A Meatless Thanksgiving
Cranberry Compote
Tofu "Turkey" with Stuffing
alternate for stuffing
Tofu Whipped Cream
alternate for whipped topping
Posole (Native American Thanksgiving)
Sweet Potato Pie
Vegetable and Rice Stuffed
Pumpkin
Sweet Potatoes with Persimmons
Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea
Poached Pears
Pumpkin Risotto
Quick Sweet & Tangy Squash Soup
Cranberry Apple Relish
Squash and Apple Bake
Home
Title: Cranberry Compote
1 1/2 c Water
1/2 c Sugar
3 md Ripe pears; peeled
12 Dried apricots
2 Seedless oranges; peeled, sectioned
3 c Cranberries; 1 12 oz bag
1. Cut pears and oranges into 1/2
inch pieces. Cut each apricot into 6 pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, bring
the water and sugar to a boil, stirring the mixture occasionally.
3. Stir
in pears and apricots, reduce the heat, and simmer the fruit in the
uncovered pan for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the oranges, and continue simmering
the fruit in the uncovered pan for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the cranberries,
and cook them over medium heat in the uncovered pan for 5 minutes, stirring
the compote occasionally.
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Title: Tofu "Turkey" with Stuffing
-----------------------------------TURKEY-----------------------------------
5 lb Firm tofu
----------------------------------STUFFING----------------------------------
2 T Toasted sesame oil
1 lg Onion, chopped fine
1 And 1/3 cup celery, diced
(about 4 stalks)
1 c Mushrooms, finely chopped
3 To 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c Sage (may use 1/8)
2 t Marjoram
2 t Thyme
1 t Winter or summer savory
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t Rosemary
2 t Celery seed
1/4 c Soy sauce or tamari
3 c Pepperidge Farm Herb
Stuffing
------------------------------BASTING MIXTURE------------------------------
1/2 c Toasted sesame oil
1/4 To 1/3 cup soy sauce or
Tamari
2 T Miso
2 T Orange juice
1 t Mustard of choice
1 lb Tofu for the "drumsticks"
Mash tofu or mix well with hands. Be sure that all of the lumps are out.
Line a 12" colander with wet cheesecloth over lapping the sides. Add the
mashed tofu to the cloth covered colander, press down and cover with the
overlapping sides. Place the whole thing in a large bowl. Cover the
cheesecloth with a plate that fits inside the colander and place a 5 pound
weight on the plate.
Refrigerate and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
When time is up, start the stuffing. Saute' the onions, celery and
mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons sesame oil. When soft, add the garlic and
all the rest of the stuffing ingredients, except stuffing, mixing well.
Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add herb stuffing and mix well.
Remove tofu from fridge and take off weight, plate and top of cheesecloth.
Hollow out tofu to within 1 inch of the sides and bottom, placing the tofu
in a bowl. Place the stuffing inside the shell and pack in firmly. Cover
with the remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Turn stuffed tofu onto a
greased baking sheet, flat side down. Gently press on sides of "turkey" to
achieve a more oval shape. If desired at this point, you may mold
"drumsticks" out of one pound of tofu, and place on each side of the
"turkey".
Mix up the basting mixture and baste tofu "turkey" with half of it. Cover
the "turkey" with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.
Remove foil, baste with all the remaining mixture except a few tablespoons
and return to oven for 1 hour more, or until the "turkey" is golden. Remove
from oven and use rest of basting mix. Using at least 2 large spatulas,
move to a large plate. Serve with the gravy of your choice, if you wish,
and cranberry sauce. Tastes good leftover (if there is any!) in sandwiches
or plain.
=======================================================
(alternate for stuffing....
Title: Stuffing
1 c Chopped onions
1/2 c Pureed onions
2 c Chopped celery
1 c Pureed celery
1 c Chopped or grated carrots
1 lb Fresh mushrooms or 8 oz
Canned mushrooms, sliced
2 T Dried parsley
1 t Poultry seasonings or more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Ground sage to taste
1 lg Bag of Pepperidge Farms
Whole wheat/white bread mix stuffing cubes (no without seasonings)
Vegetable broth to add moisture, if needed (about 1 cup)
Heat onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms and spices/herbs in a large pot until
it all boils. Simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the chopped onions
are translucent. Cool for 10 minutes, then add the stuffing mix. Mix well,
adding vegetable broth if necessary for moisture. Place in a big covered
baking dish and cook in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Taking the
cover off during the last 10 to 15 minutes should get you a crusty top for
the stuffing.
Variations: you can add some of that vegetarian Italian sausage
that comes in links, browned first,
to the mix for a more traditional taste. And chopped apples, chopped
spinach or any other vegetable you like can probably be added.
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Title: Tofu Whipped Cream
1 lb Soft tofu
1 T Vanilla extract
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Soy milk
Combine tofu, vanilla, and sugar in a blender or food processor and process
until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the soy milk through the feeder cap. Refrigerate until serving time. It will keep for a week,
but can also be frozen.
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(alternate whipped topping....
Title: Silken Tofu Whipped Topping
10 1/2 -oz package extra-firm or
Firm tofu, reg. or low fat
2 To 4 Tbls. sweetener of your choice
2 T Lemon juice
1/4 t Vanilla extract
1/8 t Salt
1/8 t Almond extract
Soymilk as needed
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until very
smooth. Add more soymilk a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too thick;
blend well. Place in a covered container; refrigerate until chilled.
Makes 1 3/4 cups
=======================================================
Title: Posole (Native American Thanksgiving)
2 lg Cans of hominy
3 or 4 cans of vegetable broth or stock
2 or 3 green chiles (roasted and peeled)
1 lg onion, diced
3 or 4 large carrots, diced
3 or 4 stalks of celery, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t Each oregano, garlic, cumin
1 T Chile powder
Fresh cilantro, minced, (2
Tbsp)
Yet another appropriate Thanksgiving dish is Posole, which is indigenous to
the Native American southwest. Posole is really considered most
traditional around Christmas time and is always served New Year's Eve and/or
New Year's Day for good luck. However, Pueblo peoples have made posole for
generations and it is a staple winter dish.
Sauté the onions and celery until the onion is transparent. This can be
done with water and veggie stock or with spray-type coatings. Dump
everything else in and bring to a low boil. Simmer until you like the
texture. The hominy should be really soft, almost to the
break-up-and-really-form-a-thick-stew stage.
Serve posole with cornbread and a crisp green salad. If you wish to add
any animal protein, the original recipes call for pork or ham or chunks
of turkey work.
=======================================================
Title: Sweet Potato Pie
2 c Cooked mashed sweet potatoes
5 Egg whites, slightly beaten (or egg substitute)
1 c Brown sugar (granulated)
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg
1/4 t Allspice
1/2 t Vanilla
1/2 t Salt
1 c Evaporated skim milk or
Low-fat sweetened condensed
Milk
------------------------------PHYLLO PIE CRUST------------------------------
4 t Sugar (optional)
1 Box Phyllo dough
------------------------------OPTIONAL TOPPING------------------------------
1 c Chopped roasted chestnuts
Cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray 2 pie pans with nonstick cooking spray.
FILLING: use a pressure cooker to cook the sweet potatoes until very
soft and not stringy.
Mash very well. (use a regular mixer)
Combine sugar, spices in a little bowl. Last add vanilla with the spices
and then mix into the potatoes.
Beat your egg whites and mix it in with the potato mixture. Slowly
mix in your evaporated skim milk and set aside.
CRUST * take the entire stack of phyllo sheets from the box. Turn
pie pans over and cut the entire stack to the appx. circumference of the
pan to end up with a stack of circular dough.
Quickly, (dough dries out very fast and sticks together) layer 1 or 2
sheets of phyllo on each of the pans, spray very LIGHTLY with non-stick
cooking spray and sprinkle with sugar and repeat until crust is the
thickness you desire. (For 2 pies I used all the phyllo dough in the box)
moisten fingers to seal the edge of the crust and crimp as with a
"normal" crust.
Cover edges of crust loosely with foil.
Pour filling into the phyllo crust. Sprinkle chopped chestnuts and
cinnamon on top if desired.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for about 30
minutes more.
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Title: Vegetable and Rice Stuffed Pumpkin
1 Pumpkin (14 or 15 inches in diameter) or 2 smaller ones
4 T Sugar
2 T Tamari sauce
1 c Water
1/2 lb Fresh shelled chestnuts
1/4 c Un-sulfured raisins
1/4 c Un-sulfured apricots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
(or any tart apple)
1/2 c Walnuts, broken but not too
Small
1 Stalk celery, chopped
1 md White onion, chopped
1 md Red onion, chopped
1 cn Corn, drained
1 md Sweet green pepper, chopped
1 md Sweet red pepper, chopped
1 md Zucchini squash, chopped
1 md Yellow squash, chopped
2 md Fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 c Cooked brown basmati rice
1/4 t Mace
1/4 t Tumeric
Black pepper
1/2 t Cinnamon
4 T Tamari sauce
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Wash pumpkin and cut off the top, angle the cut so
that the top will fit back on more easily, use a big spoon to scoop out
strings and seeds. Mix sugar and 2 tbs. tamari sauce (you can warm them in
the microwave so they will mix more easily ) and spread evenly over insides
of pumpkin. Line the bottom of a large pan with single piece of aluminum
foil folded over itself 3 or 4 times, pour 1 cup water in pan, place top
back on pumpkin and place in baking pan, cover the pumpkin and the pan with
foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pumpkin is just starting to become
tender, the thicker the pumpkin the longer it will take.
2. Steam the nuts for about 15 minutes. Rinse them in cool water and slip
off the brown skins. Chop chestnuts coarsely.
3. Combine chestnuts with raisins, apricots, apple, walnuts, celery, white
and red onions, corn, green and red pepper, jalapeno peppers, mace, tumeric
and rice, mix well. Add the 4 tbs. tamari and mix again.
4. Dust the inside of the pumpkin with the cinnamon. Pack the pumpkin with
the filling and replace the pumpkin top. Return pan to oven, add water to
cover the bottom of the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
5. If you are going to serve the pumpkin on something other then the pan it
was cooked in BE CAREFUL. The bottom of the pumpkin may be VERY soft. Wrap
the foil from the bottom of the pan up around the pumpkin as you pick it
up, this will keep the bottom intact.
When serving this recipe, scrap the inside of the pumpkin with the serving
spoon and mix the pumpkin into the stuffing.
If you have leftovers do not leave it in the pumpkin. Remove the filling
and scrape out the pumpkin and store in your refrigerator. Tastes great the
day after.
=======================================================
Title: Sweet Potatoes with Persimmons
1 c Water
1 lb Fresh sweet potatoes, peeled & cut
1/2 c Sugar
2 Persimmons, sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon and lime
Put all ingredients into saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until
sweet potatoes are done and medium syrup is formed.
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Title: Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea
2 c Water
2 c Pineapple juice
1 t Whole cloves
2 Sticks cinnamon
1 Lemon, halved and sliced
Heat water and pineapple juice in a saucepan until it boils. Add cloves,
cinnamon, and lemon and lower heat. Simmer 10 minutes over medium heat.
Remove cloves and cinnamon and serve hot.
=======================================================
Title: Poached Pears
4 Pears, preferably Bosc
2 t Fresh lemon juice
1 c Cranapple juice
Halve, peel, and core the pears. Sprinkle freshly cut pears with lemon
juice to prevent browning. Place in microwave-safe dish and cover with
cranapple juice. Cover and cook on high 6 - 8 minutes or until pears are
fork tender. (Check the pears after 6 minutes; the fresher the pears, the
longer they'll take to cook.) Spoon juice over pears, cover, and let stand 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
=======================================================
Title: Pumpkin Risotto
3 c Pumpkin flesh, peeled and cubed
4 Shallots, chopped
5 c Chicken-like or veggie stock
2 c Arborio rice (Japanese rice also works)
1/2 t Powdered saffron (optional)
1 c Dry white wine (sub. water or stock)
1 T Fresh sage
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Wrap cubed pumpkin in foil and bake at 350o for 30 min. While it is
baking, sauté shallots in a little white wine, water or stock. In a separate pan, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Puree
pumpkin and set aside. Add rice to shallots and cook 2-3 minutes over
moderate heat stirring frequently. Add wine and saffron and cook, stirring
constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the pumpkin and 1 c
stock stirring constantly. After that is absorbed, add the stock 1/2 cup at
a time stirring constantly until absorbed until the rice is cooked (about
15-20 min). If you run out of stock add hot water. The risotto should be
thick and creamy in consistency and just a little runny. When done remove
from heat, add the sage, salt and pepper to taste. If you want to add 1/4 c
grated parmesan it would add 1 gram fat/ serving.
=======================================================
Title: Quick Sweet & Tangy Squash Soup
1 Clove garlic (opt)
1 Dsh olive oil
1/4 t Ginger, minced (or more)
1 md Onion, chopped fine
3 c Your favorite stock (2/13oz cans)
1/4 c Brown sugar
1 T White sugar (or more)
1 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Orange zest chopped fine (or more, up to 1 t)
3 Apples, peeled & chopped small
2 pk Frozen cooked winter squash
(Green Giant) thawed
Toast the garlic, if used, in a few drops of olive oil. Add the chopped
onion, sauté in part of the stock. Add remainder of stock and rest of
ingredients. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until apples have cooked
down and soup has reduced to a light creamy consistency.
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Title: Cranberry Apple Relish
1 c Sugar
1/4 t Gd cinnamon
1/4 t Gd cloves
1/4 t Allspice
1 lb (4c) cranberries
2 md (2.5c) tart apples, cored & chopped
Mix sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a 3 qt. microwave pan. Add
cranberries & apples. Microwave on high (covered) for 10 minutes - stirring
twice till cranberries pop
Uncover - Microwave 2-3 minutes till slightly thickened.
=======================================================
Title: Squash and Apple Bake
2 lb Butternut or buttercup squash
1/2 c Brown sugar, packed
1/4 c Butter or margarine, melted
1 T Flour
1 t Salt
1/2 t Mace
2 Baking apples, peeled, cored - cut into 1/2" slices
Cut each squash in half. Remove seeds and fibers; pare squash. Cut into
1/2" slices. Stir remaining ingredients together, except apple slices.
Arrange squash in an un-greased 11-1/2x7-1/2x1-1/2-inch baking dish. Top
with apple slices. Sprinkle sugar mixture over top. cover with foil. Bake
in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Serves 6.