A lot of us are looking forward to the holidays, but more specifically, Thanksgiving, because of, well, the family and food, obviously. Although it seems like a very repetitive holiday, for many newly introduced vegans, it can be scary. This is because a lot of the food is animal based and rarely lacks animal based products. Now, if you are a vegan, fear not, you won’t be stuck with only vegetables, because there are ways to survive this!
I’m going to begin by saying this: veganism can be a scary journey and this is because a lot of places don’t offer strictly plant based options. However, even if you can’t get these products at a Walmart per say, there are many different health food stores that can offer what you need. Stores such as Trader Joes, Sprouts Farmers Market, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, etc. all have a variety of different vegan products.
So what I am going to offer here is a few hacks any vegan (new or old) should try, and a recipe for some yummy vegan pumpkin cupcakes!
- Turkey
Now, I know what you’re thinking… TURKEY TURKEY WHAT!? That’s right folks, there is an alternative to the traditional turkey, and it’s called Tofurkey. As wild as the name is, plenty of vegans love and cherish this alternative. According to the creators of this delicacy, it can be found at Walmarts, Albertsons, etc. The beautiful thing about this is it can be sold as a roast, in slices, some of these products even include a wishbone…And to sweeten the deal, no turkeys are harmed in the process of making it.
- Stuffing
For some, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without stuffing. For most vegans, this also true. According to Peta2, Whole Foods offers a vegan stuffing with their brand, 365 in a variety of styles. However, not everyone has a Whole Foods near them, but there is a solution! This solution is Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing Classic Stuffing. This stuffing is great, because not only is it vegan, but it can be found at Walmart, Target, or really any place that sells Pepperidge Farm Products!
- Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are another essential, and thankfully, most instant mashed potatoes start off vegan. The only difference here is rather than using regular milk and butter, you would substitute it with vegan butter and almond milk.
- Yummy Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Alas, the best saved for last. These cupcakes were first introduced to me by my Auntie (also vegan), and I can personally say these cupcakes are the bees knees.
- Ingredients: Cupcakes
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup soy milk (almond milk also works)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- Directions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees
- In a medium bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla
- Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
- Stir together with a fork. AVOID USING A MIXER, IT WILL RUIN THE BATTER!
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ ‘s full
- Bake for 22-25 minutes
- Let them cool before icing!
- Ingredients: Icing
- ½ cup non hydrogenated shortening
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 3 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain soy milk or soy creamer
- Directions
- Beat the shortening and butter together until well combined and fluffy
- Add the sugar and beat for about three more minutes
- Add the vanilla and soy milk and beat for another 5-7 minutes or until fluffy.
- Add to cup cakes
If you want more information and recipes, head on over to www.peta.org for a variety of vegan recipes!
By: Julie Wright