We even carved the Roast Tofurky

For Thanksgiving we knew we wanted to keep things kind of simple. We were traveling to visit family and carrying food to cook in someone else's kitchen. We debated making our own lentil loaf and decided it was too complex to do in another person's kitchen. This year, we also had the pleasure of dining with another vegetarian. So what better time than now to try out a prepared tofu roast. Get ready for tons of pictures!

We stood in front of the various roast at the grocery store in Atlanta (yes we made a special trip to Atlanta to pick out our tofu roast). After staring for a while at the various brands, we finally settled on the Tofurky® Feast since it came with dinner, gravy, and dessert. Remember... we were keeping it simple and this was simple.

Unboxing:

First, the unboxing... yes I am that big of a vegan geek that we took photos of the unboxing of the Tofurky® Roast:

What's in the box?

• One Tofurky® Roast (made with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans) - now 20% larger
• Savory Giblet Gravy
• Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Bread Crumb Stuffing
• Tofurky® Jurky Wishstix
• New ! Organic Chocolate Cake from Amy's Kitchen
• Happy Tofurky® Day card & coupons

Preparation:

Next, the preparation. While everything was boxed nicely and we could have just followed the box instructions... what's the fun in that? 

So we loosely followed the instructions on Vegan Housewives page. 

Items:

• 1 Tofurky® Roast (If you get the big dinner pack just add more veggies & gravy, we did!)
• Mushroom Gravy (We used the Tofurky® Gravy (in the box and extra tubs), but you can use any you want, and really just guestimate about how much you need. I would say at least 32 oz or may... just buy extra)
• 3 Cups of Portobello Mushrooms (if you get the big roast use more)
• 3 Large Red Potatoes
• 3 Large Carrots
• 1 Large Yellow Onion
• 4 Tbs (or 1/2 stick) of Vegan Butter
• *Really, you can use any veggies you want in this recipe that you think will work well with a roast (example: Celery). Just make sure you have enough room in the pot!

First with your hands, coat the entire Tofurky® Roast with the vegan butter & place it in the crock pot:

Next add in your veggies... remember to leave room for the gravy... cutting it close here:

Then add in the gravy. 

Oh thank goodness it all fit!

Final Steps:

• Let it simmer on the highest setting on the crock pot over night (or 8-10 hours)

When you serve it, be prepared for the Tofurky® Roast to be very moist and fall apart, which means the stuffing will also fall apart. Trust me... it's ok and more than delicious. In fact, it is so delicious, we plan on buying extra roast to use for the rest of the year. 

Why are we buying extra now? Well Tofurky® only puts out the holiday products at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. At least this is the only time I've seen it in stores in this area. Wait... Macon stores carry the Tofurky® Roast? Yes! Publix carries the green box, which just contains the roast. As far as I know, there are no stores in the Macon area that carry the Vegetarian Feast. In Columbus, stop by the Country Life Vegetarian Store to pick up the Tofurky® Roast.

Reviews:

Yum! Obviously it was good as we said we are buying extras to have throughout the year. The texture was great, and the gravy with the veggies... delicious! The chocolate cake was good. It was nice having a vegan dessert without having to go to any extra trouble. Although I will admit the cake and the gravy were nothing special. They were both good, just not as amazing as the roast. 

As for the Jurky Wishtix, it was ok. It was confusing. I thought the we would be able to pull them apart and have one person have a larger piece, but that didn't work. Each piece was the same size. I actually did not eat any of the Jurky, but the report was it was "eh."

Overall, I think it was all a huge hit, and I know we will cook the Tofurky® Roast again. We will probably just buy the green box with just the roast.  Which is fine with me... as I could have ate the entire thing. 

Oh, in full disclosure... Jonathan cooked and carved the Roast Tofurky®, I merely consumed :)

~Alisha

Heart of Georgia Veggies Thanksliving

It seems rather apropos that this website starts during the season of giving thanks. As families gather around tables to spend time with each other and to be thankful for the joys in their life, I am constantly reminded of the animals who suffered and died to feed others when it wasn't necessary.

While I wish my family had vegan Thanksliving, we are not there yet. We have certainly gotten past the “What do you mean, you don’t want any turkey?” But we are far from not hearing “Well I’m not sure what you can eat.” The "smart a" in me wants to respond every time, “I can eat anything, I choose not to eat animals or their excretions.” Then I remember this is a time for spending time with family, and by asking people are trying to understand. Plus my family has done a great job of including foods we can eat. I am fortunate that I am not the only veggie at the table, since my husband, Jonathan, is a vegetarian.

This season I am thankful to have a table to gather around, family and friends to spend time with, veggie support from my husband, people who understand Thanksgiving is about more than just the food, for health, my furry children, and many more things. It may not be a veg Thanksliving event at my family table, but at least we are welcome at the table and there will be plenty of food even this vegan can eat while holding true to my ethics.

~Alisha