Thanksgiving goodies from this morning's paper

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A meatless Thanksgiving is soy healthy for you

 

By Marie Oser

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

 

For most of us, it wouldn't quite be Thanksgiving without the turkey. However,

with Americans being more health-conscious than ever before, interest in

alternatives is at an all-time high.

 

Here is a meatless Thanksgiving meal that is easy to prepare, as delicious as

the traditional and extremely cost-effective. This bountiful holiday feast

contains less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.

 

Rich in the goodness of soy, this enticing centerpiece turns 5 pounds of firm

tofu into an outstanding meal. Tofu, you say? Yes, and you wouldn't know it.

With a little advance preparation, you can make this " meaty " roast with relative

ease. You will need two large bowls of graduating sizes that can stack with the

colander in the middle. You will also need a large cheesecloth and heavy weight.

 

The tofu is crumbled into a colander that has been lined with cheesecloth, and

pressed in the refrigerator overnight. It's important to choose a very firm,

water-packed tofu and to use a " nesting " procedure when setting up the colander

and bowls. That means placing the largest bowl on the bottom, the colander

suspended above, and another bowl fitting into the colander and topped with a

heavy object; pressing the tofu into a firm shape.

 

The crumbling and pressing technique, coupled with a flavorful basting mixture

and a delicious stuffing, produces a delectable roast with all the flavor and

texture you expect from a holiday entree.

 

 

Holiday roast

12 servings

 

5 (16-ounce packages) firm, water-packed tofu

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped, with leaves

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 ounces portobello mushrooms, diced

1 (10-ounce package) cubed herb stuffing mix

1 cup vegetarian chicken broth, boiling

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

 

Roast: Drape a cheesecloth over a 12-inch colander, allowing the sides to

overlap, set over larger bowl. Set aside. Mash tofu thoroughly, crumble into

prepared colander and fold cheesecloth over top. Position a deep bowl inside the

colander over cheesecloth-covered tofu, and weigh it down with at least 5

pounds.

Place in refrigerator overnight.

 

Stuffing: Heat oil in a large saucepan, over medium-high heat. Add garlic,

onion,

celery, pepper and mushrooms. Cook mixture 5 minutes, add stuffing mix, broth,

cranberries and sage. Stir to moisten, remove from heat and set aside.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil-spray baking pan lined with foil. Remove top

bowl, weight and uncover cheesecloth from tofu. Scoop out a portion of the tofu

to 1-inch shell.

 

Fill the hollowed shell with stuffing, reserving extra stuffing to bake

separately.

Cover with remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Place baking pan over colander,

face-down. Invert, turning the stuffed tofu onto baking sheet, flat-side down.

Baste

with a third of the basting mixture, cover roast with foil and place in oven.

 

Bake for 1 hour, remove foil, baste with half of the remaining mixture. Bake

uncovered for 1 more hour, basting again halfway through.

 

Remove roast and set aside for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs at the

center

(sage leaves are nice). Slice into wedges and serve with gravy and additional

dressing.

 

Nutritional analysis per serving: 2 1/4 cups (includes 1 cup of stuffing and 1/4

cup of gravy)

 

Protein, 25 g; carbohydrates, 37 g; fiber, 4 g; fat, 11 g; sat. fat, less than 1

g;

cholesterol, 0 mg; calcium, 195 mg; sodium, 990 mg.

Calories, 335; protein, 29 percent; carbohydrates, 43 percent; fat, 28 percent.

 

 

Brown gravy

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups vegetarian " chicken " broth, boiling

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

 

Heat oil in a medium saucepan 1 minute over medium high heat. Add flour and stir

to form a paste. Lower heat and gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add

nutritional yeast and garlic, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

 

Basting mixture

 

2 tablespoons mellow white miso

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup tamari

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup vegetarian chicken broth

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

 

Basting mix: Blend miso with sherry in a liquid measuring cup. Add tamari,

juice,

broth, Dijon and garlic. Blend and set aside.