How Our Family’s Traditions Grew Greener — and Closer

Long before the smell of turkey fills the kitchen or the table is set with the good dishes and better intentions, Marty and I begin our quiet ritual of preparing to welcome our family and friends. Over the past four decades, we have hosted countless gatherings, some small and cozy, others loud and crowded, all filled with laughter, stories, and the familiar comfort that only tradition can bring.

Thanksgiving has always been our holiday, our way of gathering people we love around the table, and reminding ourselves, year after year, how truly lucky we are.

Then, about 12 ½ years ago, something changed. Marty decided to adopt a plant-based lifestyle.

It wasn’t a phase or a passing curiosity- it was thoughtful, intentional decision rooted in health and personal conviction. I supported him completely. But as November rolled around that first year, we both realized we were facing an unexpected emotional and practical question:

What happens to Thanksgiving when the host no longer eats- or wants to cook – the turkey?

Marty gently told me that he did not feel right preparing for it anymore. So, without hesitation, I told him I would take it on.  After all, traditions evolve, but love and partnership stay steady. Still, I didn’t want him to feel like a guest at his own table. Thanksgiving, to us, has never just been about the turkey. It is about belonging.

So, we decided, Marty would simply not have a side salad, we would create a Thanksgiving menu that honored his choices and stood proudly beside the traditional dishes. That year, we started experimenting.  We tested recipes, adjusted flavors, laughed at a few failures, and celebrated successes. What emerged became its own tradition- plant-based dishes that weren’t “substitutes”, but stars.

One of the first successes was a plant based lentil loaf- hearty, savory, satisfying even to devoted meat-eaters, alongside it, we baked cornbread muffins, the kind that disappear quickly from the basket.

And then there was the unbelievable mushroom gravy- which I cannot make enough of every year. It is so rich, velvety, deeply flavorful, so good that meat eaters found themselves spooning it over everything on their plates.

We placed Marty’s dishes right in the center of the table, so everyone could partake, and then something wonderful happened. People were curious. They tasted; they went back for seconds. Conversations started- not about what was “missing”, but just about how good everything was.

Over time, those plant- based dishes became just as expected as the stuffing (which is also plant based!).

Twelve years later, they are part of our Thanksgiving identity. Every year, when our family and friends gather around the table, passing plates, sharing memories, I am reminded that Thanksgiving isn’t about what’s on the menu.

It’s about who feels welcome to sit and join us.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups lentils (brown or green- whichever you prefer)

3 ½ cups water or vegetable broth

2 onions-diced

2 cloves garlic-minced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cups of precooked rice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sage

1/3 cup of ketchup or barbeque sauce

¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large stock pot, simmer lentils in water or vegetable broth until cooked (30 minutes). Do not skimp on cooking time, you want these to be soft.

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes until they are soft

Combine onions, garlic and oil with mashed lentils and add rice, salt, ketchup, sage and Italian seasoning.

Gently press the mixture into a lightly greased loaf pan. Drizzle a bit of extra ketchup on top.

Bake for 60 minutes and allow it to cool slightly before serving to allow the loaf to set. 

Amazing Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

1 onion - chopped

3 cloves of garlic- minced

12 ounces mushrooms -sliced

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 tablespoons-miso

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons of cooking sherry

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a saucepan, cook the onions with a splash of water allowing them to brown a bit. 

Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms soften.

Add 1 cup of broth to the pan and stir well.

To the remaining cup of broth, add the miso, flour, and tamari and stir until dissolved.

Add the dissolved mixture to the pan along with the sherry and continue cooking until the gravy thickens. Season with pepper.

*I triple this recipe as my family loves it so much. It is the first thing they all ask for on Thanksgiving. They put it on their mashed potatoes and lentil loaf.  It is truly amazing! 

Vegan Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup of organic cornmeal

1 cup organic pastry flour

¼ cup fresh or frozen corn

1/3 cup of vegan shredded cheese

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup organic agave syrup

4 oz vegan butter (I use applesauce -to make it healthier)

1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, room temperature

Juice a whole lemon (or you can use 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar)

*If you want a spicy version, add a chopped jalapeno pepper (remove seeds)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners, spray with cooking spray or you can just spray the pan directly if you prefer not to use paper.

Make homemade buttermilk. Mix the milk and lemon.

Let this sit for 10 minutes.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.

To the buttermilk, add the applesauce, agave syrup and corn and mix well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and whisk gently.

Spoon into the muffins pan, filling 3/4 and bake for 20- 23 minutes.

Yields: 12 muffins. Serve with maple syrup on the side or vegan butter.

*I double the recipe as everyone in my family loves these. My son used to love corn muffins as a little boy from Mimi’s Café, so I recreated them in a healthy, oil free way.  Enjoy

Store any leftovers (ha!) in the refrigerator or in an airtight container at room temperature.