Vegan Thanksgiving Feast: Part Two

Part Two of the Vegan Thanksgiving Feast!

Stuffing with Kale & Mushrooms

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
* Ingredients:

• 1 loaf sourdough bread, chopped into small pieces, toasted
• 1/4 cup leek, white parts, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalked, finely chopped
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp soy butter*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup kale, chopped
• 1/3 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 "eggs", made by box instructions*
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp pine nuts, minced 

* Recipe:

1. At 300 degrees, bake the pieces of bread for about 15 minutes, until toasted. Remove and set aside.
2. In a medium skillet, combine 3 tbsp butter, onions, and leeks. Cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add the celery, sage, thyme, mushrooms, kale, salt, and pepper. Cook until kale is wilted and mushrooms are tender.
4. Add the vegetable broth and simmer.
5. In a large bowl, combine the "eggs", bread pieces, parsley, and pine nuts.
6. Add the vegetable-broth mixture from the skillet. Mix well.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
8. Grease a baking dish with 1 tbsp butter. Add the bread crumb mixture. Use the remaining butter from greasing to spread over the top of the stuffing.
9. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncovered and bake for another 15 minutes or until top is golden.

* Note: For soy butter, I use olive oil based Earth Balance. I like Ener-G for egg replacer. 


Mushroom & Seitan Savory Pie

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 - 1 1/2 hours
* Ingredients (dough):

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar*
• 16 tbsp soy butter
• 8-12 tbsp ice water
• 2 tsp fresh thyme

* Ingredients (pie filling):

• 1 cup dried mushrooms, variety*
• 1/3 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine*
• 1 cube "beef" broth*
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, combined with water to form mixture
• 1/4 cup plain soy yogurt*
• 1/2 cup seitan, chopped*
• 1 tbsp soy butter

* Recipe (for dough):

1. Place the butter in a small bowl and place in freezer.
2. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and thyme.
3. Add the butter slowly and mix with a fork. 
4. Next, add the water slowly until the mixture begins to clump together. Pinch some of the dough. If it stays together, then it is ready. If it falls a part, add more water and continue mixing.
5. Form into a disk form and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in freezer until ready to make the pie.

* Recipe (for pie filling):

1. Rehydrate mushrooms in a medium pot until completely tender. Reserve 1 cup of mushroom water.
2. In a medium skillet, add the olive oil and onions until translucent. Next, add the cremini mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Chop the rehydrated dried mushrooms and place in skillet. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the white wine and seitan. Cook for another couple minutes.
5. Combine the "beef" broth cube with the reserved 1 cup of mushroom water. Add to the skillet with mushrooms. 
6. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch mixture and combine well. Cook for another several minutes.
7. Lastly, add the soy yogurt and mix over low heat for 2 minutes.

* Recipe (for building pie):

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Dust a space with all-purpose flour. Roll out the dough until thin enough to work with where it does not fall a part. 
3. Line two small pie pans with dough. Cut off edges with excess dough.
4. Roll out dough again and create top pieces for the pie.
5. Add 6 tbsp or so of the mushroom seitan mixture to each pie pan with dough.
6. Place top dough over each pie pan and using a fork, press down the sides of the dough.
7. Create a plus sign or cross in the middle of both pies with the fork.
8. Using soy butter, grease the tops of the pies.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the tops are golden.

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan. I found a dried mushroom variety pack at Whole Foods. Just make sure you have several different types such as woodland, morel, portobello, etc. Make sure your wine is vegan on Barnivore. For "beef" broth, I used Frontier brand. For soy yogurt, I used WholeSoy brand. Lastly, I used my own seitan recipe for this recipe. You could use Westsoy brand if you want or even meatless crumbles like Boca or Upton's Naturals. 


Champagne Mushroom Gravy

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 25 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 cup portobello mushroom soup*
• 1 cup champagne
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 5 tbsp soy butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp dried sage

* Recipe:

1. Place the champagne in a small pot over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce to half its size.
2. Add the shallots, salt, and 2 tbsp butter. Cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the mushroom soup and sage. Mix well and cook for an additional several minutes.
4. In a medium skillet, add the remaining 3 tbsp butter. When melted, add the all-purpose flour and combine well. 
5. While continuously stirring, add the champagne mushroom broth a bit at a time.
6. Keep stirring until sauce is thick similar to a gravy.

* Note: For portobello mushroom soup, I used Imagine brand.