Mushroom-Almond Stuffing - A Thanksgiving Recipe

Its that time of year to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving dinner. For the first few years I was vegetarian, Thanksgiving was among the difficult holidays. I had to relearn how to still eat my holiday favorites without the meat or meat-based broth. Over the years I adapted classic Thanksgiving standbys, including a holiday favorite - the stuffing (or dressing depending on your preferences, regions, and traditions). I love the recipe I use now with a mix of mushrooms, almonds, apples, & other vegetables that started with a small pan for just me and has grown to shareable amounts. At this point, it's nice to be able to share my stuffing with others.

Let the recipes begin!

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing (with Apple)

(measurements and amounts are approximate, since I rarely measure)

• Mushrooms - chopped (a few sliced on side for optional garnishment) - I use button, baby bellas or a mixture of both
• Almond Slivers (or slices per preferences & availability) (set some aside for optional garnishment)
• One apple - cored, peeled, diced (I prefer Granny Smith for the tartness)
• Onion-  diced
• Celery - diced (a couple stalks)
• Fresh Garlic - minced (a couple cloves)
• Green Onion, diced (set some aside for optional garnishment)
  
   
• Bag dry seasoned breadcrumb cube mix or cubed stuffing mix (or use dried bread and adjust seasonings as needed)
  
• Vegetable broth
• 1/2 - 1 cup butter or margarine (depending on taste use butter or a vegan spread like Earth Balance)
• Fresh Herbs - minced - I typically use a poultry mix with sage, thyme, and rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste

Use whatever veggies, fruits, or nuts you prefer. I like the mildness of the almonds, but they can omitted or substituted with another nut or seed such as walnuts. (I use walnuts in another Thanksgiving recipe instead.) In past years I have added shredded carrots to saute mixture for color or in place of the sweetness of the apple. Personally, I prefer the apple to the carrots. If you don't like the minced garlic or green onion, don't use it. Make it your recipe and your traditions.

Chop & dice everything ahead of time. (It will make your life that much easier.) Sometimes, I "cheat" and use a counter top food chopper to work through the veggies and apple faster.

In a large bowl I place bag of cubed stuffing mix or dried cubed bread crumbs & set aside. 

In large skillet with butter, margarine, or vegan spread start sauteing mushrooms, celery, onion, apple, garlic, and toast almonds. (Sometimes I cut the amount of fat, but sauteing with butter/margarine and white wine.) I always end up sauteing in multiple batches and adding to the cubed breadcrumb mix as I go. The whole house smells wonderful as the veggies, fruit, & nuts are sauteed and it just makes feels like Thanksgiving. After the everything is sauteed I warm the vegetable broth (couple cups depending on wetness needed and ratios on on cubed stuffing mix) and whatever butter or margarine I have left to add. The fresh herbs, fresh green onion, sauteed mix, broth, butter/margarine are all mixed together in bowl and seasoned to taste (I usually don't add any salt, but everyone's taste and preferences are a little different). Add any more broth or other liquid as needed to moisten

I scoop the well mixed stuffing mix into a pan or pans (I often make a decent sized  batched, than separate into more than one smaller pan and freeze ahead to have it for multiple Thanksgiving gatherings, for vegetarian friends who don't cook, or for later). I garnish with mushroom slices, almonds, green onion, and sage leaf flowers or butterflies. This is completely optional, but started as a way to differentiate my stuffing from the meat-broth based stuffing at the Thanksgiving table. At this point, it's my tradition & I'm sticking with it.

It can be made ahead of time and frozen (I usually make mine a couple days ahead of time to cut down prep work on busy Thanksgiving day), and baked later or it can be baked that day. I bake at approx 350 degrees (depending on what it might be sharing the oven with) and baking times vary by oven sharing, temp, & whether frozen at time of baking. Baked covered & remove covering at end to let top brown and crisp a bit. The mushroom flowers with have browned and it will be cooked through.

Variation: For the purists who just need to stuff stuffing inside of something, try a small hallowed cooking pumpkin or any other fall friendly vegetable and bake.

Serve along side your Thanksgiving favorites & don't be afraid to top with some mushroom-onion gravy or any vegetarian or vegan gravy.

Include any questions, comments, or your own veggie traditions below!

Thanksgiving Planning Can Begin!

I love Thanksgiving and now that November is officially upon, I can start my Thanksgiving planning. (One holiday at a time, as much as possible. There is not reason to rush past the fall holidays to get to winter.) The menu stays pretty much along same lines and same traditions as it has for years. While my family starts talking turkey (literally), I know my basics... Mushroom Walnut Wellington, Almond Mushroom Stuffing, mashed potatoes, various vegetable dishes, mushroom onion gravy, rolls, assorted desserts, and a cranberry punch. (People don't really make punch a lot for things, but I like it. Must be the remnants of a 1960's hostess passed down through my family line.)

In the next week, I will sit down with my brother (and maybe my mom) to make the plan for the family meal. The vegetarian stuff is mine and mine alone, I prefer it that way: the wellington, the stuffing, and the gravy. He will take care of the meat-based stuff and vegetables will be split between me and sometimes my mom. I'm the only one who does green beans and typically do a Thanksgiving style cranberry punch. Appetizers will be divided based on who wants to make what. I usually do a cheese ball that My sister will bring dessert and/or rolls, especially since she usually has more than one Thanksgiving that day. My other brothers will... eat.

I've already started shopping a little, picking up things I find on sale, things that will store until use so I don't have to get everything at once. Two large containers of vegetable stock are sitting on the counter now waiting and ready. I've even considered making a vegan gel dessert this year, giving a nod to the recipes of old with the new traditions and the lifestyle I adhere to now.

What holiday traditions do you hold dear and what new traditions are you creating for the upcoming Thanksgiving day?

New Traditions, New Comforts, New Ideas Through A Meatless Lifestyle

I love food. I love good food. Sometimes, there is the sad misconception that vegans & vegetarians can't be "foodies" or that their diets are boring. This is not true. Early in my meatless journey, I knew that I would never last long with a boring diet.

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing

Vegetarianism gave me many things. For, and probably foremost, it improved my health. For those who knew me in high school, I was probably not the first one they would expect to go veg, but after a decade... here I am. My journey was headed by health issues with my stomach and the desire to get my life back without drugs or surgery. it was a journey that started with dragging feet, but it worked. An unexpected result of vegetarianism was a lighter spirit and consciousness. This is the part that a lot of people don't expect and can make some people uncomfortable. I didn't expect it, but it happened and it altered some of my view of the animal and human world. The third big thing resulting from vegetarianism was to force me to experiment and become more adventurous food. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life surviving on grilled cheese, peanut butter, or baked potatoes. (Baked potatoes were my main go-to food for the first six months and are now something I tend not to eat a lot of.)

Food is an adventure. Food has become something more than just a necessity for survival. I have created new traditions, experimented with new foods & recipes, found new foods & cuisines, and forced me to challenge myself. Many of the foods I now eat are built on the food traditions I grew up, now altered. Holiday traditions have been re-imagined & new traditions have built upon the old ones (We will get to those.) One concept that has altered along the way, is comfort food. We all have different things. Overtime, one of my unexpected comfort foods has become Indian food. It just makes me happy. Sometimes, I still cling to the "typical" middle America comfort foods like mashed potatoes topped with mushroom gravy or a bowl of ice cream. On bad days or after a long week, sometimes this Ohio girl just needs a some Mattar Paneer over rice with Samsoas & garlic naan bread. Lucky for me there is a local restaurant near my work place that I can stop or  call ahead to grab take out. Depending on the day, it may also be veggie eggrolls and dumplings from my favorite local sport, Greek (yay falafel), or Mexican (from restaurant or homemade at home). Just because someone grows up in Ohio, doesn't mean that have to eat like they've never lived or eaten anywhere else.

Homemade mushroom tacos topped with lettuce, homemade salsa, cheese, & black olives in soft flour tortilla

Falafel platter with spicy feta spread from local Greek restuarant

Childhood favorites: Chex Mix/Party Mix

Everyone has things they grew up with, this that are special, things that tell parts of the story of where one comes from. Chex mix or party mix, dating popularity back to the 1960s has always been a favorite. It's a family favorite at Christmas and a personal favorite anytime of year. I haven't grown out of with age or with diet change, but it has evolved with me.

Sometimes, I get where I just NEED Chex Mix or party mix, season has little or nothing to do with it (although it is still a necessity at Christmas). Most people know the most classic version with cereal, peanuts, pretzels, and pita chips or cheese crackers. A lot of people vary the mixings added to cereal. From the classic recipe there are tons of variations and I keep finding new ones all the time. With fall weather, late nights, and an upcoming camping trip drove me to NEED to make some. I planned two batches... my version of the tradition recipe and a recently found new adventure - dill pickle Chex mix. (I found this recipe recently online and have been tweeking it to to my desired preference.)

To my utter dismay, I struggled years ago with the realization that the Worcestershire sauce that is used for the most class of recipes is not vegan or vegetarian. For the first few years, I went without. My option being one of the alternative recipes,but it wasn't the same. I wanted what I had grown up with... right now the the scent wafting through the house while being slowly cooked in the oven. It was part of the tradition. Some traditions are meant to be kept... even if they evolve over time. After some searching, I realized I could bring back the tradition if I used one of the various brands of vegan Worcestershire sauce. In the beginning, I could only fine it online and it had to be ordered. In the past few years, I have been able to find it (and a few other vegan goodies) in local stores, making my life a little easier. Adaptions don't have to be difficult with a little time, research, and online ordering. You can find vegan butter/margarine or use vegan crackers and make it whatever you want to make.

The dill pickle recipe involves dill pickle juice (and how can you go bad with that?). I made both. Yum and yum and happy snacks for the next week or two.

"Traditional" Chex Mix with vegan Worcestershire sauce

Dill Pickle Chex Mix