Vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving dinner

People have different reasons for choosing vegetarian diets. Some love animals so much that eating meat is a moral issue for them.
 
Some do it for health reasons. And still others do it for religious reasons.

Regardless of the reason why they choose to go meatless, vegetarians must make certain adjustments.
 
Take Thanksgiving, for instance. The holiday is steeped in the tradition of serving main meat dishes such as turkey, ham or prime rib roast.
 
So what's a vegetarian to do?
 
Simply eliminating any meat dishes from a traditional Thanksgiving dinner would leave most people with a highly nutritional - albeit highly starchy - meal, said Jean Myers, a vegan and Food for Life cooking instructor for The Cancer Project. But for those who want something that resembles meat, there are alternatives such as a soy-based, stuffed “turkey” product (available at some health food stores and supermarket health food sections) that can be heated and served, she said.
 
And there are vegetarian recipes people can prepare and substitute for meat dishes, she said. One is Thanksgiving mushroom-nut loaf, which she prepares for holidays, special dinners or potlucks.
 
For Thanksgiving, she might typically serve it with yams, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, stuffing, asparagus, strawberry applesauce and sparkling cider. And of course, the meal might be followed with a great-tasting vegetarian dish: regular pumpkin pie.
 
Now she's onto something new, however. She recently tried a double-layer pumpkin cheesecake recipe. Though she would probably add more pumpkin pie spices, she was otherwise quite pleased with the pie and may serve it for Thanksgiving this year, she said.
 
While interviewing Myers, I had the opportunity to sit down with her and enjoy the meal pictured here. The mushroom-nut loaf had a meaty appearance and texture.
 
Topped with the gravy, it made a tasty, satisfying entrée that will likely become a regular one at my house. The trimmings were just as good.
 
And for dessert, the double-layer pumpkin cheesecake was a real treat - not too sweet, yet sweet enough. With Myers' recommended extra dash of pumpkin pie spices, it would be perfect.
 
But don't take my word for it. She has graciously shared the following recipes, so you can try them yourself. And the pumpkin cheesecake recipe can be found at www.fatfreevegan.com. (The cheesecake is not fat free: Each serving contains seven grams of fat.)



• Thanksgiving mushroom-nut loaf
Serves six

1 tablespoon Ener-G egg substitute (available at Full Circle Health Foods)
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 box Morinu firm or extra firm silken tofu (12 oz.)
Three-fourths cup chopped walnuts
(These first five ingredients are the blender ingredients)

2 tablespoons water
1 and one half cups diced onion
Half cup of diced celery
2 cups finely diced Portobello mushrooms (about 2 large ones)
2 teaspoons Spike (no salt)

1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman's Vegizest (Available at www.drfuhrman.com), or 1 and one half teaspoons Mrs. Dash Original Blend.

1 and one half teaspoons oregano

1 and one half teaspoons basil
Half teaspoon of sage
1 and one half cups cooked brown rice
Three-fourths cup whole wheat or rye cracker crumbs

Directions:
  Mix egg substitute, 4 tablespoons water tamari or soy sauce and tofu together in blender. Add walnuts and blend until smooth.
  Sauté vegetables in 2 tablespoons water until onions are transparent (Optional: add other finely diced veggies such as peppers, carrots or whatever you wish.) Add herbs and spices while vegetables are cooking.
  Mix blender ingredients, cooked vegetables, brown rice and cracker crumbs together in a large bowl.
  Spread into a nine inch by nine inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. (While this is not a traditional loaf shape, the texture is firmer when baked in a flat pan.)
  Bake at 350 F. degrees for one and a half hours until dark brown on top. Let cool slightly before cutting. Serves six. (For a crowd, the recipe can be doubled and baked in a nine inch by 13 inch pan for about two hours 350 degrees.)
  Tips: Cover top with ketchup or barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of baking if desired, or serve with mushroom gravy. Leftovers are delicious sliced cold on a sandwich with mustard!
Source: Recipe adapted by Jean Myers


• Mushroom Gravy
Serves four to eight

12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 to 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons flour
1 to 2 cups vegetable broth
Half teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
  Sauté onions and mushrooms in oil until soft (about five minutes).
  Mix flour with one fourth of broth or water until smooth (whisk together in a bowl or shake it in a small plastic container with a tight fitting lid).
  Add broth to the mushrooms along with the soy sauce, the flour mixture and the Italian seasoning.
  Bring gravy to a simmer for three to five minutes, stirring regularly.
  (Optional: For a smooth gravy, puree in a food processor or blender.)
Source: Recipe adapted by Jean Myers



• Yams with cranberries and apples
Serves eight

4 yams, peeled
1 large green apple, peeled and diced
1 cup raw cranberries
Half cup of raisins
2 tablespoons raw sugar or other sweetener
Half cup orange juice

Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  Cut peeled yams into one-inch chunks and place in a large baking dish. Top with diced apple, cranberries and raisins. Sprinkle with sugar or other sweetener, then pour orange juice over all.
  Cover and bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until yams are tender when pierced with fork.
Source: Recipe from “Food for Life” by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond.