Vegan Thanksgiving (dinner, bbq, tomato, vegetable)

[Raven1976]

This will be my first vegan Thanksgiving and not sure what I should eat to substitute the turkey.

What will be your Thanksgiving dinner?

[crazyme4878]

We always have lentil loaf, veggie gravy, mashed potatoes, etc. I love it and it has all the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving. I think there is another, older thread about this, if you want to search.

[Wicked Felina]

Lentil loaf!?! I love lentils, cold, steamed, etc...sooo good! I saw a recipe for tempeh loaf - has anyone tried that before?

This year I'll be headed over to friends' for the Holiday. So, I just "eat around" the meat they serve. My dining room isn't large enough for a sit-down dinner with 8 or so people...so that makes it easier to have several dishes, without the traditional "center of attraction" [being the turkey]...

I've never tried them, but there are mock turkey-looking things available in some stores - strange, but "to each his own"...

[crazyme4878]

We tried a Tofurkey one year--we were moving two days later, so it made sense. It was okay, but a little too salty.

The lentil loaf recipe I have used in the past has bread crumbs, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, eggs, leeks, and of course lentils (it calls for red, but I have used brown as well). It is yummy, but a bit dry (hence the gravy). Dragonfly Crescent has a similar reicipe, but it purees most of it before putting it in individual ramikins and baking. They turned out much moister.

And the subject of lentils--I made some "Ethiopian" lentils with a Berber spice mix (I found the recipe for the mix online). It was simple and sooo yummy!

[Liza54]

A great turkey substitute is Quorn brand turkey. It comes in a loaf stuffed w/ 'stuffing' and can be bought w/ vegan gravy. I cooked this last year surrounded by carrots, celery, potatoes, etc. and it was awesome! We even sliced it up a couple days after for 'turkey' sandwiches. You can try it well before Thanksgiving to see for yourself. I buy mine at Wholefoods in the frozen section.

[cr1039]

Originally Posted by SeeBee

My dining room isn't large enough for a sit-down dinner with 8 or so people...so that makes it easier to have several dishes, without the traditional "center of attraction" [being the turkey]...

I agree, you dont really need a "center". Have fun making many "side" dishes! For Rosh Hashana last week I made whole wheat couscous with sauteed mushrooms and celery, mashed potatoes, biscuits, black beans with peppers and onions, roasted carrots with raisins and brown sugar and grean beans. It was delish and very "fall" ish.

[Lilybeans]

We have everything but the turkey. Mushroom gravy made with vegetable stock. Watch out for stuffing made with chicken stock.

[niwashikun]

Just to clarify, the ?? was about a vegan thanksgiving. The two suggestions (lentil loaf recipe and the quorn turkey) are not vegan. Any vegan alternatives aside from Tofurkey, which is too salty??

[Wicked Felina]

niwashikun:
OK, here's what looks like a good recipe for Lentil Rice Loaf, which I haven't yet tried but plan to. I'd also add mushrooms and use vegetable broth instead of water.

Cook 1 and 1/2 cups lentils in 2 and 1/2 cups water. Mash very well and then add:
2 chopped, cooked onions
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce
1 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 large jar of your favourite vegan pasta sauce or tomato sauce (don't add in with other ingredients...this is for on top)
Remember how you used to mix that meatloaf with your hands? Get in here and do the same with the lentil-rice mix. Adjust the liquid from the lentils so you have a nice mixture that holds together. If it is too wet to hold together, add in some uncooked oatmeal or bread or cracker crumbs. Then dump into an oiled loaf pan or form into a loaf shape in a large baking dish. I like to leave lots of room for the sauce and usually use extra sauce. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with pasta or tomato sauce, put back in oven to bake another 15 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. Remove from pan carefully.

Above from fatfreevegan DOT com.
They also have good recipes for gluten free and sugar free dishes!

[katzenfreund]

Here is a link to some veg Thanksgiving recipes, 10 of them.... some sound quite yummy!

Vegetarian Recipes for the Holidays - Thanksgiving - delish.com