VEGAN Thanksgiving

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cyruscyrus
cyruscyrus Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
HI!

i know it's a little early, but i am six months in as a vegan (first time being vegetarian or anything in my life, actually) and am approaching my first vegan thanksgiving. DISCUSS. anyone have experiences (horror stories), recipes, etc?

also, feel free to add me, i don't have a lot going on in my feed!

Replies

  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Best ever... http://theveganronin.blogspot.com/2007/11/homemade-tofurky.html


    Enjoy. it's worth the effort.
  • LB2812
    LB2812 Posts: 158 Member
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    Kinda depends on the who i'm spending the holiday meal with lol some are more open to modifying dishes or trying new things I might bring, others- not so much! In those situations, I bring my own little tupperware and eat what I have.

    A nice dish if you want something to cover all your food groups and generally goes over well with others is a shepard's pie (just make it without cheese). I've made it in the past using the soy ground meat stuff, but I make it now using lentils. Tons of variations on it out there, I know I have lentils and carrots in there but I forget what else!

    Mushrooms are good for veggie holiday food... they're hearty and make lots of yummy things.

    Now a thing to look out for if you're eating elsewhere is chicken stock. I've found some people no matter how long they've known your a veg*an will just not pay attention to using it! Mashed potatos, stuffing, it's all suspect. :cry:
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Kinda depends on the who i'm spending the holiday meal with lol some are more open to modifying dishes or trying new things I might bring, others- not so much! In those situations, I bring my own little tupperware and eat what I have.

    A nice dish if you want something to cover all your food groups and generally goes over well with others is a shepard's pie (just make it without cheese). I've made it in the past using the soy ground meat stuff, but I make it now using lentils. Tons of variations on it out there, I know I have lentils and carrots in there but I forget what else!

    Mushrooms are good for veggie holiday food... they're hearty and make lots of yummy things.

    Now a thing to look out for if you're eating elsewhere is chicken stock. I've found some people no matter how long they've known your a veg*an will just not pay attention to using it! Mashed potatos, stuffing, it's all suspect. :cry:

    QFT... the problem I run into is that meat is beef and beef only in my family. Anything outside of that narrow category is not an animal product. Or so I'm told. "Oh honey, it's not meat, it's chicken."
  • sarah456s
    sarah456s Posts: 98 Member
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    My only horror story is that I now have to make the same darn Tofurky roast every year because people expect it!! I'm kind of bored of it, but in my family everyone is assigned a dish to make/bring, and that's mine. Done. The tradition is set!

    I get the Tofurky roast with the stuffing in the middle, and cook according to package directions, with carrots and onions around it. And I get the Tofurky gravy and heat separately. But once the roast is done, I slice it, lay it in a dish with the roasted carrots and onions and pour the gravy over. And then put it in the fridge overnight. We heat it up again on Thursday.

    The Tofurky roast is dry and chewy if you eat right after cooking. But marinating overnight in the gravy seems to fix everything, and it is moist and tasty.

    We serve it as an additional stuffing-type dish, and the meat eaters love it. And then me and any other veggies can have it instead of turkey. I complain, but it's actually pretty good.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I am not vegan, but you can always break from tradition when it comes to the main dish. Think pumpkin or butternut lasanga, etc... And then just keep the regular sides: mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc...
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    I like turkey
    and ham
  • LB2812
    LB2812 Posts: 158 Member
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    I am not vegan, but you can always break from tradition when it comes to the main dish. Think pumpkin or butternut lasanga, etc... And then just keep the regular sides: mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc...

    I am intriqued by this butternut lasagna you speak of :love:
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    My only horror story is that I now have to make the same darn Tofurky roast every year because people expect it!! I'm kind of bored of it, but in my family everyone is assigned a dish to make/bring, and that's mine. Done. The tradition is set!

    I get the Tofurky roast with the stuffing in the middle, and cook according to package directions, with carrots and onions around it. And I get the Tofurky gravy and heat separately. But once the roast is done, I slice it, lay it in a dish with the roasted carrots and onions and pour the gravy over. And then put it in the fridge overnight. We heat it up again on Thursday.

    The Tofurky roast is dry and chewy if you eat right after cooking. But marinating overnight in the gravy seems to fix everything, and it is moist and tasty.

    We serve it as an additional stuffing-type dish, and the meat eaters love it. And then me and any other veggies can have it instead of turkey. I complain, but it's actually pretty good.

    Cook it with a baste in a crock pot... eliminates the dry. Or use the recipe that I posted to OP's original comment. It's way better.
  • clsindc
    clsindc Posts: 23 Member
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    Check out the Post Punk Kitchen site. She has a great recipe for making a seitan loaf (Tofurky) from scratch, minus all the extra ingredients you don't need. Roasted brussels sprouts make such a delicious side, too.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Best ever... http://theveganronin.blogspot.com/2007/11/homemade-tofurky.html


    Enjoy. it's worth the effort.

    You. Are. Amazing!
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Best ever... http://theveganronin.blogspot.com/2007/11/homemade-tofurky.html


    Enjoy. it's worth the effort.

    You. Are. Amazing!

    Thanks... but I can't take credit. Give all Praise to the Vegan Ronin, wander with the knives. Her recipes, as well as those of PPK as I saw mentioned earlier are among some of my favorites.
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
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    We were expecting a token vegan at our Thanksgiving dinner last year; she didn't end up coming, but some of the options I'd been considering were:

    Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Baked Risotto - http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=3865&catId=11
    Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
    Butternut Squash (or Pumpkin) Ravioli

    Here's a whole list of options from one of my favorite websites: http://ohsheglows.com/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes/

    Happy eating!!! :drinker:
  • kitsune1989
    kitsune1989 Posts: 93 Member
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    Last year I made quinoa and cranberry stuffed acorn squash and it was amazing. I also made carrot cake for everyone. :)
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    I did a full vegan Thanksgiving 2 years ago for my son's girlfriend. It was very simple. I used all of my regular recipes. For chicken stock I substituted vegetable stock. For eggs I substituted a ground flax seed substitute I found on line. I used almond or soy milk instead of cow's milk. I bought vegan margarin instead of butter. I made sure I used vegan bread in the dressing / stuffing. We liked the vegan pumpkin pie better than my normal recipe - the ground flax seed gave it a nice nutty flavor.

    I think what I served that year was stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, wild rice salad, homemade cranberry sauce, green salad, rolls and pumpkin pie. We didn't even miss the turkey.

    I still do all of my sides vegan and just prepare her a special main dish (last year it was a stuffed portabella mushroom wellington). I fix a turkey for the rest of the family and everyone is happy!

    Feel free to PM me if you want recipes.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Options
    I am not vegan, but you can always break from tradition when it comes to the main dish. Think pumpkin or butternut lasanga, etc... And then just keep the regular sides: mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc...

    I am intriqued by this butternut lasagna you speak of :love:
    http://www.simplebites.net/butternut-squash-lasagna/

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