Treat your guests to vegan delights

[Guest guest]

However, the unfortunate downside is you might have to persuade some of them to eat it JAMIE GUMBRECHT McClatchy Newspapers Vegan Bread and Celery Stuffing Makes 8 servings. 1-pound loaf of bread, ripped into small chunks 3/4 cup vegan margarine, such as Spectrum Spread or Earth Balance 1 onion, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup vegetable broth AIR-DRY bread pieces for at least two hours. In a saucepan, melt vegan margarine over medium heat. Add onion and celery, cooking until soft. Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in bread chunks until evenly coated. Moisten with vegetable broth and mix well. BAKE in a casserole dish greased with vegan margarine at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Stuffed Squash

With Mushrooms, Tofu and Pecans Serves 8. This savory squash side dish, from "New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant" by the Moosewood Collective, offers a festive turkey alternative as well as a complement to the traditional sides. 4 small winter squash, such as acorn, halved, seeded 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, pressed, cut into small cubes 3 tablespoons each: tamari soy sauce, dry sherry 4 cups small bread cubes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 each, chopped: onions, celery ribs 1 (16-ounce) package sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped (see note) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil; brush lightly with vegetable oil. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the pan; add about 1/2-inch of

water to the pan. Bake until tender, 30-35 minutes. TOSS the tofu cubes with soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl; set aside. Cook the bread cubes on a baking sheet until toasted, about 5 minutes. HEAT the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the onions and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, broth and thyme. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover; cook until flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Uncover; stir in the tofu with marinade and bread cubes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the pecans and lemon juice. DISTRIBUTE the filling among the baked squash halves. Put halves in a deep casserole dish; cover. Cook until squash is fork-tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the squash. NOTE: Toast pecans in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring

often, until aromatic, 3-5 minutes. PER SERVING: 382 calories; 44g carbohydrates; 16g protein; 19g fat (42% calories from fat, 2g saturated fat); 0mg cholesterol; 592mg sodium; 8g fiber. The trouble with cooking a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner isn't recipe-hunting or product availability. Vegetarians have turned the Internet into their personal cookbook, and many areas are bursting with organic produce and dairy-free milk. No, the trouble is that you can't beg for mom's advice -- at least not my mom's -- when your whole-wheat vegan pie crust is crumbling and your soy turkey might still be frozen in the middle. She might sympathize, recalling her first Thanksgiving, when she cooked the giblets inside the turkey or sliced off her thumbnail while chopping sweet potatoes. But she won't know how to get rid of the tofu flecks from your pumpkin pie. And that's nothing compared to your next challenge:

persuading people to eat it. There are plenty of defenses: • It costs less. Buying a small faux-turkey roast costs less than the big bird. • It takes less time. You don't have to thaw a bird or spend time in the emergency room after your poultry deep-fry turns ugly. • It's not that different from your usual meal. Most Thanksgiving side dishes are meat-free already, so it's not hard to adjust. Cook the stuffing outside the turkey and use vegan butter. Make gravy with mushrooms and vegetable broth. • It's tasty and sometimes even healthy. Many people who go meat-free are conscious of how much protein, sugar and fat is going into their bodies. A vegetarian meal gives you more control. • It tastes good. You might never break old meat-eaters

of their habits, but if you slip a little slice of fake turkey on their plates with some non-stuffed stuffing and some soy milk mashed potatoes, they might never know the difference. Peter H

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.