A New Kind of Turkey Day

Visiting with some newly rescued turkeys yesterday at Animal Acres reminded me that Thanksgiving is only two and a half weeks away, and with it, the ever more present need within all of us activists to encourage people to learn more about the precious, kind, gentle beings who fall victim to many a holiday meal on the big day. This year will mark my fourth Thanksgiving without a turkey on my plate, and as each year passes, I discover more and more about these amazing creatures and why we should celebrate them, not consume them, at Thanksgiving. Below is a short film I made of my experience at Animal Acres yesterday:

Every year on the blog, I try to share ways to enjoy Thanksgiving without a single animal product at your holiday table, and this year is no different! Below, you will find recipes and links to wonderful holiday resources. I hope that these ideas will help inspire you to create or continue celebrating Thanksgiving traditions compassionately and joyfully!

Smile-Inducing, Mouth-Watering, Tummy-Loving Recipes for Thanksgiving

Lila the turkey and me at Animal Acres

You'll notice that I reference Bryanna Clark Grogan in a lot of my recipes below, and that's because she is a vegan cooking goddess whose cooking skills need to be shared with everybody. Check out her website to learn more, and I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Country Fried Cutlets

(recipe courtesy of Bryanna Clark Grogan),

served along with:

Country Style Gravy

I take Bryanna's marinade, place it in a small pot on medium heat, and I add a few tablespoons of Earth Balance Margarine and stir occasionally. Once the margarine dissolves, I mix a few tablespoons of flour and water together to make a paste, and I add that to the marinade (you can also use cornstarch). I stir it slowly until it reaches a thickness level I like. Add more flour/water paste if you want it thicker.

Father-In-Law Approved Vegan Meatloaf

This recipe was inspired by a really awesome guy named Jacob, whose recipe I found online one day last year. Last Thanksgiving, Steve's dad reluctantly tried this meatloaf and ended up having seconds. Thanks Jacob!

1 14oz. package GimmeLean sausage

(make sure to get sausage, not beef)

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tbsp of dried parsley

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1/2 c. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 servings of EnerG Egg Replacer

(mixed with water according to directions on the package)

3 tbsp applesauce

1 tbsp olive, safflower, or coconut oil

1 tbsp all-purpose white flour

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl with your hands until they just come together. Put in a lightly oiled loaf pan and sprinkle some extra nutritional yeast on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until loaf is heated completely through and browned nicely on top.

Turkey-Friendly Stuffing
(I recommend doubling or tripling this recipe if you have a lot of people coming)

1 package of your favorite vegan bread
2 c. onion, chopped well

2 c. celery, chopped well

3 tbsp Earth Balance Margarine

4 servings EnerG Egg Replacer

(mixed with water according to directions on the package)

3 tbsp. Poultry Seasoning

2-3 c. Really good Vegetable Broth or Stock

More Poultry Seasoning to taste

Salt to taste

Place margarine in a medium-sized pan on medium heat. Once it melts, add onions, celery, poultry seasoning, and salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 5-7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, rip up bread into small chunks and place in a casserole dish. Once vegetables are done cooking, pour them onto bread and mix well. Slowly pour egg replacer over everything, and mix well. Add enough broth to moisten the mixture. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, or until the top of the stuffing has browned nicely.

Remember to taste your mixture before putting it in the oven to make sure it has enough Poultry Seasoning.

Vegan Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Photo courtesy of Joanna Wilson Photography

Based on the same recipe as the Traditional Stuffing, but added to the mix will be sliced apples and crumbled, browned Gimme Lean sausage or Field Roast Sausage. To make the sausage crumbles, just add some olive oil to a pan, heat to medium, crumble sausage into the pan and cook until nicely browned. Add whatever spices you want to add extra flavor, mix into your stuffing mix and cook as directed above.

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Bryanna Clark Grogan's

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Soy Nog and Holiday Nog

courtesy of VegNews

Other Rockin' Thanksgiving Recipe Links:

Mercy For Animals' Thanksgiving Recipe Page

Chloe Coscarellis' Thanksgiving Recipes Featured on the NY Times

Adopt-A-Turkey Project Thanksgiving Recipes

VeganBits Thanksgiving Recipe Page

VegWeb's Enormous List of Vegan-Friendly Holiday Recipes