My First Vegan Thanksgiving

I was really excited this year to plan a delicious all-vegan Thanksgiving dinner!  The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends and enjoy good food.  There is no reason that eating vegan can't be as enjoyable as the traditional holiday meal!  In fact, I enjoyed it a lot more because I didn't feel overly full and tired afterward :)  We totally pulled off a delicious meal that had all the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving.  Awesome!!

 

Hippie Loaf

Wow - this thing is sooooo good!  Tastes a lot like stuffing and totally fulfilled any "turkey" cravings :)

 

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 15 ounce can black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 celery stalks, washed and shredded
• 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour (or brown rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (GF)
• 2 tablespoons low-sugar ketchup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and set your 8-inch nonstick loaf pan nearby.  Grease if needed with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mash beans in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher and mix all ingredients until evenly combined.
3. Transfer to prepared pan and pat down firmly and tightly using a spatula.  It’s important that you chop everything fine and pack it down tight if you want your loaf to hold together.
4. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until firm and brown on the outside.
5. Allow the loaf to cool and firm up before serving, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Place a serving plate over the loaf pan and turn it upside down, to flip the loaf out onto the plate.

Thanksgiving Gravy

This gravy was incredible.  I want to put it on everything now.  Nutritional yeast is a miracle!!

Ingredients

Makes 2 cups

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour (GF)
• 2 cups plant-based milk
• 2 small onions, diced
• 16 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2-4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (GF)
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage (not powdered)
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

1. Whisk nutritional yeast and flour together with plant-based milk and set aside.
2. Line a large frying pan with a thin layer of water and cook onion and mushroom over high heat until the mushrooms start to soften and turn brown and most of the water has evaporated.
3. Add plant-based milk mixture, soy sauce, and herbs, stirring to combine.
4. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Dirty Mashed Potatoes

 

These bad boys get their name because the skins are left on.  It gives more flavor and tons more nutrients!  I enjoyed these but we couldn't find the electric mixer so they weren't quite as fluffy and smooth as they could have been.  Still good!!

 

 

Ingredients

Serves 6

 

• 6 Russet Potatoes, cubed
• plant-based milk, as needed
• 4-6 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
• 2-3 tablespoons onion flakes
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender but not waterlogged, about 8 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes and return to the pot.
4. Add a splash of plant-based milk and spices, starting with 2 tablespoons garlic and 2 tablespoons onion flakes.
5. Blend everything together using an electric mixer or potato masher.
6. Add more plant-based milk as necessary to achieve desired consistency.
7. Taste, adding more garlic or onion flakes as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Maple Roasted Root Vegetables (w/ Apples)- link, not pictured.  We didn't have this with apples because the dog ate the apples off the table.  LOL!  The dish was still delicious though :)  Checkout the link though to a previous blog entry.  I love this one!

 

Cranberry Sauce - link, not pictured.  Tina made a version of this with Stevia instead of sugar or agave and it was delicious!

 

Apple Crisp Muffins

 

You can't forget the dessert!  These muffins could fool anyone into thinking they are packed with oil, sugar, eggs, etc.  They are totally vegan and healthy though.  WOW!!

 

 

Ingredients

Makes 12

 

• 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup Stevia in the Raw
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• a dash of nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup apple, diced
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease muffin tin or spray paper liners to prevent sticking and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together until well combined.
4. Add applesauce, sugar, Stevia and maple, then stir until almost combined.
5. Add apples, stirring until just combined.
6. Spoon into muffin cups 3/4 full.
7. Sprinkle additional oats, brown sugar, and a few diced apple pieces over top if desired.
8. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

 

And I saved the best for last!  I was seriously floored at how good this pumpkin pie was, considering how healthy it is compared to the traditional recipe!  I think it was gone in about 30 seconds once we cut it :)   It's totally crust-less but still firms up like the real deal so you can cut individual slices without it falling apart. It's like a little tofu miracle. You can use Mori-Nu (any firmness) or silken tofu. The tofu must be the soft kind -- like a pudding... not the firm block kind of tofu.

 

Ingredients

 

Serves 3-9 (depending on your appetite!)

 

•  ½ cup mori-nu tofu, extra firm
• 1½ cups plant-based milk
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups canned pure pumpkin
• ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9” shallow glass pie dish, set aside.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, non-dairy milk, cornstarch and vanilla until smooth, stopping to scrape sides periodically.
3. Add remaining ingredients and blend for about a minute more, until the mixture is uniform and well combined.
4. Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake for 1 hour.
5. Allow the pie to cool on the counter, away from the hot oven, until room temperature.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.