Plant Based Holiday Dinner
Delicious plant based holiday recipes the whole family will love!
Stuffing Stuffed Portobellos
Serves 4
4 portobello mushrooms, cleaned
granulated garlic
3 TBLS olive oil
2 TBLS Earth Balance
Salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 TBLS dried Italian herbs
1 1/2 TBLS ground sage
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
8 cups dried bread cubes or 1 box Trader Joe’s Stuffing
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2-3 cups vegetable broth
2 TBLS parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350*
Clean the portobello mushrooms. Pull off the stems and chop to add later with the sliced mushrooms, scrape out the black gills and discard. Wipe the portobellos with a damp paper towel.
Brush with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Roast for 7 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and set aside on the baking sheet.
In a large sauté pan heat 1 TBLS olive oil and TBLS Earth Balance. Add the chopped onions and celery and cook over medium high until starting to get soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sliced mushrooms and stir well. Add the Italian herbs, sage, salt and pepper and stir for about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes.
Add the dried cranberries, water chess nuts and slivered almonds and stir to combine.
Put the dried bread cubes in a large bowl then pour the vegetable mixture over and stir. Add more vegetable broth a little at a time until the stuffing is moist, but not mushy. Stir well, taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pile each portobello high with stuffing, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with Mushroom Gravy.
Mushroom Gravy Baby!
1 TBLS olive oil
1 TBLS Earth Balance
3 TBLS shallots, finely diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups vegetable broth +3 TBLS
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 heaping TBLS flour or corn starch
Salt and pepper
In a large sauté pan melt the Earth Balance with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they begin to brown and release their juices.
Add the garlic and thyme and stir for 1 minute. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine. Allow this to reduce for 1 minute then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Combine the flour or corn starch with the 3 TBLS vegetable broth and stir well so there are no lumps. Add the flour mixture to the gravy and whisk well, breaking up any lumps.
Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Vegan Goat Cheese and Kale
Serves 6
3 TBLS Olive oil (divided)
3 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1inch cubes
1 Tablespoon of orange zest
4 Tablespoons of orange juice
1 Tablespoon of honey
1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
4 Tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs (Or GF breadcrumbs)
3 ounces of vegan goat cheese. pg. 47 EYVB!
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with 2 TBLS olive oil, salt and pepper. Spray two cookie sheets with olive oil or canola spray. Spread the sweet potato chunks out in a single layer on two cookie sheets and roast for 10 minutes on separate racks.
While the potatoes are roasting, in the same large bowl whisk together the orange juice, orange zest and the honey.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and put them into the large bowl with the OJ mixture, toss to coat, spread them back onto the cookie sheets and roast another 10 minutes.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown.
When the sweet potatoes are done, remove from oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees. In a shallow 9 x 13” casserole dish, sprayed so the food will not stick, layer the potatoes, onions, panko breadcrumbs and vegan goat cheese, in that order.
Bake for 15 minutes.
For an added nutrient BAM, sauté kale, chopped garlic and a little salt and pepper in olive oil until tender. Serve the sweet potato dish on top of the kale!
Cranberry Sauce
4 cups of fresh whole cranberries
1 cup of water
1 cup of orange juice
1 Tablespoon of orange zest
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
1/3 cup of sugar
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, water and orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often until skins have broken and the cranberries have broken down.
Add in the orange zest, nutmeg, cloves, sugar and mandarin oranges. Simmer about 10 minutes until thick. The cranberry sauce will thicken more as it cools. Garnish with a thin slice of orange cut in half.
PAGOA Salad
(Poppyseed, Avocado, Grapefruit, Onion, Almond)
Serves 4
1 recipe Poppyseed Vinaigrette pg. 200 EYVB!
2 ripe avocados, cut in half and sliced
3 Ruby Red grapefruits, sectioned
1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Section the grapefruits. Cut off both ends. Lay the grapefruit on one flat side. Cut away all of the peel from top to bottom, along the curve of the fruit. Make sure all the skin and white membranes are removed. Cut down along each section toward the center, and when you get to the center rotate your knife upwards toward the outside of the grapefruit. The section will pop out! Do this until you have the whole grapefruit sectioned.
On a platter, lay the grapefruit sections in two rows. Lay the avocado slices in between the sections. Lay the red onion slices across at an angel. Drizzle with Poppyseed dressing and sprinkle the slivered almonds on top.
Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1 Tablespoon finely grated onion and juice
1 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Poppy Seeds
Mix all ingredients except oil and Poppy Seeds in a blender. Slowly add the oil while the blender is running. Gently stir in the Poppy Seeds and refrigerate.
This dressing is wonderful on a salad made of Romaine lettuce, sliced grapefruit and toasted slivered almonds.
OR
Avocado, tomato, sliced red onion and grapefruit.
Pumpkin Mousse Pie
1 - 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Put all ingredients into the blender and process until well blended.
Pour into a pre-baked piecrust and chill for at least 1 hour.
Serve with coconut whipped cream.
Nutty Pie Crust
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup almonds or pecans, very roughly chopped
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted or Earth Balance softened
2 TBLS honey
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the almond flour, chopped nuts and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl combine the oil, honey and vanilla.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until completely combined.
Using your fingers press the dough into a 9 1/2 inch pie plate.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and set on a baking rack to cool, making certain to cool completely before filling.