Harvest Compassion During the Holidays

Thanksgiving tradition is about celebrating life—and a growing number of Americans are choosing to do so by serving delicious vegetarian fare that everyone, including the turkeys, can be thankful for.

Animal Suffering in the Turkey Industry

The average American consumes 17 pounds of turkey meat per year, resulting in the annual slaughter of 252 million turkeys—more than 65 million of whom are killed during the winter holiday season alone. The vast majority of these intelligent birds spend their entire lives intensively confined inside massive sheds and will never set foot outside. Sadly, they are viewed as little more than meat-producing machines. In the 1960s, it took 220 days to raise a 35-pound turkey. Due to selective breeding and growth-promoting drugs, it now takes only 132 days. Such fast growth causes turkeys to suffer from a number of chronic health problems.

There are no federal laws in the United States protecting turkeys (or other birds raised for food) from such cruelty.

Learn more by reading COK’s report Animal Suffering in the Turkey Industry.

Feast on This

Holiday events often focus on meals shared with family and friends. So why not share your compassion by carving up a savory Tofurky? This delicious meat-free roast is sure to please everyone!

Here are more animal-friendly meal ideas for a healthy and humane holiday feast:

Savory Stuffing

Serves 6 to 8

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 cups soft bread cubes
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and then sauté the onion and celery until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Pour the sautéed vegetables into a casserole dish. Add the remaining ingredients, bread cubes through seasonings. Toss well, making sure all of the bread cubes are soaked in the vegetable broth. Bake for 45 minutes.

Chicken-Free Gravy

Makes 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons soy margarine
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup nutritional yeast*
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning**
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 cups vegetarian broth or 1 vegetarian bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups boiling water

Melt the soy margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, and seasonings, stirring quickly with a whisk.

Add the broth, stirring until blended. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes, or until thick.

* Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast rich in vitamins and minerals, with a wonderful cheesy flavor that can be found in most natural foods grocery stores. It can be easily added to soups, stews, casseroles, or in place of cheese to make any dish creamier.

** Poultry seasoning—a mixture of sage, thyme, marjoram, and other herbs—can be found in nearly every grocery store.

Cornbread*

Serves 9

• 1-1/2 cups soymilk
• 1-1/2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine the soymilk and vinegar and set aside.

Mix the cornmeal, unbleached flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the soymilk mixture and the oil. Stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in an oil-sprayed 9x9-inch baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

* This recipe is courtesy of Compassionate Cooks.

Lots of Layers Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 8- or 9-ounce packages of lasagna noodles
• 1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 14-ounce package of extra-firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 Gimme Lean Sausage Style or 2 cups of dry textured vegetable protein (TVP) with 2 cups of boiling water
• 4 cups Moo-Free Cheese Sauce
• 5 cups of tomato sauce

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Drain and then mash the tofu in a mixing bowl. Add the thawed spinach, garlic powder, onion salt, basil, and oregano.

Cut the Gimme Lean Sausage Style into 1/4-inch slices or, if using TVP, soak it in the 2 cups of boiling water.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or casserole dish. Place 1 layer of noodles on the bottom of the pan and spoon on half of the spinach-tofu mixture. Then pour 1 cup of Moo-Free Cheese Sauce and 1 cup of tomato sauce, making sure the sauces are evenly distributed over the whole pan. Add a second layer of noodles and half of the Gimme Lean slices or 1 cup of the reconstituted TVP. Then pour 1 cup each of the “cheese” and tomato sauces. Add a fourth layer of noodles, the rest of the Gimme Lean or TVP, and 1 cup each of the two sauces. Top with a final layer of noodles and the last cup of tomato sauce.

Wrap the pan tightly with tin foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Pie

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 1 1/4 pounds soft tofu (try “silken” tofu for a creamier texture)
• 1 16-ounce can pumpkin purée
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Blend all of the ingredients (except for the pie shell) in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake for 30 minutes. Then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is set.

Looking for more delicious vegan recipes?

Visit VegRecipes.org or request a free copy of our newly revised Easy Vegan Recipes booklet today!