Should I prepare Vegitarian Tofurkey at Thanksgiving ?

As the hostess you are required to prepare for all of your guests. Don't go crazy...simply make a vegetable lasagna or something simple.

Since, as hostess, you're providing a protein for everyone, you should also prepare one for the vegetarian. It's one thing to have guests bring a side that others may or may not partake, and only a little. But you're asking this person to bring their own protein and enough for others (so it's more work than simply bringing a side *edit* it's pretty much like the person is bringing their own meal, instead of helping by bringing a side). I'm sure the person doesn't mind, though.

You don't have to make tofurkey to feed the vegetarian. you can make Lentil loaf instead (you probably already have the ingredients for the recipe, you only need to purchase lentils and flax seed, so maybe 5-7 dollars extra. And the other guests will try it also.

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/01/ultimate-vegan-le...

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/05/vegan-lentil-waln...

Don't buy that tofurkey. It's a waste of money.

Make seitan turkey at home. Mix the vital wheat gluten with a liquid vegetarian broth (use rosemary, black pepper, sage, and thyme in your veggie broth) throw some rosemary on the top of your seitan turkey. There's ways online to prepare really good seitan "meats" and they're full of protein too.

For gravy, make a veggie stock and thicken it with corn starch.

Get plain stuffing and use veggie stock to flavor it.

This is also a good recipe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fljjfaSf4qQ

As a vegetarian I love being catered for, imagine you turned up at a meal and you couldn't eat anything offered? Having said that $25 seems like a lot for one dish, would a nut roast be a lot cheaper!?

Otherwise, if you know them well call this person and ask if they would mind bringing their own dish, I wouldn't mind this.

Just let the person take home the leftovers. It would be rude to ask them to bring their own food if you don't ask anyone else to.

Vegetarian.

I'm not sure what you mean by "tufu". Are you trying to say Tofu? There's WAY more in the vegetarian diet than Tofu.

Why don't you e-mail this person and ask if they have anything in particular they would like for you to prepare? Typically at big animal death fests like this, vegetarians can make do with side dishes, especially if you are kind enough to prepare something tasty and vegetarian. And most vegetarians are more than willing to offer to bring their own food.

A few ideas

Sweet Potato Pie/Mash Sweet Potatoes WITHOUT marshmallows (add them later)

Green Beans - no animal stocks

Mashed Potatoes - no animal stocks

Fruit Pies - no lard in crust

Cranberries - no gelatin (pectin is fine)

Brussels Sprouts - no bacon

Cornbread - no lard or bacon

Basic green salad - no bacon, no anchovies, and read dressing ingredients well

Rice Pilaf/Wild Rice dish - several boxed rice pilafs are completely vegetarian. Look for chicken stock and bacon

Sauteed Greens - no bacon or bacon drippings

Lots of veggie stuffing recipes out there. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/... is an example of an interesting one that can easily be converted to veggie by using vegetarian chicken stock or vegetable stock. I make something similar and it's always a HUGE hit.

It would be rude to ask someone to bring their own food unless you are asking everyone to bring their own dish. Even if they bring something veggie, it would be very nice and thoughtful of you to make a few things with them in mind. As the host, it's your job to take care of special requests for dietary restrictions.

What you would say to this person is "Hey, I know you are vegetarian and I want to make sure that you are covered for food. I'm making mashed potatoes, green beans, corn bread, and rice pilaf that will all be vegetarian, but if there's anything that you want specifically, you are welcome to bring it. It is going to be a potluck style dinner so anything vegetarian that you'd like to add is welcomed."

Edit: Let me clarify, as a host, it is YOUR job to make sure that everyone is taken care of. That means if a person has a peanut allergy, you make sure there are peanut free foods he can eat. That means that if someone has celiac's, you make sure there are gluten free meals there. That means if someone is a Kosher Jew, you have Kosher foods there.

Most people with dietary restrictions do not want to be a burden and will usually offer to bring their own things (partially so people like Daisy don't try to pull a fast one), but again, as a host, it's YOUR duty to make sure that they have something there.

It's not a matter of the world revolving around them. It's what being a host is. If someone has a problem with it, they shouldn't host people with dietary issues. I'm NEVER invited to dinner at a good friend's house because she cooks with lots of dead flesh and would never even consider making a vegetarian meal (despite the fact that she's obese). She doesn't want to host me and I'm not offended by it.

Make a salad and at least one vegetarian friendly side dish, they will be fine. There's no need to put in that much effort for one person, especially when you already have so much to do. But if it's that important to your husband tell him he can make it himself.

Jeez. I knew veg*n food was expensive, but $25 for a blob of soy? Yikes.

I know where your husband is coming from, but if it's just one person out of 78, I wouldn't make an expensive "meat" dish just for them. Everyone is bringing something anyway, what's wrong with asking them to bring their own "meat?" There's bound to be other side dishes there they can eat.

Surely she(?) will understand. But if it hurts her feelings, she'll just have to get over it. A remarkable number of veg*ns seem to think the rest of the world owes them special consideration.

don't even dsay anything about it just make the food u make turky and stuff and dont even say anything to that ONE person that person can deal with it