Stuffing Myself

First thanksgiving as a vegan, check.

Visiting North Carolina where my sister and mom live for the holiday, I knew that if I was going to survive my first big vegan holiday, I was going to have to bring my game. And I did. Aside from the delicious red pepper hummous and gingery delicious sweet potatoes my sis whipped up for me, I brought the veg celebration to the table. It was great! Here was my portion of the menu:

• Veganized stuffing (original recipe by Dave Lieberman)
• Glazed Green Beans (from the Vegan Table)
• Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts (from Vegan with a Vengeance)
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe)
• Shepherd's Pie (from Sept/Nov VegNews Magazine)

I don't even know where my sister's recipe came from, but it was so good-- gingered, sweet sweet potatoes topped with a brown sugar nutty loveliness. In any case, the stuffing, according to just about everyone, was the star.

To master this lovely creation, I toasted a big bakery boule of multigrain bread, tossed it in a lovely heated "sauce" of margarine, thyme, sage, baby bella mushrooms, dried cherries and veggie broth.  I think I also threw in some toasted chopped walnuts for added crunch, but not too many. Bake it and love it, baby-- this stuffing is amazing. Of course, it's probably the delicious bread that helps it be this way, but the dried cherries and walnuts also add something pretty special. I'll make it again for Christmas, methinks...

Altogether, I think it was a success. There was a twinge of sadness when my sister made a pumpkin cream pie that I couldn't even taste test, but the evening before thanksgiving, as I watched my sister, father and brother-in-law wrestle with a very large dead bird, I knew that I wasn't going to miss the "real deal" at all. There are days when I think I might someday go back to eating some things like butter, eggs and cheese if I could find them produced responsibly...but Thanksgiving day was not one of those days. And most days are not one of those days, now.

The next project on deck is our holiday party that comes in December. I'm looking forward to planning that menu. Mostly vegan, with a platter of cheese for those who can't imagine a party without it... Wish me luck!