Have a “Veggie” Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving may not not be the ideal time to try out a new product for the very first time, but you have a couple of weeks to do a trial run of these vegetarian recipes featuring Veggie by Galaxy Nutritional Foods. If you’ve tried Veggie in the past, you may want to give it another round. They just reformulated it with an organic ingredient base. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s certified organic, but it’s still a step forward.

Veggie is the most popular cheese alternative on the market. This soy-based product is a good source of calcium without the fat and cholesterol found in cheese. Veggie is also lactose free and available in the produce section. For vegans, Galaxy also has a Vegan line.

The following three recipes and ultra-yum photos are compliments of Galaxy Foods.

Roasted Fresh Figs with Smoked Almonds and Veggie Cheddar
Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 8 figs, fresh and ripe
• 8 smoke almonds, whole
• ½ Veggie Block Cheddar Flavor, crumbled or grated
• Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed
• Non stick vegetable spray, as needed

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Trim the top stem off of the fresh fig. Standing it up, cut downward towards the bottom without cutting through. Repeat this step going the opposite way to make it seem as if the fig has been quartered.
• Carefully place a whole almond in the middle of each sliced area, pushing it down into the fig, which will open it up a little bit.
• Do the same with the Veggie Cheddar.
• Place the figs upright on a baking sheet or dish. Spray quickly with the nonstick vegetable oil spray, and season with a pinch of salt.
• Bake in the oven until the Veggie Cheddar is melted, and the figs are warmed through, about 12 minutes.

Chef’s Note: Look for figs that are tender, but not mushy when buying in the supermarket.

Holiday Vegetarian Sausage Dressing with Veggie Cheddar
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 links vegetarian Italian sausage, roasted and sliced into rounds
• ½ loaf wheat bread cut into ½” cubes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ onion minced fine
• 1 Veggie Cheddar Block, cubed
• 2 teaspoons fresh or dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pinches black pepper
• ¼ cup egg substitute

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place all ingredients into a bowl, reserving some of the cubed Veggie Cheddar for the top of the stuffing. Mix together to incorporate.
• Place in a large ovenproof baking dish. Top with the reserved Veggie Cheddar cubes. Place in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the dressing is warmed through and crusted on top.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage, Pecans, and Veggie Parm, Mozz, and Romano Shreds
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into ½” cubes
• 6-9 fresh sage leaves, chopped (sub 1 teaspoon dried or rubbed sage)
• 1 small package pecan pieces
• ½ package of Veggie Shreds Parm, Mozz, Romano Blend
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place all ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Toss to incorporate. Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Place the squash mixture onto the sheet pan and place in the oven.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Chef’s Note: For added flavor, add dried cranberries to this dish.

(Images and recipes via Galaxy Foods)