From The Vegan Kitchen: Thanksgiving
Tofurkey
Many newer vegetarians can be a little frightened by the thought of Thanksgiving without a Turkey, but there are numerous substitutes on the market that are much more animal friendly (and health friendly and environmentally friendly, but I digress). I enjoy a Celebration Field Roast, but many people also turn to the Tofurkey.
I know Tofurkey is a funny name and the roast is actually kind of funny looking, but they are quite tasty and you can do numerous things with them. You can prepare a Tofurkey according to the package directions (with soy sauce and orange juice) or you can coat them with melted margarine and poultry seasoning, a la the non-vegetarian turkey. You can baste with Cajun seasoning and olive oil, use margarine and curry, or use an injector and marinate with whatever liquid marinade suits your fancy.
Experiment, try new things and just think about what flavors you like. I may use the same seasonings as I do in chili recipes and see how that turns out. Or, I may make it with Italian seasoning…or maybe I’ll do a maple glaze…mmm, so many options…
Roasted Curry Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes-peeled and diced
1/4 stick of butter
2 tablespooons curry powder (more to taste)
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and mix in the curry powder.
3. Place diced potatoes in a casserole dish and pour butter mixture over to coat.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients:
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 package sliced mushrooms (baby Bellas work well)
2 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon sage
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm water
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions.
3. Cover and cookuntil soft-about 5 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the vegetable broth, tamari and sage and bring to a boil.
6. Allow to simmer for a few minutes and then add the cornstarch. Allow to thicken and add black pepper.
7. Take off heat and blend until desired consistency with an immersion blender ( or pour in to a food processor). If wanted, you can add some browning liquid to give the gravy a darker brown color.
Roasted Winter Vegatables
2 leeks cleaned and diced (can also use 2 large onions)
2 pounds red potatoes cubed
1 pound of carrots sliced
2 pounds Brussels’ Sprouts cleaned (cut in half if large)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Olive Oil
Fresh rosemary (though dry will work)
Pinch or two dry sage
Black pepper (to taste)
Pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Spray a casserole dish with olive oil or coat with olive oil.
3. Add the leeks to the bottom of the dish and then add the remaining vegetables.
4. Coat with olive oil and then season with the garlic, rosemary, sage, black pepper and salt.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour (check after 45 minutes) or until soft.
Contributed by Joe Hinkle
Manager of Behavior & Admissions at Wayside Waifs