By Communications Coordinator Amy Durr
Thanksgiving is a well-established ritual for many American families – it isn’t Thanksgiving if Aunt Betty doesn’t make the right stuffing or Uncle Jack’s creamed onions aren’t there. It’s one of the few “feasts” we permit ourselves to indulge in without guilt, but maybe with heartburn or postprandial somnolence, the official term for food coma.
It’s also about gratitude, with many people sharing what they’re thankful for, donating food to pantries or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Thanksgiving is a banquet that celebrates survival, a good harvest or the joy of community.
And yes, it’s a time for people to come together or apart at the seams as politics and hot button topics too often divide families. But no matter what, food is usually at the center and brings people together…unless there’s a vegan. Then what do you do?
We have a solution for you that can bring everyone together and provide satisfying, health-conscious choices helping to create a world of sustainability. You’ll also be joining us in preparing for World Vegan Day Nov 1, November’s World Vegan Month and Thanksgiving November 27. Join me in exploring feasts, harvests, turkeys and mouth-watering plant-based dishes.
A Celebration of a Good Harvest
Feasting is fun (the Romans certainly thought so), but when the excess becomes the point, it shows we’ve moved beyond abundance to privilege and waste. A harvest festival is meaningful when it’s about the harvest and takes the bounty of nature into consideration.
This year, perhaps we can honor the earth and have compassion for animals by including plant-based items on the table — items that represent the cornucopia of nature, a wish for good health and nourishment for the coming year and a nod to co-creating a thriving planet for all.
Some Food for Thought About Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Many plant-based eaters choose to spare the turkey and substitute plant-based turkey analogs like Tofurky and Field Roast. But as Food Revolution’s co-founder Ocean Robbins points out, “You can elevate your Thanksgiving food offerings with hearty, flavorful plant-based entrees far beyond turkey or a processed vegan imitation like Tofurky.”
“Unlike the mythologized image of a happy turkey gobble-gobbling while flying about the yard and hanging out with its friends, reality doesn’t resemble that image,” famed author and activist Robbins emphasizes. “The turkeys are grown unnaturally large, leading to skeletal problems and organ failure. They can’t fly and can’t even reproduce naturally.”
Most of these turkeys are raised in large industrial facilities called factory farms. “Commercially-raised turkeys endure overcrowding, minimal access to natural light, and stressful environments,” according to Robbins. “The stench of ammonia rising from their droppings is overwhelming. And there’s little to no opportunity for them to engage in natural behaviors such as foraging, establishing dominance hierarchies, courtship, and raising their young.”
“Instead, they endure confinement wing-to-wing and face slaughter between 14 and 18 weeks of age. That’s a tiny fraction of their life expectancy in the wild of three to four years (or 10 years in protected captivity),” Robbins points out.
“Turkey meat contains cholesterol and saturated fat, both of which are linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Turkey meat also raises the levels of a hormone, IGF-1, that has been shown to fuel the progression of cancer,” Robbins argues.
Finally, “their carcasses may be swimming in fecal bacteria. Turkey’s production has links to outbreaks of salmonella.”
Plant-Based Main Dishes Guests Will Give Thanks For
Celebration Plant Roast
As Ocean Robbins points out, “This Celebration Plant Roast is the perfect star for a vegan Thanksgiving feast — no turkey needed! Made with savory seitan, seasoned with thyme, sage, smoked paprika, and a hint of liquid smoke, this roast is as flavorful as it is satisfying.”
“It’s slow-cooked in a rich marinade with hearty veggies and herbs, soaking up layers of comforting flavors. A final glaze of maple, tahini, and smoked paprika gives it a golden, caramelized finish that’s hard to resist.”
Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash
Celebrate a late fall harvest with butternut squash, wild rice, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and kale, from Food Revolution Network.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric-Tahini Sauce & Pistachios
If you don’t know that cauliflower’s become sexy again, try this dish with pistachios, kalamata olives and “a pretty gratuitous list of garnishes,” according to Chef Neal Harden.
Vegan Thanksgiving Wraps
Kid-friendly bundles that will have the adults wondering if they can have one too, it all comes together in 30 minutes with less than 10 ingredients (depending on which toppings you choose) from Minimalist Baker.
Roasted Gochujang Cabbage
Are you a Puritan purist, or are you willing to dial up the flavor and heat? New York Times Cooking says, “Each bite is also warming and spicy thanks to a coating made mostly of gochujang, the chile paste made of gochugaru, fermented soybeans and glutinous rice.”
Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Chickpeas
Because I can never get enough curry, I’m including a recipe I’ve saved on my vegan Pinterest board. Not every recipe is vegan, but they can be easily made vegan with a few swaps or omissions. This is a perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s also really healthy from Half-Baked Harvest.
Baked Onions with Fennel Breadcrumbs
Sometimes it’s fun to make something fancy that you wouldn’t normally spend the time on, and these baked onions are a simple but elegant side dish offering lots of fall flavor, courtesy of Country Living. Use your favorite nondairy butter, or a high-quality olive oil to keep it vegan.
