How to Make an Affordable Vegan Holiday Dinner
Make a Festive Tofurkey That Even Carnivores Love
Nov 23, 2008
There are many factors that scare cooks out of making dinners for large crowds. Aside from expense, each guest may bring his or her dietary restrictions to the table, forcing the chef to cook up different side dishes or two main courses.
Good hosts don’t ostracize any guest by making a point of excluding vegans from main fare. By providing several tasty vegan options, both vegan and meat loving palates should be satisfied.
Another advantage to eating a vegan meal is how it reduces our carbon footprint. Eating meat regularly puts a strain on more than your arteries and budget; Meat requires processing, refrigeration, transportation and finally some electricity or gas as you prepare it. The leftover bones and skin cannot be composted effectively in an urban setting, and in turn, wind up in a landfill.
Making your own “tofurkey” – bread stuffing surrounded by marinated tofu– can be the solution for the chef who wants to please vegetarian guests, include more vegetable-based meals in the menu, or just wants to try something different this year.
Ingredients for Homemade Tofurkey
- 5 blocks firm or extra-firm tofu, well pressed
- 6 teaspoons of your favourite fresh herbs, (roughly two teaspoons each of rosemary, sage and thyme is suggested)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 tablespoons of tamari sauce
Press the liquid out of the firm tofu by placing them on a plate or drainer board, and placing a tray loaded with something heavy on top; this will make the tofu even firmer. Leave this to drain overnight.
Once the liquid has been drained, put the blocks in a blender or food processor along with the vegetable broth, tamari, fresh and dried herbs and blend until puréed to a pulp. (If your bowl is small, you may to do this in batches.)
Making a Tofurkey Mould
Line a two-litre colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Pour the mixture into the colander, over the cheesecloth, fold the cloth over the top, and place a plate on top. Weigh down the plate with a heavy can, and again, leave for another four hours. This will make the mixture even firmer, and give it a shape.
Remove the plate, and scoop out a well in the centre of the mixture, leaving a rim of tofu two inches in diameter around the edges. Remember to leave an inch of space on top of the stuffing, to smooth the remaining tofu seamlessly over it. Fill the well with stuffing:
Homemade Vegan Stuffing
- 1 small cooking onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of soy or almond-based yogurt
- Day old white bread, cubed
- Dried sage or poultry seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, sauté the onion and celery in the olive oil until the onion becomes transparent; add sage and vegan yogurt, and mix into the bread cubes until they are combined and moist.
Turn the colander over onto a cookie sheet greased with canola oil or soy margarine, and you will have a dome-shaped mould that roughly resembles store bought stuffed chicken breast. Baste it with the following sauce:
Tofurkey Basting Sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegan bouillon or vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons Dijon or stone ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Amino sauce
Mix everything together and brush it over the dome. Put your tofurkey in the oven for roughly 90 minutes, and baste every fifteen minutes with the sauce.
Serve warm, and garnish with your favourite cranberry sauce, vegan gravy, or chutney.
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