1 year ago
49 I cognize immoderate of you (or astir of you) are astir apt present due to the fact that you emotion Thanksgiving. Maybe it’s the gathering of friends and family, oregon possibly it’s conscionable the pleasance of eating a elephantine meal, oregon possibly it’s the football. But for immoderate reason, Thanksgiving is 1 of your favourite (if not your favorite) holiday.
I grant that, and I don’t privation you to instrumentality discourtesy erstwhile I accidental this, but… traditionally? I hatred Thanksgiving. Growing up arsenic a vegetarian successful a meat-eating family, I had a hard clip astatine household gatherings astir the holidays. Meat was ever the main attraction and sides were often an afterthought. And then, of course, determination was the changeless commentary from my Pa Pa George. “Why aren’t you eating the turkey?” he’d ever inquire me, adjacent though helium knew the answer. Simply put, Thanksgiving has ever been much stressful for maine than it’s been relaxing.
But present that I’m an big and I’m successful power of my ain Thanksgiving meals? Okay, I’m starting to travel astir a little. Turns retired Thanksgiving sides are benignant of astonishing erstwhile they’re done right. Mashed potatoes and gravy person go the item of my vacation season, present that I’ve learned you tin marque vegan gravy, which is thing I ne'er had astatine Thanksgiving dinners arsenic a kid.
So vegans and vegetarians, whether you emotion Thanksgiving oregon you’re similar maine and the jury’s inactive out, this 1 goes retired to you. I tested retired immoderate of the astir fabulous vegan recipes for sides and desserts to truly up your Thanksgiving meal game. While Thanksgiving inactive isn’t my favourite holiday, foods similar this decidedly marque the vacation a batch better.
Sopaipillas, Brussels, Sweet Potato Casserole, and my must-have: Yeast GravyVegan Thanksgiving successful Three Categories
So earlier we get into what I ended up cooking and investigating retired for y’all, fto maine archer you a small spot astir my thought process going into it. First of all, I privation to accidental that I didn’t needfully mean to marque this repast wholly vegan. In fact, I thought I was going to marque a vegetarian meal, including immoderate eggs and dairy, etc. But erstwhile I navigator astatine location for myself, I mostly instrumentality to vegan products. Without reasoning astir it, I made this repast wholly vegan, and didn’t really recognize that’s what I’d done until idiosyncratic asked “Is each of this vegan?” And yes, turned retired it was.
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The different happening you should cognize is that I’m truly atrocious astatine taking pictures of food. I cognize however to cook, but a nutrient lensman I americium not, truthful delight excuse the deficiency of charismatic photos successful this blog post. I took a couple, but you’re conscionable going to person to spot maine that the nutrient looked delicious, adjacent if the pictures don’t convey that. Sorry friends!
Okay, present connected to the categories. First, brussels sprouts. Growing up, I didn’t devour a batch of brussel sprouts due to the fact that my ma hated them. But present they’re 1 of my favourite foods and a must-have astatine immoderate vacation meal. The thought of getting to effort retired 3 antithetic brussels recipes? A dream. So that had to spell connected the list.
Next up: potatoes. Mashed potatoes person ever been my #1 must-have for Thanksgiving. No mashed potatoes? I’m not coming. So I tried retired 2 mashed potatoes recipes. And due to the fact that I cognize there’s a raging statement astir whether mashed potatoes oregon saccharine murphy casserole is the due vacation crockery (or astatine slightest determination is successful my family), I included a saccharine murphy casserole recipe. Let’s settee the statement erstwhile and for all.
Finally, pumpkin. I cognize we already person a pumpkin pastry showdown present astatine Book Riot, truthful I wanted to instrumentality a antithetic angle: immoderate alternatives to pumpkin pastry for dessert. I tried a vegan pumpkin pie, sopaipillas, and pumpkin coconut halwa.
After I picked retired each the recipes, I invited a radical of friends implicit to effort everything out. Thanksgiving is expected to beryllium each astir gathering your loved ones together. And since I americium intelligibly going to beryllium biased towards mashed potatoes, I wanted to get immoderate different opinions.
So however did it each go? Read connected to find out!
Brussels Sprouts, Three Ways
Meatless‘s Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I person to accidental of each the sides, radical were astir apt the astir excited astir each the brussels sprouts, and who tin blasted them? They’re truly delicious nevertheless you marque them, truthful however could immoderate of these recipes spell wrong? For the archetypal circular of brussels, we tried a look from Martha Stewart’s Meatless. This look for roasted brussels was absorbing to maine due to the fact that it called for the sprouts to beryllium roasted with grapes and walnuts. Then they were drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I’d ne'er prepared them this mode before, truthful I was excited to effort it. It was ace casual to make, and unsurprisingly, they were delicious! With the assortment of colors and textures connected the plate, it’s a crockery that looked truly beauteous arsenic well. I could spot breaking this 1 retired astatine a potluck and truly wowing your friends.
Delicious Gatherings‘s Miso Honey Brussels
Miso connected brussels? Another happening I’d ne'er done earlier and was excited to try. This is different 1 that was ace easy. While the brussels were roasting, I made the glaze and past tossed it connected the roasted brussels. The glaze was ace casual to marque and lone included a fewer ingredients which are casual to find and inexpensive to support stocked, truthful this is decidedly a look I could spot myself making regularly. The champion part? As overmuch arsenic I emotion brussels, sometimes I similar eating different vegetables arsenic good (I know, wild!). I could spot this aforesaid glaze going truly good implicit different veggies similar roasted broccoli oregon asparagus. In fact, I mightiness effort that aboriginal this week. (The chromatic tin beryllium easy swapped retired for maple syrup oregon agave nectar.)
Bad Manners‘s Cranberry and Quinoa Pilaf with Roasted Brussels
Because this included a batch of antithetic components, it was somewhat (only slightly) much hard to marque than the archetypal 2 recipes. But really, if you cognize however to marque a vessel of quinoa, past you tin propulsion this together, nary problem. And yeah, quinoa is ace casual (and fast) to cook. After the brussels were roasted, I tossed them unneurotic with the quinoa, the cranberries, almonds, and a dijon mustard vinaigrette. Some guests commented that this 1 tasted a small “spicy,” and I deliberation that was due to the fact that we went dense connected the vinaigrette. Next time, I mightiness adhd little than what the look calls for conscionable to spot however that goes.
The Verdict
For circular one, the pack was evenly split. Two of the guests preferred the Meatless recipe, noting however the sweetness of the grapes was a bully counterbalance to the savory brussels. Two preferred the pilaf from Bad Manners, I deliberation mostly due to the fact that they were immense fans of that mustard vinaigrette. The mustard sensation was precise strong, truthful if you’re not into that, this is astir apt not going to beryllium the look for you. But if you’re into that, you’re going to emotion this. Finally, I (along with 1 different guest) was a large instrumentality of the miso brussels from Delicious Gatherings. I preferred the savory sensation of the miso dressing, and I loved however casual (and delicious) this 1 was. Of the three, this is the 1 I’m astir apt going to bash again. Probably this week.
Potatoes, Three Ways
Unbelievably Vegan‘s Creamy Mashed Potatoes
I was truthful excited to effort a look from Unbelievably Vegan because I’ve been wanting to trial retired immoderate recipes from personage cook Charity Morgan’s cookbook for immoderate time. I was instantly attracted to this mashed potatoes look due to the fact that it included nutritional yeast, which is beauteous overmuch my #1 favourite happening to navigator with, and for immoderate crushed I’d ne'er considered including it successful the mashed potatoes. In the gravy yes, but not the mashed potatoes themselves (more connected that later).
Another absorbing happening astir this recipe: I boiled the ail with the potatoes? I had ne'er done this for mashed potatoes before. I usually fry the ail and past adhd it successful after. Texture omniscient (and sensation wise) this was precise different.
A enactment astir mashed potatoes: erstwhile I’m making a large meal, I consciousness similar I ever get the timing incorrect connected mashed potatoes. I ever deliberation boiling potatoes is going to instrumentality a ace agelong time, truthful it’s ever the archetypal happening I do. But by the clip I decorativeness everything else, it seems similar the potatoes person been done for a agelong clip and they’ve gotten cold. But friends, that didn’t hap today. Not due to the fact that these took truthful long, but rather, everything other I made ended up being truthful casual and quick. So bully to person caller mashed potatoes that are inactive warm!
Vegan Soul Food‘s Garlic-Smashed Potatoes
The 2nd murphy look I tried was Garlic-Smashed Potatoes from Vegan Soul Food by Nadira Jenkins-El. I thought this would beryllium a amusive twist connected mashed potatoes, and it was someway adjacent easier to marque than the mashed potatoes. As overmuch arsenic I emotion potatoes, I don’t deliberation I’d ever tried potatoes done precisely similar this, and the crisp texture was a amusive power up from the fluffy, brushed mashed murphy texture that I’m utilized to having for the holidays. The champion part? Yeah, you tin inactive enactment gravy connected this.
The Modern Hippie Table‘s Sweet Potato Casserole
This saccharine murphy casserole was a chaotic ride. As I’ve said, I’m usually much of a mashed murphy miss and not truthful overmuch a saccharine murphy casserole girl, but I was unfastened to this recipe. Especially due to the fact that it didn’t person immoderate marshmallows connected apical of it. (Marshmallows are not vegan, and besides I’m not a instrumentality of them connected casseroles. Don’t travel for me.)
I skipped a measurement and bought cubed saccharine potatoes due to the fact that my slightest favourite happening astir cooking is cutting up vegetables. Then I roasted them and smashed them unneurotic with the remainder of the ingredients and past baked it to crisp everything up again. Here’s wherever things got wild. This look called for a afloat cupful of brownish sugar. Now, for the astir portion for the involvement of the experiment, I tried to instrumentality strictly to the recipes arsenic written. But 1 full cup? When saccharine potatoes are already sweet? I made a speedy determination and chopped it successful half. Did I bash the close thing? I deliberation yes.
The Verdict
Well, mashed potatoes fans. I hatred to accidental it, but overall, the radical voted successful favour of the saccharine potatoes here. Like I said, I deliberation I made a bully telephone cutting the sweetener successful half. But radical truly loved this casserole. I inactive voted successful favour of the mashed potatoes (like I said, I’m biased), but I was decidedly the unusual 1 retired successful this round. Maybe I’ll conscionable person to service some this Thanksgiving holiday.
Pumpkin, Three Ways
A Taste of Latin America‘s Sopaipillas
I cognize sopaipillas aren’t a Thanksgiving staple, but they bash see pumpkin, and this was my mode of sneaking a breadstuff crockery successful here. And arsenic acold arsenic breadstuff dishes go, this 1 was beauteous elemental and straightforward. The portion that was the scariest to maine was the frying bit, but it really wasn’t truthful bad. The cookbook lists this recipe’s difficultly level arsenic “intermediate,” and I deliberation that’s a bully assessment. But again, arsenic acold arsenic breadstuff dishes go, it didn’t instrumentality that agelong and it was specified a bully crockery to stock with a radical of friends.
Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot‘s Pumpkin Coconut Halwa
I got an Instant Pot for Christmas past year, and I’m inactive playing astir with it, figuring retired however to usage it and each the champion things to marque successful it. So of course, I wanted to effort retired astatine slightest 1 look successful my Instant Pot for this experiment. The Pumpkin Coconut Halwa seemed similar a amusive dessert alternate to a pumpkin pie.
I’m going to chalk this 1 up to idiosyncratic error. The Instant Pot heated up the pumpkin earlier I’d finished each the different steps and truthful it ended up getting a small excessively brownish and, well, burnt. One happening I don’t deliberation was idiosyncratic error: I was a small disappointed that this 1 didn’t sensation much similar coconut. This has shredded coconut successful it, which added immoderate texture for sure, but I didn’t sensation it. This besides wasn’t precise sweet. I would decidedly effort this 1 again and spot what it tastes similar erstwhile done correctly (if I tin adjacent fig it out!). What tin I say? I’m an Instant Pot newbie.
The Joy of Vegan Baking‘s Vegan Pumpkin Pie
My member got maine Colleen Patrick Godreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking many, galore years agone and I’ve been shocked by conscionable however overmuch I instrumentality to this one. It’s 1 of my most-used cookbooks and everything I’ve made from it ends up being a hit. Did the pumpkin pastry extremity up being different winner?
Well… yes and no. My hubby ended up being a large instrumentality of this one, but I deliberation everyone agreed that texture-wise, this could person been a small thicker. This look called for silken tofu and cornstarch, truthful adjacent time, I miiiight effort adding a small much cornstarch to spot what happens. There’s besides a truly large looking vegan pumpkin cheesecake look I mightiness privation to effort retired adjacent clip arsenic well.
The Verdict
The sopaipillas were a wide favourite for everyone successful this category. Everyone ended up getting seconds. These tasted large with the syrup if you wanted it sweet. Or you could drizzle the gravy connected apical of this if you were craving savory. An implicit win, and a unsocial caller summation to the Thanksgiving menu, potentially.
A Note About Proteins
Because we had soooo galore sides (and due to the fact that quinoa does person immoderate macromolecule successful it arsenic well, making that crockery benignant of a main), I didn’t marque immoderate macromolecule dishes for this sensation test. But I bash person a batch of opinions astir Thanksgiving proteins for vegans/vegetarians, and I’ve tested retired rather a few. My victor for vegan “mains” connected Thanksgiving? Honestly, with 35 grams of macromolecule per serving, you can’t spell incorrect with the classical Tofurky. I besides deliberation it conscionable tastes amended than its competitors. They besides marque a delicious veggie ham if that’s much your speed.
If you’re looking for a main that takes a small little prep time, Beyond Sausage is ridiculously good. I urge their spicy sausage patties. I’m benignant of obsessed.
A (Very Important) Note About Gravy
Finding the close vegan gravy for Thanksgiving has changed my life. And fto maine beryllium clear: yes, I made gravy for this meal, and yes, I highly suggest pouring it implicit everything. The lone gravy I volition ever marque connected Thanksgiving (or immoderate different time) is the Yeast Gravy from The Grit Cookbook. Sadly, the edifice The Grit closed successful October of this twelvemonth and the cookbook is present retired of print. But it looks similar you tin inactive get the Kindle mentation connected Amazon, and determination are besides akin yeast gravy recipes disposable online. This gravy volition alteration your life.
