If there’s anything that 2020 in ALL its surprising unprecedentedness has taught us, it is that we have to expect the unexpected — and learn to make savory lemonade from its bushels lemons! Given the uncertainties of this unparalleled year, we must keep tapping into our inner strength and Zen to find the silver linings in our new normal — including celebrating this Thanksgiving, while being conscious and mindful of COVID-19’s surging numbers — particularly across this country — and all that can go further off the rails if we throw caution to the wind. From protecting our most vulnerable, to respecting our healthcare workers and the limitations of hospitals, to tapping into possibly life-saving self-care — it’s about shifting our Thanksgiving templates: Limit the number of guests to those that live in your house! Eat in the well-ventilated outdoors, if in groups! Create your own T-Day curbside pick-up offerings for friends & fam’ outside of your pod! Dine together, but virtually, to ensure the safety of your loved ones and yourself! To date, in the U.S., 12.5 million have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, with 258,000 fatalities. Don’t add to these devastating numbers! Instead, add to the outside-of-the-box seasonal fun with new twists, which will provide you with holiday stories for years to come…

And so, what better way to mark this year’s exceptional holiday celebrations than with an unexpected, creative, and utterly deelish feast? ADRLF has rounded up an exciting roster of tasty, nontraditional Thanksgiving selections — such as savory warm salads, meatless mains, and guilt-free mocktails—to liven up your holiday, while keeping it liver-health friendly. These recipes include antioxidants-rich ingredients such as beets and pumpkin that help the liver metabolize and get rid of free radicals, ensuring proper liver function. Check out these T-Day fabulosities!:

NONTRADITIONAL SALADS  

BARLEY AND NUTTY ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD (from myfoodbook.com.au)

INGREDIENTS:

500g butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm chunks

250g baby beets, trimmed and cut into 2cm chunks

2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise then cut diagonally into long chunks

Ooil spray

1 cup of pearl barley, rinsed

2 medium zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes

1 small (250g) eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes

1/3 cup dukkah for sprinkling

1/3 cup light olive oil

1/4 cup The Good Nut Natural Peanut Butter Smooth

Juice of 1 orange

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the pumpkin, beets, and carrots onto a paper-lined tray. Spray well with oil and bake in a moderate oven at 350°F for 20 minutes
2. Add the zucchini and eggplant to the tray then spray all the vegetables again with oil. Sprinkle liberally with dukkah and bake a further 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
3. Cover the barley with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the barley is tender, drain well, and keep warm
4. TOSS the vegetables through the barley on a serving platter. Whisk together the oil, peanut butter, juice and honey then drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve immediately

WARM KALE SALAD RECIPE WITH HONEY DIJON VINAIGRETTE (from https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/)

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

12 strips bacon – diced (*or ADRLF suggests you can substitute with tempeh bacon, veggie bacon, turkey bacon, etc.)

4 large shallots – peeled, sliced into thin rings, and separated

3 roasted red peppers – medium diced

2 large cloves garlic – minced

12 packed cups kale – washed, dried, stems removed & chopped

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup parmesan cheese – grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

4 tsp dijon mustard

2 1/2 tsp honey

2 tbs white balsamic vinegar (can substitute apple cider vinegar)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp each: sea salt and cracked black pepper or more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the salad: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook to desired crispiness and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan (depending on the type of bacon you’re using) and discarding the rest.  Set the bacon aside.
2. Turn heat up to medium-high. Add the shallots to the skillet with the bacon drippings (or with clean olive oil). Fry until golden in color, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the kale to the skillet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté, tossing, until kale is warm and deep green, but not yet wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and roasted red peppers.  Continue to sauté until fragrant, an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
4. Make the vinaigrette: whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl or place them in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well incorporated. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
5. Assemble: Transfer the warm kale salad to serving plates or a salad serving bowl. Top with walnuts, bacon, crispy shallots, and parmesan cheese. Serve with honey-dijon vinaigrette.

NONTRADITIONAL SOUP: TRY IT COLD!

CHILLED PEA CUCUMBER CASHEW SOUP WITH MINT

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole English cucumber

1 tsp mint leaves about 8 – 10 small mint leaves

2 tsp basil leaves about 6 medium-large leaves

1.5 tbsp parsley

1 stalk scallion

1/2 avocado

1/4 cup water filtered

Salt to taste

Optional Toppings/Garnish

1/4 cup plain vegan yogurt I recommend this brand

1/4 cup yellow cherry tomatoes halved

2 tbsp microgreens

1 tsp super seed blend includes chia, hemp, flax, buckwheat, millet

5 sugar snap peas blanched and split lengthwise

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all the ingredients for the soup in a high-speed blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Chill in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve. Give the soup a good stir before serving and adding your garnish.
2. For optional toppings: Add a dollop of vegan plain yogurt and swirl around with a spoon. Arrange the tomatoes, microgreens, and blanched snap peas. Sprinkle on top the super seed blend for some crunch.

NONTRADITIONAL SIDES & MAIN COURSES

PALEO STUFFING (GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE; from https://40aprons.com/)

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil or refined coconut oil

3 cups onion diced

2 cups celery diced

1 cup mushrooms diced

1 cup apple cored and diced

1/4 cup dried cranberries or dates, chopped

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups almond flour

3 eggs whisked

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat ghee or oil in a large cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, apple, mushrooms, cranberries or dates, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté until very soft, about 7 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Keep in an oven-proof skillet or transfer to a 9×9-inch baking dish. Stir in almond flour and mix well. Add the whisked eggs and stir well. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned on top.

SQUASHDUCKEN (THE MAMMOTH STUFFED SQUASH) WITH SAGE-HAZELNUT PESTO (from https://food52.com)

INGREDIENTS:

For the squash

4 to 6 edible squash, ranging in size from very large to very small (the most important thing is that you can nest them snugly inside of one another)

Equipment: a roasting pan large enough to snugly secure the largest squash; very sharp knives for cutting; spoons for carving and scooping; 2 large bowls for all your squash debris; a great attitude!

For the pesto and the assembly

1/2 cup sage, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil, plus for more rubbing

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts

3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata

Salt and pepper, for sprinkling

Fresh breadcrumbs (I like mine to be fairly coarse), for sprinkling

Shredded Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Smoked paprika or other spices of your choice, for sprinkling

1 loaf of tender bread like challah or brioche, cubed, optional, and as needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the squash

1. Start with your largest squash. Do not peel the skin of this one, as it is the outermost ring of your squashducken and the skin is vital for structural integrity. Instead, use a very sharp knife to remove its hat (as if you were carving a jack-o’-lantern) and then scoop out its insides. As you work, I recommend you separate the inedible versus edible innards of your squash into two separate bowls: You’ll probably be scooping away a lot of edible squash flesh that you can use later for roasting, soup, etc.
2. Once you’ve emptied the insides of the largest squash, you’ll need to see what else needs to be done to get the next largest one to fit inside of it. You might need to slice off more of the squash near its top to make its bowl wider, or you might need to go at the insides with a spoon to scrape away excess flesh.
3. Oil the roasting pan, then set the hollowed, beheaded large squash inside of it.
4. Start on the second-largest squash. Peel it, cut off its head, and scoop out the insides. You might need to whittle away at its flesh—thinning it out from both the inside and the outside will help ensure that it fits into the biggest squash. As you work, continue to judge whether your squash will fit inside its larger counterpart. BUT do be careful pressing it into the larger squash before you are certain—they can get stuck that way (it’s happened to me).
5. Repeat this process with all of the squash, making to periodically gauge whether they are going to fit inside each other.
6. Now you’re ready to par-cook. Put the second biggest squash (remember: the largest squash does not need to be par-cooked) in a microwave-safe dish with a bit of water (1/8 to 1/4 inch is sufficient) on the bottom. Heat in the microwave in 5-minute increments until the squash is pliable; you should be able to wiggle it a little without fear of breaking or tearing. Transfer the squash to a cooling rack while you microwave all of the other squash.

For the pesto and the assembly

1. Make the pesto: In a small pan over very low heat, warm all but 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the sage, and the garlic just until the oil bubbles.
2. Pour the oil into a small bowl, fishing out the garlic cloves. Place the toasted hazelnuts in a mini food processor along with the garlic cloves and process until a fine crumble. Add to the bowl of the sage and oil, then add the cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to combine. Season to taste. This pesto is more nutty than herby or oily, so do not be alarmed in the mixture is dryer than you’re used to.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Put the largest squash (the uncooked one) in the large, oiled roasting dish if you haven’t already. Prick it all over its insides with a fork, then rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Coat in a generous amount of the pesto, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
5. Rub the outside of the second largest squash with olive oil, then gently snuggle it into the largest squash. Continue with the process until you’ve reached the innermost squash.
6. Smear the rest of the pesto into any crevices, sprinkle with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika. If you notice any moats or orifices, you can fill these spaces with cubed bread, which will absorb the delicious squash and pesto juices.
7. Now you’re ready to bake. Cover the roasting dish loosely with aluminum foil, then bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. It will probably take need 2 hours total before the outer squash ring is cooked (make sure it’s fork-tender and a texture you’ll want to eat!), but I like to keep a close eye on it in the last 30 minutes.
8. In the last 5 or 10 minutes, you can uncover the squash, sprinkle it with Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and get the top nice and toasty, if you’d like.
9. Once the squashducken is finished, take it out of the oven and leave it alone until it’s cool enough to handle. Then, get a friend to assist you! Get out your largest serving platter and position it near the pan. As one of you holds the pan and tilts it towards the platter, the other should assist with transferring the squashducken onto the platter. Let it cool until warm, then slice it into impressive wedges!

BALSAMIC EGGPLANT STEAKS (from https://bitesofwellness.com/)

EGGPLANT

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1-inch rounds

1 tbs. salt

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

SPINACH CASHEW CHEESE

1 cup defrosted spinach – drained of excess moisture

1/3 cup cashew cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

TOMATO SALAD

6 Roma tomatoes – chopped

2 garlic clove finely chopped

1/4 red onion – finely chopped

1/4 cup Italian parsley – chopped

1 tbs. sherry or balsamic vinegar

Salt, pinch

Black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice eggplant into 1-inch round steaks. Liberally cover with salt and allow to sit in strainer, 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Wash salt from off of eggplant.
3. Place the eggplant steaks in a flat container with a lid. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and shake to cover eggplant steaks. Let sit in marinade 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F.
5. Make cashew cheese from raw cashews that have been soaked for a little over two hours.
6. Press all the extra liquid out of the spinach using a strainer or cheesecloth. Once spinach is dry, add it to the cashew cheese. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Combine thoroughly
7. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Lay balsamic eggplant steaks in on the baking sheet.
8. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
9. Take out of oven and carefully cover with spinach mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.
10. While eggplant is baking, make the tomato salad.
11. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes Chop garlic, red onion and parsley. Combine in bowl. Add sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste. Add additional seasonings you like.
12. Let the tomato mixture sit out while eggplant is baking.
13. Remove eggplant from the oven, top with tomato salad and serve.

NONTRADITIONAL DESSERT

SLOW-COOKER KEY LIME FONDUE (from https://www.tasteofhome.com/)

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

12 ounces white baking chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup key lime or regular lime juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Graham crackers, macaroon cookies, fresh strawberries, and sliced ripe bananas

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a slow cooker, combine milk, white chocolate, and lime juice.
2. Cook, covered, on low 50-60 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Stir in lime zest. Serve with graham crackers, cookies, and fruit.

INNOVATIVE MOCKTAILS

ELDERBERRY FIZZ (from https://experiencelife.com/)

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup elderberry syrup (substitute 100 percent elderberry juice for a less-sweet option)

1/2 lime, cut into 4 slices

8 oz. chilled sparkling water or sparkling fruit juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of elderberry syrup or juice into each glass.
2. Squeeze a slice of lime into each, and fill with sparkling water or sparkling fruit juice.
3. Garnish with remaining lime slices.

*Top off with brandy to make a cocktail instead.

COZY TEA TODDY

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups boiling water

8 bags tulsi (holy basil) tea, or 1/3 cup loose dried tulsi

4 thin (about 1/8 in.) slices fresh ginger root

12 cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

3 whole star anise pods

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Honey, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour boiling water over the tea bags in a slow cooker.
2. Add the ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and lemon slices.
3. Allow steeping for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove the spices with a mesh skimmer or straining ladle and set the cooker on the low or warm setting; ladle into cups for guests; add honey to taste.

* Top off with a splash of whiskey to make a cocktail instead.

As you chase your holiday silver linings this season, the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation strongly encourages you to please be aware of your surroundings, as well as your personal and communal responsibilities, in these daunting COVID-19 times: Mask up, when not eating. Stay distanced, trying to keep 6-feet of distance in mind. Limit gatherings to small goups. Keep sanitizers handy. Embrace these truly different times, while saving lives and making remarkable memories!

Wishing you & yours a HAPPY, HEALTHY, HEARTY, MINDFULLY-SAFE, UNTRADITIONAL Thanksgiving Day Feast from all of us at ADRLF! ENJOY!!