Thanksgiving is one if my favorite family holidays and even if I’m not American, my husband is, and so  it has become an important festivity for me even as much as Christmas. I’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving for many years now but most of the time we are in Italy. The atmosphere here is a little bit different, shops are all open and everybody is working, but we have always managed to have all day free to cook no matter what. We celebrate Thanksgiving at our house together with family and closest friends. In the past it was not so easy to find a good size turkey but we finally found a place that provides them even if we’re not so close to Christmas, which is the season farmers grow their turkeys for. I’m personally not so fond of the  turkey itself, I’m more a stuffing kind of person not to mention my unconditional passion for all the side dishes and desserts.

I unfortunately haven’t spent too many Thanksgivings in the States so when we go there for Christmas we usually prepare a turkey dinner on Christmas day. Last year I made this vegetarian gravy for the first time. My nieces are vegetarian and I didn’t want them to have mashed potatoes without gravy. I prepared this simple and fast recipe and it came out really good and they were happy to have gravy for their potatoes..

My husband also prepared a vegetarian pan stuffing for them. He, I should say, is actually  our stuffing specialist. He made some pan stuffing as usual but with some small changes for the girls. He sauteed chopped white onions and celery in a good amount of butter. Towards the end he added finely chopped fresh sage and rosemary. He then combined the vegetables with unflavored croutons better if they’re made with  whole wheat flour. We actually buy them already made in the States while we prepare them in Italy. When well mixed he placed them in a glass oven dish and added home made vegetable broth, don’t buy the canned one but make your own. Bake it covered at 350° until the broth is all absorbed.

As you might know my husbands family is from Minnesota and I’m certain that the dishes we prepare are not the same as yours, I would like to understand if there’s a common ground in all turkey dinners so if you’re up to I would really love to receive your turkey dinner menus so I can get new ideas.

This is my usual Thanksgiving menu:

Stuffed Turkey with the above mentioned stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with orange rind and chopped walnuts
Glazed Carrots with Garlic
Corn
Steamed Cauliflower, Broccoli and Squash
Homemade Rolls
Wild rice
Cranberry sauce
Apple pie and Pumpkin pie, I use rennet apples for the apple pie and I never buy canned pumpkin but I make it from fresh squash.

This year I’m going to add a new side dish to my menu, a recipe that I found on epicurious: Glazed Pearl Onions in Port with Bay Leaves. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared one day ahead and then reheated. If you’re looking for interesting ideas check their site they have a section dedicated to Thanksgiving called “The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide” with recipes, menus and entertaining tips.

Here’s the recipe:

Vegetarian Gravy

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped white or yellow onion
2 Tbsp. chopped shallots )if you don’t find them use onions)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups warm vegetable broth
1 leave fresh sage, finely chopped
1 small rosemary sprig
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, soy sauce and mix until well combined. Gradually whisk in the broth constantly mixing the sauce. Season with sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, eliminate the rosemary and let it simmer, stirring constantly, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened. If it’s too thick you can add an extra 1/2 cup broth.

Please post your Thanksgiving dinner menus below