Feeding a Vegan Thanksgiving Guest: Six Vegan Recipes

The great thing about preparing meals for a vegan is that the items vegans can eat aren't usually seasonal and can be found in quite a few grocery stores. Although it might seem like a hassle to find foods or drinks that don't have animal products, it's not as hard as you may think.

Green Beans and Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 cans of whole new peeled potatoes
2 cans of cut green beans
Large Pot
Small pot

1. In a small pot, pour margarine with the desired amount of seasoning.
2. Stir together and heat until margarine melts.
3. In a large pot, cook potatoes and green beans for about 10 minutes or so.
4. Pour margarine and seasoning mix on vegetables, and add the top of the pot to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Serve.

Vegan Collard Greens

Ingredients:
Bag of greens or a bushel of greens
2 tbsp of margarine (preferably without whey [milk] mixed in) or 2 tbsp vegan butter
Grandma Maud's Southern Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
Greens Seasoning
Morton Lite Salt
Lemon Pepper
Seasoned Salt
Large pot

1. Pick greens apart with fingers into chewable sizes if in a bunch, discarding the stems. Put the remainder of these greens into your sink rinsing them thoroughly or using vegetable spray.
2. Put greens into a large pot completely covered in water. The water should not be at the top of the pot but just enough to drown the greens.
3. Boil for an hour stirring occasionally.
4. Drain the water from the greens.
5. Pour margarine and seasoning mix on greens, and add the top of the pot to simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Serve.

Hot Water Cornbread

Ingredients:
3 cups cornmeal
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp lite salt
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 cups of water
Large skillet
Medium-sized plastic bowl

1. Boil 2 cups of water.
2. Pour cornmeal, flour, salt, and vegetable oil in the bowl.
3. Slowly add boiled water into the mix, stirring into a smooth yellow mixture that should resemble cake batter.
4. Take a tablespoon of mixture out with a spoon and roll into your hands. If mixed well, it should immediately roll into a small ball and flatten to about 1/2-inch thick.
5. In a greased skillet (with vegetable oil or vegan butter), add small balls of hot water cornmeal.
6. Cook both sides until a light brown shade.
7. Serve.

Fruit and Nut Salad

Ingredients:
Green grapes
Red grapes
Peach halves
Pecan halves
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Lettuce

1. Add two pieces of lettuce to the bottom of a bowl in the shape of the bowl.
2. Add grapes and peaches.
3. Sprinkle pecans, raisins, and cranberries on top.
4. Serve.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp margarine or vegan butter
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice (wheat or white, although wheat is healthier)
3 1/2 cups water
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp lite salt

1. Heat vegetable oil and margarine in a large skillet over medium heat until the margarine melts.
2. Add rice.
3. Stir vegetable oil, butter, and rice together until rice is a little brown.
4. Add water and lite salt. Bring full mixture to a boil over high heat.
5. When the water is fully boiling, turn the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender or the water is absorbed.
6. Serve.

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
1 tbsp packaged firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/8-inch pieces
1 small Thai pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 iceberg lettuce leaves
2 large skillets

1. Sauté minced pepper, garlic, and vegetable oil (or olive oil) for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add soy sauce, water, and lime juice, and stir ingredients from Step 1 with Step 2 until blended well.
3. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat until the tofu is ready.

4. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.

5. Add tofu and stir fry mixture together until the tofu is browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Place a piece of lettuce on plate and scoop a tbsp of tofu into lettuce.
7. Wrap lettuce around tofu mixture (lettuce may crack) and serve.