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Simple vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner option?

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Started 1 year ago by alison
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alison

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In the excitement of hosting the family for the first Thanksgiving in my new home, I forgot about my vegetarian niece.

I hate to make her just eat sides, but I don't want to make a big production out of a separate meal for one out of 10 people.

Any recommendations for something I could pick up and serve alongside the bird? FWIW, she's not at all adventurous. And despite being a vegetarian, doesn't seem to care for vegetables.

Perhaps she'd be just as happy if I simply shape a little turkey out of stuffing...

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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There was a great recipe for butternut squash lasagna in Edible Columbus - I added raw kale as a layer before baking. Filling, hearty, and has a Thanksgivingy flavor. Plus, it's easily made ahead to heat for the dinner (and makes for great leftovers, too.) I'm making it for lunch on Thanksgiving to tide guests over until the dinner at 6.

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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The quorn roast is really good, pretty simple to make, and available frozen at whole foods. If you make veggie gravy, she'll love you forever.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cookie
Flyntonville
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Not Tofurky. I like butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage, which is super easy to make. Sides are always good too (Doesn't everyone like them more than the turkey?) as long as you don't tell her to pick out the bacon in the green beans or make the stuffing with chicken stock.

Posted 1 year ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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I agree with Berdawn and the veggie gravy. I don't know that there's any sort of low-prep main-style dish that will be a bird replacement.... but if you make veggie gravy, she won't even miss it.

My version - saute an onion and the three-variety prepped mushroom pack with some garlic until everything is really softened and browned. Deglaze that plan with a little veg broth, dumping in the rest of the veg broth. Cook this for a few, then dump it into a blender and whiz the hell out of it. Back into the pan/pot, then if it needs thickening... make a paste out of soft butter & flour, add into the gravy into dabs, stirring madly. Season to taste & done.

Posted 1 year ago #
JMUgrad04
Grandview, Ohio
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Hi Alison,
I always love homemade mac & cheese. I think most vegetarian don't expect the host to make them something special. I tend to eat a lot of sides.

Here are a few options:
http://www.myrecipes.com/special-diet/vegetarian-recipes/easy-vegetarian-meals-00420000001297/

Good luck!

Posted 1 year ago #
jennyw
Clintonville
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I actually love the Tofurky roast (which comes with its own stuffing). Field Roast also has a great stuffed roast that is sold at the Clintonville Co-Op and Whole Foods.

And yeah, despite not particularly caring for mushrooms, mushroom gravy is pretty great. Homemade mac & cheese/pasta with red sauce both seem like winners to me and would likely suit a kid's palate. That said, the best bet might be to ask her parents what kind of food she's into ...

(Oh, and watch out for stuffing--if you get anything that's pre-made, even if it's just the croutons, it may not be veggie friendly.)

Posted 1 year ago #
alison

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Excellent ideas! Thanks all!
(We usually do two gravies anyway -- some like giblets and livers, some think they're an abomination.)

Thanks for the veggie gravy recipe, Twixlen -- that's getting filed away.

Posted 1 year ago #
AmyD
Columbus, Ohio
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i made this awesome cauliflower thing last week....
fry onions (oh god i love that smell) until they look sort of clear
slice cauliflower so it is in thin pieces but still has that flower shape
put in some garam masala, coriander, butter....tons of butter. i use fake butter, Earth Balance
cook until the cauliflower is tender and toss in some frozen peas
turn it off when the peas are hot.
salt and pepper
delish

and i love tofurkey with the stuffing inside with that Tofurkey gravy! now THAT's easy

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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Ialways liked seitan -

http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm

Posted 1 year ago #
rustbelt

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I've been vegetarian for nearly 20 years & always eat the Tofurky for Thanksgiving. Just bought mine the other day.

The key is decent gravy. The tofurky gravy works fine. I've heard good things about the Field Roast, too.

I also get uncomfortable when a host over-accomodates for me. I've eaten plenty of sides as meals over the years. No biggie - especially on such a carnivore-heavy holiday.

Of course, that's me -- not your niece....

Posted 1 year ago #
alison

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Laughs -- my niece is 14 -- I doubt she thinks she's *every* been over-accomodated!

Posted 1 year ago #
sarahb
clintonville
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i love the tofurky roast and it is pretty easy to prepare. you can get them at the clintonville co-op, whole foods, trader joes and even the giant eagle in clintonville has them now. i agree that having a veg gravy is important for thanksgiving. here is a link to an online veg menu with recipes: http://www.mercyforanimals.org/thanksgiving/
i have made the green bean casserole before and it was really yummy! hope this helps!

Posted 1 year ago #
TaraK
probably at the coffee shop
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I never minded the sides only -- any main course will be a reincarnation of veggies/breads anyhow. In fact (to fulfil Cookie's assumption), now that I eat meat I still go mostly for the sides. I'm practically giddy over my aunt's fried potatoes, some mushroom rice, and the like.

I made this butternut souffle recently and it was phenomenally good. I replaced the carrots with an acorn squash, reduced the butter by a tablespoon, and the sugar by a little bit. It made a substantial souffle with four little souffle cups, too.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cookie
Flyntonville
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I'm alone on the Tofurky? I thought it had a really weird aftertaste, but I'm clearly in the minority.

Posted 1 year ago #
Talcott
Clintonville
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Cookie wrote >>
I'm alone on the Tofurky? I thought it had a really weird aftertaste, but I'm clearly in the minority.

You're not alone. Even when I was vegetarian I couldn't stand the stuff. It tastes like burnt rubber to me.

Posted 1 year ago #
0Angle
A brewery or my kitchen or my bicycle.
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Autolyzed yeast is almost ubiquitous and easily recognized if you know what it is (brewers donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t usually wanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t yeast to autolyze). It reminds me of the smell of burnt rubber (like a stuck vacuum cleaner belt).

Autolysed yeast is produced using a simple process Ã¢â‚¬â€œsalt is added to yeast and then incubated. The salt causes the yeast cells to rupture and release their enzymes. These enzymes break down some of the yeast proteins and release amino acids, producing an Ã¢â‚¬Å“umamiÃ¢â‚¬Â flavor. Umami is a Japanese word meaning savory, a deliciousness factor deriving specifically from detection of the natural amino acid, glutamic acid, or glutamates common in meats, cheese, broth stock, and other protein-heavy foods.

http://www.tofurky.com/ourstory/ingred_spices.html

Posted 1 year ago #
jimbach
Short North (WP division)
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When we host Thanksgiving dinner I like to use it as an excuse to go nuts with some vegetarian dishes - pumpkin gnocchi, sweet potato vichyssoise, squash risotto, etc. But nothing beats broccoli casserole IMO.

The Quorn roasts are pretty good (and I'll be having one this year) and I typically make both vegetarian and non-vegetarian gravy. The vegetarian gravy I usually make (sorry, I don't work from recipes) is based on a Bechamel.

Posted 1 year ago #
catnfiddle
Giant Corncob District
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Cookie wrote >>
I'm alone on the Tofurky? I thought it had a really weird aftertaste, but I'm clearly in the minority.

I've had it before and needed to smother it in gravy and stuffing to force it down.

Posted 1 year ago #
jennyw
Clintonville
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Cookie, I love love love Tofurky ('specially the smoked-flavor deli slices), but can't stand the texture of most Quorn products. Field Roast just may by favorite, though it's too spendy for me to purchase too often.

jimbach, I know you said you don't work from recipes, but could you share more deets on the broccoli casserole, puhleeze?

Posted 1 year ago #