Thanksgiving: Round One |

Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday. Starting in mid October, the craving for a Tofurky dinner sets in. So the other day, I decided that Greg and I should prepare a Thanksgiving feast. It would be a practice run, if nothing else. I ran to a few grocery stores and bought everything we would need for a mini Tofurky feast for two.

Something to snack on while we cooked. Best Clif Bar flavor ever.

In addition to the Tofurky, the menu consisted of vegan mashed potatoes and mushroom miso gravy, citrus herb roasted vegetables, and baked apples with pecans and raisins.

And a few accessories.

Citrus Herb Roasted Vegetables

1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 large white onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp thyme
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the vegetables and place in a casserole dish. In a separate container, combine the broth, oil, herbs and spices. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix until the vegetables are coated. Cover the casserole dish and roast for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

3 large potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Earth Balance
3 tbsp soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut into large pieces. Boil until soft, and strain away water. Add the Earth Balance, soy milk, and garlic, and immersion blend until smooth. You can also use an electric mixer, which will probably produce less smooth potatoes. The immersion blender made the potatoes almost eerily smooth.

Mushroom Miso Gravy

1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil
4 ounces of beer (drink the rest while you cook)
2 cups water
1 tsp vegetable bouillon
1 tbsp miso
1/2 tsp of each thyme, tarragon, black pepper, and crushed red peppers
1 tbsp corn starch, dissolved in water

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the mushrooms lightly, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and cook the mushrooms until tender. Add the water, bouillon, miso, and herbs and spices. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, and then slowly add the corn starch mixture until desires consistency is reached. If the gravy becomes too thick, just add a bit more water.

Baked Apples with Pecans and Raisins

5 large tart apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
3 tbsp Earth Balance
3 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Chop the apples and place in a casserole dish. Stir in raisins and pecans. In a separate container, combine the orange juice, ginger, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, coating the apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar and Earth Balance, and bake (covered) for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are soft.