It was my parents first vegan thanksgiving and I'll cut to the chase and say it went over really well. Lots of Mmmm's were heard and after my Dad went back for seconds he sat down and said "I had no idea you could have, really, everything we'd always had, just healthy and vegan."
Here is a picture of my plate:
Now I'll let me parents tell you what they thought of each item:
All recipes are from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook.
Tofu Turkey(p.152):
Mom: I changed my opinion on tofu because it was seasoned so well. The spicing was exactly like you would get at a Thanksgiving meal. Who knew tofu could be good?
Dad: I ate two. Obviously I liked it.
Thanksgiving Gravy (p.255):
Mom: The gravy was EXCELLENT. It brought out all the tastes and aromas of a traditional thanksgiving dinner. It made the meal.
Dad: The gravy was superb. It was absolutely my favorite item. You could eat it on anything. I want this gravy all the time, all year. I loved the thickness of the gravy. We're used to real thin gravy and this one was hearty -- sticks to your bones. It was my favorite and I'm a stuffing guy!
Dijon-Herb Green Beans(p.197):
Mom: I LOVED the sauce with the green beans. It added a different dimension to the green beans I'm used to eating (made with butter, salt and pepper.)
Dad: I really liked the sauce. I'd like to have that sauce on cauliflower or broccoli. I've never had green beans that weren't plain. The green beans were really good.
Cranberry Sauce(p.267):
Mom: Lindsay likes her cranberry sauce tart and I like it sweeter, but I still liked it. When we have leftovers I'll add more sugar.
Dad: It was good but I'd have liked it with maple syrup.
Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo (p. 196):
Mom: The stuffing was excellent. It was the first time I'd ever had Mexican flavors at Thanksgiving, or cornbread stuffing, but it was so good.
Dad: The stuffing was good. It was a nice change from traditional stuffing which is all poultry seasoning. I love cornbread.
(My mom also made the mashed sweet potatoes -- swearing that it's not Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes. She whipped with with almond milk, maple syrup and then sprinkled them with cinnamon prior to serving).
Overall:
Dad: It was a very good replica. I've been joking with my daughter since I arrived, asking where the turkey is, and I don't feel like I missed anything. It was really good!
Mom: I don't feel that we missed any of the traditional meal. It had all the flavors and taste of a traditional meal but it was healthy and fresh and vegan.
