I need your help ...

112110.  We went for a Sunday afternoon drive today …

 

 

… and we planned our Thanksgiving menu.

The Cowboy’s going to make turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.  Sammy is making the sweet potatoes/yams (from her mom’s recipe … we’re pretty excited about that … I’ll try to get it for you.).  I’ve been charged with corn pudding (which was the hit of dinner last year), spinach with garlic chips, and cranberry-jalapeno relish (I used an orange rather than a lime) and stuffing.

THE DILEMMA, YOU ASK?:  

Sammy and I are vegetarians.  With the exception of the turkey and gravy, there’s nothing on the menu we can’t eat.  Which is great news for us.  But this is only my second Thanksgiving not eating meat, and I don’t know a tasty stuffing recipe without meat.  I’ve made stuffing with bacon drippings.  Chicken stock.  Sausage.  Giblets.  But I’ve never made a stuffing that tastes amazing without meat.  Another wrinkle … I don’t eat any “fake meat” and I avoid tofu.

So now what?  I’m reaching out … can you help?  Do you have a tasty stuffing recipe that doesn't include meat?

By the way, today is a Blue Moon (the second full moon in November) ... so enjoy the gifts the Universe sends your way ... (I'm wishing for a great vegetarian stuffing recipe :)

 

Q:  Do you have a great savory stuffing recipe that doesn’t include meat products or fake meat products or tofu?

 

Comments

[Edward F. Scheterlak]

I'm confused. What are you planning to stuff? By definition stuffing gets stuffed into the bird. No matter how veg it is when you whip it up, it don't come out of the bird that way. Are you asking for some sort of external, stove top thing?

[Henrietta Cosentino]

Edward has a point...plus I'd add the question, who needs stuffing, with all that other fabulous 'stuff'.
But here's a thought: how about a savory dish with wild rice and maybe some onions, some nuts, some parsley, some celery, some raisins, apples, walnuts, whatever you love...something that might be construed as "stuffing-oid" without being stuffed into anything except your stomach...? (: (ps, don't have a recipe but I'll be you could do a great improv...)

[yogini cowgirl]

My bad on the confusion front ... of course I'm referring to DRESSING rather than STUFFING as it won't actually go IN the bird. (Although, in the superMom's kitchen the stuffing never went in the bird for fear of salmonella ... it was more like that last thing on the menu that "stuffed" our bellies :)

I'm hoping for a recipe, but am always happy to improv if one doesn't reveal itself ;)

[Henrietta Cosentino]

Another idea just swam into my head: when I think 'stuffing' I think, "Mushrooms!" How about stuffing some beautiful big portabellas==with, perhaps, spinach, onions, parmesan, bread crumbs, and the cut-up mushroom bases. Then you'll have a stuffed entity that is NOT a meat substitute, but its own thing, a glory unto itself. You and Sammy can claim them or share them, and everyone will be happy!

[yogini cowgirl]

THAT is a WONDERFUL idea!!!!

[Henrietta Cosentino]

P.S. Take a look at one of several articles in the NYTImes, re vegetarian options for Thanksgiving:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/giving-thanks-for-vegetables-not-turkey/?ref=health

[steph]

Hey Lady,

I don't eat meat and avoid all the fake stuff too.

I just use a veggie stock and do like a dark bread stiuffing with sage and mustard. I never follow recipe's, but basically break up some hearty bread, let it sit out and get hard/stale then saute the onions, carrots, celery and whatever else you wanna throw in there add veggie stock and fresh sage or dried and yellow mustard and then throw in the bread. It's pretty yum. xo - S