonstrate a plant-based Thanksgiving meal that will be delicious and healthy. While making the meal, Julieanna will answer questions from the audience. Questions can be sent in advance to Info@ForksOverKnives.com and also be asked live during the broadcast.

Julieanna is author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition and producer/host of the video "To Your Health," both available on the FOK website. Click here to watch her recent appearance on The Dr. Oz Show