Turkey Substitute Roundup

So, I’ve been a vegetarian for half of my life now.  That means 15 Thanksgivings without turkey.  The first couple of years it was all about the sides.  I know PLENTY of people that aren’t vegetarians that prefer the sides anyway.  So, it didn’t really seem like that big of a deal to just not eat turkey.  Well, the years went on and my cooking skills did in fact increase (or at least I wasn’t burning things in the microwave anymore…).  I decided to throw a Thanksgiving holiday dinner for friends when I had moved to Baltimore, so I thought I should serve something “turkey like”.  Here are four different turkey substitutes that I have served at Thanksgivings or other holiday dinners.

Tofurky

This is the most well known substitute and when you tell people you are a vegetarian on thanksgiving, they will for sure ask if you are going to eat one.  There are some big pros to this item.  It’s both a protein source and has stuffing in one, so you don’t HAVE to make more stuffing.  The gravy that comes with it may look a little strange, but is actually quite good.  It’s actually the best prepared vegan gravy I’ve found.  The biggest downside I’ve found to the tofurky is that when it cools, it gets kind of rubbery.  The taste is fine, but the texture becomes slightly offensive.  I’ve never tried any of the “fancy” ways to prepare  the roast, but there are some fun recipes found on the site.  Tofurky is vegan.

Quorn Turk’y Roast

This was my second foray into a turkey substitute.  I had tried the naked cutlets and really liked them, so I wanted to try the roast.  THIS WAS GOOD.  Like really good. Like not just as a substitute good.  I’ve been told it both looks like and tastes very much like a pork loin, but I would have no idea.  The interesting thing about quorn is that it’s made from mycoprotein (mushroom derivative).  Before you condemn this product for being mushroom, it doesn’t actually taste like mushrooms.  My sister who HATES mushrooms loves this.  I would not follow the instructions on the box and cook the roast IN the packaging.  Take off the plastic and roast it with veggies.  I don’t eat this anymore as there is egg in the roast, but if I ate eggs this would be what I eat.

Field Roast

I wasn’t able to try the celebration roast, which apparently is pretty delicious, but I was able to snag a Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute.  The texture is a bit like soft vegan sausage.  And I did not really see a distinction in between the sausage part and the stuffing that was supposed to be there.  BUT.  This was pretty tasty.  The inside was very flavorful and had lots of herb flavors.  I made this with some stuffing and some southern style kale for a Manucci thanksgiving this year.  I think it went over pretty well.  This is vegan and very delicious.

Gardein Holiday Roast

So, I’ve been saving the best for last.  This is by far the most delicious turkey substitute out there.  And I really wouldn’t even qualify the roast as only JUST good as a turkey substitute.  It’s just plain old DELICIOUS.  I actually went back to Whole Foods to try to get some more and they were completely sold out.  Gardein is pretty new in the vegan substitutes field, but it has quickly exploded into the field.  I haven’t found a bad product yet and I will continue to keep trying as many products as possible.  I actually followed the basic instructions by the blog Meet the Shannons to make the roast and stuffing.  FYI, make stuffing with cranberries in it from now on.  SO PRETTY!  The only downside to this product is the gravy.  It needs doctoring up.  For SURE add some spices like thyme, garlic, and rosemary.  It adds so much to the fairly bland gravy.  This is totally vegan.

 

Related articles

• Vegan Holiday Turkey Alternative from PETA (bluemoonpersonaltraining.com)
• Happy Tofurky Day: Vegetarian Thanksgiving on The Rise (bluemoonpersonaltraining.com)
• Beyond Tofurkey: A Vegetarian Thanksgiving (livingthroughthesenses.com)
• Vegan Holiday Recipes and Tips (ohsheglows.com)

Pumpkin Maple Rolls

I love pumpkin.  It’s delicious and really good for you without all the added sugar to it (though I do love some sugar…).  And while you can buy canned pumpkin year round, I tend to sort of only want pumpkin during the fall/winter times.  I really want to at some point try to roast and make my own pumpkin puree, but I do love the convenience of canned pumpkin.  This will actually be the first of two pumpkin recipes that I’ve made recently.

I made these first two weeks ago for a brunch I had with a group of my running buddies.  We went up to the NCR trail and ran 10 miles first.  Then we went back to a friend’s house, where she hosted a VERY lovely brunch at her place, complete with protein shots and mimosas!  In an effort to want to try this recipe before I brought them to my in-laws, I made these first for the group and they went over so well, I knew I could make them for day after Thanksgiving brunch.  Thanks to Vegan Heartland for creating this recipe.  I really only modified it a touch to add more spice.  This recipe is split into three parts as there are three steps to assembling these rolls.

Dough Ingredients

• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
  

  Dough Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup light oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast

Pumpkin dough pre-rising

The official instructions have that you mix all the wet ingredients together in one bowl and sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  You would then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.  I on the other hand just mix everything in one bowl, though I usually add all the wet ingredients first, then add the dry to them.  Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, then place the dough back in the bowl to rise and cover with a towel.  This step can be done a day or so in advance if need be.

Filling Ingredients

• 1/3 cup vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
  

  Maple filling ingredients

• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (plus more for dusting)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

Rolled out dough

Whip together the filling ingredients.  Using a mixer will make the filling nice and light.  Set this aside.  When the dough has doubled in size, roll it out in a rectangle about 12×16.  Spread the filling evenly over the dough and all the way out to the edges.  Sprinkle some extra pumpkin pie spice for some added punch.  Roll the dough up so that it stays long.  Cut the dough in about 1 inch pieces and add to an oiled baking dish.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size.  This can be done the night/day before you want to bake them.  Bake the rolls at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes.  Make the icing while the rolls are baking.

Rolling up dough

Icing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  

  Icing ingredients

• 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix together all the ingredients.  Once the rolls are out of the oven, pour the icing evenly over the rolls.  ENJOY!

Pre baked rolls

Notes: Yes this may seem like a lot of work, but these are AMAZING.  Also, you really can make the dough a day or so before you need it then store in the refrigerator.  I don’t advise trying to add more pumpkin to the dough mixture without adding more flour.  It makes the dough pretty sticky.  Also, you can sub in honey or some other liquid sweetener other than maple syrup.  But syrup is very delicious, so I used it.

Ready to eat!

 

 

Related articles

• Pumpkin Gingersnaps (teacher-chef.com)
• pumpkin soup with goat cheese. (frugalfoodiefamily.com)
• Pumpkin Oatmeal (kitchen-chronicles.com)

Vegetable Tian

I originally wanted to make this recipe for Thanksgiving this next year.  I have it in my recipes on my Pinterest as a recipe that I wanted to make it for Thanksgiving.  With Passover being here, I wanted to make something visually appealing and delicious as well, so this recipe seemed to fit the bill.  There is nothing in it that makes it specifically FOR Passover, which is why I like it even more!

If you’ve never used a mandolin before, you are missing out.  It makes slicing vegetables in precise widths SO much easier.  And there are other inserts to use, including ones to julienne as well.  Caution: BE CAREFUL.  I totally sliced my thumb while slicing my potato.  Secondly, only FIRM vegetables can be used on a mandolin.  Do not try to cut the tomato unless you have a really nice one with serrated edges or something of that sort.  My $20 mandolin from Bed, Bath, and Beyond is not the most sophisticated piece of equipment.

• 2 TBSP  olive oil (divided)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 large roma tomatoes
• Salt, black pepper, and thyme
• Optional: parmesan cheese or possibly nutritional yeast

Preheat the oven to 375.  Coat your baking dish with olive oil non-stick spray (use a round baking dish since it looks better).  Heat a pan to medium then add the olive oil and onion.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about eight minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, until the garlic is softened.  Add the onion and garlic to the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes in 1/4 in slices.  Or use the mandolin.  In a single layer, arrange the vegetables in the pan on top of the onions and garlic.  If using a circular dish, layer one vegetable on top of the next, leaving a slight overhang with each vegetable.  Keep going around the edge and then add to the middle.  Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil on top.

Cover the dish with tinfoil and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.  Uncover the dish and grate the cheese on top if you plan on using it.  Bake for another 25-30 minutes to allow the dish to crisp up.  Enjoy!

Note: I cooked this dish to the point of cooking the potatoes through, then planned on finishing it at my mom’s, which would crisp up the veggies.  It didn’t happen.  It also wasn’t in the oven long enough.  So, make sure you get it nice and crisp at the end so it doesn’t get soggy.