Hold the Meat – A very veggie Thanksgiving

It’s that time of year again, that time where you stress out about meals and menus, traveling and family. Maybe it’s because I’m a vegetarian and I don’t fall into the lovely Tryptophan-induced turkey coma that most of America does every year, but Thanksgiving has always seemed like a lot of work for very little payoff.

However, since we recently moved back near my family and Cooper is a year old now, this year seems like the perfect time to get into the holiday spirit. Since five of the seven people who will be attending our Thanksgiving dinner are vegetarians, it’s going to be a mostly veggie meal. People are always asking what we eat on Thanksgiving, because if you take out the turkey, folks somehow seem to forget that there are any other food products on the table. That’s why I’m sharing our menu with you, so if you’re having a vegetarian Thanksgiving, or just want to know how such an abomination can happen, this will help you out.

1. Tofurkey: Every year, there’s always some jackass who asks if we’re having a Tofurkey. I always say no, because about 10 years ago we actually tried one, and it tasted like crap. However, this year we will actually be serving one, with the idea that the Tofurkey technology has improved over the past decade. So, you know, cross your fingers.
2. Butternut Squash Risotto: I already told you guys about it. I can only hope that it turns out as amazingly well as the first batch did. Seriously. To. Die. For.
3. Corn Casserole: My mom is bringing this over. It’s the fattiest, most ridiculous use of a vegetable ever. Also, so good!
4. Green Bean Casserole: Straight outta the Campbell’s kitchen. It’s a classic, and my dad is bringing this over along with the aforementioned Tofurkey.
5. Garlic mashed potatoes: Okay, that’s not a link to a recipe, but that dude made the best Thanksgiving garlic mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. Luke’s in charge of them this year, and I have the utmost faith that he’ll be able to properly replicate them.
6. Mustard-glazed carrots: Generally I like my baby carrots plain, or with a little bit of butter, but Luke made these a while ago, and they are delish. Pro tip: use brown sugar instead of regular.
7. Asparagus Hollandaise: My dad is making this well. He is apparently cooking his face off this Thanksgiving. This is not something that normally happens, so it should be interesting.
8. Pumpkin Cheesecake: My friend Lauren recently made this and wrote about it on her website, along with some biscuits that look delicious and that I may sneak in here. I wanted to make a fancy dessert, and a pumpkin cheesecake seems like a great use of my last bag of pumpkin.

With Thanksgiving dinner still a good 24 hours away, this menu will probably be adjusted and added to. There will be salads, and perhaps appetizers, and probably a pie thrown in there somewhere. Hey, who knows. Maybe this group of vegetarians may even find a vegetable on the table that’s not completely covered in some sort of fatty sauce. Regardless of what we add, I will tell you one thing you won’t be seeing anywhere near my table:

THERE WILL BE NO EFFING SWEET POTATOES.

Clacked by Kona Gallagher
on Nov 25, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT