A Vegetarian Thanksgiving for Two

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving... that's do-able. its all new age ghandi and there's enough people out there who are vegetarian that this didn't phase me.

But a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Meal for Two. 

I feel like those words don't belong in the same sentence.

i debated throwing in the towel.

my original shopping list had one item:

-jalapeno cheetos.

really.

slowly but surely the day before i started getting into the spirit.

and this is what we came up with:

*all menu planning/shopping and recipe planning was done within 12 hours of the meal.

it's possible.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Cold Night.

Make this.

Serves: 6

Time: total: 25minutes

Gather up:


2 cups heavy whipping cream


1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil


1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme


2 teaspoons salt


1 teaspoons ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes


1 cup chopped green onions


1 cup chopped parsley

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved


1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined


1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese


1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Get to Work:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Set aside.

Pour the cream into skillet, stir constantly. Add everything except the cheese and the shrimp. Doesn’t matter what order.

Reduce heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes.

Stir in cheeses. 

Add shrimp and stir and cook until they are cooked through.

Pour the sauce over noodles and mix well. Save some of the sauce and shrimp to put on the very top to make all pretty and such.

Roasted Beet Salad

I don’t like beets.

I don’t really care for strong vinegar tastes.

The vegetarian loves both of these.

So this salad was for him.

I ate a bit, (and by that I mean pretty much just ate the goat cheese.)

After the salad, we went down the street to a new pup that opened and I ate bar food. Happily.

That being said, the vegetarian and the French girl, really enjoyed this salad. It was easy to prepare and looked very nice presentation wise. You could easily only make ½ the dressing and still have more than enough. Be careful roasting your own beets, your kitchen will quickly start to look like children ran through there with pink highlighters.

Serves: 6

Time: active: 20 minutes

cooking: 50 minutes

Gather up:

•   8 medium-size beets, tops removed and scrubbed

•   1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

•   1/2 cup olive oil

•   2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

•   Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

•   4 ounces baby arugula

•   1/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds, toasted ( I simply used silvered almonds)

4 ounces crumbled soft goat cheese.

Get to work:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roast the beets. Follow this awesome post from blog thekitchn http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-beets-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-172827

Really, just do exactly as she says, they turned out perfect.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges.

Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Serve warm or at room temp.

Enjoy.

=      

Recipe adaptation: Ina Garten