vegetarian in need of thanksgiving ideas!

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2

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  • spisea
    spisea Posts: 41 Member
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    Hey everyone!

    I've been veggie for a few years now and most of the time I don't miss meat. But Thanksgiving is different. I DO miss the turkey and I miss even more the turkey sammies the next day! Last year, I tried a Tofurkey and it was.....in a word....AWFUL! Does anyone know of any good substitutes for a turkey day turkey?

    Thanks in advance!
    Laura

    one of my favorite things I used to make is butternut squash lasgna with a sage infused bechamel sauce. it's fab.

    OMG. That sounds amazing. Is the recipe online?
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
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    Hey everyone!

    I've been veggie for a few years now and most of the time I don't miss meat. But Thanksgiving is different. I DO miss the turkey and I miss even more the turkey sammies the next day! Last year, I tried a Tofurkey and it was.....in a word....AWFUL! Does anyone know of any good substitutes for a turkey day turkey?

    Thanks in advance!
    Laura

    one of my favorite things I used to make is butternut squash lasgna with a sage infused bechamel sauce. it's fab.

    OMG. That sounds amazing. Is the recipe online?

    holy hell that DOES sound amazing. i would love to get that recipe too, imma google it :bigsmile:
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
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    I have tried lots of things oer the years and for many years made a tofu potpie, whose original recipe was in a Peta magazine.. Delicious. Bt, i decided i needed more protein at the table. I tried a Quorn cranberry and goat cheese cutlet last year that not bad. My sister liked it more than i did. He are some links for ideas. I may actually try something new this year like one of the field roasts. I do, btw, like the tofurky deli slices. Yu could heat themm up and put them on your plate, simple idea... If you made a good gravy you could probably make a great post thanksgiving sandwich.. In fact they even have a recipe on the back of the box for that!
    http://www.fieldroast.com/
    http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/vegan-thanksgiving-series-main-dish.html
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,365 Member
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    one of my favorite things I used to make is butternut squash lasgna with a sage infused bechamel sauce. it's fab.

    OMG. That sounds amazing. Is the recipe online?

    holy hell that DOES sound amazing. i would love to get that recipe too, imma google it :bigsmile:


    Sorry, it's not online...it's my own creation. I never use recipes, I just create from my head and it comes out amazing. so my "recipe" isn't something you'd find on google...sorry about that. :(
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
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    Tofurkey meal it's delish!
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Hey everyone!

    I've been veggie for a few years now and most of the time I don't miss meat. But Thanksgiving is different. I DO miss the turkey and I miss even more the turkey sammies the next day! Last year, I tried a Tofurkey and it was.....in a word....AWFUL! Does anyone know of any good substitutes for a turkey day turkey?

    Thanks in advance!
    Laura

    Chicken is a decent substitute for turkey.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Quorn is a decent substitute as is Gardein - they do a fake stuffed turkey thingy. Their products are surprisingly good (I do not like tofurky myself at all).
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Tofurkey meal it's delish!

    +1 to this.
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
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    i think a beautiful roasted butternut squash as the main course on Thanksgiving is elegant and def feels special.

    btw, collards are very traditional on Thanksgiving and they are fantastic...taste and health wise.
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
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    Well, since "cheat" days are such a popular topic right now... why not schedule Thanksgiving as a "cheat day" and eat the turkey that you so dearly miss!?!?

    Because there are broader spiritual and/or ethical considerations around being vegetarian. This isn't just about calories to which you could compensate for at a later date. When we restrain ourselves from killing (as much as possible) for our food, we commit to a path of compassion for all life, not just human life. If you violate that, its a bigger deal than just "oops! I slipped on my diet."

    Realistically, many vegetarians have slips, where they don't live up this path of compassion. Its not OK, but it is normal, and we need to have compassion for ourselves as well. If Thanksgiving is really a time when you aren't ready to let go of meat, then have compassion for yourself, too.

    But you do need to know that there are lots of tasty, filling alternatives to turkey for thanksgiving. Because of our national obsession with having this one meat at this one time of year, almost every household in the US at the same time, the living turkeys go through extra hell before and as they are slaughtered. Their natural growing-up is manipulated to fit our timetable, so that they will be ready for slaughter all at the same time of year. They are killed quickly and with little regard for making their deaths quick and painless. For these reasons and others, Thanksgiving is an especially important day for we vegetarians to take a stand and choose to consume products which don't involve such brutal practices.

    THANK YOU. I'm so tired of people thinking it's perfectly normal for vegans and vegetarians to eat meat on occasion. My mother always tells me "oh just have one bite of this burger it's not going to hurt you." Maybe not, but it is going to make me feel like I just killed an animal and that would make me feel like a terrible person.
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
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    Hey everyone!

    I've been veggie for a few years now and most of the time I don't miss meat. But Thanksgiving is different. I DO miss the turkey and I miss even more the turkey sammies the next day! Last year, I tried a Tofurkey and it was.....in a word....AWFUL! Does anyone know of any good substitutes for a turkey day turkey?

    Thanks in advance!
    Laura

    Chicken is a decent substitute for turkey.

    Chicken is meat too.
  • laura328
    laura328 Posts: 136 Member
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    It made me laugh to think a serious vegeterian would eat meat.

    Who said I was going to eat meat? The reason for my post was to find an alternative to the turkey! And I sure do appreciate all the responses. I have lots of yummy ideas now!

    You guys rock!
  • laura328
    laura328 Posts: 136 Member
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    I too am a Vegetarian and I have a yummy option for you!
    First of all, I don't think you should take the advice of some people telling you to take a "cheat day" from your Vegetarian diet to eat some turkey on Thanksgiving, it my mind it simply does not work like that. You became vegetarian for a reason didn't you?

    Anyways, what I did this Thanksgiving (I am Canadian, so I celebrated it in October) was so simple yet delicious.
    It's not a turkey substitute, though, but it's a meal you can prepare to share with everybody and they will like it too! (I know my family did!)

    In my family, we call this meal "Rice in a Box" so I don't know the actual name for it, haha.
    You will need:
    - One package of faux-ground beef
    - Whole grain brown rice (about 1.5-2 cups cooked)
    - One whole grain/Whole wheat fresh baked bread (oval shaped is best)

    All you need to do it cut a hole at the top of the bread and scoop out the inside, making a sort of bowl with the bread. Then, add the ingredients into it (you can even add veggies if you like!), and wrap it in foil and put in the oven at 350 degrees celsius for 45 minutes.
    and voila! a yummy, crunchy meal for the family to share!

    You're right! While I appreciate and respect everyone's opinion, eating meat of any kind is simply not an option. It's not like taking a cheat day on a low calorie diet by eating a bunch of high calorie foods.

    Thanks for another amazing sounding recipe!! Hope your thanksgiving was wonderful!
  • laura328
    laura328 Posts: 136 Member
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    Well, since "cheat" days are such a popular topic right now... why not schedule Thanksgiving as a "cheat day" and eat the turkey that you so dearly miss!?!?

    Because there are broader spiritual and/or ethical considerations around being vegetarian. This isn't just about calories to which you could compensate for at a later date. When we restrain ourselves from killing (as much as possible) for our food, we commit to a path of compassion for all life, not just human life. If you violate that, its a bigger deal than just "oops! I slipped on my diet."

    Realistically, many vegetarians have slips, where they don't live up this path of compassion. Its not OK, but it is normal, and we need to have compassion for ourselves as well. If Thanksgiving is really a time when you aren't ready to let go of meat, then have compassion for yourself, too.

    But you do need to know that there are lots of tasty, filling alternatives to turkey for thanksgiving. Because of our national obsession with having this one meat at this one time of year, almost every household in the US at the same time, the living turkeys go through extra hell before and as they are slaughtered. Their natural growing-up is manipulated to fit our timetable, so that they will be ready for slaughter all at the same time of year. They are killed quickly and with little regard for making their deaths quick and painless. For these reasons and others, Thanksgiving is an especially important day for we vegetarians to take a stand and choose to consume products which don't involve such brutal practices.
    I could not have said it better! Thank you for understanding!
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    If you can find it gardein has a cranberry stuffed fake turkey better than tofurkey.....soooo much better. I can only find it at whole foods sometimes...other grocery stores have gardein but not that one.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    I love making lentil loaf for thanksgiving! I pour ketchup over the top like I used to on meatloaf and it makes a delicious crust, then I drown the whole thing in mushroom gravy! So delicious and comforting for the holidays!

    Also, The Post-Punk Kitchen's Chickpea Cutlets would be delicious too! You can find the recipe here: http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    Just skip the turkey and load up on all the other goodies. :wink:
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
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    Tofu turkey, green beans, corn, stuffing (without meat), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie... Your options are pretty much endless Lol
  • EatClenTrenHard
    EatClenTrenHard Posts: 339 Member
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    thats okay, will eat few extra portions of turkey, since vegeterians didnt.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    I was vegetarian for 10 years (my daughter still is)...I just need meat. I was NOT healthy as a vegetarian, even though I had a nutritionist, etc. THAT being said, a favorite vegetarian recipe for Thanksgiving is a vegetable 'pie'. It was so amazing.

    Similar to this:

    http://www.food.com/recipe/ina-gartens-roasted-vegetable-torte-barefoot-contessa-230689

    And it is true...as a vegetarian, I couldn't just eat meat beacuse I missed it. I had strong convictions against it...which i still do, and deal with (lolol daily struggle). I do feel TONS BETTER when I eat meat. But I always think about going back to vegetarian.

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