December Holiday Recipes
Hanukkah starts Dec. 12, with Christmas 12 days later! Here are some recipes to get you in the mood -- from soup to dessert. Enjoy!!
This is my type of recipe--easy yet so good!
Pumpkin Bisque (serves 4-6) by Chad Sarno
1 1/2 c. diced white onions
2 T. broth or water
2 c. canned pumpkin
5 cloves roasted garlic
3 c. vegetable stock
1 1/2 T. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 c. sherry wine
ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 c. toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
In broth/water, sauté onions on medium heat until translucent. Blend pumpkin, garlic, onions, + next 7 ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer to pot over low-medium heat. Serve warm with garnish of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Naked Food Magazine has delicious-looking and delicious-tasting recipes. Here's a simple but elegant salad from April 2013:
Quinoa Pear Pecan Salad
1 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 pear, sliced thin
1 c. spinach, washed
½ c. raw pecans
½ c. of berries of your choice
1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
In medium saucepan, bring 1 cup quinoa, cinnamon, and 2 cups water to a boil. Cover; simmer for 20-25 min. until the quinoa ‘tail’ is visible and water is absorbed. Let sit covered for 5 min. and fluff with fork. In a glass bowl, mix in quinoa, spinach, and pear slices. Top with berries and pecans.
Potato Pancakes, or "Latkes," are a tradition for Hanukah. Here's an adapted recipe without oil and frying (unfortunately, I don't know the original source!).
Baked Sweet Potato Pancakes (makes 12)
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, grated
1 med. onion, grated
2 T. chia or flax seeds, plus 6 T. water
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 400°F. Use silicon pad or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Drop by 1/3 c. onto cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula. Bake for 25 min.; flip and bake for 15 min. more. Serve with applesauce and dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Also, here's a Healthy Potato Pancakes recipe from Forks Over Knives.
main dishes:
Vegan Cauliflower Sweet Potato Meat Loaf
Lulu Herold, food blogger & member of the east-Pgh. plant-based nutrition group, created a vegan meatloaf "that is pliable and yet hold its structure upon baking."Here's the link to her recipe.
And, here's another recent Lulu recipe: Vegan Acorn Squash Chickpea Stew.
A festive dessert from Susan Voisan at fatfreevegan:
8-10 oz. fresh cranberries
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry or regular flour
2 T. ground flax seeds
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. applesauce
1/3 c. maple syrup
2 T. aquafaba (liquid from canned or cooked chickpeas) or plant milk of choice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. grated carrot
Finely chop cranberries in food processor or blender. Transfer to small bowl; stir with sugar. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine thoroughly in large bowl: flour, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon. Make a well in center of batter; add applesauce, syrup, aquafaba/plant milk, vanilla. Stir until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Stir in cranberries and carrots. Pour into a 9-inch round silicone cake pan or lightly oiled springform pan. Bake for 35-40 min. until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Optional: sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and/or toasted walnuts.
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