Your Ultimate
Meat-Free
Thanksgiving
Guide
So many of the wholesome, hearty comfort
foods we enjoy during the holidays are
naturally vegetarian. This year, build on that
wonderful foundation by planning a meal
that contributes to a better world
for all living beings.
Plant-Based Thanksgiving Hacks
Start a holiday tradition of compassion by serving a delicious,
plant-based menu. Here are a few simple tips for updating
your Thanksgiving favorites!
Entrée
Tired of turkey? Try:
• Native Foods Wellington
• Tofurky® Feast
• gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
• Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast en Croute
Or, for a twist on the traditional, serve a new recipe such as applestuffed acorn squash or vegan pot pie for your main dish.
Mashed Potatoes
This year, whip your mashed potatoes with a nondairy spread like
Earth Balance and a dairy-free milk alternative like soy, almond,
rice, or coconut (just be sure to go for the plain, unsweetened
varieties). They will be just as fluffy and buttery as you remember.
Gravy
There are so many easy, meat-free gravy recipes to try, such as
traditional brown, savory mushroom, or caramelized onion. One
of our favorites is Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s “Golden Gravy” (recipe
below). Or, try a ready-to-eat product like Tofurky Savory Gravy.
Photo of Wellington, courtesy of Native Foods
Cranberry Sauce
Great news! Most homemade and many store-bought cranberry
sauces are already totally vegan. Just give the ingredients a quick
scan to make sure they don’t contain any unappetizing animal
by-products like gelatin.
Pumpkin Pie
No Thanksgiving meal is complete without pie! You can find decadent, crowd-pleasing recipes in cookbooks like Vegan Pie in the
Sky and Pies and Tarts with Heart.
Centerpiece
Adoption Certificate
Name:
Turpentine
Adopt a Turkey certificates make the
perfect centerpiece for every vegan
Thanksgiving table. When you participate in Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt
a Turkey Project, you’ll receive an
adoption certificate and a beautiful color photo of your adopted
turkey. The photo and certificate will serve as a great reminder for
you and your guests of why your holiday table is meat-free.
Lives at:
New York Shelter
History:
rescued from becoming Thanksgiving
dinner after winning the heart of a
caring neighbor
Personality:
Stuffing
Courtesy of
Chef Chloe Coscarelli
kiwi and melon
Adopted by:
Adoption Date:
It’s easy to veganize your family recipe with simple substitutions
such as nondairy butter and broth made from Better Than Bouillon
No Chicken Base instead of turkey stock. No need to stuff a turkey
— just bake your stuffing in a casserole dish.
GOLDEN GRAVY
charismatic and friendly
Favorite Foods:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup flour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
“Do you believe in love at first sight,
or do I need to strut by again?”
– Turpentine
Assembly
1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion
until soft.
2. Add nutritional yeast and flour and stir for about 1 minute. Add water, soy
sauce, thyme, and garlic powder.
3. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick.
Transfer gravy to a blender and purée until smooth.
4. Adjust seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste.
2014 Thanksgiving Menu
From Native Foods Café
Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving menu to share with your
friends and family this year? Look no further! We’ve taken all
of the guesswork out of meal planning by teaming up with our
friends at Native Foods Café to put together the quintessential
holiday menu. Use the printable recipes and shopping list
below to make a Thanksgiving spread your guests will be
talking about all year. Just make sure they help with the dishes.
Recipes
Native Foods Wellington
Potato Fennel Gratin
Almond Pear Stuffing
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Our 2014 Thanksgiving Menu is courtesy of our friends at
Native Foods Café. For more delicious holiday recipes, check
out the Native Foods Celebration Cookbook.
For your entrée, try the Native Foods 20th Annual Wellington
— an elegant puff pastry filled with savory Native Seitan,
steamed kale, and thinly sliced yams and complete with
Native stuffing made from whole wheat bread, a caramelized
onion compote, and rosemary and thyme herbed mushrooms.
Served with mushroom shallot gravy. Order yours before they
are gone at www.nativefoods.com!
POTATO FENNEL GRATIN
Serves 8
Potatoes and Fennel
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bulbs fresh fennel, sliced thinly lengthwise
1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Fill a pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil
potatoes for 30 minutes. Drain, then let cool and peel. Set
aside.
3.Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add sliced fennel, onion, salt,
and white pepper. Sauté slowly until golden brown and
caramelized, then remove from heat.
Creamy Cashews
2 cups cashews, soaked in 2 cups hot water for 20 minutes
2 cups water
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 whole lemon, zested
1.Drain the water from soaking cashews.
2.Blend cashews, water, garlic, salt, and lemon zest in a
blender until creamy.
Assembly
1 recipe Potatoes and Fennel
1 recipeCreamy Cashews
3/4 cup apples, cored and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1.Thinly slice potatoes into rounds, place in a bowl, and toss
with Creamy Cashews.
2.Layer potatoes so they’re slightly overlapping in a 9 x 13inch pan (or some size close to that), then top with fennelonion mixture and spread evenly.
3.Place apple slices on top of fennel-onion mixture.
4.Layer the rest of the potatoes on top and any remaining
cream left in bowl or blender. Use a spatula, so you get it all!
5.In a skillet, heat olive oil and add minced garlic. Remove
from heat when lightly browned and add breadcrumbs and
salt. Mix well.
6.Top entire dish with breadcrumbs and bake for 40 to 50
minutes.
ALMOND PEAR STUFFING
Serves 14
Ingredients
1 loaf wheat or multi-grain bread, sliced
(Rudi’s brand is good.)
3 sweet onions, chopped
3 medium pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
(Bosc or Bartlett are good.)
1 pound seitan sausage, crumbled or diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon dried savory
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup currants
1 cup veggie stock or water
1/2 cup apple juice
Directions
1.Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes
or until the bread is dry.
2.In a large skillet, sauté the onions, apples, celery, seitan, and spices in the butter for about 15 minutes or until the apples are
soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the bread cubes, almonds, currants, stock/water, and juice. Toss all ingredients
together well.
3.Place the mix in a greased 3-quart dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover the stuffing and bake for
another 10 minutes to get the top nice and golden brown.
CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE
Makes 2 cheesecakes (14 slices)
Directions
For the crust
2 1/2 cups whole, raw almonds
For the crust
2 tablespoons agave
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.Place the almonds in a food processor and chop for 10 to 15 seconds. We don’t
For the cheesecake mix
want a dust — more of a crumble. You can also do this by hand if you’d like.
3/4 pound vegan cream cheese
3.Place
the chopped almonds and agave in a bowl and mix well. Evenly distribute
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
the mix between two ungreased pie pans.
4 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/2 cup soy, almond, or oat milk
For the cheesecake mix
For the caramel apple topping1.Place all the cheesecake mix ingredients in a blender, milk first. This will help with
the blending process. Or, place everything in a bowl and use a hand mixer.
1/4 cup vegan butter
2.As you begin to mix, be sure to scrap down the sides and incorporate the tapioca
5 tablespoons organic brown sugar
starch completely.
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
3.When
the cheesecake mix is done, poor 1 1/2 cups of mix over each crust.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pounds apples, peeled and sliced
For the caramel apple topping
1/3 cup soy, almond, or oat milk
1.In a medium-sized skillet, on medium-high heat, heat up the butter. Once the butter
is melted and starting to bubble, add both the brown and cane sugars and whisk
them in well.
2.Add the sliced apples and cinnamon and continue to cook until the apples are soft
(not mush) and the sugar has begun to caramelize the outside of the apples. Add
the milk and allow it to reduce for just a few minutes.
3.Allow the apples to cool for 5 or so minutes, then layer them on top of the
cheesecake mixture in both pie pans.
4.Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, rotating halfway. Once the cheesecakes are done, allow
them to cool before serving.
Here’s everything you need to create
the 2014 Thanksgiving Menu from
Native Foods Café. Add a few of your
family’s favorite side dishes for a
beautiful, festive meal!
Printable
Shopping
List
PRODUCE
SPICES
 2 bulbs fresh fennel
 1 small yellow onion
 1 lemon
 1 bulb garlic
 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
 3 sweet onions
 3 medium pears
 1 head celery
 2 1/2 pounds apples
 dried savory
 white pepper
 ground cinnamon
 lemon zest
 orange zest
 fennel seed
 black pepper
 sea salt
NUTS
 2 cups cashews
 2 1/2 cups whole, raw almonds
 1 1/2 cups toasted slivered almonds
PANTRY STAPLES
 organic brown sugar
 organic cane sugar
 agave nectar
 tapioca starch
 olive oil
MISCELLANEOUS
 1 loaf sliced wheat or multi-grain bread
(Rudi’s brand is good.)
 1 pound crumbled or diced seitan sausage
(Try Tofurky or Field Roast brands.)
 1/2 cup currants
 1 cup veggie stock
 1/2 cup apple juice
 2 cups breadcrumbs
DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
 3/4 pound vegan cream cheese
(Try Tofutti, Follow Your Heart, or Daiya brands. You’ll
need 2 8-ounce tubs.)
 1 cup soy, almond, or oat milk
 3/4 cup vegan butter, like Earth Balance (about 2 sticks)