Dear Henrietta,
My daughter has decided to become a vegan. She believes that our entire family should reduce our carbon footprint by refraining from eating meat over the holidays. It’s a noble cause, but with Thanksgiving right around the corner, now I have no idea what to make for dinner. Help!
Signed,
Meaty Mama
Dear Meaty Mama,
It’s time to become friends with the most versatile food in the world: tofu.
Why is it so versatile, you ask? Well, because it tastes like absolutely nothing, so you can season it with anything you want and it absorbs the flavor like a delightful little sponge. It comes in a variety of textures, from silken, firm and extra firm, and can be purchased seasoned and unseasoned.
That being said, how can you use it to replace the turkey? There is such a thing as Tofurkey roast that you can buy pre-made, but what fun is that? Instead, I would turn this challenge into a delightful, interactive holiday game for the whole family.
Before everyone arrives, cut up a whole bunch of firm tofu into little cubes and marinate in soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, fresh garlic, poultry seasoning and fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary. Your guests can then use the cubes and an assortment of toothpicks and string to make the tofu into something that looks like a “turkey” of sorts. If you have a crotchety civil engineer in the family, make sure to put them in charge of the project. What fun it will be for everyone!
Now, while your family is occupied making the Tofurkey, sneak outside and place your traditional turkey on the Weber grill out of your daughter’s sight. Give her a couple extra glasses of wine and a Benadryl at dinner and she’ll be out like a light.
And then it’s time for traditional turkey for the meat-eaters! Winner-winner-turkey-dinner!
I hope this helps and remember: for those of you that can’t be home with your families – try not to brag.
Love,
Henrietta
Henrietta Craven was born and raised in New Bern and enjoys gardening, hunting bears and improvisational dance. She is a self-proclaimed expert on a wide variety of subjects including (but not limited to) fashion, mixology, and cooking. Henrietta resides in a lovely Victorian home in downtown New Bern with her five cats: Graffenreid, Bethune, Devereux, Stanton and Carraway.