Vegan Thanksgiving options include Shepherd's Pie

As the chef and owner of Mary's Secret Garden, a vegan restaurant in Ventura, Calif., Mary Grayr uses organic ingredients in all her cooking.For the Thanksgiving recipes she shares here, Grayr specifies "organic" for those ingredients where she feels the distinction is crucial.Vegan ingredients are available at stores such as Whole Foods.Grayr's savory, comfort-food Shepherd's Pie gets dressed up for the Thanksgiving Day table with flavorful add-ons like Vegan Mushroom Gravy and fresh green beans that have been blanched and then sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Grayr prefers to bake her pie in an aluminum steam-table catering pan instead of Pyrex. The disposable pan is deeper, and its shape helps make for even, square servings, she said.SHEPHERD'S PIEFor the mashed-potato topping:8 to 10 medium to large potatoes, peeled and quartered1 cup organic soy milk1/2 cup, or 1 stick, vegan butter, preferably Earth Balance brand2 teaspoons sea salt2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped1 teaspoon black pepper4 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 cup vegan sour cream, preferably Tofutti brandFor the meatless mixture:3 tablespoons olive oil2 large yellow or white onions, finely chopped6 cloves garlic, finely chopped2 12-ounce packages vegan meatless ground, such as Yves or Smart Ground brands1 tablespoon dried thyme leaf1 teaspoon sea salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 10-ounce package frozen peas, optionalVegan breadcrumbs, optionalOlive oil, optionalTo make the mashed-potato topping: In a large, covered pot, boil the potatoes in about 1 gallon of water just until they are soft enough to mash. Do not overcook. Drain off the water and, over a low fire, mash the potatoes in the pot, leaving some lumps.Add the soy milk, vegan butter, sea salt, rosemary, pepper and garlic, and continue mashing. Stir in the vegan sour cream with a spoon until smooth. Turn off the heat, replace the lid and set the pot aside. (Or, Grayr notes with a smile, leave the lid off and, with a stack of clean spoons at the ready, continue to "taste" the mashed potatoes as you move on to the next step.)Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.To make the meatless mixture: Put olive oil in a shallow saucepan. Over high heat, saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Crumble both packages of meatless ground into the pan and stir until sauteed and heated through. (The soy ground tends to stick, so you may need to add more oil or a quarter-cup of water.)Stir in the thyme, sea salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.Pour the meatless mixture into a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex pan or disposable aluminum steam-table catering pan. Add frozen peas in an even layer on top of the meatless mixture.Using a large serving spoon, spoon the mashed potatoes over the peas in a scalloplike fashion. (Use all of the mashed potatoes.) Sprinkle with a light coating of breadcrumbs and olive oil for a nice, toasty effect. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes are light golden brown.Cut into nine or 12 pieces and serve hot.VEGAN MUSHROOM GRAVYThis meatless gravy may be made ahead of time and then reheated. It is delicious spooned over Grayr's Shepherd's Pie or over mashed potatoes alone.4 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, finely chopped6 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 8-ounce package mushrooms, finely chopped2 cups water1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt1 teaspoon black pepper1 tablespoon dried thyme leaf2 bay leaves1 cup organic soy milk3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch1/2 cup cold waterPut olive oil in a medium saucepan. Over high heat, saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes over high heat. Add the water and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.Add the sea salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and soy milk, and heat through for about a minute.In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with the water. Pour the mixture into the pot and bring it to a boil while constantly stirring as it thickens. (It will thicken quickly.) For a thinner consistency, add more soy milk and heat through. Grayr leaves in the bay leaves for a rustic touch.CREAMY SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CORNIf you decide to use fresh pumpkin in this recipe, avoid carving pumpkins, which are more water than flesh, in favor of a cooking variety, often identified as sugar pumpkins. Individual cardamom pods may be found in the bulk-spice aisle.3 tablespoons olive oil1 large yellow or white onion, chopped6 cloves of garlic, chopped1 inch fresh ginger, chopped2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and flesh chopped, or half of a green bell pepper, chopped8 cups water2 cups celery (about 4 ribs), chopped2 large or 3 medium unpeeled carrots, washed and chopped2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped3 cups butternut squash, yams or fresh pumpkin, chopped2 cardamom pods, optional2 tablespoons sea salt1 13- to 15-ounce can organic coconut milk1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon cayenne or other chili powder2 tablespoons organic sugar2 cups fresh corn, about 3 ears, kernels cut from the cobs, or 1 15- to- 16-ounce can organic cornOptional garnish: Freshly grated nutmeg or chopped cilantroAdd the olive oil to a 4-quart or larger pot and saute the onion, garlic, ginger and peppers on high heat for 5 minutes.Add the water to the pot, along with the celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, cardamom and salt. Bring to a boil and cover; cook for 20 minutes.Working in small batches to avoid the danger of being splashed on or of heat-expansion spills, transfer the hot vegetable-soup mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the pureed batches into a large bowl. When all of the vegetable-soup mixture has been pureed, pour it back into the pot. (Alternately, you can allow the vegetable-soup mixture to cool in the pot and then puree with a hand-held immersion blender.)Over medium heat, bring the soup to a simmer as you add the coconut milk, curry powder, cinnamon, cayenne, sugar and corn. Stir frequently until cooked through, about 10 minutes, in the uncovered pot.Turn the heat off and taste for seasonings. Adjust if needed.Serve in bowls topped with your choice of freshly grated nutmeg or freshly chopped cilantro.Serves about 10.VEGAN PUMPKIN RAISIN BREADServed warm, the slices are "great for brunch or dessert after dinner," Grayr said. For best results, do not use an electric mixer.Dry ingredients:3 cups whole-wheat flour, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for dusting pans2 cups organic cane sugar1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder, such as Rumford brand1 tablespoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1 teaspoon sea salt1 cup raisins1/2 cup chopped pecansWet ingredients:1 cup grape-seed or olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for preparing pans1-1/2 cups canned organic pumpkin1 tablespoon vanilla extract1/4 cup pure maple syrupOptional topping: 1/2 cup chopped pecansPrepare three loaf pans (each about 8 by 4 inches) by lightly coating them with oil and then dusting with flour. Shake out any excess flour.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients except the raisins and pecans. Stir the ingredients with a wire whisk; this will ensure that you incorporate all the ingredients and remove any lumps of flour. Stir in the raisins and chopped pecans. Set aside.In a smaller bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients together with a whisk until very well incorporated. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using a scraper to loosen all of the pumpkin mixture from the sides of the bowl. Fold the ingredients together with a large serving spoon until well blended. Do not overmix or use an electric mixer.Pour equal amounts of the batter into the three prepared loaf pans. Smooth the tops and sprinkle with the optional chopped pecans.Bake for 1 hour, or until firm to the touch in the middle. Allow to cool before turning the loaves out of the pans and slicing.Each loaf yields about 10 slices.(E-mail Lisa McKinnon, a staff writer at the Ventura (Calif.) County Star, at lmckinnon(at)venturacountystar.com.)