How to Make a Baked Chickpea Turkey, for a Homemade Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Boil potatoes in salted water until cooked through; drain and mash with a fork
3. Put onion and chickpeas into blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and blend until no big pieces remain
4. Add the egg and blend until you have a smooth paste
5. Put the chickpea mixture into a large mixing bowl and add shredded carrot, mashed potatoes, flour, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper
6. Stir until completely combined
7. Put a casserole dish or oven-safe Pyrex bowl on one end of a parchment-lined baking sheet, and line the inside with non-stick aluminum foil, with the non-stick side facing up (usually the dull side)
8. On the other end of the baking sheet, brush or spray some olive oil onto the parchment paper
9. Using a few tablespoons of batter for each, form two legs and two ovals, and place them on the olive oil-lined part of the parchment paper
10. Gently press the rest of the chickpea batter into bowl, until the inside of the bowl is completely covered and the batter is about 1/3-inch thick (you might not use all of it)
11. Brush or spray the exposed batter with olive oil
12. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour; "turkey" is done when it is cooked through and browning, and feels crispy (the legs and wings might take a little longer than the "turkey" if they're much thicker)
13. If you made the stuffing ahead of time, take it out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature while the "turkey" bakes, and either cover it with foil and heat it in the oven while the "turkey" cooks, or heat it in the microwave
14. Remove the "turkey" from oven and carefully peel the drumsticks and wings from the parchment paper; cut a skinny "V" out of each oval to make them look like wings; cover the shapes or wrap them in foil to keep them warm
15. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees
16. Fill the "turkey" to the top of the bowl with the warm stuffing, pressing down gently
17. Place an oven-safe plate on top of stuffing and carefully invert the bowl onto the plate
18. Carefully remove the bowl, and then peel the foil off of the "turkey"
19. Brush or spray some olive oil on the exposed part of the "turkey"
20. Put the "turkey" back into the oven for 20 minutes, to cook what is now the outside of the turkey
21. Remove the "turkey" from the oven, and stick the legs and wings on with toothpicks.
22. Serve immediately

Instructions

Do first, before vegetable/herb prep:

1. Preheat oven to 250°F
2. Put the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer (use 2 baking sheets if necessary)
3. Bake the bread, stirring occasionally, until completely dried out, about 1 hour
4. Let the bread cool on the pan until it's needed

While the bread toasts:

1. Prep the vegetables and herbs
2. Put a large skillet on medium heat and melt butter until foamy
3. Add the celery and onions and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently; a little browning is OK, but really we're just trying to soften them up
4. Add the chopped garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently
5. Put the toasted bread into a very large bowl and add the cooked vegetables (make sure you get all of the butter out of the pan, too!), and toss until it's all mixed together
6. Add the kosher salt, ground black pepper, herbs, and 1 cup of the broth
7. Stir it all together to distribute the liquid and the herbs
8. Put in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months (put right into the fridge if using the next day)

On the day before you want to eat the stuffing:

Put the frozen stuffing into the refrigerator so that it can thaw overnight

The day you want to eat the stuffing:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish (or large casserole dish) and set aside
3. Remove the stuffing from the refrigerator
4. In a large bowl whisk together the 2 eggs and the cup of stock
5. Add the stuffing mixture to the bowl of eggs and broth, gently folding it in until the liquid is distributed
6. Transfer to the prepared dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the stuffing should read at least 160°F)
7. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes
8. Serve hot
9. Leftover stuffing will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for four or five days

Instructions

Do first, before vegetable/herb prep

1. Preheat oven to 250°F
2. Put the bread cubes on a large baking sheet (use 2 if necessary)
3. Bake the bread, stirring occasionally, until completely dried out, about 1 hour
4. Let the bread cool on the pan until it's needed, then put it into a large bowl
5. While the bread bakes, prep the vegetables and herbs

Cook the vegetables

1. Put a large pan on medium heat and melt the vegan butter until foamy
2. Add the celery and onions and cook ten minutes, stirring frequently; a little browning is OK, but really we're just trying to soften them up
3. Add the chopped garlic and cook an addition 5 minutes, stirring frequently
4. Add the cooked vegetables to the bowl of bread and toss until its all mixed together
5. Add the kosher salt, pepper, herbs, and 1 cup of the broth
6. Stir it all together to distribute the liquid and the herbs
7. Put in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months (put right into the fridge if using the next day)

On the day before you want to eat the stuffing

1. Put the frozen stuffing into the refrigerator so that it can thaw overnight

Bake the stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish (or a similar-sized casserole dish) and set aside
3. Remove the stuffing from the refrigerator
4. In a large bowl whisk together the egg substitute and the remaining cup of broth
5. Add the stuffing to the bowl of egg substitute and broth, gently folding it in until the liquid is distributed
6. Transfer to the prepared dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour
7. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes
8. Serve hot
9. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the stuffing should read at least 160°F