4 Thanksgiving Recipes with a vegan twist
Recipe #1 – 7 Ingredient Vegan Gravy
Made with simple pantry ingredients, this easy vegan gravy is the perfect partner to your mashed potatoes or roast dinner. Gluten free too.
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
2 tsp miso paste
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup gluten-free flour
3¼ cups vegetable stock/broth
Instructions
In a medium saucepan on a low heat, add the butter, miso, onion powder, dried thyme and soy sauce.
As the butter melts, stir the ingredients to combine.
Add the flour, continuing to stir until the ingredients form a thick paste.
Add the vegetable stock about ⅓ cup at a time, stirring well to ensure it mixes thoroughly into the paste before adding more (this will help you avoid lumps by adding too much liquid too quickly).
When all liquid is added, increase the heat slightly until the gravy is bubbling gently.
Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the thyme to infuse the gravy and the liquid to thicken. If at any point the gravy becomes too thick, simply add a little more water to thin it.
Serve with potatoes, nut roast or your favourite vegetable side dish!
Recipe #2 – Pecan Stuffed Pumpkin
This brown rice and pecan stuffed pumpkin recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and makes the ideal Thanksgiving centrepiece! Can be made nut-free too.
Ingredients
1 small to medium-sized pumpkin (about 5 inches wide and 2½lb in weight)
⅓ cup short or long grain brown rice
¾ cup pecans
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more to brush the inside and outside of the pumpkin)
½ stick celery, finely diced (about ⅔ cup)
1 small onion, finely diced (about ⅔ cup)
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
½ tbsp dried rosemary, finely ground
1 tbsp dried sage, finely ground
½ cup dried cranberries
½ tsp onion powder
2 tbsp water
Sea salt to taste (I usually use about 1-1½ tsp)
½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Cut the lid off your pumpkin and scoop out the insides, leaving a large hollow cavity. Set aside.
Cook the rice as per package instructions. When cooked, drain and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, place the pecans in a skillet and toast them on the stove top on a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
Place in a blender or food processor and blend for 6-8 seconds, until pecans are broken into small pieces. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan or skillet, add 1 tbsp of oil, plus the celery and onion, and sauté the mixture on a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently (or until onion is translucent).
Add the garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
When the rice is cooked add it, along with the rosemary, sage, cranberries, pecans, onion powder, remaining oil, water, salt and black pepper to the pan. Gently cook the mixture for a further 10 minutes (stirring frequently). It should be fairly crumbly by this point. Adjust the seasoning if needed and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°CF/205°C.
Brush the inside and outside of the pumpkin with olive oil, and season the inside well with salt and pepper.
Spoon the filling mixture into the pumpkin – packing it fairly tightly – and place the lid on top.
Wrap the pumpkin completely in a layer off aluminium foil and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove the foil and bake the pumpkin, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes. The pumpkin is ready when you can easily push a knife into the skin.
Remove it from the oven and serve cut into four wedges with your favourite seasonal greens, mashed potatoes and if you wish, gravy.
Note: For a nut-free version, feel free to replace the pecans with sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Recipe #3 – Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
A thanksgiving dinner is incomplete without mashed potatoes on the side. This is a comfort food for almost everyone and you cannot not do this in your thanksgiving special dinner menu.
Ingredients
•3 medium russet potatoes, peeled
•2 cups small cauliflower florets
•2 cloves garlic, crushed
•⅓ cup olive oil
•½ tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
•Sea salt & Black Pepper
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Instructions
Cut the peeled potatoes into 2cm cubes.
Boil in a saucepan for 5 minutes, then add the cauliflower florets and boil for a further 5-10 minutes until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender and cooked.
Drain the water out of the saucepan, and then add the garlic, olive oil and mustard to the vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste, then mash the potatoes/cauliflower mixture with a potato ricer until smooth (about 5 minutes).
Serve with your favourite main dish and gravy (or eat on their own!), and enjoy.
Recipe #4 – Easy Vegan Stuffing
This vegan stuffing recipe is gluten free, easy to make and totally mouthwatering. Perfect for your Christmas or Thanksgiving celebration.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive or other unflavoured oil (like avocado)
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 small stick celery, diced finely
¾ cup fresh sage, leaves only, diced finely
5 cups breadcrumbs, gluten-free or regular, depending on preference (they should be course, and a little larger in texture) (If you don’t have ready-made breadcrumbs, you can pulse about 6 slices of bread in a food processor for 30 seconds)
½ cup vegetable broth or stock (You want your broth quite strong, so if making it with powder use 1 tsp powder, if making it with a cube, use ½ a cube)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on a medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and celery for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the sage and sauté for just one minute more to soften. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the breadcrumbs, onion/celery/sage mixture, broth or stock, salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a large ovenproof dish and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the top is browned and crispy.
Remove and serve immediately as a side dish to your Thanksgiving, Christmas or celebration feast!
For more scrumptious vegan recipes, visit Vancouverwithlove.com. Happy thanksgiving greenies!
