Happy Thanksgiving!! No Turkeys were harmed in the creation of this blog...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I decided to get started a bit early to give you time to shop, prepare and enjoy this tofu bird. :-) I'm so excited about this. Don't be daunted... It's NOT difficult at all to make. Just read the instructions. It's rather fun, and so worth it...

**No Turkeys were harmed in the creation of this blog...**  I'm not a tree hugger, but am a vegetarian for health reasons, but those who know me know I'm a bird person, and I do think they're kinda' too cute to eat.


One Big Bird

1 ½ cups vital gluten flour
2 tablespoons chicken-style seasoning
1 "egg-worth" Egg Replacer
⅔ cup water
 -----
½ cup chicken-style seasoning
4 eggs-worth Egg Replacer
2 cups water
14 ounces tofu, water packed
4 cups vital gluten flour
 -----
10 cups water
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons chicken-style seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
 -----
Onions, celery, carrots, your preference

NOTE: This "turkey" is SAFE. You don't have to worry about raising it to a certain temperature or special sanitary measures. If you are reasonably clean through the process, it's not "picky" like cooking the real bird.

1. Place the last oil, water, chicken-style seasoning and salt in a 6 quart crockpot and turn on high.

2. In a food processor, blend first gluten, chicken-style seasoning, and "egg" and water. Do this very quickly! If you do it by hand, "quick" is even more essential. Set aside.

3. In a blender, blend second chicken-style seasoning, "egg," and tofu until smooth, about a minute or two. In the food processor, mix this liquid with the gluten flour very quickly.

4. Chop or tear the first, thicker mixture into little pieces and drop into wetter gluten mixture. Mix thoroughly.

5. Set a (high-quality, from a cheese store or a kitchen supply store) cheese cloth, opened flat in a colander and spray well with oil cooking spray.

6. Press 2/3 of the gluten mixture into this, pulling the sides up and around and creating a "well." The picture here has stuffing in a bag (DO NOT USE THE BAG), and the mixture isn't quite as runny, but you get the idea… Spoon in 3-4 cups of your favorite stuffing/dressing (moistened according to the recipe or package instructions). Think "pie crust" and press remaining gluten into a disc-like "lid" and press over the "turkey," sealing as well as possible by pinching edges together.

7. Twist and tie bag closed, using strong bread ties if necessary.

8. Place this bagged "turkey" in the broth in the crockpot and turn to "low" setting. Cook on this setting overnight or 8+ hours.

9. Remove "turkey" from broth, placing in a large casserole dish. Chop an onion, a couple stalks of celery and sticks of carrots or your favorite veggies and put around the turkey in the extra space in the casserole dish and then gently pour original broth over all.

10. Bake "turkey" on top rack at 350 for 20 minutes, remove and cover with broth (basting bottle/syringe) and/or spray with oil cooking spray. Return to oven and continue baking. Pull out and re-cover/spray every ten minutes until it reaches a golden brown look, about one hour.

11. "Carve" and enjoy!!