No Thanksgiving menu would be complete without the addition of November’s seasonal produce taking center stage, such as parsnips, sweet potatoes and cranberries, and of course, nuts. Do you think you will miss those old holiday standbys or be tempted to indulge? Have no fear, there is a delicious raw food replacement for many of your former favorites that will not let you down.

Party Punch A tangy and refreshing tonic! Ingredients: 2 cups of fresh cranberries 1 orange, peeled 2 cups of ripe pineapple, peeled 1 medium beetroot 1/2 a head of Romaine lettuce Run all ingredients through your juicer and pour into tall, festive glasses. Sip slowly and be thankful! Serves 2 Whipped Parsnip Dish Obviously, this is a mashed potato substitute but without the guilt and bloating. Ingredients: 2 and 1/2 cups parsnips, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked and rinsed 1/2 cup pecans, soaked and rinsed 1 and 1/4 cups water, as needed for consistency (or, if you prefer, juice a few parsnips instead) 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic 1 pinch of sea salt, optional 1 pinch of fresh or dried thyme Blend all ingredients in a food processor or Vita-Mix until very smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings, and place in serving bowl. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs and a dusting of paprika. Serves 2 Salad-Top Stuffing You can enjoy the flavors and aromas of stuffing with this salad entree that uses some of the season’s fresh nut harvest. If you can’t get fresh herbs, a few pinches of dried herbs will suffice. Ingredients: 4 cups of mixed salad greens 1 cup fresh celery juice 1 cup walnuts, soaked and rinsed 1 celery, finely chopped 1 cup chopped fennel bulb 1/2 red pepper, chopped 1 Tablespoon fresh minced rosemary 1 Tablespoon fresh minced thyme 1/4 cup fresh minced sage pinch of Celtic sea salt, optional Divide greens between 2 serving plates and set aside. Juice enough celery to make 1 cup and pour into food processor. Pulse the nuts, veggies and spices until coarse but fine and thoroughly mixed. Mound atop the greens and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Eat at room temperature. Serves 2 Sweet Potato Pudding When you simply can’t get past the pumpkin pie habit, there is a healthy raw alternative: this delicious rich pudding. Ingredients: 2 medium carrots 2 cups fresh coconut water 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped 1 tsp. finely minced ginger 1 ripe avocado 3 Tablespoons of raw honey, or 3 or 4 leaves of stevia (or a combination) 1 inch of vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. liquid vanilla) Pinch of cinnamon, to taste pinch of sea salt, optional Blend the carrots with most, but not all of, the coconut water in a Vita Mix, then add the remaining ingredients and blend. Adjust sweetening and seasonings to taste. Add more avocado if you want it thicker, more coconut water if you need to thin it. Serves 2

Raw Food Recipes (by season)