Celebrations

Vegan Thanksgiving is Easy and Traditional

[updated 11/26/19]

Finding recipes for a fabulous vegan Thanksgiving feast is not exactly a challenge. My own Vegan Thanksgiving board on pinterest is quickly filling up with all kinds of delectable dishes that I will probably never make. The reason I won’t make them is that I tend to be traditional regarding Thanksgiving dinner. I want it to be pretty much the way it was when I was growing up, but with a compassionate makeover.

I might be tempted to make one or two new things some years, but mostly it’s all about […]

By Ginny Messina|2019-11-26T10:10:55-05:00November 14th, 2013|Tags: Celebrations, Thanksgiving, Vegan activism|15 Comments

A Vegan Thanksgiving Celebrates Good Food, Activism and Hope

Clove, a rescued turkey at Animal Place

When I sit down with friends to carve the Tofurky on Thanksgiving, it always feels a little bit like lighting a candle in the darkness. People eat meat every day, of course, but somehow a holiday that places such intense focus on the carcass of one particular animal—and is responsible for the slaughter of some 45 million of them—is especially hard for those who care about animals.

Because Thanksgiving feels so heartbreaking to some of us, it can be […]

By Ginny Messina|2017-11-23T16:36:29-05:00November 22nd, 2011|Tags: Celebrations, Thanksgiving, Vegan activism|16 Comments

Easy Vegan Holiday Party

I had a few neighbors over last night for wine and cocktail party-ish appetizers. These are good, cozy friends—the kind with whom you don’t worry too much if you don’t get around to cleaning the bathroom. They are omnivores, though—and that causes me to fuss just a little bit more than usual. I didn’t have time to cook all day, so I ended up using a few prepared party foods.It’s nice that there are so many great ones available for vegans. In addition, I made one batch of Christmas cookies, a fast cake, some hummus (well, it was a vegan party; you’ve gotta have hummus!), […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-12-13T15:03:00-05:00December 13th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Recipes|4 Comments

Vegan Thanksgiving is Easy, Traditional and Delicious

This year, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local newspaper about why we don't have turkey in my home on Thanksgiving. I hope that I was able to capture some of the joy that comes with embracing compassion on this day of all days–one that celebrates family, friendship, abundance and gratitude. (Please take a look at my article on the myth of free-range turkeys, too.)

I look forward to my cruelty-free Thanksgiving dinner every year. I’m a traditionalist, and so my Thanksgiving menu doesn’t change a lot from year to year. There is an entrée surrounded by […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-11-17T12:53:00-05:00November 17th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Cookbooks, Recipes, Thanksgiving|2 Comments

Update on Vegan Mushroom Strudel: The Whole Wheat Version

I made my yummy mushroom strudel yesterday with a few changes. As noted in the comments on that post, I found a whole wheat phyllo at the local food co-op. For this special occasion recipe, I’m perfectly happy to use the refined flour version, but I thought it would be fun to try something new. And my only dinner guest was my husband who, in addition to his other excellent qualities, will eat pretty much anything. I never really have to worry about recipe disasters.

To counteract the somewhat drier aspect of whole grain flour, I replaced […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-04-13T12:59:00-04:00April 13th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Recipes|0 Comments

Celebrate Easter and Spring with Vegan Mushroom Strudel

Mushroom Strudel is my favorite company dinner and I’m making it this weekend for Easter. It’s adapted from Moosewood Cookbook, an older collection of recipes that definitely puts the “lacto” in lacto-ovo vegetarian! It was super easy to veganize, though, and I’m really happy with the results.

Traditionally, strudel recipes are made with phyllo (also spelled filo) dough layered with lots of melted butter. But olive oil works very well and, in fact, the instructions on the phyllo package say that it’s fine to use oil. The filling substitutes were easy—I used Tofutti brand Better Than Cream Cheese […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-04-10T11:50:00-04:00April 10th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Recipes|7 Comments

Meat Out! Celebrate Spring By Going Vegetarian

It’s the season of birth and new beginnings in the northern part of the world. We’re starting the time of year when daylight outlasts the night. March 20th is the first day of spring—and it’s also Great American Meatout Day. What a great time to make a few changes and a fresh start.

Going vegetarian is about being kind to animals, responsible to the earth, and eating some of the best food in the world. But it’s not just a good thing to do; it’s fun, too! Do you think of meatless dishes as boring and limited? Look […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-03-19T17:33:00-04:00March 19th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Menus, Recipes|0 Comments

Vegan Corned “Beef” and Cabbage: Happy St Patty’s Day!

This may not taste exactly like the real thing, but that’s okay. For those who really want to go green this St Patty’s Day—for the earth and the animals—it’s a fun alternative. It’s easy to make, too. Serve it with Beer Bread. Here are both recipes:

Vegan Corned Beef
1 pound seitan (I use Westsoy Vegetarian Stir-fry Strips)
2 tsp pickling spice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 cup water

¼ cup canola oil
½ large onion, cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1 tsp horseradish
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 carrot, […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-03-17T15:10:00-04:00March 17th, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Menus, Recipes|4 Comments

Vegan Cocktail Party: Fast and Fun!

I’m having friends over for a little cocktail party (well, really just wine and beer) and am enjoying the challenge of putting together a good menu. My friends are easy-going types, but they aren’t vegan (or even vegetarian) so I want to make sure everything is especially yummy. And I want it all to be finger food. And I don’t have time to do a whole lot of cooking, so it has to be easy with a mix of fast recipes and store-bought items.

Here is what I’ve decided to serve:

Phyllo Cups with Artichoke Filling. In the […]

By Ginny Messina|2009-01-22T13:34:00-05:00January 22nd, 2009|Tags: Celebrations, Recipes|1 Comment

A New Vegan Thanksgiving Feast

I loved my Thanksgiving menu from last year and am not especially eager to make too many changes. But it’s always fun to try something new, so I’m tweaking the menu a little bit. I have some reluctant omnivores coming this year so dinner had better be good!

We’re trying a new sweet potato recipe, made with coconut milk. And there will be three kinds of cranberries on the table (you can never have too many cranberry dishes!) I’m also going to try to create a veggie version of that wonderful green bean casserole with French onions, although I […]