The holidays are a perfect time of year for vegetarians & vegans (such as Your Humble Author) to suffer endless bouts of aggravation as you explain, yet again, why you would not like any turkey (or ham), thank you very much.  But there's a perfect solution for those herbivores who would still like to get their fair share of protein: tofurky! It's a tofu-based treat that, according to all who have tried it, tastes exactly like turkey.

There are certainly store-bought options available for tofurky, but sometimes, homemade makes it a little bit better. To that end, here's a great recipe for tofurky that is not only delicious and nutritious, it's gluten-free! It's courtesy of the vegetarian chefs at ChefInYou.com:

Ingredients
For the Tofu Turkey
5 14-oz. tubs extra-firm tofu
2 tsp. ground dried thyme
2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
About 1 tsp orange zest (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste ( if you want to use vegan bouillon powder, skip the salt)


For the Marinade
1/4 -1/2 cups low sodium tamari or gluten free soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp sesame oil

For the stuffing 
About 4 cups of gluten free bread cubes ( or use oatmeal or whole wheat bread cubes)
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped and toasted
1 small-medium red onion
1 celery stick
1 apple, peeled and diced 
1/2 tbsp fresh sage, cut into thin strips
1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp ground peppercorns
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cups dried cherries
1/2 cup no-salt vegetable broth or water 

Directions

1. Line a medium sized, round colander with a cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Place the crumbled tofu in the colander. Place another cheese cloth over the top of the tofu. Place the colander over the top of a bowl to catch the liquid. Place a heavy weight on top of tofu. Refrigerate the colander, tofu and weight for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Make the stuffing: In a large frying pan saute onion, celery and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil until tender. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper, rosemary and 1/4 cup of the tamari. Stir well; cook for 5 minutes. Add prepared herb stuffing and mix well. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

4. Combine 1/2 cup sesame oil, 1/4 cup tamari, miso, orange juice, mustard and orange zest in a small bowl; mix well.

5. Remove the weight from the tofu. Hollow out the tofu so that there is one inch of tofu still lining the colander. Place the scooped out tofu in a separate bowl. Brush the tofu lining with a small amount of the miso seasoning. Scoop the stuffing into the center of the tofu shell. Place the leftover tofu on top of the stuffing and press down firmly. Turn the stuffed tofu onto the prepared cookie sheet. Putting the leftover tofu side of the "turkey" (the flat side) down. Gently press on the sides of the "turkey" to form a more oval shape. Brush the tofu turkey with 1/2 of the oil-tamari mixture. Place the sprigs of rosemary on top of the tofu. Cover the "turkey" with foil.

6. Bake for one hour. After one hour, remove "turkey" from the oven and remove the foil. Baste the "turkey" with the remaining tamari-oil sauce (reserving 4 tablespoons of sauce). Return "turkey" to oven and bake another hour or until the tofu turkey is golden brown. Place the tofu turkey on a serving platter, brush with the remaining tamari-oil mixture and serve hot.