With many thanks to Hannah, without whom I would be devoid of this tastiness

“Turkey”:

5 pounds of firm tofu
1 pound of tofu for the “drumsticks” – optional

Stuffing:

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 and 1/3 cup celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sage (may use 1/8)
2 teaspoons marjoram
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon winter or summer savory
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
3 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing

Basting mixture:

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vegan mustard of choice
Directions:

Mash tofu or mix well with hands. Be sure that all of the lumps are out. Line a 12″ colander with wet cheesecloth over lapping the sides. Add the mashed tofu to the cloth covered colander, press down and cover with the overlapping sides. Place the whole thing in a large bowl. Cover the cheesecloth with a plate that fits inside the
colander and place a 5 pound weight on the plate. Refrigerate and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.

When time is up, start the stuffing. Saute’ the onions, celery and mushrooms in the 2 tablesoons sesame oil. When soft, add the garlic and all the rest of the stuffing ingredients, except stuffing, mixing well. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add herb stuffing and mix well.

Remove tofu from fridge and take off weight, plate and top of cheesecloth. Hollow out tofu to within 1 inch of the sides and bottom, placing the tofu in a bowl. Place the stuffing inside the shell and pack in firmly. Cover with the remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Turn stuffed tofu onto a greased baking sheet, flat side down. Gently press on sides of “turkey” to achieve a more oval shape. If desired at this point, you may mold “drumsticks” out of one pound of tofu, and place on each side of the “turkey”.

Mix up the basting mixture and baste tofu “turkey” with half of it. Cover the “turkey” with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Remove foil, baste with all the remaining mixture except a few tablespoons and return to oven for 1 hour more, or until the “turkey” is golden. Remove from oven and use rest of basting mix. Using at least 2 large spatulas, move to a large plate. Serve with the gravy of your choice, if you wish, and cranberry sauce.

Nate asked me for my roast chicken recipe, and this is the best approximation I could come up with.

Preheat the oven to 425. Wash your chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down, and cut small slits in the skin on the back. With your fingers push several pats of butter under the skin. Prepare a rub made up of any of the following:

salt
pepper
oregano
basil
thyme
rosemary
garlic

Generously rub the herbs/spices all over the chicken, inside and out. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, preferably one with a slightly elevated rack, and roast approximately 2 hours, give or take, depending on the size of the chicken. The chicken will be done when you can easily twist the leg off, or when you can poke the breast down near the leg with a knife and the juices run clear.

That’s my basic recipe. I like to make stuffing along with the chicken, and I will fill the cavity of the bird with a mixture of the following, baking the rest separately:
cubed/shredded bread
chopped apples
raisins
chopped celery
garlic
chopped white onion
more of the herb rub

This fall we made a really tasty roast chicken with all kinds of tasty citrus-ness, but I can’t remember the recipe as it wasn’t mine. I know we filled the cavity of the bird with oranges and lemons, and used orange juice, ginger, and tamari for part of the glaze. I’ll have to look around for that recipe – it was different and delicious and made for excellent soup stock

from The Naked Chef Takes Off

1 lb carrots, scrubbed and peeled
1/2 t cumin seeds, crushed
1 handful fresh thyme leaves
4 large pats butter
1 glass Chardonnay
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F. Tear off around 5 ft aluminum foil and fold it in half to give you double thickness. Place the carrots and butter in the middle of the foil. Sprinkle the cumin, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper over the carrots, then bring up the sides of the tin foil to form a pouch. Pour in the wine, then close up the foil pouch. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

I would recommend putting the foil packet on a cookie sheet to prevent any possible spills. These carrots will be wonderfully tender and flavorful without being wine-y or too spicy. We made them for Thanksgiving and they were terrific. I highly recommend fresh thyme over dried – they just weren’t as good with the dried spices.

or, the pasta with a terrible name

2 T olive oil
3/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 oz canadian bacon, sliced into matchsticks
1 green onion bunch
1/2 lb vermicelli, boiled, drained, and set aside
1 C grated parmesan
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted

Saute mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Add the canadian bacon and green onions, and toss to combine. Add pasta, cheese, cream, and pine nuts – toss until the sauce thickens and coats pasta and the mixture is heated through. Yum!

courtesy of Cooking Thai Food in American Kitchens by Malulee Pinsuvana

Marinade:
3 slices ginger, crushed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T curry powder
1 T coriander powder
1 t salt
2 T butter
3 T light cream
1/2 C coconut milk + extra for basting

Cut 2 lbs chicken into one inch strips. Combine the above and pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least two hours. Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill, basting with the remaining coconut milk. Good alone or with peanut sauce.

It helps a LOT if you soak the wooden skewers in water before using – otherwise they tend to break or burn.