How to have a meat-free Thanksgiving: advice from vegans – Montreal Gazette

Vanessa Percher, head chef at Chef Veganessa, with her vegan Thanksgiving dish, lentil and mushroom loaf with roasted walnuts, miso gravy, roasted butternut squash mash, string beans and orange cranberry sauce in Beaconsfield on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019.Dave Sidaway / jpg

This long weekend, you can give some turkeys something to be thankful for by trying a meat-free feast for Thanksgiving.

With the growth in popularity in veganism and vegetarian diets, it seems every family now has one or several members who have adopted meat-free eating, either for ethical reasons, health or environmental concerns.

Its not foreign anymore; were definitely in the age of plant-based food, said le-Perrot resident Vanessa Percher, the owner of Chef Veganessa.

Thanksgiving is a favourite time of year for Percher, and not only because she does brisk business selling vegan holiday meals, but because she loves preparing a traditional meal with all the trimmings.

Its my favourite dish, said Percher, who has been running the Beaconsfield-based meal delivery business for the last 10 years. Its a lentil loaf with nothing artificial. Its got brown rice, mushrooms and walnuts. Its a very savoury loaf, and it comes with roasted butternut squash mash. Its comfort food, whether youre (on a plant-based diet) or not.

Percher found out she had celiac disease about 10 years ago when working as a pastry chef at Bich restaurant, now known as Ristorante Beatrice. She adopted a vegan diet for health reasons around the same time and realized there was a need for healthy gluten-free and vegan meal options.

When I found out that I was not able to taste the food I was making, I had a problem, Percher said. I realized there was a rise in allergies, so I decided to focus on cooking for people who are limited in what they can eat.

Chef Veganessa delivers weekly gluten-free and vegan meals ready to reheat or freeze for later, it also has a small takeout counter at the storefront in Elm Plaza. Saturday was a busy day for Percher, delivering special holiday meals, as the store is closed Sundays and Mondays.

For those who are trying to cut back on meat, or hosting a vegetarian or vegan in their family for the first time, Percher recommends going to the organic section of a grocery store, or visiting a specialty grocery store to find plant-based alternatives to turkey. They include a Tofurky loaf, made with soy, or the Gardein Holiday Roast. Percher said cooking for vegetarians doesnt have to be overly complicated and can be as easy as buying vegetarian ground beef, which is available in most grocery stores and substituting that for the real thing.

The website of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also has recipes and suggestions for meat-free products. They include ordering a vegan loaf from Rosemont-based Caf Dei Campi.

If youre going out for dinner, some popular vegan restaurants are Lov andLola Rosa. At Westmount and Mile End-based Aux Vivres, you can either dine in or you take home their products either from take-put counters attached to the restaurants or at partner distributors like Metro, IGA, Rachelle Bery and Tau grocery stores. Montreal-based Gusta also offers plant-based sausages and seitan loaves. It has a counter at the Jean-Talon Market and products available at many grocery stores and retailers throughout the country. For dessert, Sophie Sucre on Pins Ave. at the corner of De Bullion St., is another option. Its products are also available at cafs and restaurants throughout the region. On its fall manu, the bakery features a brown sugar spice cake with pumpkin icing, among other treats.

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