With Thanksgiving approaching this weekend I can't help but think about the cruelty to turkeys everywhere. If you're ever driving along the 403 from Brantford to Ancaster you might see the wild turkeys in the fields and forests that line that stretch of highway. They are the big, dark, long-necked beings hanging out in a group. Sadly, the great majority of turkeys do not live this wild existence...thanks to man.
The excerpt below is from http://www.farmsanctuary.com/:
Record numbers of chickens and turkeys are being raised and killed for meat in the U.S. every year. Nearly ten billion chickens and over a quarter billion turkeys are hatched in the U.S. annually. These birds are typically crowded by the thousands into huge, factory-like warehouses where they can barely move. Each chicken is given less than half a square foot of space, while turkeys are each given less than three square feet. Shortly after hatching, both chickens and turkeys have the ends of their beaks cut off, and turkeys also have the ends of their toes clipped off. These mutilations are performed without anesthesia, ostensibly to reduce injuries that result when stressed birds are driven to fighting.
While driving in the country on a lovely Sunday you might find a field occupied by a herd of cows or sheep. When is the last time you saw turkeys? Did you know that the turkeys that humans consume aren't those pretty brown ones depicted on the thanksgiving holiday serviettes? Nope. The ones people eat are white. Do you know why? Humans decided that they didn't want to eat freckled flesh so they genetically altered the turkeys. Turkeys also need to be artificially inseminated in order for farmers to have them reproduce because they've been altered to grow quickly...the males simply are so heavy that if they were to mount the females they could crush them or break their legs because of their weight.
Turkeys are amazing animals. I've had the privilege of visiting animal sanctuaries and have spent time loving the turkeys. They really like attention and like to be petted. The males tend to show off their plumage. Also, the colours on their heads is fantastic when they strut around!
Don't be fooled by the term free range either. The laws are so lax that it's easy to label foods as free range. Groups like Farm Sanctuary are reviewing laws such as these in the United States. They are working towards changing the laws....whatever it takes until people stop eating animals. Eating animals is unhealthy, not just for us, but for the environment. Farm Sanctuary has recently recruited assistance in Canada to review our laws in order to work towards a better life for our food animals.
I would never condone the eating of animals. I know that the recipes which I have posted so far are vegan versions of what some might call traditional North American meals, but that's because these recipes can be used as a stepping stone, a way to move away from eating animals.
I am vegan for the protection of the animals. By choosing this diet I am helping the animals, myself and the environment.
I was raised as a meat eater. I am 43 years old. I became vegan at about 26 years of age. Yes, I am healthy. I have no protein worries. My iron level is fine.
A couple of good, easy reads:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano
Thanking the Monkey by Karen Dawn
This thanksgiving, my family (including non vegetarian family members who will be joining us) will partake in a home cooked vegan dinner. We will have Tofurky, peas, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mushroom gravy, maybe a squash and vegan pumpkin pie for dessert.
TOFURKY
The wonderful folks at Turtle Island Foods in Oregon, USA produce a seitan (vital wheat gluten) turkey roast. The Tofurky is like a turkey roll filled with a wild rice stuffing. You can purchase the roast on it's own or it is also sold in a box as a 'feast' with dumplings, gravy and wish stix. You will find Tofurky not only at natural food stores in the frozen section, but also, in Brantford, at Zehrs and Metro (formerly A&P). Check out the natural foods sections of these grocery stores. Instructions on how to cook the Tofurky are on the package. Don't fret if you can't get the 'feast' because there is a recipe for mushroon gravy on the side of the 'roast' box. We just buy the 'roast' as we find the dumplings to be a bit heavy. We make our own gravy or I have seen Tofurky Mushroom Gravy at Goodness Me in Hamilton. The cooking instructions shown on the box are for an oven cooked roast. Even though the box says not to cook the Tofurky in the microwave, it is doable. When we camp on Thanksgiving weekend we take a 'roast' with us. We don't have an oven in our tent trailer, but we do have a microwave. Using instructions obtained from http://www.tofurky.com/ we learned that it's easy to cook the 'roast' in the microwave when an oven isn't available. We simply slice the thawed roast and arrange it on a microwave safe plate. We pour gravy over the top. Cover with a microwave safe lid and cook on high for about 2 minutes. Voila!
As far as the pumpkin pie goes....I make it just like anyone would, but instead of using a dairy product, I use Silk's soy creamer available at Zehrs and Metro (A&P). My husband likes to use it in his tea sometimes. I also use it in my veggie chicken pot pie - recipe already on this site. By the way, my pie crust doesn't have lard...I use all vegetable shortening.
Turtle Island Foods makes other seitan delights...look for them at your grocer too!
No comments:
Post a Comment