Your Vegan Mom

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Pie Crust 101

Start with:

• 6 ounces flour (1 1/2 cups), you can use all-purpose, or up to 50% whole wheat 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup or 1 stick) Earth Balance vegan butter, diced into small cubes and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) ice cold water (put cold water in the freezer at the same time as your butter)

Mix the sugar and salt with the flour.  Dump the cold butter into the flour.  Working quickly, rub the butter into the flour with just the tips of your fingers.  If you're getting your whole hands in there, the butter is getting too warm and you're losing those precious pockets of cold fat that make your crust flaky. 

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Recipe Round-Up

 

Courtesy of my son, the Barry White of hand turkey makers.  Man alive, am I thankful for that kid.  Yesterday he told me he's going to be a ducky for Christmas.  

Nava Atlas's A Bountiful Vegan Thanksgiving e-book

Robin Robertson's Thanksgiving Menu 2009

Robin Robertson's Thanksgiving Menu 2008

The Lunch Box Bunch's Vegan Thanksgiving 101

Bryanna Clark Grogan's Holiday Recipes 

Quarrygirl's Vegan Thanksgiving in Los Angeles

Link it up!  What's on your Thanksgiving menu?  

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Your Protein Options

 

Leisurely strolling through the Whole Foods last night, because I had managed to leave all the boys at home for a few minutes, I sampled hand lotion, admired wintery baby pajamas (complete with red pointy hats!), and marveled at all of the fake meat options they carry.  Now, clearly Thanksgiving is about the variety, deliciousness, and number of side dishes, including dessert, but it is awfully nice, if not essential, to have that big hunk of protein there in the middle to slather with mushroom gravy and anchor a sandwich the next day.  Here are a few options, but I'd love to hear about what will be on your turkey platter.  

From the Store:

Tofurkey - I didn't used to be wild about the tofurkey, but it's really grown on me.  I think the olive oil, soy sauce, and sage baste maybe makes the difference.  Also, it just tastes like Thanksgiving now because it's popped up at so many family holidays over the past decade or so.  Plus it's available at Trader Joes for $9.99.

Celebration Roast - I love that the Field Roast people put food in their roast - butternut squash not soy protein isolate.  It's easy to slice thinly - it holds its shape nicely.  Though I prefer the flavor of the tofurkey, the celebration roast makes really good cold leftovers. (The half roast comfortably serves 4 and is available at Whole Foods for $6.69.)

Cary Brown's Country Smoked Chicken Free Chicken - I had always wanted to try this but couldn't justify the cost.  But right now, in the reference frame of Thanksgiving, when I'm looking at, say the $49.99 big fat fake turkey dinner, it suddenly seems so reasonable.  It's $5.99 at Whole Foods. (So it's actually the cheapest of these three options, though it is considerably smaller.)  I love that it's made by local hero, Follow Your Heart.  And it's crazy delicious.  It's evocative of the mock smoked duck you'd find in a Chinese restaurant, with an addictive flavor (I think I ate a third of it cold while I was making dinner.), and really satisfying texture.  It says it serves 5, but Paul, Desmond, and I polished it off right easy.  Also, it should be noted that this is the only product here that is not gluten-based, if that matters to you.

But you could also totally make it (That's the beauty of being vegan.):

Nonna's Turkey - This roast has a great texture, and simple flavor that will work with whatever gravy or sauce you want to dress it with.  Also, it's pretty easy to make.  

Seitan Cutlets - If you want to go totally small scale, you could always whip up some cutlets pretty easily.  We had a couple for dinner tonight with the orange cranberry glaze.  So good.  If you wanted to make a low-key but still kind of fancy dinner, you could serve them with that glaze atop a mixture of mashed yukon gold and sweet potatoes, with something green on the side.  Green beans or roasted brussels sprouts or sauteed kale would be nice.    

The Unturkey - Perhaps the pinacle of faux Thanksgiving, the recipe can look a little overwhelming at first, but give it a chance.  In past years, I have pared it way down and skipped the yuba skin and made I guess really more of an unchicken.  Still good.  

If you need help, or just companionship, with all your cooking next week.  I'll be here.  The unturkey hotline will be open again from 10:00 AM Wednesday morning through 10:00 AM Thanksgiving. 

Today I am thankful for all the choices we have.  It is so much easier to not eat turkey now than it was seventeen years ago.   

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Roasting Pumpkin

 

We've discussed this before, but it bears repeating.  In my opinion, the only way to cook a winter squash is to roast it whole in the oven.  Unless we're talking about delicata which slices quite easily, just stab that big toughie a few times with a sharp knife (to keep him from exploding in the oven), put him in a baking dish (to catch any juices), and roast at 375 for about an hour or until a knife slips in easily. (It totally depends on the size of your squash.)  

Once you've let him cool a bit, that previously impenetrable skin slips off like paper, the seeds and stringy bits just scrape right off, and the rich flesh is ready for however you want to use it.  If you pop it in the blender you'll have some pumpkin puree with not much more effort than opening a can, but with much less packaging and processing.  (That said, I think I am on my eighth can of pumpkin puree for the season, and Thanksgiving is still more than a week away.  We just do the best we can, right?)

My pal and I were recently discussing recipe deal breakers.  She puts the breaks on any recipe that calls for less than a can of pumpkin.  I stop reading when the author tells me to dice any sort of winter squash.  (Or it might have been the reverse.  We seem to be pretty much in accord when it comes to fussy pumpkin recipes.)  Today I am thankful for my food-loving pals of both the internet and real-life variety, and especially the cross-over sort.  It's so nice to have people like you to talk to.  Thanks for listening and sharing and for all your constant inspiration.  What would I cook without you!?  

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Beets with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

 

I love this salad, or side dish, or whatever you want to call it.  It's perfect for Thanksgiving because you can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature, but it's good pretty straight from the oven too.  Plus it makes a lovely cold accompaniment to your day after sandwich.  

I need to add, though I'm certain that you already know this, that if you or anybody you know thinks brussels sprouts are gross it's because you haven't had them roasted.  The outer leaves get crispy and browned in the hot oven, the center gets tender, and they have a mellow sweet-bitter flavor that is wonderful with the earthiness of the beets and the slightly sharp maple mustard dressing.  Good, good stuff.   

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Beets with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Serves 4 - 6

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 2 large beets
• olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
• vinaigrette: 
  • 1 medium shallot, roasted 
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 400.  Cut large brussels sprouts in half, and trim any tough stems.  Peel and cut the beets into biggish chunks (about an inch).  Peel the shallot.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the vinaigrette.  Roughly chop the shallot and throw it and the other ingredients for the vinaigrette into the blender.  Puree until smooth.  In a medium bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the brussels sprouts, beets, and walnuts.  Taste for salt and pepper, and serve.  Can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. 

Today I am thankful for my neighborhood.  Incredibly rare for Los Angeles, I can walk to just about everything I need - Desmond's pre-school, the dreamiest park (where we took that picnic to yesterday), a great library with a children's story time, a weekly farmers market, Trader Joes, the post office, a train stop, and really nice people.  I am so lucky.