Featured Post

The Best Time to Buy Everything at its Lowest Price

on
I used to think that saving money by seasonal shopping was grocery shopping at farmer’s markets in the summer, buying pumpkins in the fall, and not something I could not do the six months out of the year where nothing grows locally during the winter.   It wasn’t until I wrote a monthly What Goes On Sale and What to Buy on Clearance series that I realized I couldn’t have been more wrong.   I learned that almost everything from food to household goods to cars has a time of the year where it goes on sale because: There is a seasonal abundance (like fresh produce) The store has some of  last season's stock left in storage and wants to make room for the current season There is on end of season clearance to make room for next season’s goods on the store shelves There is a sale due to a celebrating an industry month (such as National Craft Month, National Camping Month, national holidays,etc.) There is a mega
2

My Thanksgiving Tofurky

on
Tofurky. It sounds like the punch line to some sort of food joke, doesn’t it?

And yet I ate it. Not only did I eat it but I enjoyed it.

Last Thanksgiving Husband and I decided to do something different and made a Tofurky for Thanksgiving instead of the traditional turkey.


From the size of the box, you’d think a Tofurky would be fairly large.

I saved the box to use to wrap my gift for this year's White Elephant Gift Exchange Party.

Not really. A Tofurky is size of a grapefruit. It comes with a container of gravy that is about the same size as the Tofurky itself.
 
That's it?!


 How to Cook Tofurky

Baking the Tofurky was easier than a real turkey. I surrounded it with pealed and cut potatoes, onions, and carrots and popped it into the oven for a few hours.

Tofurky ready for the oven

Blitzkrieg supervised all Tofurky preparations.

I’ll eat that if you won’t!


The Tofurky browned nicely in the oven.


I served the Tofurky with sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, and corn and molasses bread.
 

I have to admit the most fun thing about the Tofurky experience was live tweeting our Tofurky preparations. More than one of my Twitter followers suggested that eating the box might be more appetizing eating the actual Tofurky.


How Does Turkey Taste?

It was difficult to believe that the Tofurky and gravy weren’t made with real meat because it sure tasted like turkey. The Tofurky tasted like turkey roll.

Tofurky didn’t have that tangy soy endnote that is often found in soy meat flavored lunchmeats. A Tofurky won’t exactly replace the taste of a real turkey. However the it tasted was good and I would eat it again.

Have you ever had Tofurkey?


Did you like this post? Get more like it by subscribing to the Lazy Budget Chef RSS feed or by subscribing to Lazy Budget Chef by email.

Comments

Elizabeth said…
Perfect timing! I was considering trying a tofurkey for thanksgiving as my sister and brother in law are coming and they are vegetarians! I'm glad it didn't taste awful, now if I can find one, I think I will try it! Have a great day (I posted vegan pumpkin bars that would go great with this by the way :)
November 16, 2010 at 11:57 AM
Eco-office Gals said…
I'll have to take your word for it, can't go there.
November 18, 2010 at 9:18 PM
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings said…
okay I found this SO interesting. I've got loads of vegan friends so i always like to hear what meat eaters think of vegan stuff since I think that people who have gone without for a while totally forget what things tastes like. how was the texture?
November 19, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Melodie said…
I've actually never eaten the Tofurky in a box but I have made my own. I have no idea where that recipe ended up though. It was actually very good. Everyone else (aka, the meat eaters) was surprised by how good it tasted too.
November 19, 2010 at 8:03 PM
Kathryn said…
I have always wanted to try a Tofurkey but may family has always naysayed it.

Thank you for the review - I was worried it would be too soybeanish but it sounds like if I prepare it the same way I have turkey in the past, the difference might not be noticed.

It will just be me and my son this year - despite he protests I may sneak it in to see if he notices the difference.
November 22, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Amie {Kitty Cats and Airplanes} said…
Interesting!! I had a tofurky hot dog thing once and I didn't like very much (maybe because I love juicy all beef hot dogs...) it but I might be willing to try one in turkey form!
Amie @ http://www.kittycatsandairplanes.blogspot.com/
November 22, 2010 at 10:57 PM
Lisa said…
I've never had tofurkey before but it certainly sounds interesting. Glad to hear it really does taste like turkey.
November 23, 2010 at 1:46 AM
Lisa Nelsen-Woods said…
Marissa - The texture and taste was the same as a turkey roll.The wild rice stuffing was great! I'm a big lover of wild rice.

Amie - I had an early version of a tofu dog and it was pretty bad - it was all tofu and no flavoring. This stuff tastes like turkey meat, so I might give another brand of tofu hot dog a whirl someday.
November 29, 2010 at 9:04 AM
Rebecca Jean said…
First Rob, now you. What is this world coming to?

You guys are half convincing me to give Tofurky another try. The Tofurky tofurky, that is. We've had other Tofurky products, but none were well received by the fam. I didn't even like them.

That was way back at the beginning of our meat reduction journey. Perhaps it was too naive to think we could go straight from steak and bacon to tofu. Probably.

Now that we're a little more seasoned at this no meat thing, our view might be different.

BTW, Blitzkrieg is hilarious! I want to squeeze his furry little cheeks.

Thanks for sharing your Tofurky adventures on Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays.

♥ Rebecca Jean
Midnight Maniac
November 29, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Anonymous said…
This is such an interesting post, I enjoyed reading how your tofurky came out! I've only had tofu once and didn't care for it but am willing to give it another try. Thank you so much for linking up to Cookbook Sundays. My apologies for taking so long to get back to you. I hope you're having a great week!
November 30, 2010 at 9:52 AM
Lisa said…
Thanks for joining in on the carnival!
December 4, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Diana said…
I didn't think it tasted like real turkey, but more like the processed turkey. It was edible and I'd eat it again. I think the Ellen Show had a chef come on the show and show people how to make their own tofurky.
March 24, 2011 at 8:31 PM

Post a Comment

Share what you have to say! The good and the not so good. Disagreeing is fine but no hair pulling please. Thanks!