Thanksgiving. As aussies, we don't really know what it is, but we're willing to use it as an excuse to have dinner in the backyard under the xmas lights that have been up for the last three years in the hottest night so far this year and call it practice for xmas, just in case we feel like it.
Also, massive photo fail. The above is the cornbread remnants covered in Tofutti cream cheese and strawberry jam, which it turns out is a solid breakfast decision.
The following is a list of links to recipes I followed to make a vegan Thanksgiving dinner for six people, with serving suggestions.
Pre dinner snacks:
Why yes, I did make aquafaba mozzarella, thanks for asking:
It was easy and mainly involves non active time, you can make it the morning if you want to use it that evening, probably just soak the cashews the night before.
I used the liquid from one can of chickpeas, which was about 3/4 of a cup, but it didn't seem to make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
When it came to serving, I turned it out of the ramekin I set it in having refrigerated it for six hours as intended, sliced it with a cheese slicer (it's soft, and not as rubbery as mozzarella, so a regular knife mushed more than cut). It did stay together well for the main part. I sliced it and popped it on a bit of sliced tomato with a basil leaf on top. I also served with marinated olives, crackers, and Obela dip. Bloody delicious. Here's a picture of the leftovers:
Main meal:
- Prospect Park Potato Salad from Veganomicon
- Quinoa Black Bean Salad from Appetite for Reduction
- Roast veggie salad (based on garlicy brussel sprouts in Vegan With A Vengance)
- Seitan Roast with Wild Rice and Chestnut Stuffing by vegan dad
- Pumpkin Corn Bread from Isa Chandra
All this went out at once. Here's a regram from Bec, at least someone was taking pictures of the food.
I did make the following amendments to the recipes:
- Halved the potato salad recipe
- I couldn't get fresh cranberries or chestnuts for the Seitan Roast, so I used half a tin of tinned chestnuts and half a cup of dried cranberries, I also used a torn up breadroll in the stuffing and no flour.
- Roast veggie salad was six halved brussel sprouts, four carrots chopped into thick sticks, and a handful of stringless beans in finger lengths all tossed in oil, a splash of maple syrup, salt, and three cloves of chopped garlic and roasted for an hour at about 120 degrees celsius. I added almond flakes in the last 10 minutes and served in a salad bowl on a bed of baby spinach leaves.
From a timing perspective I made the seitan stuffing, quinoa salad and potato salad in the morning so they could cool in the fridge during the day, then around half five I put the veggies in to roast and started steaming the seitan around six. The cornbread can be made anytime, I think I did it around the middle of the day to free up the oven for later.
Dessert:
My favourite thing in the whole wide world.
I hadn't hazarded vegan pumpkin pie but I'd been wanting to very much. But pumpkin can be hit and miss at the best of times, so when I saw this Vegan Sweet Potato Tart from Fragrant Vanilla cake I knew it was fate, and it was bloody delicious. I used a pie crust from Vegan Pie in the Sky, which I baked blind for ten minutes, then served with Veganomicon vanilla icecream. I made the pie on the day, but it's actually better the day after so might recommend pre-making next time.
Seriously, though, if you're freaking out about hosting a vegan festive meal, don't. If you add extra people, do another salad or two. Maybe a pearl cous-cous sweet potato number? Then sit back, relax, and watch the compliments roll in.
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