Friday, November 1, 2013

Thanksgiving Sweet Potato and Apple "Tzimis"

Sweet Potato Casserole
Are you looking for a vegan and gluten free healthy casserole for your Thanksgiving table?
I love sweet potato casseroles, but I don't love the gooey sweet potato casseroles that are full of sugar and marshmallows. That kind of casserole is more like a dessert instead of a food.



So unlike many traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato casseroles, this sweet potato and apple tzimis casserole is made with real whole unprocessed produce. Which translates into - it's delicious and healthy at the same time!. 

Why Do I Call it Tzimis 
Tzimis is a yiddish word that means "a big fuss." 
The common yiddish word is used in conversation to say, " Don't make such a Tzimis over this" , meaning don't make such a big fuss over this! 
So, a sweet potato tzimis is a dish that you made a big fuss over.

But don't worry, like most of my gluten free vegan recipes, my tzimis casseole is fast and easy to make.



This delicious recipe calls for sweet potato and raw and dried fruit. In addition, there is an optional step to add caramelized onions which takes a little more time, but is worth it.  It tastes great either way. Making it without the onions is quicker and keeps it relatively fat free.

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah 
This year Thanksgiving and Hanukkah fall on the same day. Never happened before in this century!
" They" have coined the word Thanksgivukkah for this phenomenon of Hanukkah falling on Thanksgiving. It will only happen once in a lifetime. I read the following explanation of why in Today.com

" Because the Jewish and Gregorian calendars aren't calculated the same way, Chanukah shows up at different times each year. Usually the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights happens in December, but this year, it falls on Turkey Day. The convergence has only happened once before, in 1888, and won't be seen again until 2070 and again in 2165, according to calculations by Jonathan Mizrahi, a quantum physicist at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. After that, the two holidays aren't set to overlap until 76,695." ( quoted from Today.com)




Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thick
3 large apples, cored and sliced  into thin wedges ( I used organic apples, so I didn't peel)
10-12 pitted sweet prunes ( I soaked mine for about 1/2 hour to soften, but not necessary_
10-12 dried apricots ( I soaked mine for about 1/2 hour first to soften them, but not necessary)
1-2 large oranges, sqeezed for juice. Squeeze over the casserole and push out some pulp too.
Cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon or more to taste.
Optional: 2 large onions, sliced in half moons or rings, sauteed in olive oil until caramelized

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced sweet potato in an oblong Pyrex dish. Add apple, prunes, apricots, orange juice and top with cinnamon. If desired add the caramelized onions and mix into the casserole. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the sweet potato is nice and soft and mushy. Perfect for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free.


Gather Ingredients

sliced sweet potatoes
Peel Sweet Potatoes, slice in rounds and lay in oblong pyrex dish
                               
Slice apples and add to casserole ( I used organic apples and didn't peel them)


Add prunes, apricots, and freshly sqeezed OJ- Dust top with cinnamon


Optional step: slice onions and sautee until carmelized
                 
( Optional: ) Add sweet carmelized onions to casserole and bake  

The sweet potato will melt together in this flavorful and healthy side dish.      
            
What else could you make on Thankgivukkah??? 
Sweet Potato Latkes of course ! Watch for the recipe in one of my future posts!           
 Enjoy this vegan Tzimmis for Passover.. You 'lll love it..
Quote of the day: The Happiness of Your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.. Marcus Aurelius

May be shared on some of the following blog carnivals: Blog Carnivals                          
Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Blogging is lonely without your comments!!Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

13 comments:

  1. That recipe looks and sounds absolutely delicious - I can almost taste it now. Thanks for a fun post and a great recipe. I had heard about Thanksgivvukah last week, but your post was way more fun! Happy Thanksgivvukah to everyone. This dish will make it that much more special.

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  2. Wow!!! These are seems very tasty and delicious. I like your recipe. I will try it.
    Happy Thanksgivvukah

    Regards,
    Mangosteen Juice

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  3. Like this ! especially with carmelized onions.....

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  4. Really interesting story about the holidays falling on the same day and the recipe sounds wonderful!

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  5. Sounds really delicious and easy to make. I will have to add this to my recipe list. Visiting from Real Food Fridays. Thanks for sharing

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    1. It's different and uses lots of sweet veggies and dried fruit

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  6. I think everyone is in a tzimis over Thanksgiving and Chanukah overlapping… it is bizarre and I love your sweet potatoes. Enjoy both holidays and thank you for sharing your traditions with us on foodie friday.

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  7. Oh I love finding new recipes, to bad my youngest isn't as thrilled as I am. Don't matter I want to try this, pinning to my healthy eating board, thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays.

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    Replies
    1. This is quite a sweet tasty recipe, but little ones can be fussy

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  8. Yum, this is a recipe I would certainly make a big fuss over :) Thanks for posting such a delightful sweet yet savory casserole!

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  9. What a yummy spin on sweet potatoes! I can't wait to make this for my family! Thanks for sharing this at the Plant-based Potluck Party ! What a party pleaser!

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