Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thanksgiving Feast: Vegan stuffing

I hosted a vegan Thanksgiving at my house this year. There were 13 people total and a large variety of dishes. Unfortunately, I was so caught up with cooking and serving that I forgot to take pictures of the food (once again). My guests brought food as well, but this is what I prepared: 

Cornbread****
Sweet potato biscuits with cranberry spread
Shiitake gravy
Stuffing with apples, dried cranberries, mushrooms, pecans, walnuts and pineapple**
Seitan roast*
Zesty corn pudding
Herb, matzo and panko encrusted tofu cutlets
Cranberry sauce with apples and pecans
Pumpkin soup with curry, ginger and coconut milk
Brandy spiked-spiced hot apple cider

*I found an awesome recipe for a seitan roast. It turned out extremely soft and my meat-eating guests were very pleased with their turkey replacement. This seitan took many hours to prepare, but it was worth it. I made the version with tofu (not beans) and when I re-heated it I made a marinade of sesame oil and a mixture of herbs and dry spices. 


**VEGAN STUFFING: 

In a skillet, saute the following with olive oil until soft: 

- 2 handfuls of sliced mushrooms
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped

In a large mixing bowl add the following: 

- 10 ounces of herb flavored breadcrumbs***
-2 scallions finely chopped
-1 handful pecans finely copped
-1 handful walnuts finely chopped
-1 large can of pineapple (pour juice in bowl, chop pineapple if in large chunks)
-1 handful of dried cranberries
- 1 large apple chopped into little pieces (I always leave the skin on the apple)
-the sautéed mushrooms and celery
-1 cup of faux chicken stock 
-3 teaspoons of sesame oil

Mix thoroughly. If mixture isn't wet enough, add more stock. Place stuffing in baking dish and cover. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. Uncover after 15-20 minutes. Bake until top is crunchy but not dried out. 


***I don't like making my own bread crumbs. If you're like me, you've probably hunted high and low for vegan breadcrumbs. I found some at my local grocery store by Arrowhead Mills, however they only started carrying them days before the holiday. 


****I LOVE Trader Joe's cornbread mix. Instead of eggs, I use flaxseed meal that's whipped with water and I sub the milk for soy milk. Quick, easy and tastes really yummy. 


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, my first Vegan meal. I was happily surprised. I can eat at your house any day and not worry about mixing meat and milk, or worry about pork being eaten here. It's nice. Besides the food, the people were so nice. We enjoyed talking to Vaughn's grandparents so much. Aren't they both a picture of health and vitality?
Nadene Goldfoot

Anonymous said...

The thanksgiving feast was superb. And I think the additions to your Blog are excellent.

I hope that you have had a chance to rest after the exhaustive preparation. Are recipes for all of your dishes in the blog site?

The Secret Sun said...

Hey HZ! The blog looks great and your shirts are hilarious! Hope all is well with you and Vaughn- put up some party pix with all them good eats! Hop over to my place sometime for some fresh conspiratainment goodness!