Whole Plant Food eaters rejoice! Here is a super delicious and healthy alternative to a traditional, and fancy Turkey roulade (SOS-no less). But shhhh don’t tell the Carnivores how good it is, or they’ll gobble it up and you won’t get seconds! The Tofu is spiced with sage and thyme, lightly smoked, and adorned with sauteed mushrooms and mashed sweet potatoes. It’s all rolled up in a beautiful package ready to present for the perfect Thanksgiving entree, or for any occasion! *See note below for directions on how to make it in advance.
- 1 (12 oz.) orange fleshed sweet potato, cooked, skinned and mashed
- 12 oz. assorted mushrooms, cleaned (I used Shiitake & Portobello)
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 1 TB minced garlic, (about 3 cloves)
- 2-3 tsp. ground sage (divided)
- 2-3 tsp. thyme (divided)
- 1 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
- 30 oz. organic, non-GMO firm tofu
- 2 TB maple syrup
- ½ cup mushroom stock or no/low salt vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. Liquid smoke
For the Potato Mixture:
1- Place the cooked and mashed sweet potato in a small bowl.
2- Add ¼ tsp. dried thyme and ¼ tsp. ground sage.
3- Mix together and reserve.
For the Mushroom Mixture:
1- Coarsely chop the mushrooms, including stems.
2- In a food processor, process 1/3rd of the mushrooms at a time. Pulse until finely chopped, and pour into a large bowl.
3- Peel and finely chop the onion, and add to the chopped mushrooms.
Dry saute’ the Mushrooms and Onions:
1- Place a large saucepan with 2-3” sides, over medium high heat for 1-½ minutes.
2- Add the onion and mushrooms and stir for a minute or until all the vegetables are starting to cook.
3- Lower the heat to medium low and cover, and let the vegetables cook for 1 minute.
4- Remove the cover, stir and cover again for 2-3 more minutes. Remove cover and let the water from the cover drip down into the vegetables. Add the minced garlic, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. ground sage, and stir to combine.
5- Cover again for a minute or two. Remove the cover and continue to stir the vegetables until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have exuded their juices and the liquid has evaporated.
6- Remove the vegetables from the pan to a large bowl and let cool completely.
For the Tofu:
1- Crumble the Tofu and place in a nut bag. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place the tofu filled nut bag onto a large kitchen towel and spread the tofu out as evenly as possible inside the flattened bag. Place another dry towel on top of the bag and roll back and forth over the wet tofu to dry it as much as possible.
2- Pour the dried tofu into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. ground sage and 1 tsp. smoked sweet paprika. Blend until the tofu is a dough like consistency, about 30-45 seconds.
Make the Roulade:
1- Place the tofu “dough” on a 9 x 13” piece of parchment paper. Using your fingers, spread out the dough to a 12” x 8” rectangle, and about ¼” thick with the long side facing you.
2- Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread the sweet potato mixture over the tofu, leaving a ½” border all around.
3- Spread a thin layer of the cooled mushroom mixture on top of the sweet potato layer.
4- Using the parchment paper, pull up and roll the roulade using the paper to help, until the entire roulade is in a log. At this point you can either cook it immediately or refrigerate and cook it later that day or the next day.
To Refrigerate:
Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and using the parchment paper under the roulade, roll it onto the plastic wrap. Roll the plastic wrap completely around the roulade and place on sheet pan. Refrigerate for up to two days.
Cook the Roulade: Preheat the oven to 425℉
1- Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the roulade on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
2- Pour maple syrup into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush “paint” the top side of the roulade with the syrup.
3- Bake the roulade for 10-15 minutes or until the top of the roulade starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, carefully turn over the roulade and brush the underside with more maple syrup. Place the roulade back into the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the roulade is golden brown.
4- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
5- Heat the mushroom or vegetable stock and 1 tsp. Liquid smoke in a small saucepan over medium high heat and boil to reduce, just a bit, about 2-3 minutes.
To Serve:
Place the roulade on a large platter and drizzle reduced stock all over it. Slice into ½” rounds. Serve with steamed and peppery curly kale or spinach. Note: The roulade can be roasted up to 3 days in advance and rewarmed before serving. Preheat the oven to 325℉ and bake for 10-15 minutes to rewarm.