Inarguably, one of the most difficult times to stick to your vegan guns is during Thanksgiving -- and a Tofurkey just ain't going to cut it. That's where this protein-rich, rice-and-vegetable alternative from vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli comes in.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 cups diced celery
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 (8-ounce) packages tempeh
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked brown rice, warm
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Gravy:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup flour
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep-sided skillet and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, about 15 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick, add a little bit of water to the skillet. Stir in garlic, thyme, basil and parsley. Let cook a few more minutes. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet and add soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Add warm brown rice and bread crumbs to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. The more you mix it and mash it, the better it will hold together when you bake it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pack it down very firmly using the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the loaf pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a knife around the edges of the cooked loaf to loosen, then flip onto a serving plate to unmold. Slice and serve.

Golden Gravy:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion until soft. Add nutritional yeast and flour, and stir for about 1 minute. Add water, soy sauce, thyme and garlic powder. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick. Transfer gravy to a blender and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Source: The New York Times

Speaking of Thanksgiving, don't feel you have to give up all of your favorite traditional dishes. These rolls are every bit as fluffy and light as their non-vegan counterparts.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:
Add the yeast, sugar, warm water and salt to a mixing bowl and mix. Mix in the vegan butter. Add the flour and mix using the stand mixers dough hooks for 10 minutes at medium speed.

Remove the batter from the mixing bowl, add more flour and knead it with your hands, adding more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the ball of dough into a bowl, cover and leave for 30-45 minutes until it has roughly doubled in size.

Roll the dough into six separate balls and place them into a buttered round cake tin. Cover once again and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes until they have roughly doubled in size.

Place into a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve right away.

Source: Loving It Vegan

Alternatives to your favorite non-vegan dishes aside, being vegan is really about cultivating a plant-based diet. And with a filling, colorful and flavor-packed recipe like this in your bag of vegan tricks, that won't be hard to do.

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (you should get about 5-6 cups)
2 teaspoons and 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch of curly kale, washed, stem removed and chopped (you should get 7-8 cups)
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado, pitted and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped red onion

Lemon Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-6 tablespoons warm water, depending on how thick you want the dressing

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. On a large sheet pan, toss together the diced sweet potato with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Bake sweet potato until fork tender, 35-40 minutes, flipping once.

Prepare the kale while the sweet potatoes are baking. Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1/2 a large lemon and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to massage the kale and make sure everything is mixed together, about 1 minute. Set kale aside until sweet potatoes are finished baking.

Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until a creamy dressing is formed. Add the water slowly until desired consistency is reached.

There are two ways you can assemble the salad: You can add all ingredients to the bowl with the kale and mix until combined. Add desired amount of dressing to each individual serving. Or, you can add the kale mixture to separate bowls and evenly top with remaining ingredients.

Source: She Likes Food

Sometimes you just can't shake that feeling of needing some good ol' comfort food. Satisfy that urge with this vegan mashed potato recipe.

Ingredients:
6-8 medium Yukon gold potatoes (if large, cut in half)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5-6 cloves roasted garlic (or, sub minced garlic sauteed for 3 minutes in olive oil)
3-4 Tablespoons vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), melted/softened
1/4 cup fresh chives for topping

Instructions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of sea salt, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until very tender. They should effortlessly slide off a knife when pierced.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop up your chives and measure your butter. Once tender, drain your potatoes and place them back in the hot pot off the heat for 1 minute to evaporate any additional water. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Mash your potatoes using either a potato masher or a hand mixer until fluffy. Add in butter, garlic, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Lastly, top with chives, stir and serve as is or topped with your favorite gravy.

Source: Minimalist Baker

Recovering carb loaders, this one is for you. When the need for a carby, cheese-heavy meal hits new-to-the-scene vegans, resist the lure by whipping up this easy-peasy vegan pasta recipe.

Ingredients:
1 box (340 g/12 ounces) rotini or fusilli pasta
2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup hummus
1/4 cup hemp hearts
Fine sea salt, to taste

Instructions:
Add water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for it to boil, gather the rest of the ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta according to the package Instructions, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta sticking.

Drain the cooked pasta well and place it back into the pot. Stir in the marinara, hummus, and hemp hearts until combined. Taste and add a bit of salt or other mix-ins if desired. Heat over low until warmed throughout. If serving this pasta to a little one, spread a scoop of pasta out on a plate to gently cool it before serving.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. To reheat, add the pasta into a pot along with a bit of extra marinara sauce (this adds moisture back) and stir to combine. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed throughout.

Source: Oh She Glows