Whether or not you’re American, Thanksgiving is a beautiful thing and a wonderful tradition to adopt. You are gathered together with those that you love, whether family or friends, to celebrate the season, enjoy each other’s company and take stock for what you are grateful for. It’s like Christmas without the pressure of gifts and with even more tasty things to eat.
And while we do love all the sentiment behind the holiday here at The Cold Pressed Juicery, we aren’t the biggest fans of the menu. Yes, it may be delicious and hearty, taking advantage of some of the best autumnal produce, but it’s often too rich and too heavy, not to mention not being vegan-friendly! That’s why this year we’ve decided we’re going to celebrate Plantsgiving.
To get in the spirit, we’re going to start this year’s Plantsgiving with a morning sweat session at Rocycle with our brothers or best buds. That way, we’re all flooded with energy and endorphins and ready to tackle a day’s worth of cooking. Once we’ve powered through that energising early morning wakeup call, it’s time to set the scene.
Though the menu may not be totally traditional, we still want the house to feel festive and seasonal. We’ll arrange a few bouquets of flowers in autumnal colours from A.P Bloem around the house, along with some brightly coloured gourds. Not only will this make your home look as dressed up as you but plants are very therapeutic. Trust us, with all the cooking, this will come in handy. Lay some jewel-toned organic linen tablecloths down and dot the room with as many natural beeswax candles as you can. Now, you’re ready to get to cooking.
If you’re looking for a little bit of inspiration for a beautiful, wholesome plant-based meal, we’ve got you covered. We’ve got a little menu inspiration for you here, but feel free to adapt as you see fit!
Pumpkin & Sage Soup. It’s nice to start of the meal with a lovely, warming soup, and we can’t think of a more fitting one than our Pumpkin & Sage Soup. And the best thing is that picking up a few containers from us will save you slaving over the stove a bit. If you want to order in larger quantities, email us ahead of time at info@thecoldpressedjuicery.com so we can whip up a big batch for you!
The Great Stuffed Pumpkin. If you were worried there’d be no dramatic centrepiece with the turkey out of the picture, think again. We love this beautiful, whole roasted stuffed pumpkin, chock full of hearty and delicious seasonal veg.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower. You’ll forget all about butter-laden mashed potatoes when you taste this uber creamy, silky mash. The roasted garlic pumps things up a notch for an extra savoury hit.
Shaved Fennel and Pear Salad. It’s nice to have something a little fresh and bracing amongst all of the heartier dishes that usually show up on the Thanksgiving (or Plantsgiving!) table. We like to have something bright and seasonal like this Shaved Fennel Pear Salad with Pomegranate and Watercress to add a punch of colour to the table.
Roasted Vegetables. One of the most wonderful things about autumn is the abundance of sweet, hearty vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts. Toss them in some olive oil and Himalayan pink salt and pop them in a ripping hot oven to give them the kiss of heat.
The Bedrock Cocktails. No holiday is complete without a festive cocktail (or mocktail) so mix the gorgeous orange The Bedrock with a generous glug of champagne (or sparkling water if you’re going alcohol-free) and sip to your heart’s content.
Golden Milk Cheesecake Bars. Who needs pumpkin pie when you have these stunning raw cheesecake bars that also happen to be vegan and free of refined sugar! The colour is perfect for Plantsgiving, and any leftovers also a great morning-after breakfast treat.