Tofurky with the stuffing!
Ingredients:
4-5 packages of firm tofu
2 tsp chopped fresh sage, thyme and rosemary
1 tsp onion and garlic powder
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp or 1 cube of veggie bouillon
salt & pepper to taste
Stuffing:
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped and toasted
3-4 slices of bread for the stuffing, cubed
1 onion chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I forgot to use this, still worked out good)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp maple syrup (I ended up just eyeballing it, as I do all the time ;))
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup veggie broth
Marinade:
1/2 cup of soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
(I eyeballed the entire marinade, worked fine!)
Tofurky (previous night)
Squeeze out excess water from tofu and puree in food processor so that the texture is smooth. Place in a large bowl and mix in the seasoning. Add more seasoning or flavor if needed for taste. Wet cheesecloth, wring it out and line it out smoothly in a colander with no wrinkles. Put the tofurky into the colander press into the sides and bottom of the colander. Place the colander onto a plate to catch the excess water drippings, cover the tofu with the rest of the cheese cloth and finally place a plate on top and something heavy to weigh it down. In the fridge it goes!
Stuffing (the day of)
Crisp the bread cubes in the preheated oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a skillet. Add about 1 tbsp of butter and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add celery and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in apples along with other seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes. Add maple syrup and the vinegar, remove from heat. Combine the bread cubes along with the apple mixture. Stir in almonds and dried cherries. Transfer to a greased baking sheet and pour broth over the top and mix. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the stuffing begins to brown on top. You can make a crisp filling by removing the foil and baking for 10 minutes more.
Marinade
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade until combined.
The making of the Tofurky
Remove weight and plate from colander. Scoop out some tofu from the centre, making sure to leave at least 1-2 inches on the sides and bottom.
Now fill this hollow with the stuffing.
Add back the scooped out tofu and seal in the stuffing. Carefully place a cooking pan or baking dish (large enough for the opening of the colander and slowly invert the colander onto the baking dish so that the tofurky drops gently into dish. Remove the cheesecloth from the tofu. Use the marinade and start basting the tofurky.
Bake for about an hour (basting every 15 minutes) until a golden crispy brown tofurky has been achieved!
Slice tofurky and add some yummy mushroom veggie gravy and your Thanksgiving meal is set! Enjoy!
