Vegan Holiday Food - What to do without Turkey, Ham and Whipped Cream

What does a vegan do to make the winter a season of mouth watering tradition instead of a time of unsavory nostalgia for the by-gone meat days? I admit that my first Thanksgiving as a vegan was difficult, none of my family is vegetarian. How do you replace the staples of a meal that is mostly meat and dairy (turkey, ham, potatoes whipped w/ cream, creamed corn, gravy, buttery stuffing etc)? Well the potatoes were easy to deal with, but it took me three tries to replace the gaping hole where the meat should be. At first I simply made some of my favorite meals, risotto con zafferano or lasagna but even though I was excited to eat a heaping plate of comfort food, I felt that I was missing out on the dining experience. It makes a difference when you are not part of the passing and dishing, the pouring of gravy and the sprinkling of salt and pepper.

This year I decided to make a true Thanksgiving feast by making some of the most decadent recipes that I know while at the same time staying within the limits of the holiday's fare (meaning no lasagna or risotto!). The result: chickpea cutlets with jalapeno corn gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing sans meat drippings courtesy of my sister, skillet cornbread and pumpkin cheesecake. I only make the gravy and cutlets for the holidays so now I look forward to slathering my plate with the hearty kick of corn gravy, a flavor that has become synonymous with the holidays! I also had my food on the table to serve with the rest of the non-vegan choices, which made a difference, and it also encouraged others to try some meatless dishes.

These recipes are not my own, so I am not going to publish them, I will, however point you in the right direction to find out how to make them from some essential vegan cookbooks! I will be posting some of my own recipes soon, stay tuned.

Chickpea Cutlets and Jalapeno Corn Gravy

I made these from a recipe in the Veganomicom and it was fast and easy and created meaty, tender c utlets that made a perfect bed for any gravy. It utilizes some wheat gluten, but is much easier to deal with than making seitan.

The gravy is a bit involved, but it is so incredible that I recommend it. I know that most of you don't equate pepper hot with Thanksgiving, but this delight melds one of my childhood traditions of mixing the creamed corn with the mashed potatoes. It is a puree (I like to leave mine chunky ) of corn, jalapeno and onion. This is a thick and flavorful way to add a fancy touch to the holiday plate.
Veganomicon
The Post Punk Kitchen


Skillet Cornbread
This is another recipe taken from Veganomicon that creates an aesthetically pleasing way to bake cornbread and it yields large thick wedges packed with fresh corn -- sooo delicious!

Veganomicon



Creamy Mashed and Whipped Potatoes
This is my recipe, so it is included in its entirety.

Ingredients:
5 large potatoes peeled and chunked
1 C unsweetened soy or rice milk
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
2 T vegan butter

• Cook the potato chunks until tender and let cool.
• Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and mash down with masher until chunky.
• Pour in 1/2 C milk and salt and whip with hand mixer until completely smooth. Add more to preferred texture.
  
• Add the sugar and butter to your liking. I tend to add a bit at a time and whip, taste, adjust, repeat.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Taken from The Joy Vegan Baking, this soft and light recipe yields a great flavor that is like pumpkin pie and whipped cream all together in a compact cheesecake package. Make this with the pecan crust and it is all the more fantastic!

The Joy of Vegan Baking