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A Sample Thanksgiving Meal
Introduction
I've always promised myself I'd put together a sample Thanksgiving
menu for vegetarians to use as a guide for the largest food-centric
celebration in the US. This is often challenging for vegetarians because
of the expectations people have about it and conversely, it's quite
easy, because the dishes traditionally are always the same. There
are always vegetables, lots of 'em. There is always cranberry sauce
(canned or fresh-made). Usually a salad. Pumpkin pie and maybe other
desserts. Mashed potatoes and gravy, not to mention stuffing! And
of course, the centerpiece of it all, the turkey. With that last item
as an exception, it's rather simple to replace everything with vegan
or vegetarian substitutions that will not be missed at by those eating.
Might I suggest...
Appetizers
Absolutely no need for these - there should be so much other food
that will incompacitate anyone that they shouldn't need any. A healthy
appetite is a prerequisite to eating.
Vegetables
You can use as many or as few as you like. The main premise behind
choosing your vegetables is to try and keep it simple. Veges are for
color and to provide a simple counterpoint to the more complex stuffings
and casseroles in the rest of the meal. Oh, and it's also about quantity,
but you already knew that.
- Twice-baked squash - To simplify,
serve the squash in a caserole pan rather than refilling the butternut
squash. Make two large squashes for a crowd.
- Mashed potatoes and gravy. Hopefuly you've made these before.
They're rather simple: peel white or red boiling potatoes (not
russet). Chop into chunks, cover with water, and boil until soft.
Drain, reserving water. Add margarine (approx. 1/2 stick or more
for a large pot), 1/2 cup soymilk, and enough water to mash into
the right correct consistency.
- Frozen white sweet corn: boil in water until heated. Drain and
dress with margarine. For a more unique flavor, saute finely diced
red onions in oil or margarine until soft, add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
prepared wasabi (japanese horseradish found in the ethnic section
of most supermarkets). Mix, add cooked corn and 2 Tbsp. minced
parsley. Heath through and serve.
- Steamed asparagus or broccoli - top with margarine.
- Steamed carrots: peel and slice into sticks. Top with margarine
and parsley.
- Steamed cauliflower, or Cauliflower
Au Gratin.
- Mixed salad. Do not add dressing until immediately before serving
or it will become wilted. Try Balsalmic
vinegar dressing?
- Yams glazed with orange and honey. Sorry, you'll have to look
elsewhere for a suitable recipe. (I'm not that fond of yams.)
Stuffing
I typically make 3 stuffings:
- Rice and Mushroom Stuffing
- Sweet Cornbread stuffing - sweetened with some fresh apple juice,
the cornbread provides a nice foil for the apple flavor and nuts.
Recipe coming soon.
- Traditional bread stuffing - The meal would be amiss without
plain ol' bread stuffing! Make sure to get a loaf or two of rustic
bread a few days in advance to get suitably stale bread in time
to make this! Recipe coming soon.
Main Course
This is the only challenging part (other than the logistics of cooking
a zillion dishes at one time). You have several options, starting
with making something yourself, or buying the health food store staple
- tofurkey (which I have never personally tried). If you choose to
make something yourself, try any one of the following, including gravy
of course:
- Seitan Stuffed Squash - make
1/2 squash per person (or 1 squash per every two people). Acorn
squash is the best choice - it's the perfect size for a main dish,
and holds up much better than the delicata when lack of attention
(ahem, busy-ness) is involved.
- Southern Baked Tofu - this is
probably my favorite time to have this dish. Fairly easy to make,
just takes some assembly time. I'll try and get the quantities
nailed down before Thanksgiving, so hang on!
Accompaniments
Not quite dishes of their, these are still essential to having a proper
Thanksgiving meal (as the majority of us will define it):
- Nutritional Yeast Gravy - this
is the only gravy y ou will need. If you have more than 5 people
to feed, double the recipe. It goes wonderfully over either main
dish, all stuffings, and even on top of the vegetables, though
they shouldn't need it.
- Cranberry sauce - make your own or buy a can or jar from your
local market.
- Whipped tofu topping - for any and all pies that get served.
Perfect for pumpkin pie. Recipe coming soon.
Dessert
- Pumpkin Pie - what else do you
need? Maybe some whipped tofu topping on top. It's not quite the
same as whipped cream, but thick and tasty regardless. Make two.
They go fast, and this is a great leftover for the next few days
(makes a great cold breakfast, trust me).
- Applie pie or pecan pie - No recipes here. Have your friends
bring these. Making two pumpkin pies will be more than sufficient
for a crowd.
One last word...
If anyone has any comments about their own menu, please let me know - I'd be
glad to include your comments here for others to read. Happy eating!
--Tara McDermott |
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