No compilation of holiday main dishes would be complete without a vegetarian option. Though I'm a meat-eater myself, this recipe almost looks tempting enough to convince me to forgo my turkey this year. Almost.

Ingredients 
5 (16 ounce packages) firm, water packed tofu
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped, with leaves
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 ounces portobello mushrooms, diced
1 (10 ounce package) cubed herb stuffing mix
1 cup vegetarian chicken broth, boiling
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Basting mixture
2 tablespoons mellow white miso
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup tamari
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup vegetarian chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Brown Gravy
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups vegetarian 'chicken' broth, boiling
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon granulated garlic.

Directions
Drape a cheesecloth over a 12" colander, allowing the sides overlap, set over larger bowl. Set aside. Mash tofu thoroughly, crumble into prepared colander and fold cheesecloth over top. Position a deep bowl inside the colander over cheesecloth covered tofu, and weigh it down with at least 5 pounds. Place in refrigerator overnight.

FOLLOWING DAY:

Stuffing
Heat oil in a large saucepan, over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook mixture 5 minutes, add stuffing mix, broth, cranberries and sage. Stir to moisten, remove from heat and set aside.

Basting Mixture
Blend miso with sherry in a liquid measuring cup. Add tamari, juice, broth, Dijon, and garlic. Blend, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°

Oil spray baking pan lined with foil. Remove top bowl, weight and uncover cheesecloth from tofu. Scoop out a portion of the tofu to 1 inch shell, Fill the hollowed shell with stuffing, reserving extra stuffing to bake separately. Cover with remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Place baking pan over colander, face-down. Invert, turning the stuffed tofu onto baking sheet, flat side down. Baste with a third of the mixture, cover roast with foil, and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour, remove foil, baste with half of remaining mixture. Bake uncovered for one more hour, basting again halfway through.

Gravy
Heat oil in a medium saucepan 1 minute over medium high heat, Add flour and stir to form a paste. Lower heat and gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add nutritional yeast and garlic, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove Roast and set aside for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs at the center, (sage leaves are nice) Slice into wedges and serve with gravy and additional dressing.

Yield
12 servings (2 cup with stuffing and gravy)

Nutritional Information
Calories 335
Fat 11g
Protein 25g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 990 mg
Fiber 4g
Carbohydrate 37g

» VegTV