<p>S has been at college for six weeks now and has become a vegetarian. Between that and the two club sports he’s playing, he’s lost about ten pounds he didn’t need to lose. We visited for Parents’ Weekend and took him to dinner every night, and he ate everything on his (vegetarian) plate including the garnishes. He says the Caf veg food choices are boring, but he’s already joined a group dedicated to making them better.</p>
<p>So if he’s still veg at Thanksgiving, it’s tofurkey for us…anyone ever had it?</p>
<p>Why subject everyone to crappy Tgiving food because one convert won’t want it? Just cook a normal turkey and a side of mac and cheese or whatever.</p>
<p>I couldn’t eat anything with a name that sounds like that – even though we do eat vegetarian several nights each week. ;)</p>
<p>What if all 3 of you spit the stuff out?</p>
<p>Maybe it’s better to enjoy all the great side dishes (all of them are vegetables anyway!); Keep some stuffing outside the turkey cavity so he can still enjoy it (just pour a can of vegetable stock soup over it and bake it in the oven).</p>
<p>Seriously, it’s worth knowing if he can now sit at your table while others enjoy poultry or meat served from different platters. I think every vegetarian should have that much tolerance for others’ philosophies.</p>
<p>I agree. I am not a vegetarian but I usually load up my plate with so many (non-meat) side dishes on Thanksgiving that the turkey is an after-thought. There is plenty of good stuff to eat for the vegetarian, and the others can enjoy the traditional turkey.</p>
<p>I’ve been a vegetarian (along with H and D and S) for 17 years, and so have done many a birdless Thanksgiving. I eat the fake meat all the time for breakfast, lunch or snacks, but I’ve found the Tofurky to be less than appetizing. I wouldn’t try it, unless just for fun. I do have a really good meatless meatloaf recipe, not vegan, that might stand in good stead for the turkey. Also, we’ve had lasagne. And I make a really good, rich couscous casserole that could also help him gain some weight. Think hot couscous, velvety Muenster cheese, pine nuts, garlic, onion, tomatoes…mmm. If anyone wants the recipes for their newly minted vegetarian D’s or S’s, say the word.</p>
<p>I have been a vegetarian since 1985 as has DH. Kids eat meat sometimes. I always make a tofurkey and all the traditional stuff then go to the fancy market by us and get some nice fresh sliced roasted turkey for the meat eaters.<br>
I have never thought the tofurkey terrible. I do baste it like crazy and cook it in foil so it stays very moist. If you really don’t want to make one though, as the other posters have mentioned all the Tgiving day sides are delicious.</p>
<p>ebeeeee, I think that must be the way to do Tofurky. Lots of basting and keep it moist. Some gravy would probably help, too. </p>
<p>Okay, Thumper, here’s the recipe for </p>
<p>Baked Couscous with Spinach and Pine Nuts:</p>
<p>1 cup couscous
1.5 cups boiling water or vegetable stock (I use the stock)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil (splurge on a really good oil for this dish)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 28-oz can of tomatoes, chopped and drained (reserve 1/3 cup juice)
1.5 tablespoons minced fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried; I use fresh)
1/3 cup pine nuts
5 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, stems removed, leaves torn
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup grated Muenster cheese</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Combine the couscous, boiling stock or water, and salt in a large mixing bowl; cover with a plate. Let sit 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. </p></li>
<li><p>Preheat the oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion until tender. Add the drained tomatoes and cook 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.</p></li>
<li><p>Stir the tomato mixture into the couscous and mix in the reserved tomato juice, basil, pine nuts, raw spinach and pepper.</p></li>
<li><p>Spread half the couscous mixture into a 12x7x2-inch or other shallow (2.5 quart) baking dish. (I actually prefer to use a deep oval shaped casserole dish with a cover.) Sprinkle on the cheese, then top with the remaining couscous mixture. Cover the dish with foil (important to keep it moist) and bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Yum!</p>
<p>This and other great recipes are in “Quick Vegetarian Pleasures” by Jeanne Lemlin.</p>
<p>There’s only the three of us, and H doesn’t like turkey anyway, so I’m willing to go non-traditional this year. Whole Foods is a great idea; love the place. S is ovo-lacto so the lasagna is a strong possibility. He’s not militant (at least not yet) but did say he wouldn’t eat stuffing if cooked inside a turkey. My late mother’s bread and apple stuffing (from the 1955 edition of Joy of Cooking) is one of the few Tday traditions our very small family has…I’m not veg but could never quite “get” sausage or oysters in stuffing. I’ll use the vegetable broth option; thanks everyone!</p>
<p>My D is vegetarian and my W goes through rounds of health food fads. One thing I have learned to avoid is imitation foods. If you want a traditional thanksgiving dinner, you have to have turkey - not some miserable substitute made from tofu. If you don’t want turkey, then cook some great vegetarian dishes, not some imitation of a meat dish. It sounds like it is time to get some vegetarian cookbooks.</p>
<p>I don’t think you can fit enough stuffing in a turkey so I always cook some outside as well. I have a sister in law who only eats fish, so she usually brings smoked fish and occasionally gets bummed when we don’t leave her enough. But it’s delicious! I like turkey, but I’d can easily see only serving sides and hardly missing the turkey at all.</p>
<p>Another vote here that Tofurkey is nasty. Add a protein side dish to the menu and problem solved. Mac & cheese was a great suggestion. Black-eyed peas would work well too. Stew them with onion, garlic, bay leaf, vinegar, and peppers.</p>
<p>greennblue, here’s the recipe for Meatless Meatloaf, given to me by a friend who is not even close to being a vegetarian. She loves it and so does her husband who at age 67 is the world’s biggest meat-eater. I think the ingredients are weird, but the actual loaf is very good.</p>
<p>Meatless Meatloaf</p>
<p>8 eggs
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
15 oz. ricotta cheese
14 oz. tofu, medium or soft
1/2 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 and 1/3 cup cooked rice
8 oz. Special K cereal
basil, oregano, rosemary (to taste; I usually do a teaspoon or so)
1 large clove garlic minced
Lee & Perrins barbecue sauce, cut in half with catsup</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 350 degrees…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Mix by hand eggs, soup, tofu and cheese in a large bowl (actually use your hands to mix it all, gross but works)</p></li>
<li><p>Add onion, oil, rice and spices</p></li>
<li><p>Add Special K, mix well</p></li>
<li><p>Put into 2 loaf pans, packing down very lightly. </p></li>
<li><p>Top with barbecue/catsup sauce, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 mins. </p></li>
<li><p>Remove from oven, remove foil and allow to cool another 10 minutes (helps with setting).</p></li>
</ol>