Thanksgiving was created to thank and welcome all people, be they Pilgrims or Native Americans. But today, if you're vegan or vegetarian, the holiday is anything but inclusive. Amid platters of ham, gravy, cupcakes, and Turducken (that's turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken), I'm usually ready to give thanks if my aunt leaves a few bowls of nuts out for me to snack on.
Thanksgiving is one of the last holdouts in an era when alternative diets are becoming more commonplace, whether for health reasons, ecological ideals, or the simple fact that they can be quite tasty. Brooklyn-based restaurant Champs is at the crux of the movement, cooking up dishes that are vegan but first and foremost delicious. Owner Brad Baker, a vegan for 13 years and counting, has been whipping up "Americana comfort food" at Champs since 2010: think BBQ pulled pork, eggs benedict, and buffalo chicken strips using ingredients like soysage, seitan, tofu, and sham (fake ham), in addition to nuts and veggies. The forumla attracts many non-vegans. Candice Wagner, managing chef of Champs Junior, the restaurant's second location in Greenpoint, feels her omnivorous diet gives her an advantage: "It's easier for me to match flavors because I know whether or not it tastes like the real thing," she says.
With this in mind, we asked Baker, Candice, and Champs' managing chef Ian Graye to whip us up a vegan Thanksgiving even the most ardent carnivore would devour. See the recipes below:
Champs
176 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY
map
Champs Junior
620 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
map
Photos by Jonathan Baskin
Vegan Turducken (Yes, it can happen with vegetables, too!)
Seitan recipe modified from VegWeb's "Baked Seitan"
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (if you make your own or use bouillon make sure the broth is cold before use)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Field Roast sausages in Apple Sage
4 Gardein Chick'n Breasts and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out Gardein breasts and Field Roast sausages to thaw and soften.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl with a fork. In a second bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well.
Slowly add the wet mix to the dry mix, stirring to combine into a dough. Turn dough out onto the counter and knead for several minutes.
Flatten seitan dough on counter to about 1/2 inch thickness. Let set.
Put Gardein in a food processor with seasonings and pulse until all chunks are gone and flatten out.
Put Field Roast in
Thanksgiving is one of the last holdouts in an era when alternative diets are becoming more commonplace, whether for health reasons, ecological ideals, or the simple fact that they can be quite tasty. Brooklyn-based restaurant Champs is at the crux of the movement, cooking up dishes that are vegan but first and foremost delicious. Owner Brad Baker, a vegan for 13 years and counting, has been whipping up "Americana comfort food" at Champs since 2010: think BBQ pulled pork, eggs benedict, and buffalo chicken strips using ingredients like soysage, seitan, tofu, and sham (fake ham), in addition to nuts and veggies. The forumla attracts many non-vegans. Candice Wagner, managing chef of Champs Junior, the restaurant's second location in Greenpoint, feels her omnivorous diet gives her an advantage: "It's easier for me to match flavors because I know whether or not it tastes like the real thing," she says.
With this in mind, we asked Baker, Candice, and Champs' managing chef Ian Graye to whip us up a vegan Thanksgiving even the most ardent carnivore would devour. See the recipes below:
Champs
176 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY
map
Champs Junior
620 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
map
Photos by Jonathan Baskin
Vegan Turducken (Yes, it can happen with vegetables, too!)
Seitan recipe modified from VegWeb's "Baked Seitan"
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (if you make your own or use bouillon make sure the broth is cold before use)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Field Roast sausages in Apple Sage
4 Gardein Chick'n Breasts and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out Gardein breasts and Field Roast sausages to thaw and soften.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl with a fork. In a second bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well.
Slowly add the wet mix to the dry mix, stirring to combine into a dough. Turn dough out onto the counter and knead for several minutes.
Flatten seitan dough on counter to about 1/2 inch thickness. Let set.
Put Gardein in a food processor with seasonings and pulse until all chunks are gone and flatten out.
Put Field Roast in