Welcome vegetarians to your Thanksgiving dinner

November 9, 12:26 PMSanta Cruz Parenting ExaminerSuki Wessling

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Faux turkeys from Veg-cooking.com

Many families fret when inviting a vegetarian to Thanksgiving dinner, whether it's a friend, a newly-minted vegetarian offspring, or someone with a particular religious diet. But don't fret -- cooking a fine vegetarian Thanksgiving meal can happen easily along with the turkey.

First, make sure that you understand the vegetarian's needs and concerns. Some vegetarians are "relaxed" and will just say no to the meat but not worry about broth in the stuffing. Others might be vegan, in which case you have to watch out for eggs, cheese, and other dairy products. If you don't know, just ask! Most vegetarians are comfortable with explaining their approach.

Next, remember that vegetarians don't need a "meat-like" alternative. Many of them have no interest in mock-meat food like Tofurky. However, if you do want to make a mock turkey for fun or because you think your guest will enjoy it, Turtle Island Foods offers a step-by-step stuffed Tofurky recipe on their website.

Veg-cooking.com offers reviews of a variety of "faux turkeys" available.

If you want to stay away from faux, consider making a vegetarian entree that is a good fit with other Thanksgiving fixings. For ovo-lacto-vegetarians (who eat eggs and dairy), make a quiche or other egg- or cheese-based pie. Try Linda Larsen's Wild Rice Pie, Simply Recipes' Rustic Onion Tart, or What's Cooking America's Broccoli Cheese Pie.

Remember that for the ease of serving everyone, you should keep all side-dishes appropriate for your guest. If your guest eats dairy, it will be easy to make sure that the side dishes are vegetarian. A standard vegetarian cookbook, such as Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, includes vegetarian versions of many of your favorite dishes. If your guest is vegan, you may need to include just a few side dishes that are completely without dairy.

Finally, remember to make the vegetarian options special, so that they don't look anemic next to the dramatic turkey. A stuffed squash or well-garnished tart will look festive and make your guest feel welcome.