Although the traditional Thanksgiving dinner centers around a turkey filled with mounds of stuffing, the narrow vision of the holiday menu may leave some vegetarians thinking less about their blessings and more about their empty stomachs.

Have no fear – planning a veggie-friendly holiday table can be simple and delicious. Here are some recipes to get it started. The pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic ocean to get to the New World – compared to that feat, throwing a little tofu on the stove should be a piece of cake.

VEGAN GRAVY

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3-6 cloves of garlic, squashed and minced very well

2-3 slices of yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose white flour

4 teaspoons nutritional yeast

4 tablespoons low or reduced sodium soy sauce

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 or 6 white mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Extra flour or cornstarch (optional)

Instructions:

Measure the vegetable oil into a small saucepan. Cook the garlic and onion in it for about two minutes on medium or medium-low heat, until the onion is a bit tender and translucent. Add the flour, yeast and soy sauce to make a paste. Add the water gradually, stirring constantly. Bring the gravy to a boil on medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly as the gravy has to boil for it to thicken. Add pepper.

Stir in the sliced mushrooms, if desired. Add salt to taste.

WALNUT-APPLE STUFFING

Ingredients:

6 cups firmly packed diced whole grain bread

1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups peeled, diced tart apple

3 bunches scallions, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon each: dried thyme, savory

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, more or less to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups apple juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the diced bread on a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until dry and lightly browned.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the red onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the apple and sauté for another five minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes with the onion and apple mixture. Add all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice and toss together. Sprinkle in the apple juice slowly, stirring at the same time to moisten the ingredients evenly.

Transfer the mixture to an oiled shallow 1 1/2-quart baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and still slightly moist. Stir once during the baking time. Transfer to a covered serving container.

TOFU TURKEY

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt (scant)

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. firm tofu

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, prepare the marinade by whisking together all the ingredients except the tofu.

Set aside.

Slice the tofu into desired shapes, about 1/4 inch thick (a pound of tofu will give you about 10 slices).

Lay each slice on a cookie sheet or a lasagna pan.

Cover with marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Turn the slices over a few times as they marinate.

Bake for 1 hour, turning slices over after 30 minutes.

To serve, fry cutlets on a nonstick frying pan until both sides are browned.