The Enlightened Kitchen
Enlightened Thanksgiving Roast
Marie Oser

I invite you to join me and celebrate health and compassion with this easy, delicious, and cost effective holiday meal.

Thanksgiving is a time to be with friends and family, and here at Vegsource, our health-supporting options include this delectably healthy Holiday Feast. Healthful? You bet! A generous serving with all the fixings contains less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. How? This bountiful, meatless Thanksgiving celebration is made entirely without animal products. That means there is no cholesterol, saturated fat is negligible, and the calories, as compared to the traditional meal are low.

Enlightened Thanksgiving Roast is an enticing centerpiece that turns five pounds of firm tofu into an outstanding meal with 12 hearty servings. Tofu, you say? Yes...and you wouldn’t know it. With a little advance preparation you can prepare this “meaty” roast with relative ease. It is important to choose a very firm (NOT SUPER FIRM) Chinese style tofu (packed in tubs of water) and press the tofu as follows:

Crumble the tofu into a colander lined with cheesecloth, and use a “nesting” procedure when setting up the colander and bowls. That means placing the largest bowl on the bottom, with the cloth-lined colander filled with crumbled tofu suspended above. Finally, a third bowl that fits into the colander--topped with a heavy object, pressing the tofu into a firm shape. Set aside the nested bowls to press in the refrigerator, overnight.

The crumbled tofu--pressing technique, coupled with a flavorful basting mixture, and delicious stuffing, produces a delectable roast with all the satisfying flavor and texture you expect from a holiday meal. Serve with Enlightened Gravy and Jellied Cranberry sauce.

Enlightened Thanksgiving Roast
10 to 12 Servings

5 (16 oz. pkg.) firm, water-packed tofu
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 oz. portobello mushrooms, diced
1 (10 oz. pkg.) cubed herb stuffing mix
1 cup vegetarian “chicken” broth, boiling
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. dried sage
Basting mixture
2 Tablespoons mellow white miso
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup tamari
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup vegetarian “chicken” broth
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Brown Gravy
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups vegetarian “chicken” broth, boiling
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Drape cheesecloth over a 12” colander, allowing the sides to overlap, set over larger, bowl and set aside. Mash tofu thoroughly, crumble into prepared colander and fold cheesecloth over top. Position a deep bowl inside the colander over cheesecloth and weigh it down with at least 5 pounds (canned goods are useful here). Place in refrigerator overnight.

FOLLOWING DAY:
Prepare stuffing: Heat oil in a large saucepan, over medium high heat, 30 seconds. Add garlic, onion, celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, add stuffing mix, broth, cranberries and sage. Stir to moisten, remove from heat and set aside.

PREPARE BASTING MIXTURE: In a liquid measuring cup, blend miso with sherry with a fork. Add tamari, juice, broth, Dijon mistard, and garlic. Blend, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°
Oil spray large baking pan lined with foil. Remove the top bowl, and weight and lift cheesecloth over tofu. Scoop out a portion of the tofu, placing reserved tofu temporarily in a bowl, and leaving a 1 inch shell. Fill the hollowed shell with stuffing, setting aside any extra stuffing to bake in an ovenp-safe pan. Cover with reserved tofu and pat down firmly. Place baking pan over colander, face-down. Invert roast, turning the stuffed tofu onto baking sheet, flat side down.

Baste with a third of the basting mixture, cover roast with foil, and place on center rack of the oven. Bake for 1 hour, remove foil, baste with half of the remaining mixture, and continue to bake uncovered for one more hour, basting again halfway through.

PREPARE THE GRAVY: Heat oil in a medium saucepan 1 minute over medium high heat, Add flour and stir to form a paste. Lower heat and gradually add hot broth, stirring constantly. Add nutritional yeast and garlic. Stir frequently until thickened and remove from heat. Set aside covered until ready to serve.

Remove Roast and set aside for 10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with gravy and additional dressing.

Notes on Ingredients

Tofu-High in protein, very low in saturated fat; cholesterol free, tofu’s ability to absorb flavors make it a very versatile ingredient. Available at health food stores, and supermarkets.

Vegetarian Chicken Broth-Broth powder available at health food stores and http://www.healthy-eating.com

Nutritional Yeast-Delicious flakes that add a rich, cheese-like flavor, and creaminess. High in protein, minerals and B vitamins. At health food stores and http://www.healthy-eating.com

Mellow White Miso-Pale beige in color this style of miso has a subtle, sweet fragrance, and a rich, creamy, texture. This highly versatile miso is available at health food stores, Asian markets, and many supermarkets.