Turkey-Alternatives Think you'll be missing out on something if you eliminate turkey or ham from your holiday menu? Guess again! Here are some of the most delicious alternatives on the market:

Tofurky - The Tofurky Roast, brought to you by Turtle Island Foods, is a pre-cooked vegan feast. Made from a revolutionary tofu-wheat protein blend, Tofurky is known for its incredible, turkey-like texture and flavor. Enhanced with a flavorfully moist stuffing, Tofurky will far exceed your expectations. For nutritional information and product details, visit www.Tofurky.com!

Celebration Roast - Field Roast has created a delicious vegan stuffed entrée that is perfect for the holidays and at any celebratory meal. Each roast is made by hand, wrapped in a cotton netting, and simmered to perfection. A tasty delicacy, it is complete with a stuffing made with butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms. Visit www.FieldRoast.com for more information!

Veggie Turkey Breast - Garden Protein International brings to the table the Veggie Turkey Breast with Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing. Bursting with healthful ingredients, including several vital minerals and five essential B vitamins, its made with pure canola oil, so it contains no trans fat. Garden Protein’s Veggie Turkey Breast is available at the Whole Foods Market deli along with vegan versions of all the traditional side dishes.

Appetizers

Perfect Butternut Squash Dip

1 15 oz. can organic butternut squash 4 heaping Tbsp zesty garlic hummus 1/4 cup organic maple syrup 1 tsp dried organic orange peel (spice bottle) 2-3 Tbsp soy creamer (plain flavor) *the soy creamer will affect the thick-thinness 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper 5 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped optional: dash of cayenne for a spicy accent, dash of cinnamon to turn up the 'warm' fall flavor 1. Spoon butternut squash puree into a small-medium mixing bowl. 2. Add hummus, maple syrup, soy creamer, orange peel, salt and pepper. 3. Whip mix well until dip is smooth and well blended. 4. Fold in a pinch of sage leaves. 5. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until dip is warm. (Heating dip allows for the flavors to mesh together.) 6. Fold in the rest of your sage leaves and your salt to taste. If adding cayenne and/or cinnamon, fold in a dash now. Microwave for another 20 seconds, whip well again. 7. Spoon dip into a serving dish. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf. 8. Serve with crostini bread, crackers or veggie sticks. This dip is to be served luke warm to room temperature. So if it sits out for a while, that's OK. But if you'd prefer, you can serve it warm-hot. from Healthy Happy Life

Entrees

Seitan Holiday Roast

Seitan Roast     2 cups vital wheat gluten     2 tablespoons unbleached flour     1/4 cup nutritional yeast     1 tablespoon rosemary, or to taste     1 tablespoon sage, or to taste     1 tablespoon thyme, or to taste     1-1/2 cups vegetable broth     2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce     1/4 cup water     1/2 celery stalk, minced     1/8 small onion, minced     1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced     Broth:     2 cups vegetable broth     2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce     1/2 celery stalk, minced     1/8 small onion     1/4 cup water     1 tablespoon rosemary, or to taste     1 tablespoon sage, or to taste     1 tablespoon thyme, or to taste     1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke 1. Seitan Roast: In a bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, flour, yeast, rosemary, sage, and thyme. In another bowl, combine the vegetable broth, soy sauce, celery, onion, water, and garlic. 2. Slowly combine the wet into the dry ingredients, kneading as you go. Knead for at least 2 minutes, and then divide into two small roasts. Put the roasts into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. 3. Broth: In a bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, soy sauce, celery, onion, water, rosemary, sage, thyme, and liquid smoke. Pour half of the broth into the baking dish with the roasts. 4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. At this point, most of the broth will have evaporated. (I cut my roasts into slices before i baked the second time. This allowed the juices to really get in and marinade the roast.) 5. Pour in the second half of the broth over the roast and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve warm. Variation: Cut up baby potatoes to bake with the roasts. Makes: 2 small roasts (serves about 4), Preparation time: 35 minutes, Cooking time: 40 to 50 minutes from vegweb.com

Tofu Not-A-Turkey

6 lbs. firm tofu Stuffing: 1 cup diced onion 1 cup diced celery 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 1/2 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. parsley Salt and pepper, to taste 3 cups cubed whole wheat bread 2 cups cubed corn bread 1/2 cup vegetable broth 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional) Basting Liquid: 1/2 cup sesame oil 1/4 cup soy sauce One hour before cooking, mash the tofu and pack it into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a clean towel. Place the colander over a large bowl to catch the liquid from the tofu. Weigh it down with a heavy object such as a can or jar on top of a bowl or small plate. To make the stuffing, sauté the onion and celery in the sesame oil. Mix the seasonings into the cubed bread. Combine everything, adding enough vegetable broth to moisten. Add nuts if desired. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Press the tofu with your hands to form a hollow center, fill with the stuffing mixture, and press down. Flip the tofu onto an oiled baking sheet. Remove the towel or cheesecloth. Baste the tofu with 3/4 of the sesame oil and soy sauce mixture, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, baste again with the remaining basting mixture, return to the hot oven, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with gravy.

Golden Orchard Quinoa

2 cups organic apple cider 1 cup veggie broth 1 cup whole grain organic quinoa, water rinsed 1 tsp Satsuma Mandarin Orange Zest 1 peeled Satsuma Mandarin Orange, chopped 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves spice blend 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp dried orange peel 1/2 cup diced yellow onion dash of paprika dash of cayenne (more for heat) 1/4 cup soy creamer 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1. Rinse and carefully drain your quinoa in cold water. 2. Pour 1 cup of veggie broth and 1 1/2 cups of cider into a soup pot, place over med-high heat stove top burner. 3. Pour quinoa into pot. Stir. 4. Add orange zest, chopped orange, chopped onion and all spices/pepper/salt to pot. Stir briskly until the liquid comes to a boil. 5. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring and fluffing quinoa occasionally. 6. The liquid should be absorbed by now and the quinoa should beginning to 'blossom' or open. Continue stirring briskly uncovered until all the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan becomes dry and hot. You will now treat the grain almost like a risotto by adding more liquid to the uncovered pot, and stirring and folding the grain until the liquid is absorbed. 7. Fold in soy creamer and apple cider little by little until it has been absorbed and the quinoa is perfectly dense and tender. This is a heavier quinoa than you may have made in the past. 8. Remove from heat and set aside. If you'd like to plate your quinoa is a curved dome (as in the image), you can scoop it into a dome shaped bowl, cover and allow to firm a bit until plating. Spray the bowl with oil before filling so that it does not stick when you release the grain. from Healthy Happy Life

Easy Veggie Stuffing

1 Tbs. olive oil 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 cup celery and tops, chopped 3/4 lb. bread or cornbread cubes (or both) 1 ½ c. vegetable broth ½ tsp. each of sage, thyme, and savory 1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped salt and pepper (to taste) Sauté the onion, mushrooms, and celery in a large pan with olive oil until softened; add some broth if necessary to keep from sticking. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, and mix well (bread should be moist). Grease a casserole dish with sesame oil, pack in the stuffing, and brush with more oil. Cover with foil and bake at 325-375 degrees for about 1 hour. Visit Bryanna's Vegan Holiday Menu for more of her great recipes!

Harvest Wild Rice

3 cups vegetable broth 3 cups water 1/2 pound dried flageolets or Great Northern beans 3/4 cup wild rice (about 4 ounces) 2 large leeks -- white and pale-green parts only 2 tablespoons unsalted margarine 1/4 lb. fresh shiitake mushrooms -- sliced thin 1/4 cup hazelnuts -- toasted and skinned and chopped coarse 1/4 cup dried cranberries In a large saucepan simmer broth, water, and beans, covered, 45 minutes. Stir in wild rice and simmer, covered, 45 minutes, or until beans and rice are tender. Drain rice mixture and return to pan. Cut leeks crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Soak in water, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand. Lift leeks out of water and drain in a colander. Sauté leeks in oil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender. Add mushrooms with salt to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (2 min.). Stir leek mixture into rice mixture. Reheat mixture, adding water to prevent it from sticking to skillet, before proceeding. Stir hazelnuts and cranberries into rice mixture and serve warm.

Sides

Mushroom Gravy

from Sonya at vegweb.com 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, chopped into small pieces 1 cup strong vegetable broth 1 small onion, diced 2 Tbs. flour 1 1/2 Tbs. margarine Hydrate chopped mushrooms with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Melt margarine in a small-medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion lightly. Don't brown too much. Add the flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until frothy. Do not let it burn! Add the mushrooms and their liquid and your vegetable broth. Cook over medium heat to a boil, stirring constantly. After it comes to a boil, turn the heat down a bit and let thicken.. Serves: 6 Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cranberry Sauce

4 cups of cranberries 1/2 cup of brown rice syrup or maple syrup 1/4 cup of water Juice of 1 orange Rinse and clean berries well. In a large pan, combine sugar, water, orange juice and berries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir often. Reduce to a gentle boil and cook until berries pop (about 10 minutes uncovered). Chill in refridgerator for 1 hour.

Cornbread Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 Tbs. double acting, non-aluminium, baking powder 1 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup canola oil 1 1/4 cup soymilk 1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal Preheat oven to 400 °F. Mix liquid ingredients, then mix dry in a seperate bowl. Mix dry & liquid together. With a tissue, place a little oil on the pan. Bake 20 minutes.

Wine-Glazed Brussels Sprouts

from Nava Atlas 2 pounds Brussels sprouts 1/2 cup dry red wine 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts and cut an X into the base, about 1/4 inch deep. In a small bowl, combine the wine, maple syrup, and soy sauce and stir together. Transfer to a 3-quart saucepan along with 1/2 cup water and the Brussels sprouts. Stir together, then cook, covered, at a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water. Stir into the saucepan quickly, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a covered casserole dish to serve.

Desserts

Vegan Pumpkin or Squash Pie

from Nava Atlas 2 cups well-baked and mashed butternut squash or sugar pumpkin (see Notes) 3/4 cup silken tofu (about half of a 12.3-ounce aseptic package) 1/2 cup natural granulated sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg & ginger) 9-inch good quality graham cracker or whole grain pie crustPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the pumpkin or squash pulp in a food processor with the remaining ingredients (except crust). Process until velvety smooth. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the crust is golden. Let the pie cool to room temperature. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve. NOTES: To bake butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, halve the squash or pumpkin (you need a really good knife to do so!) and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place the the halves cut side up in a foil-lined, shallow baking dish and cover tightly with more foil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp and discard the skin. Use any leftover squash or pumpkin pulp for another purpose. If you want to make this in a hurry, you can use a 16-ounce can of pureed pumpkin.

Real Pumpkin Spice Soy Latte

from Healthy Happy Life Coffee/Soymilk Base: 1 1/2 cups vanilla soymilk 1-2 shots espresso OR 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee 1 1/2 Tbsp canned pumpkin (unsweetened) sweeten to taste (I used agave syrup) 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR cinnamon/nutmeg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract dash of cayenne (optional, but recommended!) Sweet Pumpkin Foam: 1 tsp canned unsweetened pumpkin 1/4 cup warm soy milk 1 tsp agave syrup dash of spice tiniest pinch of salt tool: hand foaming tool 1. In a small soup pan heat all the base ingredients. Note: If you are using coffee you can add it directly to the pan here. However if you are using fresh hot espresso you can add it last. 2. Stir all ingredients until simmering. Make sure the pumpkin dissolves into the base well and the spices don't clump. Add the spices last if you are having clumping issues. When mixture is at a low/med boil you can remove from heat, pour into a serving mug and set aside. Optional: I like to get my base mixture extra fluffy by whipping with my foaming wand a few times. 3. Quickly whip up your pumpkin foam by heating all the ingredients in a tall circular glass until warm. Then whip into a foam with a foaming wand. (If you do not have a foaming wand you will have to skip this step and simply go with a no-foam latte. Simply add the 'foam ingredients' to the main base mixture.) 4. Top your steamy hot base with a few scoops of pumpkin foam. If you have not added your espresso yet, do so now. Dash of spice and soy whip on top.

Vegan Eggnog

from www.elanaspantry.com makes 6 servings 3 cups almonds 4 cups water 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons agave nectar 2 tablespoons yacón syrup 2 teaspoons nutmeg, ground ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground pinch cloves, ground Soak almonds overnight Discard soaking water and rinse almonds in a deep bowl of water, repeat until water is clear Place soaked almonds and 4 cups of water in a Vitamix Blend on highest speed for 90 seconds Strain milk through a fine mesh paint bag, discarding solids Place almond milk in a half gallon mason jar Add vanilla, agave, yacón, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, then shake well Refrigerate until cold and serve

Cranberry-Orange Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour     1 cup sugar     1/2 teaspoon salt     1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder     1/2 teaspoon baking soda     2 tblsp vegetable oil     hot water     1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice     1/2 tblsp orange peel, grated     Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg     1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)     1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, vegan sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda). In a small bowl, add walnuts, cranberries and 1/2 cup of dry mixture to coat the nuts and berries. In a measuring cup, add oil and top-up with hot water to make 3/4 cup. In a medium bowl, mix oil/water mixture, orange juice, orange peel and Ener-G Egg Replacer. Combine liquid mixture to dry mixture (don't overmix!). Fold in nuts and berries. Bake for 1 hour. from vegweb.com

Chocolate Avocado Pie

Crust:     2 cups pecans, divided     4-6 soft dates, pitted     1 tablespoon maple syrup     2 tablespoons cocoa powder     1 tablespoon cinnamon     2 teaspoons ground fresh nutmeg     1 tablespoon vanilla extract, optional     pinch sun dried sea salt     Filling:     2-3 ripe avocados     1 teaspoon lemon juice     1 teaspoon vanilla extract     12 oz semi sweet vegan choc chips 1. For crust:  Soak 1 cup of the pecans in 2 cups fresh water for 2-4 hours.  Drain and rinse.  In a food processor, chop 1 cup dry pecans into a fine meal.  Set aside.  Chop soaked pecans into a fine meal.  Cut or break the dates into pieces.  If the dates are very dry or firm, soak them in 1/2 cup fresh water for 5 minutes to soften.  2. Add the date pieces, vegan maple syrup, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and sea salt to the ground soaked pecans and chop until well mixed.  Add the ground dry pecans and chop until well mixed.  The dough should be crumbly but sticky enough to hold shape when pressed. 3.  Press the dough evenly into a pie plate; it is easiest to press the dough first to the sides of the plate and then press into the bottom for an even depth. 4. For filling:  In a blender, cream together avocados, lemon juice, and vanilla.  In a double broiler, melt chocolate chips; let chocolate cool slightly. Add melted chocolate to the avocado mixture and blend until smooth.  Pour into prepared crust and chill overnight. Serves: 8-10, Preparation time: 3 hours from vegweb.com