Category: Thanksgiving

Our First Vegan Thanksgiving Did Not Disappoint!!! 😁

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Thanksgiving was very different this year for Dane and I. Traditionally, we would eat all of the traditional fare with all of the fixings, but this year we have been feeling so great with our new way of eating that we tried not to go off plan. Dane did not budge but I sometimes believe in the 90/10 rule or probably more like 80/20 rule 😂.  We had all of our family here for the big event and it is BIG at our house, especially since it is my most favorite holiday of the year. I love all of the fuss!


My family, of course, wanted the traditional thanksgiving meal so I tried to compromise to make everyone happy. I did make the traditional turkey, which I posted the recipe a few weeks ago. It is seriously the most moist and juicy turkey you will ever eat. My family loves it each year. I made a stuffing recipe that was vegan, no oil. I know, it was tricky but with a little white wine and vegetable broth, it was a success! My son-in-law, Garrett, made it and did a fantastic job. Ohmyveggies.com has an amazing recipe for Super Vegan Traditional Stuffing and everyone thought it was great. Mashed potatoes were made with no butter but with a bit of almond milk and Dane made the most delicious gravy—mushroom gravy, which is his own concoction. He’s still working on the recipe but a lot of our family had it and said it was delicious. I loved it. I did make the traditional gravy to go along with the turkey for those that wanted it. The beans were steamed and were delicious by themselves. We had vegan rolls, which did have some vegan butter that was called Earth Balance-soy free dairy free. They turned out to be scrumptious. One of the things that is a must on Thanksgiving is the traditional Watergate salad that my mother would make each year.  It reminds me of her and I love it. She’s been gone for more than ten years now and her Watergate salad legacy lives on! It’s like a small piece of her is here with me. She loved thanksgiving too and it’s a time when my family would gather each year. I miss it. 


And ahhhhh the pies! That’s when I caved. Banana cream pie is a fav and I also love pumpkin pie, but had requests for pecan pie and apple, so I made those too. I decided to do a vegan pumpkin pie and try a recipe from the minimalistbaker.com, which was a recipe that I thought I had tested the week before, but nope! Wrong recipe!! Not my fav, I have to say, and I was pretty disappointed. I also tried a vegan banana cream pie from that site that I didn’t like either, so I made the traditional banana cream pie! Seriously, I just love it and I also love coconut cream pie. All in all, it was a success and the new way of eating did not disappoint this holiday fare :). Cheers to healthy living!

Moist Thanksgiving Turkey–Brined Roast Turkey w Sage Butter Rub

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Okay peeps!  I had to do it!  For all of you carnivores out there :).  Seriously, though, who likes dry turkey?  Ummm NOT ME!  LOL.  I have used this recipe for several years now and every Thanksgiving I get oooooo’s and ahhhhh’s and yummmm’s about it.  This is definitely one of our family’s favorites for Thanksgiving.  I hope you like it :).  Oh, and over Thanksgiving break, don’t forget about the plantoeat.com sale.  It’s only ONE time a year, so take advantage of it and enjoy the turkey :).

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Brined Roast Turkey with Sage Butter Rub

If you’re planning to make a brined turkey, make sure you don’t buy a kosher turkey, which has already been treated with salt. Serves twelve to fourteen. Yields about 1/2 cup rub.

Source: finecooking.com

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12 Scale

Ingredients

  • For the brine and turkey:
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
  • One 14-lb. fresh natural turkey; giblets removed and reserved
  • Olive oil as needed
  • For the sage butter:
  • 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
  • 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 tsp. Bell’s poultry seasoning (optional)

Directions

  1. Make a basic brine: In a 6-qt. or larger pot, combine the 1 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 qt. cool water. Put the pot over high heat and stir occasionally until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in another 2 qt. water and chill in the refrigerator.
  2. Soak the turkey in the brine: Remove the neck, giblets, and tail (if present) from the turkey; reserve them for making the turkey broth. Discard the liver. Rinse the turkey well. Double up two turkey-size oven bags and then roll down the edges of the bags a bit to help them stay open. Put the bags in a heavy-duty roasting pan and put the turkey, breast side down, in the inner bag. Pour the brine over the turkey (have someone hold the bags open for you, if possible). Gather the inner bag tightly around the turkey so the brine is forced to cover most of the turkey and secure the bag with a twist tie. Secure the outer bag with a twist tie. Refrigerate the turkey (in the roasting pan, to catch any leaks) for 12 to 18 hours.
  3. Make the sage butter: In a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate if making ahead.
  4. Roast the turkey: Heat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it very well, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine and oven bags. With your hands, gently loosen the skin from the turkey breast and legs, being careful not to tear the skin. Use one hand to distribute the sage butter under the skin and use your other hand outside the skin to massage and smooth the butter as evenly as possible over the turkey breast and as much of the legs as you can get to. Tuck the wings behind the turkey to secure the neck skin and loosely tie the legs together. Rub the turkey all over with a light coating of olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt (to help crisp the skin). Put the turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy-duty flameproof roasting pan. Put the pan in the oven, with the legs pointing to the back of the oven, if possible.
  5. After the turkey has been roasting for 1 hour, begin rotating the roasting pan (for even browning) and basting the turkey with pan drippings every 30 minutes or so. If there aren’t enough drippings to baste with at first, use a little olive oil until there are drippings. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 170°F and the juices run clear when you remove the thermometer. Check the temperature in both thighs; sometimes one thigh will be done before the other. The total roasting time will be about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent it with foil, and let it rest while you make your mushroom gravy.

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