What do vegans feast on at Thanksgiving?

MELANIE SPEICHER
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ANNA — We’ve reached that time of year again when everyone begins wondering, “What do vegans even eat on Thanksgiving?”

I was a vegetarian for 7 years before I started going vegan last year, and I can attest that all too often the Thanksgiving meal for someone who doesn’t eat meat is a sad, dull one. For many years, while my family enjoyed colorful, heaping plates of food, mine was filled only with green beans, mashed potatoes and a bread roll. When you compare a holiday meal like that to everyone else’s, it almost doesn’t seem worth it to pass on the turkey and stuffing.

However, if you do a simple google search to find out just how many turkeys die each year to appear on our tables, you will find that they estimate that number to be about 46 million. This isn’t for the whole year. 46 million turkeys are slaughtered just for the Thanksgiving holiday alone. Whether you are a vegetarian or vegan yourself in need of a more filling holiday dinner, worry about the effects of raising animals on the environment, or just plain feel bad about all the turkeys that make up our main dish, deciding to forgo the traditional Thanksgiving meal doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate or enjoy delicious fall food. There are plenty of options to choose from and filling recipes to make—because, let’s face it, who wants to eat a salad on Thanksgiving (or ever)?

This year, my family will be preparing the prototypical turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and bread rolls. But instead of leaving it at that, we will be expanding our menu to include a variety of vegan-friendly dishes, including corn on the cob, wild rice, butternut squash, oven-roasted vegetables, and bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, in addition to an apple pie and berry cobbler. It takes a little creativity to come up with a special meal for the holidays, but veggies are quicker to cook than a 12 pound turkey! By including a variety of fall vegetables and grains, anyone who wants to save a turkey this year can enjoy a holiday dinner that everyone will want to try.

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By Jessica Witer

For the Sidney Daily News

Jessica Witer is sharing two of her recipes which will be served with their Thanksgiving meal.

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

6 bell peppers (any color)

One box of Near East quinoa and rice blend

One jar of basil pesto

Bring quinoa and rice blend to a boil in 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Turn heat to a medium boil and add the spice pack. Cook over the stove for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally while the water boils out.

Move into a bowl to cool. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of basil pesto and mix evenly.

While the quinoa is boiling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse the bell peppers and cut the tops off. Scoop out the insides.

Place peppers on a tray, lightly salt and pepper the bell peppers, and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft, then remove.

Once the peppers and quinoa-pesto mix are cool, fill the peppers with the quinoa and cover to keep warm.

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Baby potatoes

Carrots

Pearl onions

Eggplant

Zucchini

Plum tomatoes

Squash

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and rinse all vegetables.

Place the baby potatoes and carrots into a large dish and lightly salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.

While these are baking, chop the zucchini, squash, and eggplant. After the potatoes and carrots bake for 10 minutes, add the remaining vegetables to the dish and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with thyme and rosemary to taste. Bake for another 10 minutes.

After a total of 20 minutes, or until the veggies are soft or lightly browned, remove from the oven and cover to keep warm.

The writer is a regular contributor to the Sidney Daily News.

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