There Is No Turkey Here
"Are you fixing turkey?" A question I get probably every year since going plant based. Since I do the cooking, and I admit our family is supportive of our way of eating, there is no turkey on our Thanksgiving table.
So then people are curious...what do you eat? Just salad...NO, just kidding. We have a pretty traditional meal. This is the menu I have narrowed down from testing recipes and getting things personalized to our family. If you want the recipe, just click on the menu item.
Turkey substitute: Slow Cooked Seitan Roast. This is probably the best homemade seitan recipe I have personally made, and it has been gracing our Thanksgiving table for at least 3 years. It is moist and tender. One of the beauties of this is it can cook in your slow cooker for up to 24 hours, so I can make it on Wednesday, put it in the slow cooker, and not worry about it again until it is time to slice it up.
For the dressing, I use this Sweet & Savory Cornbread Stuffing. I like this dressing with the recommended cornbread recipe (I substituted the oil with applesauce). To help me with my time, I made the cornbread earlier in the week and stored it in my refrigerator.
Did you know marshmallows aren't plant based? They have gelatin in them, which is made from animal parts. So, this Sweet Potato Pineapple Casserole with Pecan Streusel is how I serve the sweet potatoes.
Per my daughter's request several years ago, homemade applesauce was added to the menu. I used to make it in the slow cooker, similar to this recipe, except I use Granny Smiths, less sugar, 1-2 T lemon juice, and no pumpkin pie spice. Processing apples can take some time, so I found this recipe on how to process them and cook them in the Instant Pot. I DO NOT use the recipe itself, just the directions for the cooking and processing the apples. It turned out a bit mushy, but tasty. I might shorten the cooking time to maybe 2 minutes next time.
I include mashed potatoes, but my recipe is really basic. I boil them, mash them with some vegan plain yogurt and milk, and I am done.
And what would mashed potatoes be without gravy? I take the easy route and use this homemade Peppered Gravy Mix. I make the mix ahead of time, then all I have to do is whisk it in with milk (you could use broth instead) in a pan till it is heated and thick.
Some basic things I also have on the menu is corn, salad, and some kind of bread. For a butter substitute, I tried a different recipe this year, but we weren't happy with it. One that does work okay is this Corn Buttery Spread, just don't make it too thin.
For desserts we made the Date Nut Chocolate Pie from "My Beef with Meat", and this lovely Pumpkin Pie. The chocolate pie is put in the freezer, so this can be made days in advance. For the pumpkin pie, the crust was made earlier in the week, and I made the filling the day before.
A couple recipes that I didn't make this year but might make next year is this Cranberry Relish and this Pecan Pie.
After we went plant based, I decided I didn't want to have to re-invent the menu each year. It takes a lot of work. So, I created a menu on my computer and I have altered it and put notes in to help me have a better menu the next year. For example, for the mashed potatoes I have notated that I only need to make one bag (5 lb) of potatoes. I have also traded out recipes for others I like better.
I hope this helps someone have a great and healthier holiday!
Per my daughter's request several years ago, homemade applesauce was added to the menu. I used to make it in the slow cooker, similar to this recipe, except I use Granny Smiths, less sugar, 1-2 T lemon juice, and no pumpkin pie spice. Processing apples can take some time, so I found this recipe on how to process them and cook them in the Instant Pot. I DO NOT use the recipe itself, just the directions for the cooking and processing the apples. It turned out a bit mushy, but tasty. I might shorten the cooking time to maybe 2 minutes next time.
I include mashed potatoes, but my recipe is really basic. I boil them, mash them with some vegan plain yogurt and milk, and I am done.
And what would mashed potatoes be without gravy? I take the easy route and use this homemade Peppered Gravy Mix. I make the mix ahead of time, then all I have to do is whisk it in with milk (you could use broth instead) in a pan till it is heated and thick.
Some basic things I also have on the menu is corn, salad, and some kind of bread. For a butter substitute, I tried a different recipe this year, but we weren't happy with it. One that does work okay is this Corn Buttery Spread, just don't make it too thin.
For desserts we made the Date Nut Chocolate Pie from "My Beef with Meat", and this lovely Pumpkin Pie. The chocolate pie is put in the freezer, so this can be made days in advance. For the pumpkin pie, the crust was made earlier in the week, and I made the filling the day before.
A couple recipes that I didn't make this year but might make next year is this Cranberry Relish and this Pecan Pie.
After we went plant based, I decided I didn't want to have to re-invent the menu each year. It takes a lot of work. So, I created a menu on my computer and I have altered it and put notes in to help me have a better menu the next year. For example, for the mashed potatoes I have notated that I only need to make one bag (5 lb) of potatoes. I have also traded out recipes for others I like better.
I hope this helps someone have a great and healthier holiday!
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