Anyone got any good recipes to share? My sister’s boyfriend is coming (despite my objections) to spend thanksgiving (small UK gathering, just me, my dad and my sister and her boyfriend; my family has American connections hence why thanksgiving is a thing with us before people ask) and he’s very anti vegan and has already started complaining that the food is going to be “boring and tasteless” in an attempt to force me to give in and have meat on the table (not happening).
So best ideas, products and recipes are much appreciated.
I think trader joes has a vegan cornbread mix!! try that- it might need an alternative milk but it should be good without an egg? egg substitute maybe? disclaimer i am a meat eater but i make a lot of cornbread lol
Seitan is surpisingly easy to make and you can make it look and taste like whatever the chud is used to eating for thanksgiving (no idea what that would be).
My moms recipe:
320 g wheat gluten
30 g nooch
450 ml strongly seasoned broth
3 tbs oil
2 tbs tomato paste
Garlic
Ginger
1 ts marjory or oregano
1 ts soy sauce
any seasoning or spices to approximate the taste of flesh you might want to replicate.
Mix, let rest for 15 min, then process with a mixer if you have one or by hand. The longer the better. Cook in broth for 45 min, roast in oven for a tougher skin
Part of what is so frustrating is that his family don’t do Thanksgiving, it’s just my family because we have American family. So it’s not like he’s “used to something else”. My family is his only connection with it and so it’s not like anyone else is going to cook him a meal of that size and complexity. He’s literally the only one who is making a fuss about meat and he thinks he can get his way by using the threat of not seeing my sister. Apologies for the rant I’m just pissed he’s trying this after I invited him partly as an attempt to try and be nice to him for the sake of my sister.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m saving it in my cookbook as a general seitan recipe, I’ve never made my own (nor did I realise it was so easy). That does seem like a good solution that might shut him up for a bit. I’ll do some experimenting and try and get his beloved turkey/chicken flavour.
I usually do field roast, baked sweet potatoes, oven roasted asparagus with aioli, mushroom chestnut stuffing, and a mushroom gravy.
Butternut squash soup/stew. Add something spicy to it to really bring out the flavor.
Not really a vegan substitute for a Thanksgiving dish. But I’ve been really digging acorn squash recently. Super easy to make, and you can season it savory or sweet depending on what you’re serving it with.
Cut it in half down the middle, scoop out the seeds and innards. Rub some olive oil on the insides and for the savory version I like to season it liberally with some salt, black pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika. You can really use any savory seasonings you like, it’s all to preference. Then you cook it facing down (like a dome) in an oven heated to 400 degrees for about 45-60 minutes until it gets tender.
For sweet just use some vegan butter (probably could just use olive oil for this as well, it doesn’t really alter the taste much) then season with some brown sugar and some cinnamon, and maybe some maple syrup if you have it around.
I usually just serve it in halves since I mostly just cook for me and my girlfriend, but you may need to cut it into portions if you’re serving it as a part of a bigger thanksgiving meal.
