For many years, Canadians had trouble deciding exactly when Thanksgiving should be celebrated and for what reason. But in January 31, 1957, Parliament issued a proclamation to fix the second Monday in October permanently as "a day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed." Today, in Canada and in the United States, Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings, a time to share a festive meal, and a time to be thankful for food, family, and friends. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is also a time when millions of turkeys must die so that humans can feast on their flesh.

In the wild, turkeys are social, clever birds that can fly as fast as 88 km/h, run as fast as 40 km/h, and live for around 10 years. However, cruel farming practices have evolved to meet the holiday demand for turkeys, and the millions of birds that end up on dinner plates are genetically manipulated animals who have brief, difficult lives in factory farms, far removed from the open spaces that their wild cousins enjoy.

We could all extend the joy of our thanksgiving holiday to turkeys by sparing their lives and choosing to host a vegan dinner. Here are a few recipe ideas to get you started!

Butternut Squash Soup

Healthy Herb Onion Bread

Cider-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Green Beans with Fresh Cranberries

Gravy

Homemade Tofurkey Loaf

Pumpkin Pie

Butternut Squash Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup white wine
• 5 cups water
• 2 large onions, diced, with 1/4 cup reserved
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. white truffle oil, optional
• 1/4 cup Corn Nuts snack, plain flavor, coarsely crushed, for garnish

Preparation

• Place the carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, white wine, water, and all but 1/4 cup of the onions in a large pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
• Strain the soup, discard the pulp, and return the liquid to the pot.
• Add the squash and remaining onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender.
• Transfer the squash, onion, and one cup of the liquid (reserving the remaining liquid in a separate container) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
• Season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the truffle oil, if desired. Blend again until oil is incorporated.
• Pour the purée back into the pot and add some of the reserved liquid, stirring to achieve desired consistency.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle Corn Nuts over each.

Healthy Herb Onion Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. margarine
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

Preparation

• Heat the soy milk until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan, and stir in the sugar, salt, and margarine; cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Add the cooled soya milk mixture, flour, minced onion, and herbs and stir well with a wooden spoon.
• When the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Stir the dough down and beat for a few minutes, then turn into a greased loaf pan. Let stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before baking for 1 hour.

Cider-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (10 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.) apple cider
• 5 large sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed but unpeeled
• 4 Tbsp. margarine
• 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Lightly toasted, chopped pecans or thinly sliced pineapple rings, for garnish

Preparation

• Boil the cider in a small saucepan over high heat until it is reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain well.
• Peel the hot sweet potatoes, using a kitchen towel to protect your hands. Return the potatoes to the warm pot, add the cider, margarine, brown sugar, and salt and mash until well blended.
• Garnish and serve hot.

Green Beans with Fresh Cranberries

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal
• 2 Tbsp. margarine
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1 clove garlic, minced and pressed
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain the beans in a colander and hold under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Blot the beans with a paper towel to remove the excess water.
• Put the beans into a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until the remaining moisture on the beans evaporates.
• Stir in the margarine, cranberries, garlic, parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat well.
  Cook until heated through.

Gravy

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. margarine or oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. yeast extract
• 1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
• Pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Heat the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add the flour and garlic salt and sauté for another 8 to 9 minutes.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in the water or broth.
  Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the onion mixture, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain the gravy into a separate saucepan and add the yeast extract, soy sauce or tamari, and pepper. Simmer for another minute or 2, stirring constantly. Keep warm.

Homemade Tofurkey Loaf

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1-lb. blocks firm tofu
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. dry sherry
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation

• Freeze the tofu for at least one day then thaw it and squeeze out the excess water. This changes the consistency of the tofu, making it chewier and more porous.
• Place the two blocks of tofu next to each other in an oiled loaf pan, making sure that they are as close together as possible.
• Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, water, and pepper to create a marinade.
• Pour 2/3 of this marinade over the tofu, cover the dish, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the remaining marinade and refrigerate it.
• Remove the tofu from the refrigerator and pour the remaining marinade over the top.
• Bake at 350°F for 90 minutes, basting every half hour and flipping after 45 minutes. (When flipping the tofu, use caution so that it does not break apart.)
• Cool the tofu to room temperature or place in the freezer until cool, at which point it will have a firm, meaty consistency. Use as a main dish with gravy or in sandwiches, or come up with your own serving ideas.

Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 pie

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb. tofu
• 1 16-oz. can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry crust

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Blend all ingredients except the pastry crust in a blender until smooth and creamy.
• Pour this mixture into the unbaked pastry shell.
• Bake for 1 hour. Chill and serve.