So, vegetarians, what are you having...

eminenz2

eminenz2

Cathlete
...for Thanksgiving?

I am looking for recipe ideas to make for my husband and I for Thanksgiving dinner.

Also, Whole Foods has an awesome roasted tofu on their salad bar. Would anyone happen to have a recipe for something similar? The roasted tofu recipes I've found online seemed a bit complcated.

Thanks!

Susan L.G.
 
I know I will get laughed at about this but my Thanksgiving dinner for the last 4 years has been Tofurky. I love it and have also made the gravy from the recipes on the Tofuky box. You can usually buy it at a Health Food store but check out their site for a store near you...:)

http://www.tofurky.com/
 
I don't know if it's Thanksgiving-worthy, but here's a tofu recipe I love:

Double-Soy Ginger Tofu

Preheat oven to 400. In a small saucepan, bring 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar and 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 3 Tbsp fresh orange juice, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Cut 14 oz. extra-firm, drained tofu into 12 slices and arrange in a single layer in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Pour sauce over tofu and tilt dish so tofu is coated evenly. Bake till liquid evaporates completely and tofu is deep brown, about 45 minutes (pan will look burned around edges). Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

I've never had the Whole Foods tofu you mention, but it sounds intriguing. And I'm always looking for good tofu recipes, so I hope you get more replies! (And I may have to give Tofurky a try!)

Allison
 
I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving (except as a day off!), but I like to make 'stuffing' (since it's not IN anything, I'm not sure if it IS stuffing, LOL!).

I buy a bag of Arrowhead Mills Organic Stuffing mix, sauté some onions and celery, add some dried goji berries (I presoak them to add moisture), sunflower seeds, chopped apple and sometimes extra sage from my garden (last year, I was able to pick fresh even that late in the year). Then I bake it.

I've also had Tofurkey roast before. There's another "tofu-Turkey" out there as well, but I don't remember the brand name off hand.

There are quite a few nice traditional "side dishes" like stuffing that can be adapted to make veggie or vegan and become more of a main course. Baked yams (chop them and bake with some apple juice, no added sweetener needed) are another idea.
 
I always eat (anywhere I am) whatever has not harmed animals :) Makes it easy.

As for Tofurkey, I love it!

Here's the song I sing every Thanksgiving (much to my meat eating family's dismay):
Tom Turkey sat on a back yard fence and he sang this sad, sad tune...
Thanksgiving Day is coming (gobble, gobble, gobble)...
And, I know I'll be eaten soon...
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
I would like to run away...
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,
I don't like Thanksgiving Day!
 
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I already got our Tofurkey Roast as they are on sale at the moment along with a vegan premade pumpkin pie. I've yet to find a vegan pumpkin pie recipe that really turns out well. I'm going to make dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls and a veggie to go with it all.
There's only DH and I and our two boys, so I'm not going to make a ton of food.
 
I did a dry run of a recipe called a "nut roast a la PeTA" since I was looking for something a little different. I didn't want to make it for the first time on Thanksgiving day and have it be crappy so that's why I tried it first. It turned out to be delicious, although I did a few adjustments. I'm not sure what the definition of "large" is for onions, I used one onion since the one I had was the size of a small grapefruit. I had more stuffing than roast and it was too much to fit into one loaf pan. I left it in the pan to serve as it didn't hold together like a loaf---it was more like a casserole. I think since they changed it in 2000 to reduce the fat it may have been that there wasn't enough to bind it together, which wasn't a bad thing at least in my opinion.

Here's a link if you're interested:

www.boutell.com/vegetarian/nut-roast.html
 
cataddict said:
I did a dry run of a recipe called a "nut roast a la PeTA" since I was looking for something a little different. I didn't want to make it for the first time on Thanksgiving day and have it be crappy so that's why I tried it first. It turned out to be delicious, although I did a few adjustments. I'm not sure what the definition of "large" is for onions, I used one onion since the one I had was the size of a small grapefruit. I had more stuffing than roast and it was too much to fit into one loaf pan. I left it in the pan to serve as it didn't hold together like a loaf---it was more like a casserole. I think since they changed it in 2000 to reduce the fat it may have been that there wasn't enough to bind it together, which wasn't a bad thing at least in my opinion.

Here's a link if you're interested:

www.boutell.com/vegetarian/nut-roast.html
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Quick question -- for the roast it lists one of the ingredients as "Bread" -- does it mean bread crumbs?

Monica
 
Thanks for the replies! So Tofurky is really a food, not just a joke from Everybody Loves Raymond? Is it really tasty? Is it turkey-shaped or meatloaf shaped?
 
moni_stout said:
Quick question -- for the roast it lists one of the ingredients as "Bread" -- does it mean bread crumbs?

Monica
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Hi Monica,

Not that I'm an expert, since I've only made it once, but I cubed the bread after toasting the portion for the stuffing that said "toasted." I'm planning on buying the already cubed stuffing for the "stuffing" part to save prep time on Thanksgiving day. Using bread crumbs would change the consistency of the loaf and make it denser, which might be better. That's a problem with this recipe, it's not clear in a couple of places. I was trying to get the gist of the flavors and the blend is really good, IMO, the raw cashews make it very tasty. I'd love someone else to try it with bread crumbs and report on the results!!
 
The latest issue of Vegetarian times has some really nice recipes for thanksgiving dinner. One is a mushroom/veggie filling wrapped in pyllo dough that looks really good.

I would go for a really special veggie-based main course with some pasta/dough to make it more substantial. So a tart, lasagna, etc.
 
I'm not a vegetarian per se, although I do go meatless a few times a week-- but one thing that would be really nice for Thanksgiving is a stuffed squash or pumpkin. REALLY yummy. :) Check out this link an awesome stuffed pumpkin recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/f...-and-Prunes-Stuffed-in-a-Whole-Pumpkin-231053

Carole, LOL about the tofurky! Really, I think it's awesome, but it does always make me think of "Everybody Loves Raymond!" :D

All the best & good luck!!!

~Brighton~
 
Well, I'm a kitchen adventurist and came up with this one night for hubby (who thought he hated sweet potatoes) and myself...it's not really a recipe, but it wasn't difficult.

1 onion, diced (in whatever size pieces you prefer. I went on the smaller side)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes (about the size of carrots in a bag of frozen mixed veggies)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 T coconut oil

4 cups of pre-cooked wild rice

Saute all of the ingredients in the oil. Lightly salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft; they may be slightly browned. Add the wild rice; lower heat and continue to cook until the rice is warmed back up to the temperature you prefer.

Add any seasonings that you like - I prefer garlic powder to fresh garlic in this case, so as not to overpower the other flavors. Also good is some fresh thyme - add 3 or 4 sprigs while sauteing the veggies and then remove before serving. Fresh sage can be used the same way.

Sliced or slivered almonds are good in this, as are water chestnuts or even dried cranberries.

In a nutshell: this is easy, very forgiving and savory.
 
eminenz2 said:
Thanks for the replies! So Tofurky is really a food, not just a joke from Everybody Loves Raymond? Is it really tasty? Is it turkey-shaped or meatloaf shaped?
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Tofurky is real. It is round like a ball. In the center is the stuffing. You bake it until heated through. I baste it with a mixture of soy sauce and orange juice.

You can also buy Tofurky slices year round for sandwiches. They have four different flavors. They are my favorite veggie deli slices.

http://www.tofurky.com/products.htm
 
We are from the UK, so Thanksgiving means very little to us other than a few family days at home together. But for celebrations like Christmas, we step completely out of the "have to make a meat substitute dish that goes with the usual meat accompaniments" and make a complete Indian meal. I choose 3 or 4 separate dishes (my faves are coconut and tomato cooked potatoes, spicy chick peas and garlic sauteed mushrooms) and buy some paratha bread at a local Indian store. It's the best meal we eat all year and the leftovers keep us going for 3 or 4 more days.

I think a vegetarian meal needs to throw over the concept of meat dishes and all meat's accompaniments and have its own integrity. The meal should be vegetarian all the way, with pulses and dairy products providing the main protein core of the meal, a starch (potatoes/bread or rice, maybe 2 of these, not all 3), and variety of vegetables to accompany.

I say, step outside/off and away from the box completely this holiday season!

Clare
 
There was a recipe published in vegetarian times for a Tofurky a few years ago. It turns out really yummy and I actually like it a lot better then the store bought stuff. I just have to find it and dig it out. ha Last year we also did a roasted veggies sorta recipe with sweet potatoes, parsnips ec ect. That also turned out good.
 
Jacque1038 said:
There was a recipe published in vegetarian times for a Tofurky a few years ago. It turns out really yummy and I actually like it a lot better then the store bought stuff. I just have to find it and dig it out. ha Last year we also did a roasted veggies sorta recipe with sweet potatoes, parsnips ec ect. That also turned out good.
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Hey Jacque, if you find that Tofurky recipe will you PM it to me?? TIA...:)
 
maddiesmum said:
We are from the UK, so Thanksgiving means very little to us other than a few family days at home together. But for celebrations like Christmas, we step completely out of the "have to make a meat substitute dish that goes with the usual meat accompaniments" and make a complete Indian meal. I choose 3 or 4 separate dishes (my faves are coconut and tomato cooked potatoes, spicy chick peas and garlic sauteed mushrooms) and buy some paratha bread at a local Indian store. It's the best meal we eat all year and the leftovers keep us going for 3 or 4 more days.

I think a vegetarian meal needs to throw over the concept of meat dishes and all meat's accompaniments and have its own integrity. The meal should be vegetarian all the way, with pulses and dairy products providing the main protein core of the meal, a starch (potatoes/bread or rice, maybe 2 of these, not all 3), and variety of vegetables to accompany.

I say, step outside/off and away from the box completely this holiday season!

Clare
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I totally agree, Clare. I don't care for the meat substitutes. There are so many fantastic vegetarian dishes that showcase all the wonderful foods vegetarians enjoy - why try to fake a meat and trimmings meal?
 
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