I can almost smell the turkey cooking already! There is something special about walking into the house and smelling a roasting turkey, fresh buns and hearing laughter fill the room. Just because this holiday revolves around a big family meal doesn't mean we need to be slaves to the kitchen.
Simple Thanksgiving Recipes with Almond Breeze!
First up is one of my favorite snacks hummus but this isn't your ordinary recipe, Almond Breeze has taken my love for hummus and sweet potatoes to make a delicious appetizer everyone will love.
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 2
- cups)
- 3 shallots, peeled and halved
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper
- 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Almond Breeze® Vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tahini
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each paprika and ground cumin
- Carrot and celery sticks
- Whole grain crackers
- Toss together sweet potato, shallots, garlic, 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the olive oil and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet; bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Let cool.
- In food processor, purée sweet potatoes, shallots, garlic, chickpeas, Almond Breeze, tahini, remaining olive oil, remaining salt and pepper, paprika and cumin until smooth. Sprinkle with extra paprika before serving if desired.
- Serve with carrot and celery sticks, and whole grain crackers.
The Sweet Potato Hummus will be a guest favorite, and the best part is it is a healthy snack when paired with the right veggies and whole grain crackers! An easy way to get a couple serving of fruit and veggies before you indulge in the holiday treats.
The next simple recipe from Almond Breeze is Cream of Carrot Soup with Almond Croutons it is guaranteed to warm you up on a cold fall day.
- 2 1/2 lbs (1.125 kg) carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 slices whole grain bread*
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Almond Breeze® Unsweetened Original
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt, separated
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper, separated
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F (180˚C).
- In a large pot, cover carrots with cold water and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low-heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Reserve 1 cup (250 mL) of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, slice bread into 1/4 inch (5 mm) cubes to make croutons. Add cubed bread to a large mixing bowl with olive oil and sliced almonds. Gently toss to combine. Place croutons onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.
- Transfer the carrots and 1 cup of cooking water to a blender; pulse until smooth. Add almond beverage, tarragon, sage and remaining sea salt and pepper; puree soup until well combined. Transfer soup to four serving bowls. Serve warm topped with almond croutons.
This would be a great lunch to serve when everyone gets back from a walk out in the crisp fall air! Getting a little exercise as a family on the long weekend is a lot of fun especially if you can find leaves to play in. Heading back to the house to warm up over a bowl of soup and play some board games is a family tradition of ours.
Remember to keep things simple this Thanksgiving by serving delicious food and spending time with your loved ones! You can grab a few more recipes from Almond Breeze by downloading this fall recipe book, inside you'll find recipes for:
- Sweet Potato Hummus
- Cream of Carrot Soup with Almond Croutons
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
- Pomegranate Pow Smoothie
I can't wait to try these recipes out on Thanksgiving weekend! I bet we'll find a couple new fall favorites to add to our weekly menu plans.
What's your favorite simple recipe for Thanksgiving?