A Pre-Thanksgiving Feast.

Dinner parties are the best. Especially when you get to cook, and other people compliment you on your good food.

Just kidding. (Sort of).

I had the pleasure of cooking/preparing a huge feast with a few of my friends who happen to be avid blog readers. (It is evident that these girls are avid blog readers based on the menu items that were chosen!) Quite flattering, I must say. :)

Neeru, myself, Zaynah, and Pooja [and Sarah, not pictured :( ].

There were several parts to this meal. The appetizers included a spinach, beet, garbanzo, and feta salad (dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil), stuffed mushrooms, and sweet potato fries.

Since I made the sweet potato fries earlier today, I have pictures!

Chopped sweet potatoes.

Tossed sweet potatoes in olive oil, paprika, and black pepper.

 After heating in the oven for ~10 minutes on each side at 400.

Yum.

The other appetizers:

I was pretty obsessed with these stuffed mushrooms that Pooja prepared. I will definitely be obtaining that recipe from her soon.

The main dish was a spaghetti squash casserole that resembled lasagna. 

Layers of the spaghetti squash casserole (from bottom to top):

• spaghetti squash
• homemade tomato sauce*
• spaghetti squash
• ricotta cheese
• homemade tomato sauce
• diced mushrooms
• parmesan cheese

*Homemade tomato sauce: simmer over medium heat a combination of garlic, olive oil, tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, 1 cup water, olives, and leftover spinach mixture that was used for the stuffed mushrooms.

The spaghetti squash casserole was put in the oven at 375 just until the cheese melted (about 15 minutes). More baking was unnecessary as the spaghetti squash had already been cooked as had the sauce.

For dessert, Zaynah took over the fruit tart. Except for the fact that I asked her if there was some way we could incorporate some pumpkin puree, because 1) I have a lot of it and 2) it's almost Thanksgiving, so why not?

So we tweaked the recipe a bit, and added 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and less lemon juice. Everything else stayed the same.

With cinnamon sprinkled on top, it tasted like a warm pumpkin pie!

Overall, it was a wonderfully delicious and filling meal. Thanks to everyone for their efforts. :)