Thanksgiving dinner

[Guest guest]

I'm pretty new to preparing vegan meals. My college age daughter

informed me at the beginning of the school year, when she went away, that

she was going vegan. This was after the past two years of being

vegetarian, so I was not totally unprepared for her switch over.

However, I really don't have many ideas about what to prepare for her

when she comes home, and especially for Thanksgiving dinner at her

grandmother's. To save her grandmother from extra work, we volunteered

to fix the vegan feast. This will have to travel about 1 1/2 hr. before

dinner, so it has to be easy to reheat. Some things will be fine for her

to eat-- the fruit pie, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes. But what else

for the main dish? I've made cooked green beans, with onions, and veg.

bouillon that mimic her grandmother's beans made with ham broth, a family

tradition. I'd like to keep as close to the family traditional meal as

possible, which includes mashed potatoes, turkey (of course), gravy, a

fruit salad made with sour cream, bread stuffing, & bakery rolls. Any

suggestions as to rounding out the menu, or any good recipes would be

greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance. Peggy K.

[Guest guest]

Hi Peggy,

That is thoughtful of you to consider making something special for your daughter.

My suggestion is to get a Tofurkey, which is a product that can be bought at natural

food stores and some regular grocery stores for about $20. It is easy to prepare,

tasty, and even impresses some non-vegetarians. Good luck,

Laura

 

>Peggy L Kinnetz

> > > Thanksgiving dinner >Fri, 1 Nov 2002 15:37:17 -0500 > >I'm pretty new to preparing vegan meals. My college age daughter >informed me at the beginning of the school year, when she went away, that >she was going vegan. This was after the past two years of being >vegetarian, so I was not totally unprepared for her switch over. >However, I really don't have many ideas about what to prepare for her >when she comes home, and especially for Thanksgiving dinner at her >grandmother's. To save her grandmother from extra work, we volunteered >to fix the vegan feast. This will have to travel about 1 1/2 hr. before >dinner, so it has to be easy to reheat. Some things will be fine for her >to eat-- the fruit pie, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes. But what else >for the main dish? I've made cooked green beans, with onions, and veg. >bouillon that mimic her grandmother's beans made with ham broth, a family >tradition. I'd like to keep as close to the family traditional meal as >possible, which includes mashed potatoes, turkey (of course), gravy, a >fruit salad made with sour cream, bread stuffing, & bakery rolls. Any >suggestions as to rounding out the menu, or any good recipes would be >greatly appreciated. > >Thanks in advance. Peggy K. Unlimited Internet access -- and 2 months free!  Try MSN. Click Here

[Guest guest]

Hi Peggy,

 

My husband, daughter, and I are vegan, but my parents aren't. So when we go to

their house for Thanksgiving or Christmas, my mom always makes a vegan version

of her cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, and sweet potato casserole, and I

make vegan gravy and possibly some baked tofu. When she makes her dressing, she

just sets aside part of it and doesn't add eggs or meat to it and moistens it

with vegetable broth instead of turkey drippings. What's great about this

(besides the fact that it doesn't cause her much extra effort) is that I get the

taste of the dressing that I grew up with without all the meat.

 

For the mashed potatoes, she uses soymilk instead of cow's milk, and for the

sweet potatoes she just leaves off the marshmallow topping that she normally

would use.

 

So that's my suggestion: find ways to adapt what you normally cook. There

doesn't necessarily have to be a substitute for the turkey, but if you really

want to make one, you can fix a tofu dish or buy a turkey substitute at the

natural food store.

 

Also, there are over a dozen collections of vegan Thanksgiving recipes on the

internet. There's a list of links to them at

http://www.myhq.com/public/s/u/susanv/ --right at the top middle of the page

under " Seasonal Information. "

 

Good luck! I think it's great that you're being so considerate of your

daughter's veganism.

 

Susan

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan Voisin

http://veganconnection.com/

/

http://www.myhq.com/public/s/u/susanv/

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/8/08 1:10:18 PM, dprupp writes:

 

 

>

>

> The most important part of your Thanksgiving meal is family and

> friends! Enjoy!

>

> Deb in Idaho

>

>

>

 

Thanks for your post, Deb. It makes me feel there is hope for me. I am

starting out very easy but hope to get where you are regarding eating.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/8/08 5:32:37 PM, rosetalleo writes:

 

 

> Other

> times I have made stuffed winter squashes of different sizes and types

> (stuffed with different things), and served as main courses. I also

> like nut loaves (or mixed nut, legume, grain loaves) served with

> something like cashew gravy, or a white wine and herbs sauce, maybe

> surrounded by steamed baby carrots and green beans from the garden.

> Thanksgiving is still far away, and I try to use my garden's produce

> first, so i know I'll have butternut squash (no pumpkins), pecans,

> green beans, maybe peas (depends on whether it will ever cool down

> around here) maybe some nice greens too (definitely amaranth). My

> peppers are getting a second wind, so stuffed poblano and/or sweet

> peppers might be on the menu too this year.

>

 

The a above sound delicious. I would love the recipies.

in Northern Illinois

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, " baskets4deb " <dprupp wrote:

>

> For our Thanksgiving dinner I just make all the sides but no m**t

> substitutes.

 

 

I do something similar, if I am going for a traditional theme.

Sometimes I toss tradition out the window and make a vegetarian paella

with butternut squash, or a vegan gumbo, or a stuffed pizza Chicago

style, or pumpkin ravioli...

 

When I feel 'traditional' I have done things like festive treatments

of fall vegetables that are artfully displayed on the table to honor

the season's bounty. For example, one year it was a pumpkin soup

baked into the pumpkin and presented as a table center piece. Other

times I have made stuffed winter squashes of different sizes and types

(stuffed with different things), and served as main courses. I also

like nut loaves (or mixed nut, legume, grain loaves) served with

something like cashew gravy, or a white wine and herbs sauce, maybe

surrounded by steamed baby carrots and green beans from the garden.

Thanksgiving is still far away, and I try to use my garden's produce

first, so i know I'll have butternut squash (no pumpkins), pecans,

green beans, maybe peas (depends on whether it will ever cool down

around here) maybe some nice greens too (definitely amaranth). My

peppers are getting a second wind, so stuffed poblano and/or sweet

peppers might be on the menu too this year.

 

Who knows though, we might go to the bay area, this changes the plan a

little, but I would still contribute a vegetable centered entree

rather than a turkey imitation one. The omnivores in my family

appreciate having another creative type of vegetable entree rather

than fake turkey trying to compete with a real turkey if that is

served (it might not, tradition is not a big thing with this family).

 

Nothing wrong with either tofurky or quorn, and I am really glad these

products exist, so no offense, but for me, not at thanksgiving.

[Guest guest]

Deb,

I have to say that your Vegetarian Lifestye is very much like mine. I

too find that after many years as a Vegetarian I have lost my taste

for the fake flesh products and find myself disliking the ones that

have the texture and taste of the real thing. Same goes for dairy. I

was raised by a cheesemaker and loved dairy but now also not liking

the taste or texture. I never question anyone's choice of what they

eat. I have many reasons for becoming a Vegetarian (almost Vegan) and

over the years (25+) have just evolved into a lifestyle that I have

chosen. I think of Thanksgiving as a sharing harvest occasion and

prepare stuffing,mashed potatoes,and gravy,cranberries,sweet

potatoes,bean salad, and trays of olives, pickles, celery, and all

types of raw veggies and dips.

Celebrate Thanksgiving in one's own way with family and friends. If

you are alone help serve at your local homeless shelter.

Donate to your local chuch or food bank for those in need.

Attach a note stating that it is a gift from your family.

Send a card to family members stating that you are celebrating the

holidays by donating food in their name to a family in need.

Happy Holidays

Deanna in Colorado

, " baskets4deb " <dprupp

wrote:

>

> For our Thanksgiving dinner I just make all the sides but no m**t

> substitutes.

I find that the

> longer I am a vegetarian the less I like the fake m**ts.