A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner

[fatmat]

Deadly nightshade - It is high time the world was rid of this insidious plague!!!

[Fritz Brenner]

Savory crèpes would be a good dish, sort of main-dishy for the veg. but good for everyone. You could do wild mushroom and goat cheese?

[NulloModo]

Make them all. You can never have too much on the table at Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving with my family and our old neighbors there will be an assortment of traditional, low-carb, and Brazillian dishes aboumding.

[bergerka]

I know, I know, you said you already had enough starch...and I admit I haven't actually TRIED this recipe...but it looks so damned good I can't resist posting it for you. I plan to try it at Christmas with my family in AZ. It's from Consuming Passions: A Food-Obsessed Life by Michael Lee West (the source of my sig quote).

Cousin Lula's Sweet Potato Soufflé

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup granulated sugar (I will leave out this ingredient when I make it, as Dad is diabetic)

2 eggs, beaten

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the topping.

Topping:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup crushed cornflakes (!)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

10 pecan halves

Melt the butter, add the sugar and cornflakes. Stir. Spoon over the potato mixture. Sprinkle on the chopped pecans and dot with the pecan halves. Return to the oven and bake ten minutes longer.

...I would guess you could top this with pralined pecans and it would be just as good, if not better...

K

[stovetop]

Deadly nightshade - It is high time the world was rid of this insidious plague!!!

I think you need to take some Valium.

Any way back to a nice Thanksgiving dinner

Make a variety of vegetables and carbs that everyone will enjoy.

You are having stuffing right; make a nice wild mushroom stuffing

second have a steamed veg like brocoli, cauliflower, carrot ...

have a roasted squash of some kind, maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger or gralic

Have a roasted mash like turnip, or yams or sweet potato

Have a roasted medely of veg, like cauliflower, carrot, yam...

do any number of lentil or bean dishes

Make a veg lagsagna with all night shade veg potato, tomato, peppers, ect

steve

Edited November 20, 2004 by stovetop (log)

[foodphotography.in]

I was thinking of preparing a thanksgiving dinner this year - completely vegetarian, eggs ok. I'm in India, so no access to fake/soy turkeys. Any ideas?

[Ttogull]

It depends on what you want. Are you trying to make something that sort of replicates traditional Tday? Or just a very good Fall dinner? Every vegan/vegetarian has to deal with these issues, and you'll find more than you could read by searching.

Since you don't have access to soy fake turkey, you might consider seitan. You can make your own from wheat flour or vital wheat gluten. I suck at making it, but I have had awesome seitan at some vegan restaurants.

http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/seitan-roast-stuffed-with-shiitakes-and-leeks/

Edited November 20, 2013 by Ttogull (log)

[FeChef]

Tofurky?

[Martin Fisher]

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin or winter squash.

I made it 29 years ago and a few times since....inspired by this article in Mother Earth News.

[heidih]

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin or winter squash.

I made it 29 years ago and a few times since....inspired by this article in Mother Earth News.

I jumped there as well when I read this. Yesterday I sampled this new product at Trader Joes http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1347

The concept is a baked half acorn squash, filled with traditional turkey pot pie ingredients, topped with puff pastry. Everyone get their own "pie". Smoked tofu cubes or lentils in lieu of turkey perhaps? Since you are in India I think having a tamarind and a cilantro chutney alongside would rally give you great varied flavor bursts.

[Lisa Shock]

I am a vegetarian. I usually just skip serving any sort of meat analog stuff, since it's not all that great. (I really, really hate Tofurkey.) There are literally hundreds of things you could serve for this meal which is essentially a harvest celebration. HERE'S this year's suggestions form The Well, with a link to over 600 recipes.

If you feel like you need a main dish, the stuffed pumpkin is big enough to qualify.

I feel that cranberries are essential, I prefer the fresh/raw relish type made with orange juice.

I also serve some sort of dressing/stuffing but, sometimes I do wild rice, sometimes I do blue cornbread with green chiles. If I do the the wild rice one, I sometimes serve stuffed mushrooms as a starter; they are stuffed with a bread-based stuffing with chopped granny smith apples and nuts.

[Andrew]

Why not do a nut roast with a cranberry sauce, not sure how available the ingredients would be in India. Here's one version

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/luxurynutandseedloaf_8883

Andrew

[annabelle]

I believe Bon Appetit and Fine Cooking magazines both have meatless Thanksgiving meals up on their websites.

[heidih]

I was thinking of preparing a thanksgiving dinner this year - completely vegetarian, eggs ok. I'm in India, so no access to fake/soy turkeys. Any ideas?

To back up - are the people you are cooking for familiar with traditional US Thanksgiving meals and want to experience it in some way or is this a theme you have chosen? The difference to me would be whether there are expectations of certain flavors or if you just want to present a unique meal that riffs on Thanksgiving.

[foodphotography.in]

I was thinking of preparing a thanksgiving dinner this year - completely vegetarian, eggs ok. I'm in India, so no access to fake/soy turkeys. Any ideas?

To back up - are the people you are cooking for familiar with traditional US Thanksgiving meals and want to experience it in some way or is this a theme you have chosen? The difference to me would be whether there are expectations of certain flavors or if you just want to present a unique meal that riffs on Thanksgiving.

Thanks Heidi - I have both people familiar (US Consulate) and people unfamiliar (locals) at my dinner :-) I'm inclined to go with the Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin, I feel it somehow aligns a bit with the 'stuffed' part whilst staying away from mock meat.

[foodphotography.in]

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin or winter squash.

I made it 29 years ago and a few times since....inspired by this article in Mother Earth News.

Thank you DiggingDogFarm - I am going to make this!

[foodphotography.in]

It depends on what you want. Are you trying to make something that sort of replicates traditional Tday? Or just a very good Fall dinner? Every vegan/vegetarian has to deal with these issues, and you'll find more than you could read by searching.

Since you don't have access to soy fake turkey, you might consider seitan. You can make your own from wheat flour or vital wheat gluten. I suck at making it, but I have had awesome seitan at some vegan restaurants.

http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/seitan-roast-stuffed-with-shiitakes-and-leeks/

Thanks Ttogull. I personally enjoy the taste of Seitan, but strangely never thought of making it! - It always felt too 'machine made/processed' I am not doing it for thanksgiving, but will definitely try it out later.

[Mjx]

Why not do a nut roast with a cranberry sauce, not sure how available the ingredients would be in India. Here's one version

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/luxurynutandseedloaf_8883

Andrew

This particular nut roast may well be delicious, but growing up in a vegetarian family, some iteration of this has been the Thanksgiving centrepiece every year, and they've never been even close good; in fact, I'd describe the texture, scent, and appearance of every single one I've been coerced me into eating as being the exact opposite of festive.

If something like this is being considered, a trial run is a must, in my opinion.

[Lisa Shock]

Why not do a nut roast with a cranberry sauce, not sure how available the ingredients would be in India. Here's one version

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/luxurynutandseedloaf_8883

Andrew

This particular nut roast may well be delicious, but growing up in a vegetarian family, some iteration of this has been the Thanksgiving centrepiece every year, and they've never been even close good; in fact, I'd describe the texture, scent, and appearance of every single one I've been coerced me into eating as being the exact opposite of festive.

If something like this is being considered, a trial run is a must, in my opinion.

I became vegetarian in 1979 and have eaten a lot of group meals with vegetarians and have also never had a good nut roast. I'd really rather just have a series of decent sides than something posing as a main dish.

[DTBarton]

As an omnivore, it seems to me that Thanksgiving is a great concept to go vegetarian. Lots of boldly flavored vegetable options. I'm also glad to see that you're eschewing fake turkey. It's always puzzled me why some vegetarians seem fixated on veggie dishes made to look like meat (turkey, burgers, hot dogs, etc.)

If I were doing a vegetarian Thanksgiving, I think I'd make a big lasagna as the centerpiece. Wild mushroom, bechamel sauce, ricotta cheese and a stuffing layer to make it authentic, just use vegetable stock for the stuffing.

[Katie Meadow]

For almost thirty years I've been familiar with vegetarians at Thanksgiving, since there have been times when exactly 3 out of 12 people at my in-laws' table have eaten the turkey, which I cook every year. The stuffing has always been vegetarian, and split between cooked inside the bird and cooked in a casserole dish. The dressing/stuffing is chestnut and corn-white bread, using a bit of apple and the usual suspects with fresh thyme and sage, adding vegetable broth to moisten the dressing that cooks outside the turkey. Someone always makes a vegetarian entree, that might range from enchiladas to lasagna to spanakopita. This year my SIL is making the recent NYT veg recipe for portobellos stuffed with nuts and rice and lentils. There are always mashed potatoes, yams, vegetable sides and a green salad and a fresh cranberry-orange salad. A popular side has always been that standard southern casserole, Spinach Madeleine. I would be thrilled by a dinner with an Indian twist, but if your guests are looking for something with that New England vibe, I would think that basic ingredients are easily available to you where you are. If fresh cranberries are not available, I would go with whatever refreshing tart fruits are to be found. Various chutneys could be a great accompaniment to any traditional thanksgiving.

And I agree with anyone above who is against faux meat. No tofurkey, please.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Katie Meadow (log)

[foodphotography.in]

As an omnivore, it seems to me that Thanksgiving is a great concept to go vegetarian. Lots of boldly flavored vegetable options. I'm also glad to see that you're eschewing fake turkey. It's always puzzled me why some vegetarians seem fixated on veggie dishes made to look like meat (turkey, burgers, hot dogs, etc.)

If I were doing a vegetarian Thanksgiving, I think I'd make a big lasagna as the centerpiece. Wild mushroom, bechamel sauce, ricotta cheese and a stuffing layer to make it authentic, just use vegetable stock for the stuffing.

For almost thirty years I've been familiar with vegetarians at Thanksgiving, since there have been times when exactly 3 out of 12 people at my in-laws' table have eaten the turkey, which I cook every year. The stuffing has always been vegetarian, and split between cooked inside the bird and cooked in a casserole dish. The dressing/stuffing is chestnut and corn-white bread, using a bit of apple and the usual suspects with fresh thyme and sage, adding vegetable broth to moisten the dressing that cooks outside the turkey. Someone always makes a vegetarian entree, that might range from enchiladas to lasagna to spanakopita. This year my SIL is making the recent NYT veg recipe for portobellos stuffed with nuts and rice and lentils. There are always mashed potatoes, yams, vegetable sides and a green salad and a fresh cranberry-orange salad. A popular side has always been that standard southern casserole, Spinach Madeleine. I would be thrilled by a dinner with an Indian twist, but if your guests are looking for something with that New England vibe, I would think that basic ingredients are easily available to you where you are. If fresh cranberries are not available, I would go with whatever refreshing tart fruits are to be found. Various chutneys could be a great accompaniment to any traditional thanksgiving.

And I agree with anyone above who is against faux meat. No tofurkey, please.

:-) Thanks Katie and DTBarton. Faux meat is well, just not happening...

Yes we are looking for the New England vibe and will go with the stuffed roasted pumpkin