Turkey
If you want a vegan version of a traditional Christmas dinner, you will be looking for a replacement for a turkey. You can either buy a vegan turkey roast or you can make your very own Tofu Turkey.
Turkey Roasts
VBites( formerly Redwood’s) make a fantastic ‘turkey’ roast as part of their Cheatin’ range. You can often find these in wholefood/healthfood shops or they can be purchased online. The roasts are a delicious, chewy meat substitute and one roast is enough to serve 2-
Most importantly, they are a vital ingredient of our Christmas dinner kebabs.
VBites also make a Cheatin’ Celebration Roast which includes a turkey roast, vegan sausages wrapped in bacon and a sachet of gravy. You can find these in good wholefood shops in the run up to Christmas.
They also make a ‘beef’ and a 'gammon' roast.
Another great alternative is the Tofurky Roast. These can be hard to find but you might be able to get one from a wholefood shop.
Tofu Turkey
If you prefer to make your own turkey roast, this is a fairly simple recipe. The smell it produces as it cooks in the oven is very authentic!
Tofu Turkey
This is a delicious alternative to roast turkey which you can present and carve at the table.
Ingredients
- 2 kg of firm tofu. (That’s a lot of tofu - you might find it cheaper in a Chinese supermarket than a health food shop
- 200ml toasted sesame oil
- 100ml soy sauce (preferably tamari)
- A packet of sage and onion stuffing mix (or homemade stuffing)
Method
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
- Drain the tofu and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Take a colander and line it with a piece of cheesecloth or a tea-towel. Take thick slices of tofu and arrange them around the sides of the colander so it forms a bowl shape about 3-5cm thick. Fold the edges of the cloth over the tofu and place a bowl in the centre so it presses against the tofu. Put a heavy weight into the bowl (the weights from your scales, or tins of beans etc.). The idea is to squeeze the fluid out of the tofu. Leave it for about 30 minutes.
- Make the stuffing. Remove the bowl from the tofu and place the uncooked stuffing inside the tofu ‘shell’. If you have and tofu left over, place it on top.
- Take a large baking pan and brush it with oil. Place the pan upside down over the colander and flip it over so the tofu turkey stands on the pan. Remove the cloth.
- Mix the toasted sesame oil and the soy sauce in a jug and pour over the turkey, ensuring the whole surface is covered.
- Place in the oven for around 2 hours, basting the turkey with the oil two or three times. Enjoy the delicious smell and the anticipation of a lovely meal!
The Trimmings
Now you’ve made your turkey, you’ll be wanting to roast some vegetables, cook some chestnuts and sprouts, make some cranberry sauce and gravy and see about some Christmas pudding.
Alternatives
If you don’t fancy turkey for dinner, why not make a nut-