Here’s the deal. I’ll be alone in NYC for Thanksgiving, while Kyle and the rest of my family and his will be on the West Coast. :(
This sucks, but I am determined to make the most of it. So, rather than wallow in self pity (do you hear the violins?), I have decided to make my own solo T-giving celebration. Only mine will be a week long.
That’s right, time is on my side. I may miss out on the crackling fire, doing puzzles with my sisters and cousins, and tossing the football in the backyard with my uncles, but I am dead set on replicating as many of the classic holiday eats as possible in my tiny NYC apartment…I just need a week to do it all (I am a working woman after all).
First up was the classic spinach artichoke dip, made vegan with the help of Terry Walter’s Clean Food recipe. For as far back as I can recall this (dairy-laden) appetizer was a part of our holiday. My mom’s version was double baked in a fresh loaf of sourdough, so you could rip off the fresh warm bread and it would already be covered in dip. Heaven!
Although my vegan version was much lighter, it was definitely reminiscent of my mom’s dish and delighted my taste buds.
I combined two of Terry’s recipes and tweaked them a bit more based on which ingredients I had on hand.
- 1 cup cannellini beans
- 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (I use Nasoya)
- 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
- 1 fist of steamed spinach
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
I threw it in a tupperware so I could enjoy it throughout the entire week, but if you are serving it to guests, you can really wow them by adding it to a bread bowl and baking it in the oven. It’s great as both a warm and cool dish, it just depends on what you want to serve with it.
What can you dip into it? Ummm, everything! Home made pita chips, veggies, bread wedges, crackers, sweet potatoes, apples …need I go on?
Can we just note how sweet my fiancé is to save the bread heels for me? They are my favorite part of the loaf (if that’s not love, I don’t know what is).
Side note: Crispy bread is way better, but our toaster is broken. Also, homemade pita chips are an easy way to make this appetizer look even more fancy. Just cut pitas into triangles (or whatever shape you want), spray them with cooking spray, salt and pepper and throw ‘em in the oven until they start to crisp up and get brown (let’s be real, your oven will probably already be on, so 10 minutes of pre-heating time is just good multi-tasking).
sorry to hear you will not be joining the rest of your family but make the best out of your Thanksgiving 🙂
jenna
aw, sorry to hear that you will be missing out on all the fun this Thanksgiving… 🙁 At least you are making the most of it and still having holiday spirit!
i am sorry you are flying solo, no mega hottie NYC bloggie friends to meet up with? there must be! love your positive attitude about it. you will eat like the queen that you are!!
Yum! I actually had regular spinach artichoke dip only once or twice before I went on my veg kick, but I LOVE the vegan version. I use the Chicago Diner Cookbook recipe.
I’ll be at your apartment bright and early for this on Thanksgiving. Bye.
@#!@#@#%$%&!!!!!1
aww i’m sorry hunn, have a great thanksgiving 🙂
xoxo
shelley
http://findinghappinessandhealth.wordpress.com
Dang girl, spinach dip & arti dip are 2 of my faves. Gluten free status prevents the bread action but..
Not the dip!
Love the beans, arti hearts, braggs, and nasoya. There alone you are in very good hands. This has me thinking about all the things I am gonna try to do with arti hearts.
I love spinach too.
But for me they have to be separate dips. I give you major props for combining them. I think that rocks. And saves on dishes.
I will be solo for Tday also, and I plan to make a vegan feast also! 🙂
I think I’m gonna borrow your dip idea and use it for a snackage meal after thanksgiving breakfast, while we make thanksgiving dinner. So you will be a part of the Sale Thanksgiving in spirit!
p.s. growing up, as a foreign brown girl, we rarely had sliced bread, but when we did, I always saved the ends cuz they were the best part!
Awwh my love pie! I will be thinking of you. Good for not being totally down in the dumps. I’m excited to see what you make for yourself 🙂 Besides this of course! Which looks dope.
What?! Kyle is leaving you before Thanksgiving?! I thought you were BOTH going out together on Friday? Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be all alone here too with no family, so we can be lonely Thanksgiving buddies 🙂
Nutritional yeast + artichokes=Courtney in heaven. Seriously.
Courtney
alone!? NOOOOO that’s just not cool. come spend turkay day with maaaaaaay. thats too sad for words 🙁
what’s not sad is kyle leaving you the bread caboose. that’s like nicholas sparks book status fo sho
Aww sorry you’re not able to go home for Thanksgiving… but your week-long plan MIGHT make up for it just a little bit. 😉
<3 <3
Aww that’s hard! Why didn’t you get to go? At least it’s not Christmas. I have the whole family coming in and it’s exhausting just in thought 😉
LOVE that dip may need to try it. Um who says we can’t celebrate all week? I don’t believe in rules and every day is worth celebrating.
That dip sounds yum! I’m sorry you’re spending T-giving alone 🙁 We’re driving up tomorrow morning and heading straight to Westchester tomorrow night, but are you working Thanksgiving day? We’re coming into the city for the parade (cheesy I know, but it gets me out of the house with inlaws). Hope to catch up!
oops. did i forget to clarify? kyle has been gone since sunday morning…
ill be thinking of you all week. i hate rocking the holidays out solo, but the noochy-choke dip does help 🙂
im very tempted, alas, ill be en el hospital…dont worry, i am flying to the west coast the day after for the weekend with kyles fam 🙂
work!!! if everyone in the new york area promised to have no cardio-thoracic issues in the weeks surrounding the holidays it would be awesome…but unfortunately those things cant be planned. dont worry, even though im working thanksgiving, im heading to the west coast the day after to visit kyles family for the weekend.
ps im working xmas even and xmas day, too
i have always meant to go the parade, but (again) im working the holiday this year…no worries about me being solo though, im heading to the west coast the day after thanksgiving to hang with kyle’s fam 🙂
have a fun time with your fam!
hahaha, you can come, but I WONT BE THERE. now, if you want to stop by the hospital, thats a whole different story. not quite as fun as my apartment though…
I’ll be alone for Thanksgiving too 🙁 But let’s make the most of it and hog all the delicious food for ourselves 😉
hollerrrrrrr. ill think of you as im doing my vegan feasting!
do it! i think your fam would love it. spinach counters grease, right? sure. why not.
bread heels are so fabulous.
I am alone for T-Day too 🙁 I like your idea of a week long celebration! Dip looks good- my mom used to make it for guests (is that the one that the soup mix is used for?)
Are you making tofurkey?
Thanksgiving’s an interesting time. My priority is being around people, for sure, but I’m a little bummed that the celebration I’ll be going to will feature turkey from Safeway and store bought pies…when mine would have a heritage turkey, gluten free pie made with natural sweeteners and organic pumpkin, etc. I think you have a cool opportunity to prepare exactly what you want. When will you have that chance again?
BODA weight loss
agreed!! wheres your fam going to be??
that’s true. im just trying to find the time to make it all!!!
ive never tried tofurkey, but i think ill pass on it for now…i am heading to the west coast the day after thanksgiving and the leftovers will just go to waste. maybe next year?
soup mix? im not sure. i made mine from scratch, as did my mom.
Day of, day after, as long as you get the FOOD, then it’s T-day whenever you decide. We’ll think of you at your G-ma’s TWO days after T-day here.
We’ll all be with you in spirit. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll just be doing yoga in the morning and eating with the hubbie and fur-kids – no big warm fuzzy family deal which is fine by me! I noticed that there are actually a lot of good movies on pay-per-view for a change!
That dip looks phenomenal! Can’t wait to try it as it is one of my fave party indulgences!
A week-long Thanksgiving holiday! Love that. So sorry that you won’t be with Kyle & his fam, but I know you’ll make the best of the situation!! 🙂
Next up….cranberry sauce. I’ve never been much a fan but will probs be this year since the blog world has opened my taste buds to many thangs! Picture this : cranberry sauce + hummus….on bread?!?!?!?! Could be good!
xoxoo
Hey lovie! Sorry you’ll be in NYC – that stinks BUT I know you’ll power through. Me likey spinach artichoke dip so that recipe sounds faaaantastic!
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Hey There, Elise!
if I were hosting this year (which sadly, I am not) I would have invited you to join us! Thanks for sharing this clean food journey!
Whenever I’ve added spinach to my artichoke dip in the past I’ve been less than satisfied, so I recently made a new warm spinach dip. This is going to be in my next book, but since it sounds like you have the time and motivation, I’ll share it here, but shhh….!!!
Saute ½ cup chopped onion or shallot in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for 5 minutes. Fold in 4 cups packed fresh spinach leaves and saute until wilted. Remove from heat and transfer to food processor. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, black pepper, ½ cup vegan grapeseed oil mayonnaise and 1 cup cooked cannellini beans. Process gently on pulse until ingredients are just blended and serve warm.
Wishing you much nourishment and peace this week!
Eat clean live well!
Terry
hooray! thanks terry!!