November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving is totally one of our favorite holidays. First, because, shortly after moving to New York, we made the bold and not completely well-recieved decision to never travel for Thanksgiving again. I mean, we’re gonna’ see our respective families in, what, a matter of days over the winter holiday, and—whereas I personally don’t mind a sultry pat-down every now and again—neither of us particularly care to travel when, say, EVERYONE ELSE IN THE NATION IS ALSO ATTEMPTING TO TRAVEL. So we are, this year, continuing to opt out of the gigantic game of travel-based musical chairs that is this holiday week. So, add the fact that we get to experience quiet holiday New York—truly a beautiful thing—to the fact that we get to sit around our Brooklyn apartment all day, cooking really good food, drinking really good drinks, and hanging out with really good friends, and the result is a kick-ass holiday. That’s just solid math, man.
So, to both celebrate said awesome holiday and help out any fellow vegans, vegetarians, or—maybe most importantly—friends who would like to just add a little compassion to the menu this year, we thought we’d compile some of the many, many, many vegan Thanksgiving recipes and menus we’ve seen floating around the interweb the past few days along with a favorite TG recipe a friend of ours passed on to us a while back. And to compliment these guilt-free fares, we’re posting some photos of our friends at Farm Sanctuary…enjoying not being eaten. Because, for real, just because they can’t speak up themselves doesn’t mean we should…um…eat them. That’s just terrible logic, man.
So, with no further ado, a bunch of stuff:
• Celebrity vegan, Alicia Silverstone, has gotten quite a head start on the holidays, posting her favorite turkey alternatives—any of which we’d highly recommend—and showing off some great-sounding recipes, like wine-glazed Brussels sprouts, golden orchard quinoa, and butternut squash dip. Check it all out here.
• And finally, our good friend, Jenafer, who left New York for New Zealand and then left New Zealand for LA (makes sense), passed on her SCRUMPTIOUS family recipe for yeast rolls, which we coveted since seeing them and happily pass on. They’re called Polly Rocks, which, if I remember right, are name after an Aunt Polly? I might have that wrong, but there is NUTHIN’ wrong with the way these superb rolls taste. Note that they take a good bit of time to rest and rise—like me in the morning—so make ’em today or early tomorrow! Check it.
Polly Rocks (AKA Awesome Yeast Rolls)
Step 1:
In a mixing bowl add:• 2 packs Active Yeast
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Cups Silk Almond Milk (or another favorite soy, etc. milk)
Mix and add
• 1 Cup of Flour (We like King Arthur brand)
Add
• 1/2 Cup of Light Olive Oil
Cover and let rise for one hour.Step 2:
To the existing mix, add:• 2 Cups of Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.Step 3:
Make the rolls by placing a small amount of dough on a floured board, rolling it into a small ball and then placing in a floured muffin pan. Repeat two more times per roll, placing three balls to a section.
Let these rise for 45 minutes.
