Why are we so intimidated by a “Vegan Thanksgiving”? Maybe because the very thought of the holiday brings on memories of turkey, ham and roasts? Desserts are filled with sugar, eggs and butter? Yeah, those are just a couple of reasons.

But who says that a vegan Thanksgiving can’t be delicious and satisfying? Non-vegans, that’s who.

Being vegan or vegetarian does bring on its challenges when you are planning a holiday menu. This was my very first shot and I think we fared pretty good! Here’s the breakdown:

So I know that meatloaf doesn’t scream Thanksgiving, but I wasn’t about to do the “Tofurkey” thing. There are more ingredients in that than I can rattle off and although we are giving up meat, I am not about to take on a whole bunch of other stuff. This Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf did the trick – chocked full of walnuts, apples, lentils and other goodness, topped with a sweet glaze.

My sweet tooth always makes me have sweet things at the table that don’t count as dessert – hence these yams, that I roasted with agave syrup and pecans.

Brussel sprout fans rejoice! These miniature cabbage lookalikes are gracing tables everywhere lately, and it’s hard not to love them when they are roasted with olive oil, salt and sliced garlic!

Okay, so here is where the “mostly” vegan part comes in. I made a Corn, Tomato and Crab Salad. It was an Emeril recipe that originally involves lobster meat, but that was the extent of our meat! It was delicious by the way….

Homemade cranberry sauce is so delicious, I am not sure why anyone buys the canned stuff. Not to mention, fresh cranberries are no more costly. Just simmer for 10 minutes in water, sugar and what ever spices you like. Let it cool to room temperature and that’ll do it! This recipe from Simply Recipes is similar to the one I made, except I used 1/4 orange juice, 3/4 cup water, cinnamon and allspice.

Lastly (but hardly least), Thanksgiving isn’t complete until you have dessert. This Vegan Apple Pie topped with Coconut Whipped Cream hit the spot.

I hope you all had a wonderful meal and time with family. What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner?