vegetarian in need of thanksgiving ideas!

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  • bedoozled
    bedoozled Posts: 189 Member
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    I'm not vegetarian myself, but my boyfriend is, and since he's joining my family for Thanksgiving this year, I've started sourcing out a few ideas :) I get pretty into the holiday, so I made a pinboard for it, where everything I'm considering is going - http://pinterest.com/kaandersen/thanksgiving/ But to give you an idea of some of the things I've found (that run the gamut from appetizers to desserts, but are all vegetarian!)...

    Appetizers/Sides:
    Sweet Potato Beer Biscuits with Maple Sage Butter

    Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants and Shaved Parmesan

    Cheesy Potato Spoon Bread

    Vanilla Mashed Potatoes

    Cranberry Sauce

    Three Mushroom Dressing

    Baked Artichoke Dip

    Sweet Potato Chips with Thyme (I cut myself with the mandolin making these...but they're pretty darn tasty!)

    Potato Dominos

    Spiced Candied Walnuts

    Mains:
    Lentil Meatloaf

    Savory Onion Pie

    Rainbow Chard Tartlets with Rosemary Almond Meal Crust

    Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage Pizza

    Hazelnut, Chard and Butternut Squash Ravioli

    Chanterelle Mushroom Soup (Vegan!)

    Drinks:
    Spicy Chai Latte

    Black Ginger Iced Tea

    Anything bourbon! I can't find the recipe right now but there's a great bourbon/ginger drink...mulled cider is also a perennial holiday favorite of mine :) Just heat some up in a sauce pan with half an orange, cloves, a stick of cinnamon, and then strain and add a drop of brandy and a dollop of whipped cream!

    Dessert (as the length of this list indicates...I suffer from a major sweet tooth and some serious indecision!):
    Honey Roasted Pears

    Cranberry Pear Tart

    Spice Kissed Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin Cheesecake (I make this almost every year and it's delicious - Paula Deen's recipe, so by no means healthy, but one slim slice oughta do you!)

    Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts

    Kabocha Squash Cake with Brown Sugar Cream (This I made last year...also superb, and you could totally sub in a more common squash - butternut, acorn - if you can't find kabocha. Plus, you get a vegetable in your dessert!)

    Apples Baked in Cider

    Caramel Roasted Pears with Cheese

    Mini Brown Sugar Spice Cakes

    Clementine Cake

    Good luck with your meal!

    Edit: Reading your post more closely, I see you're looking for a turkey substitute...which obviously none of this is :D But if you can find it, Field Roast is a pretty good meat-substitute company. I've only had their various sausages (the chorizo is great!), but I know they do some more Holiday-style roasts as well: http://www.fieldroast.com/
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    thats okay, will eat few extra portions of turkey, since vegeterians didnt.

    2LTNh.jpg

    :)
  • metalvegan
    metalvegan Posts: 133 Member
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    Bump!

    Also, I <3 tofurky roast. Yum!
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 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.

    Yeah I don't eat meat b/c it's a holiday...that's a weird thought...however It's not out of compassion, meats just grossssss
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    I would suggest not trying to substitute the meat at all, but prepare some good quality vegan or vegetarian dishes that fit your diet instead. "Fake" or "faux" meats are never as good as the real thing, and you'll just set yourself up to be disappointed if you try to substitute.

    You can do a bean casserole, squash with spices, pies, etc. There are a lot of really good vegan recipes that can be spiced up to feel more "thanksgivingy."
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
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    my sis is a vegetarian and also not into tofurkey so she takes the breaded fake chicken patties from morningstar farms (cuz they are her favorite) and she uses a butter knife to remove the breading coating which is easy after they're cooked.
  • TriPixie
    TriPixie Posts: 28
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    I guess you have to ask yourself WHY you wouldn't have turkey once a year on Thanksgiving. I realize you are eating primarily vegetarian, but hear me out...

    I eat a primarily vegan diet. I do it because I think my body digest plant based nutrition better and I am getting a great array of vitamins and nutrients by replacing meat protein with plant protein, and lack of dairy and eggs in my diet has contributed significantly to the reduction of inflammation in my joints.

    I don't eat vegan because I think that eating meat is wrong. I don't eat vegan to be a part of a club or have a label. Depending on my financial situation in any given month, I eat cheese and eggs to make due with what I can on a limited budget. I am not a perfect vegan/vegetarian.

    So...when the urge or opportunity arises to have a gorgeous piece of well cooked, lean meat, I eat it! I agree with others that you should avoid things that are overly processed. Enjoy your life, enjoy your food and be happy!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Tofurky?
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 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.

    The OP's ORIGINAL post didn't mention anything about a compassion, ethics or religion. Just a desire to replace a craving for MEAT. Many people go veggie for dietary reasons and have no issue with the compassion or spiritual ideals.

    And if you want to get technical about it, in Genesis 9:3 the Lord said: "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." NIV
  • lilmisfit
    lilmisfit Posts: 860 Member
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    We had this http://www.fieldroast.com/products/retail/hazelnut-cranberry-roast-en-croute/ for Thanksgiving last year and it was delish!

    This year we are lucky enough that our favorite veggie diner is offering their Thanksgiving meals for takeout, so we are getting a veggie turkey roast and pumpkin ravioli with all the sides! Can't wait!!!
  • hollykaplan
    hollykaplan Posts: 33
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    We have the usual mashed potatoes and stuffing, as well as lentil loaf instead of turkey.
  • hollykaplan
    hollykaplan Posts: 33
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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.

    The OP's ORIGINAL post didn't mention anything about a compassion, ethics or religion. Just a desire to replace a craving for MEAT. Many people go veggie for dietary reasons and have no issue with the compassion or spiritual ideals.

    And if you want to get technical about it, in Genesis 9:3 the Lord said: "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." NIV

    Um, not everyone adheres to a Judeo-Christian philosophy, fyi.
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
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    Um, not everyone adheres to a Judeo-Christian philosophy, fyi.

    You are exactly right, just as not every vegetarian has a spiritual or compassionate objection to meat. Remember, at the time I posted, the OP had NOT expressed such views.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    And if you want to get technical about it, in Genesis 9:3 the Lord said: "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." NIV

    Ah so cannibalism is fine then? :bigsmile:

    I was planning on making a nut roast but the calories were 700 a slice! I think I'm going to get Quorn pork and apple sausages (yum and do taste like meat if that's what you're after!) and then load up on stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, veggies and gravy. I was never a huge fan of turkey anyway.
  • Hannahrose206
    Hannahrose206 Posts: 11 Member
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    Gardein makes a pretty good substitute

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