Thanksgiving Vegetarian Style

If planning Thanksgiving vegetarian style is on your to-do list this holiday, you can still serve many of your family’s favorite traditional foods, only with a different twist.

Stuff and baste a tofu turkey just like the real thing. It may not look like a once feathered foul, but it will taste delicious all the same. Go ahead and serve it with all the usual trimmings. Your guests are bound to come away from the dinner table pleasingly satisfied.

Prepare acorn squash stuffed with long grain rice as a side dish with an appropriately seasonal touch. Begin by cutting medium acorn squash in half and de-seeding. Simmer rice in vegetable stock until tender. Add a dash each of sage and dried thyme. Ingredients like celery, onion, fresh minced parsley, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries give the rice more flavor. The squash take about 1 hour to bake.

Cranberry spinach salad is another festive touch that takes only a few minutes to prepare. Combine baby spinach leaves in a large bowl with toasted almonds or pecans and dried cranberries. Other variations include adding golden raisins, fresh figs or mandarin oranges into the salad. Toss in dressing made with olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, and a bit of minced onion and sugar.