A Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Many vegetarians find a concerned host frequently asks if they’ve had enough to eat. Even if you haven’t had your fill, don’t forget you are a guest – smile and say everything you ate was delicious. Then, go home and eat something!
If you are the non-vegetarian host of a vegetarian guest: How gracious of you to want to be accommodating! It’s really quite easy to feed a vegetarian. First of all, ask them what they do and don’t eat. Vegetarians fall into many different categories - I know a few who eat fish and still consider themselves vegetarians. The general breakdown follows:
Vegans – eat no animal products at all, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products (butter, milk, cheese, etc.), honey and some don’t eat sugar or yeast.
Lacto-Vegetarians – eat no meat, poultry, fish or eggs, but will eat dairy products (butter, milk, cheese, etc.).
Ovo-Vegetarians – eat no meat, poultry, fish or dairy products (butter, milk, cheese, etc.) but will eat eggs.
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians – eat no meat, poultry or fish but will eat eggs and dairy products (butter, milk, cheese, etc.).
No matter what kind of vegetarian you’ll be hosting, they won’t be eating the roasted turkey or ham. Most vegetable or grain side dishes are great choices for vegetarians – but hold the butter or cream for vegans and ovos. As I mentioned above, marshmallows on the sweet potatoes are a no-no (they contain gelatin, which is made from the bones, skin and connective tissue of animals). Jello is out, too. If you put chicken or turkey broth in your stuffing, that makes the dish non-vegetarian. You could make up a smaller batch of stuffing, leaving out any animal products (sausage, oysters, chicken broth, etc.) and substituting vegetable broth or water for any animal-based liquid. Just bake it in a separate pan (NOT inside the turkey) and your vegetarian friends will be happy.
As for desert, if you use lard in your pie crusts, they are not vegetarian. Some vegetarians will eat eggs or cream in your pie fillings, but check the chart above to be sure. Fruit sorbets (check to be sure they don’t contain gelatin) are another desert choice and there are many vegetarian desert recipes you can find by searching the recipe collections listed on this site and in the links below.
Don’t hesitate to ask your veggie friends to bring along a dish or two that they enjoy. If you’d like
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