Re: A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

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There are also some recipes in the files under main dishesbeefree@... wrote: A Vegetarian ThanksgivingBy Kate Special to the Town Times Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. Turkey stuffing, turkey gravy and turkey meat, both white and dark, grace most of the tables on this holiday. Turkeys are on every greeting card, holiday cartoon and even commercials. And what would the Thanksgiving Day parade be without a turkey balloon? So what is a vegetarian to do among all this celebration? Having been a vegetarian for 15 years, I can tell you the holidays can be slightly awkward, especially when you, like me, are the only vegetarian at the table. I have at least reached the point where my family is used to me. But for someone who is new to this, your level

of difficulty will depend on how strict of a diet you have. Some people restrict only their intake of red meat. This shouldn't affect you at too much this holiday season, and you should be able to enjoy anything on the table. The next level down is ovo-lacto vegetarians. Here, there is no meat, poultry or fish, but you can eat dairy products and eggs. Strictest of all are the vegans, who try to avoid any animal products at all. No matter how restrictive you are, there should be something at the table you can munch on. Although if you are really particular, it may be prudent to offer to bring along a veggie dish for everyone to share! After all that, it seems like you would be hard-pressed to figure out what to serve the veggie lover at your table, but rest assured, there are many options out there! Even at your most basic table setting, a vegetarian can usually fill up a plate. Mashed potatoes without gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce and whatever veggie side dishes are

offered will fill them up, even if they aren't the most exciting dinner choices. But getting a little creative with your green beans is not only going to make your family happy, it will give you a few more healthy options among some of the high fat choices that usually show their faces at holiday get-togethers. Where do you start? Think about the veggies that are offered every fall; corn, squash and pumpkins are all perfect choices to add flavor to a holiday meal. A great place to start is with winter squash. Acorn and butternut squash are sweet and easy additions to a table and can be cooked in many different ways. Even cubed and served with cinnamon and butter sprinkled over the top, squash can be a warm and hearty side dish. With a blender or food processor, you can add a soup as an opener. Carrots make a great soup as well as squash, and both are sweet and filling. Corn chowders are always popular and the sweet soups can be a great contrast for the

saltier menu items on the table. Even cranberries can be turned into a soup. For main courses, you may have to get a little creative if you are not used to cooking without meat. Search through your recipe books at home and see what you can find. Many international recipes offer vegetarian options. Indian and African foods are delicious, spicy and exotic ways to celebrate. Adding whole grains to veggies will not only make a tasty addition to your table, you will be protecting your family's heart health as well! Bulgur wheat and couscous may sound foreign, but they are well-worth looking into. You may find something to eat all year! Are you the type who doesn't like to experiment as much? Even tossing some pasta on the table with marinara sauce will provide a healthy, hearty and inexpensive vegetarian main course. Try tossing some legumes into your salad, or adding some potatoes in with your broccoli and cheese sauce. Stir fry some vegetables and toss in tofu

instead of chicken. Make up lasagna without the meat and add in some carrots and peppers and you'll have veggie lasagna that everyone at the table will appreciate. There are all sorts of options out there for even the most conservative eaters. But for the most daring, you may want to check out some of the soy replacement foods on the market. You can now purchase everything from vegetarian bacon to hotdogs. And you know I wouldn't have brought it up if you couldn't find yourself some soy turkey! Visit www.tofurky.com and purchase yourself a tofurky turkey. A tofurky roast feeds about six and you can even get it with its own "giblet" gravy. As do many other soy food providers, tofurky makes turkey replacement slices (so you can simulate leftover sandwiches!) and even tofurky jerky. As you can see, the variations are endless. I hope that this season you might want to try adding some extra vegetables to your feast, even if

you don't have a picky eater with you. Your new healthy side dish may turn into a family favorite for the years to come! Recipes: Curried Carrot Soup 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbs. butter 1 medium onion chopped 1 ½ lbs. packaged baby carrots 6 C. (vegetarian) vegetable stock 1 Tbs. mild curry paste or 1 ½ Tbs. dried curry powder ¼ to ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper coarse salt to taste 1 C. sour cream 6 blades fresh chives Preheat medium pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions and carrots and sautee five minutes. Add four cups stock, curry, cayenne and about 1 tsp salt to pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are tender. Place mixture into food processor a little at a time and puree. Return soup to low heat and slowly add remaining stock until soup reaches desired consistency. Adjust the

seasonings to taste. Add a dollop of sour cream to each serving and garnish with chopped chives. Lentil Stew: 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 C. chopped onion 1 clove garlic finely chopped 2 C. chopped potatoes or 1 cup uncooked orzo 1 C. dried lentils ¼ C. chopped fresh parsley 3 C. water ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground cumin ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. ground mace 8 oz. small mushrooms cut into halves 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sautee onion and garlic until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 40 minutes or until lentils and potatoes (or orzo) are tender.