RawInfo.com

According to Ann Green, vegetarian Thanksgiving is easy.

Especially for the turkeys, she added.

Green, a member of the Asheville Vegetarians, enjoys traditional side dishes (most of which may already be vegetarian) and a hearty main dish to replace the bird, such as stuffed and roasted winter squash, on Thanksgiving.

With some simple planning and sensitivity to a guest’s animal-free diet, a meatless Thanksgiving won’t ruffle your feathers.

Although many traditional side dishes are vegetarian, such as mashed potatoes and corn, pay close attention to the broth you are using or if the recipe calls for animal fat or bones for flavoring, said Michael Vess, food service manager at South Asheville Earth Fare location. Earth Fare offers take-home traditional and meatless Thanksgiving dinners.

Vess substitutes olive oil for pork fat in collards and green beans. If some of his guests are big fans of greens served up Southern style, he’ll make a version using animal fat and one that doesn’t.

“No one would even know it necessarily if you didn’t tell someone that there was no chicken stock in it or pork fat in it,” Vess noted.

For stuffing, Vess will substitute nuts for turkey giblets, and cook it outside of the bird. This approach exemplifies his advice for preparing a meatless Thanksgiving: Don’t worry about producing a dish that tastes like meat; focus on providing vegetarian guests the protein the meat would provide.

Another focus: Don’t limit yourself on Thanksgiving. You don’t have to be traditional, no matter whom you are cooking for, Vess said, suggesting looking to other culture’s food traditions, such as Indian, for the holiday meal.

“There’s an infinite world of culinary options,” he said.

William Najger, vegan chef and co-owner of Veg-In-Out, a vegetarian home delivery meal service, makes a grain loaf as a main course for his company’s Thanksgiving meal.

“We always have a (main course); we don’t want to just give them sides,” he said. If you don’t want to make a vegetarian main course, consider getting meat substitute products at the grocery store, like a veggie burger, and slice and serve in a special way, Najger said.

But most importantly, cooks need to remember “the celebration is not about the turkey tradition,” Najger said. “It’s about sharing and giving thanks to the abundance that we have.”

“Don’t stress over the meal because Thanksgiving is all about family, friendship, sharing and the spreading of wealth.”

Grain loaf

2 cups of vital wheat gluten

2 cups of hot water

3 pinches of Italian seasoning

1 teaspoons of cumin

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon garlic

Mix all ingredients and knead together so you get a very moist dough.

Bake at 375 degrees on a flat tray for 90 minutes-2 hours until the middle feels cooked. Slice and serve. Serves 4-6 people.

Source: William Najger

Vegan gravy

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons nutritional yeast

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth.

Season with sage, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8- 10 minutes or until thickened.

Source: allrecipes.com