Many vegans prefer not to celebrate their holidays in a
home that features meat as the centerpiece of the meal. They choose,
instead, to have an all-vegan holiday meal at home, and an animal carcass
is not welcome. So when I invite others to share in our vegetarian feast,
I am clear that there will be no meat. In fact, I have declined offers
from friends to "make a turkey and bring it" - even for potluck style
meals held in our home. I assure everyone that if they'll just have a
little faith, they will be in for a big surprise. I focus on the positive
and reassure everyone that they won't even miss the meat. Then I follow
through with a delicious meal!
I think it's worth mentioning that I have never included a
fake turkey at our holiday celebrations. You can supplement these recipes
with a Tofurky or another ready-made "meat" centerpiece, but it's not
necessary. See below for a list of these items.
First, make a list of all the foods that you might find at
a traditional holiday meal that are already vegetarian: nuts, bread,
cranberry sauce, some vegetable dishes, apple pies, etc. Then think of all
the dishes that traditionally contain animal products, like mashed
potatoes, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie that could easily be made vegan.
Finally, make note of the meat items and list possible substitutions.
The key is to start feeding your guests the moment they
walk through the door, and send them home full and satisfied! The best
compliment I ever received about my holiday spread was from a devout
meat-eater: "You don't even miss the meat!" With that goal in mind, I'd
like to share with you a few of my favorite, tried and true recipes for a
spectacular vegetarian feast.
Finger Food
These items are the ones that will be available for snacking before
dinner, to tame those hunger pangs while your still doubtful guests mill
around wishing they'd gone to the in-laws' house instead. Set out the
finest mixed nuts, dried fruits and gourmet crackers you can find.
Splurge, if you can, on stuffed green olives, black olives, and deli
slices.
Un-Meatballs
1 cup firm tofu, mashed (not the silken variety found in vacuum-packed
cartons, but the kind packed in water found in the refrigerated section of
the store)
� cup wheat germ
� cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
� Tbsp. onion powder
� tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
� tsp. black pepper
� tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Preheat oven to 350�F. Mix all ingredients together in a
medium bowl and roll into small balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Spray oil over the top of the balls for a more crispy texture. Bake for 30
minutes until browned. Serve warm.
Voracious Vegan Pate (adapted very slightly from How it
All Vegan)
Note: This can be made one day ahead of time.
1 cup onions, diced
5 mushrooms, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
splash of olive oil
1 cup sunflower seeds, ground
� cup flour
� cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme
� tsp. dried sage
1 � cups water
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 cup potatoes, grated
1/3 cup olive oil
1 habinero pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, saut�
the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil on medium-high heat until tender.
Meanwhile, n a large bowl, combine the ground sunflower seeds (you can
grind them in a blender or a food processor), flour, yeast, and spices.
Add the water, soy sauce, potatoes, and oil and stir together. Stir in the
saut�ed vegetables and optional pepper and mix well. Spoon mixture into a
lightly oiled 9" pie plate. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is set
and browned. Chill thoroughly before serving.
Black Olive and Caper Spread on Toasts (adapted from
Vegetarian Sandwiches)
Note: This can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept in the
refrigerator.
Two 4-� ounce can chopped ripe olives, drained
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 tsp. capers, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
� tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp. minced fresh, flat-leaf parsley
2 loaves of cocktail sized bread
Process all ingredients, except parsley and bread, in a
food processor until the mixture is a coarse puree. Using a rubber
spatula, scrape down the sides as needed. Stir in the parsley. Taste and
adjust the seasoning. When ready to serve on the day of the party, toast
the bread. Spread with the olive mixture and serve.
Sugar and Spice Mixed Nuts
3 cups mixed nuts
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla
� cup rapadura sugar
4 � Tbsp. cinnamon
� tsp. nutmeg
Place the nuts in a large bowl. Combine corn syrup and
vanilla with a fork or whisk, then pour over the nuts, stirring to coat
them evenly. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, and spices. Pour this
mixture over the nuts, stirring to coat them evenly. Spread the nuts on an
oiled baking sheet with a lip or a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350�F for
about 15 minutes, until bubbly. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent
sticking. Transfer to a very lightly oiled container while still warm.
Dinner
Be sure to include some delicious, fresh dinner rolls. Mashed potatoes can
be made with plain (non-sweetened) soymilk and margarine or olive oil;
stuffing with vegetable broth (I've included my favorite recipe below).
Sweet potatoes can be made with maple syrup, and other vegetable dishes
are a cinch. For example, Imagine Foods now makes a soy-based creamy
mushroom soup, so you can make a dairy-free green bean casserole. Other
foods, like gravy, may have you stumped, so I've included a terrific
recipe that is sure to please!
Delicious Traditional Stuffing
1 large loaf of bread, sliced into � inch slices and set
out overnight to dry
1 package of veggie ground sausage substitute
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
� cup walnuts, chopped
� cup pecans, chopped
� cup cashews, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh thyme
1/3 cup fresh sage
1-1 � cups vegetable broth
1/3 to � cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
� cup white wine (opt.)
Chop or break the dried bread into �-inch cubes. In a
frying pan, saut� veggie ground sausage in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Then
transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the frying pan
and saut� the onions, celery and mushrooms until soft. In a large bowl,
combine all the ingredients except broth, olive oil, soy sauce and wine.
Combine the last four ingredients, using more broth if wine is not used.
Pour the wet mixture over the bread mixture slowly, stirring as you go.
Press the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350� F for 30-40
minutes. Serve warm.
Rich Wine and Mushroom Gravy
This is absolutely the best recipe for vegan gravy that I've ever tasted.
It was sent to me via email, so I'm afraid I can't give the creator
credit.
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
� cup onions, chopped
2/3 cup flour
� tsp. ground sage
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 � cups water
� cup dry red wine
1/3 cup canned sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saut� onions and garlic.
When onions are tender and translucent, stir in the flour, nutritional
yeast and sage to form a paste. Slowly add water, soy sauce and wine,
stirring constantly. When gravy starts to thicken, stir in the mushrooms,
salt and pepper. Add more water if necessary to thin the gravy. Serve.
Emerald Corn Chowder
I adapted this wonderful fall recipe from my family's original, which
contained bacon and milk. The resulting vegan soup is just as satisfying
and one that appears more complicated than it really is. It's sure to
impress your guests! It's even more delicious the next day, so feel free
to make it one day ahead to save time.
1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
4 large potatoes
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 cup of frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 lightly packed cups chopped fresh kale or spinach
1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion in oil over medium heat in a soup pot until
tender and translucent. Add potatoes and cover with water. Simmer until
potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Add liquid smoke, corn kernels, and
greens and cook until the greens are tender, but again, not mushy. Remove
from heat and stir in coconut milk. Then add salt and pepper to taste and
serve.
Dessert
Tofu Pumpkin Pie
1 16-ounce can pureed pumpkin
� cup sugar
� tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 10-ounce package of silken tofu
1 ready-made pie shell
Preheat oven to 425�F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
until completely smooth. Pour into a pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower heat to 350�F and bake for another 40 minutes. Let cool, then chill
the pie and serve.
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. flax seeds
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup carob or cocoa powder
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups soymilk
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pure chocolate syrup (opt.)
powdered sugar (opt.)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13 x 9" pan or two 8" cake
pans. In a blender, combine the flax seeds and boiling water. Let sit for
several minutes, and then blend for 60 seconds to form an egg-like
substance. The seeds will not entirely disintegrate. In a large bowl, sift
together the carob or cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and
salt. In a smaller bowl, mix the soymilk with the vinegar. Let sit for a
minute, and then add the flax seed mixture, the oil, maple syrup or honey,
and the vanilla extract. Add the wet mixture to dry and stir just until
combined. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan(s) and bake for 20-30
minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool,
then remove from pan(s) and transfer to a cake plate. If desired, drizzle
the cake with pure chocolate syrup and sift powdered sugar over the top.
Serve.
Melanie Wilson is the former editor and publisher of
Vegetarian Baby & Child magazine. She edits the family section of VegNews
and manages Vegetarianteen.com online magazine.
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