Written by Briggy Jones
Traditional holiday foods are some of the most delectable, rich, unhealthy, and fattening foods known to mankind. While indulging is encouraged during this time, there is most definitely a way you can indulge in foods that are better for you but still have the same zing and pep you know and love.
Enter gluten-free and vegan dining! Gluten-free refers to food with no wheat gluten, and vegan means the food contains no animals or animal byproducts.
There are several holiday dishes you can veganize and make gluten-free without ruining them. Take my word for it, and enjoy these recipes!
Baked Mac And Cheese
Mac and cheese wasn’t really a food that was served as a staple at my family holidays, but it has quickly made its way into my mine!
These pictures and recipe are actually from last year, but you better believe I’m making it this year too!
If you have been struggling to find a good vegan mac and cheese recipe, look no further.
My favorite thing about this recipe is the fact that it is also gluten free (like all of these recipes) so I have a lot less guilt about completely stuffing my face with its melty, salty goodness.
Ingredients
1 box Banza elbow noodles
1 8 oz package Daisy Pepperjack Style Shreds cheese
⅛ cup almond milk
⅛ cup vegan butter
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
⅛ cup Gluten-Free Italian style breadcrumbs (optional)
¼ cup vegan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a hard boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently.
Once the pasta is finished, strain and place the pot back on the burner. On medium heat, add the cheese, almond milk, and garlic and onion powder. Stir continuously as the cheese begins to melt.
Add pasta back into the pot and remove from heat. Continuously stir to coat each noodle with cheese. While stirring, add small amounts of almond milk to make the cheese stretch into a sauce.
Add macaroni and cheese to a square 8x8 baking dish, spreading it into the corners. If gluten-free, add ¼ cup vegan cheese on the top in an even layer. Add gluten-free breadcrumbs on top in an even layer.
Place dish into the oven for fifteen minutes, or until topping is browned to the desired amount. Let cool for about ten minutes and serve.
Garlic Sautéed Asparagus
Let me tell you, I’ve been making sauteed asparagus since I first went vegan in 2015. My first attempts were bad; not taking the sound advice of my mother to add the garlic later, I burnt the garlic almost every time.
Don’t be like me. Or at least baby vegan me.
Be like ‘a little experienced’ me.
Ingredients
1 bundle or 1 lb (about 40), fresh asparagus stalks
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup sweet onion, diced
1 tbsp vegetable broth
½ tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Cut the ends off the asparagus. To find the proper place to cut, lightly tap on the ends, moving inward with a sharp knife until it feels tender. Cut the stalk at the point at which your knife slides through it. If you don’t do this step, the ends of your asparagus will be stringy and chewy. Wash the remaining asparagus.
Place onion and oil in a large pan on medium heat. When the onions start becoming transparent, add the asparagus, garlic, and vegetable broth. Cover with a corresponding lid and sauté on medium low heat for about five minutes.
When the asparagus turns bright green, remove the lid and add the second ½ tbsp of olive oil. Let asparagus soften and brown for about ten minutes. Salt to taste.
At this time, you can remove it from the pan and serve immediately.
Sugar-Free Energy Balls
These balls are ones to keep for yourself.
They’re not as sweet as other holiday desserts, but they will do the trick if you are really trying to not gain ten pounds by the new year.
They’re also a great midnight snack when you are keeping yourself from indulging in ice cream.
Ingredients
⅓ cup peanut butter
1 ½ cup ground oats
½ cup whole oats
½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
¼ cup chopped raw peanuts
¼ cup melted dark chocolate
2 tbsp ground flax seed
4 tbsp stevia sweetener
Instructions
In a small cooking pan on medium heat, cook the quinoa with the water. When the quinoa absorbs all the water, you can remove it from the heat and add it to the peanut butter.
(Cooking the quinoa is not necessary for this recipe, but I prefer to have it mostly cooked.)
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring in twenty-five-second intervals until smooth. Adding a dab of vegan butter might help it melt easier. Mix the chocolate and quinoa mixture together in a small bowl.
Mix oats, wet mixture, and raw peanuts in a large bowl by folding them into each other with a spatula. Once it is all one consistency, start forming balls and placing them in a storage container.
When the balls are all formed, place the container in your refrigerator for at least twenty minutes. This will help them solidify. They can be stored up to ten days in the fridge, or up to seven days at room temperature.
Marinated Stuffed Mushrooms
This recipe has to be an all-time favorite of mine. I make it almost every time I buy mushrooms from the store. The flavor combinations are really complex.
You hardly even know that you’re eating mushrooms because they’re just that good.
This is coming from an ex-mushroom hater, so you know it’s the real deal.
If you want to impress your friends and family this year, this is the recipe to go for.
Stuffed mushrooms is such a mature dish that most kids won’t appreciate, but if you’re trying to give a good impression to your SO’s loved ones, this is the one. *wink*
Ingredients
8 oz Zesty Italian Marinade
8 fresh Baby Bella mushrooms
⅛ cup tomato sauce
2 large garlic cloves
⅛ cup onion
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Marinade
You will want to marinate your mushrooms for at least six hours before cooking. The longer you let them sit, the more flavor they will retain. This time, I let my mushrooms marinate for twenty hours, but that was just because I wanted to prep this the day before.
Wash your mushrooms under cold water and wipe away any dirt that remains. Put mushrooms and marinade in a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Set in refrigerator to saturate.
Cooking
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the mushrooms are finished marinating, remove them from the bag and set right-side up so that they can drain most of the liquid. Do not wash.
Dice garlic and onion. Place them into a small pan with 1 tsp olive oil on medium low heat. Let sauté for five minutes, then remove from heat.
Place mushrooms into a shallow glass pan, such as a pie plate. Be sure to place them right side up.
Bake for about fifteen minutes, and turn them upside down so they can be easily filled.
Spoon a very small amount of tomato sauce into each mushroom and bake for about ten more minutes.
Remove from the oven again. You may need to dab away some of the excess oil that comes to the top. Then fill the mushrooms with the onion garlic medley. Salt and pepper the tops. Bake for eight more minutes.
Then remove from the oven for the last time, put on a serving plate, and enjoy!
Cauliflower Roast with Gravy
Roasted cauliflower is not the easiest recipe, and it’s not something that I make very often. I typically only make it during the holiday season, usually on Thanksgiving.
However, when I do make it, all the hard work in preparing it and cooking it is well worth it.
This recipe includes two different recipes: one for the actual roast, and one for the gravy.
I love making this gravy with mashed potatoes. *drool emoji* It’s really a perfect pairing: mashed potatoes, gravy, mock sausage patty on home baked bread.
I knew when I was going to do this cauliflower roast I had to make this gravy, so here it is!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Roast
1 small cauliflower head
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp onion powder
4 drops sesame seed oil (very small amount)
2 tbsp olive oil
Gravy
3 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup vegetable broth
½ small onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp rosemary
¼ tsp parsley
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
½ tsp oregano
Instructions
Roast
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower and wash the entire head. Place inside of a glass dish with a little space on either side of the cauliflower head.
Whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, black pepper, and onion powder in a small bowl. Once combined as best you can, gently spoon it onto the cauliflower in small sections. Try to soak the head as much as possible.
Make sure to save at least half of the liquid. Cover loosely with one sheet of aluminum foil. Then place the dish in the oven for forty-five minutes.
Remove from the oven, take the foil off, and pour more liquid over the top, still saving a bit for later on. Place in the oven for fifteen minutes uncovered.
Remove once again, and pour the rest of the liquid on top. Put it in the oven for fifteen more minutes. When that time is up, check if it is tender with a fork, going as deep as you can.
If it is not tender yet, put it in the oven in fifteen-minute increments, removing when it is tender.
Gravy
About halfway through your cauliflower cooking time, you should begin making the gravy.
In a small pan, on medium heat, place the onion, olive oil, and garlic. Make sure all of the garlic and onion is covered in the oil. Add all the spices and stir.
When the onions are becoming transparent, mix in the cornstarch until all of it is smooth, with no bits of dry cornstarch.
Next, add the vegetable stock in ¼ cup increments, mixing thoroughly each time. Let it simmer on low heat until it’s ready to serve.
When the cauliflower is tender, remove it from the oven, place in a serving dish, and serve with gravy!
What special recipes are you trying out this year?
Let us know which recipe was your favorite (the stuffed mushrooms were mine!) and what recipes you will be using this season!
Happy entertaining!
Briggy
Food
Mica Moore
Recipes, Cooking, Holiday Season, Gluten-free, Vegan, Holiday Recipes, Healthy cooking
Comment
