banana bread

This recipe, but veganized and changed up a bit.

makes one loaf

4 ripe bananas, divided
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups UltraGrain flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350′. In a small bowl, mash one of the bananas a little so there are still some chunks. Set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the remaining bananas, flax seeds and wet ingredients until super creamy. Add in the powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the flour until JUST COMBINED. Fold in the remaining banana and pecans. Pour into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake for 70-85 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

how to cook a vegan Thanksgiving…

…a planner. this will have the thanksgiving meal ready at 2pm, adjust accordingly if you would like it at a different time.

The week of Thanksgiving:
1. Clean out the refrigerator and make sure you have plenty of room all in there.
2. Go shopping and gather all of the ingredients and supplies for the menu.
3. Pre-make ice.

The night before:
Clean!
Clean the kitchen!
Clean the house (delegate!)!
Clean out the refrigerator!
Check the ice
Put the beverages in the refrigerator
Make pumpkin pies, and put in the refrigerator to chill.
Wash, slice and prep the sweet potato dish (bake tomorrow).
Wash and dice potatoes.
Prep apple pastries and refrigerate (bake tomorrow).
Wash, slice and roast green beans.
Cover and refrigerate the green beans.
Make the soy nog.

The day of:
0830 Broil grapefruits and make and assemble grapefruit tray.
0845 Prepare any other cold appetizers.
0900 Candy the pecans for the apple salad.
0930 While green beans are roasting, make biscuit dough.
0945 Bake biscuits, cover with tinfoil (don’t refrigerate).
1000 Prepare kale salad & refrigerate.
1025 Whip the Rich Whip and refrigerate.
1030 Make and begin steaming UnTurkey roast.
1045 While steaming, prepare basting sauce.
1145 Begin roasting the UnTurkey roast.
Bake sweet potatoes at the same time.
1150 Start steaming potatoes.
Prepare garlic, sage and margarine for potatoes.
Chop vegetables for stuffing.
1200 Put out grapefruits and appetizers.
Drain potatoes.
Whip potatoes.
1230 Start stuffing.
Remove tinfoil from sweet potatoes to finish baking.
1245 Take UnTurkey and sweet potatoes out of the oven.
Cover sweet potatoes with tinfoil.
1300 Make gravy.
Put the gravy in the crock pot on low.
1310 Put in stuffing to bake.
Carve the UnTurkey.
1320 Put green beans in to heat up with stuffing.
1330 Take out stuffing, cover with foil.
Reduce heat on oven to warm.
1335 Put in potatoes, UnTurkey, sweet potatoes and biscuits to warm.
1340 Prepare and set out the apple salad.
Set out the other salads and cranberry sauce.
Set out plates, napkins, silverware, etc.
1400 Put out the food!
Set the oven to 375.
1415 Put in the apple pastries to bake.
…and then take them out!
Serve dessert when you’re ready!

Thanksgiving Shopping List

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
2 ea grapefruits
2 ea lemons
4 ea apples, granny smith
2 ea avocado
1 bunch celery
2 bunches curly leaf kale
5 lbs fresh green beans
9 ea onions
5 lbs potatoes
8 ea medium sweet potatoes
20 ea fresh sage leaves
20 cloves garlic

Grocery
2 bags 16-oz vegetarian stuffing mix
2 ea 15-oz can peaches in juice
2 cans 16 oz canned pumpkin
2 cans Cranberry sauce, jellied
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c cashews
1 c pecans
2 c pepitas
1/2 c slivered almonds
2 Tbsp Marmite
3 Tbsp Better than Bullion
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c sesame oil
1 1/4 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c white cooking wine

Baking
1 pkg 4.6 oz Jell-O cook & serve vanilla pudding mix
7 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp baking powder
3 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp rum extract
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 c vegetable shortening

Spices
3 Tbsp Adobo
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbsp ground poultry seasoning
7 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp sage, dried, ground
3 Tbsp salt

Refrigerated/”Dairy”
2 ea 12 oz. blocks of tofu
3 c margarine
1/2 c orange juice
2 pkgs Pillsbury crescent rolls
20 c soymilk, regular
1 quart soymilk, unsweetened

Frozen
3 containers 8 oz – Rich Whip
2 ea pre-made vegetarian pie crusts

Specialty
1/2 c chickpea flour
1 tsp ground flax seed
3 1/2 c nutritional yeast
6 1/2 c vital wheat gluten

Thanksgiving Equipment and Serving List

Improvise as necessary!

Cooking Utensils and Supplies
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Mixing Spoon
Slicing and chopping knives, cutting boards
Cheese cloth
Large pot with steam tray
cookie sheet
Pastry brush
Baster or spoon
Aluminum foil
2- 8 or 9″ round baking pans
Hand or stand mixer
Food processor
Coffee maker

Serving Utensils & Dishes
Serving utensils for each dish
Pie spatula
Ladle for gravy
serving tray for grapefruit
baking pan for unturkey
pan for stuffing
pan for green beans
pan for mashed potatoes
pan for sweet potatoes
serving bowl for kale salad
serving bowl for apple salad
serving tray or basket for biscuits
crock pot for gravy
serving plate for cranberry sauce
serving bowl for Rich Whip
serving carafe for soy nog

Guest Dishes
Plates
Silverware
Cups, mugs, wine glasses
Napkins
Tinfoil, plastic wrap for leftovers

Other things
Plenty of ice!!

thanksgiving : easy baked apple pastry

1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls, or other ready-to-bake pastry
2 peeled granny smith apples, sliced thin
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350′. Line a 8″ round pan with pastries, with extra over the sides of the pan (doesn’t have to be neat.  I find with the crescent rolls putting a  square of 4 on the bottom and then one each on each side works well).  Arrange the apple slices over the pastries. Sprinkle with lemon juice, vanilla brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold the extra pastry over the top of the apples. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top of the pastry is golden brown.

thanksgiving : garlic-sage mashed potatoes

5# potatoes, peeled or unpeeled/scrubbed, cut up
1 cup margarine
10 cloves garlic, minced
20 fresh sage leaves, minced
2 tsp Adobo
4 tsp nutritional yeast
unsweetened soymilk as desired
pepper to taste

Steam or boil potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the margarine. When margarine is melted, add sage and garlic, and saute until browned. Drain potatoes, and whip with margarine/garlic/sage and remaining ingredients, adjusting to desired consistency and flavor.

thanksgiving : stuffing recipe

This is enough for 12, divide in half for less.
2 16 oz bags vegetarian stuffing mix*
2/3 cup margarine
1 bunch celery, sliced
3 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pepitas
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Sage
1 Tbsp Thyme
5 cups water or vegetable broth
-nutritional yeast, soy sauce, salt to taste (esp if using water, not veg broth)

Preheat oven to 350′. Heat margarine in a pan. Add celery, onion, garlic, pepitas and spices and saute until all soft. Add water/broth and bring to a boil, then turn off heat. Add stuffing mix and stir until it’s all absorbed, adding more water if necessary. Adjust spices to taste. Put in a pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

*Pepperidge Farm brand Herb-Seasoned stuffing mix or cornbread stuffing mix, for example. Be careful of chicken broth or meat lurking in the ingredients list.

thanksgiving : grapefruit appetizer

2 large grapefruits
brown sugar

Cut the grapefruits in eighths (pointy triangles). Arrange 1/2 of the grapefruit in a broiler-safe pan with points sticking up. Sprinkle copiously with brown sugar. Broil 3 min, until bubbly. Arrange on a serving platter with the raw grapefruits.

Thanksgiving : Pumpkin Pie

12 oz tofu (any kind will work – I use regular firm, 12oz is 3/4 of a 1# block)
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 16 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 unbaked vegan pie shell (deep dish works best, make your own or check for lard)

Preheat oven to 425′. Process tofu and OJ in a food processor (or blender if you don’t have a food processor) until tofu has no lumps. Add remaining ingredients, blend until smooth, and pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350′, and then bake for another 40-50 minutes. Chill/Cool and serve with your favorite whipped topping.

thanksgiving : gravy

Just adjusted for thanksgiving proportions.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast
9 cups UnTurkey cooking liquid (cold) or cold water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Adobo
margarine to taste
Kitchen Boquet gravy browner to taste
Black pepper to taste

Put the flour and nutritional yeast in a saucepan and toast a bit until you can smell it. Whisk in the water until smooth. Cook until it thickens up, whisking occasionally. Add remaining ingredients to taste. Keep in the crock pot on low for super access to gravy!