Recipe: prepare your own Tofurkey

1 stuffed Tofurkey Roast

4, 5, or 6 little, white potatoes. Washed and scrubbed with a vegetable brush, then quartered.

3 medium to large carrots. Scrubbed, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces. (Alternatively, about 10 baby carrots cut in half also works fine.)

1 large onion, cut in half and each half quartered.

12 whole cloves. (optional) This doesn’t quite make me think of turkey in terms of seasoning (more often used to season baked hams) but I like it anyway.

For the basting liquid:
-´ cup olive oil
– ´ cup vegetable broth
– 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or tamari
– 1 tsp of poultry seasoning (add more to taste)
– 1 tsp lemon juice.
– Salt and pepper to taste.

(Broth and soy sauce will make it fairly salty already so may just need pepper to balance it.)

NOTE: Make sure you allow Tofurkey time to thaw if you have kept it in your freezer. Give at least 24 hours to thaw in the fridge before you attempt to cook it. Alternatively, a Tofurkey may be kept in the fridge instead of the freezer for up to 30 days.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if you know your oven normally cooks hotter or cooler than standard, then you should adjust accordingly).

2. Remove plastic from Tofurkey roast. Using a sharp knife, poke the Tofurkey with _ inch of knife several times to ensure that basting liquids will soak into Tofurkey. Poke evenly throughout Tofurkey.

3. Evenly distribute the cloves into Tofurkey. Cloves should be able to pierce the Tofurkey with minimal effort and just need to be deep enough so that top of clove barely sticks out.

4. Place Tofurkey in a large casserole dish or a loaf pan. A loaf pan is perfect for it but you may need to use a casserole dish if veggies do not fit (or omit some of the veggies).
If using a loaf pan, I recommend covering the bottom and sides with a layer of aluminum foil for easy clean-up later.

5. Arrange vegetables around Tofurkey.

6. Mix ingredients together for basting liquid. Make sure you remix this mixture throughout recipe as the oil will separate from other ingredients over time.

7. Using a turkey baster (or a spoon), baste the Tofurkey with about a third of the basting liquid.

8. Cover loaf pan or casserole dish with aluminum foil or lid and place in oven and cook for one hour and a half. Remove from oven every half hour to baste Torfurkey with an additional third of basting liquid.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. (Meanwhile, you can make the gravy that comes with the Tofurkey.)

10. Uncover Tofurkey and carefully (it may still be hot) place it on your serving plate. If you used the cloves, remove them at this point using a fork or knife and your fingers. Cut the Tofurkey into slices of preferred thickness with a serrated knife. Serve.

NOTE: Tofurkey dries out quickly. Cover it after every serving so leftovers remain moist.

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Recipe: prepare your own Tofurkey