Delicious Holiday Feast (vegan, gf)
This is the most delicious holiday feast for the season, and both vegans and omnivores will love it! Another huge plus is that it’s easy to put together, and oh the flavors!
I sometimes make a Gardein stuffed holiday roast, and it’s a perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you want a very healthy homemade dish though, then this lentil loaf will be the star, because it is SO GOOD! You can also form it into a round loaf instead, and I think it would be amazing with cranberry sauce as the topper.
Speaking of cranberries, I make Kate’s pretty Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce with these changes…
1) Use pure maple syrup as the sweetener
2) I don’t add orange zest, because I use 1 to 2 tablespoons of Ginger & Orange Marmalade instead.
3) After you cook the cranberries, and let them cool completely, add the following: 2 stalks of finely diced celery, 1 cup of walnuts coarsely chopped, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of marmalade.
psst… while you’re at Cookie and Kate for the cranberry sauce, grab this Spiced Apple Margarita recipe too!
Another side dish I love are Sweet potatoes, and this version is one of my faves. Maple syrup lends a rich deep flavor. It’s almost like a sweet potato pie, especially with the taste of autumn spices. 😋
Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons non-dairy butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- couple of fresh thyme sprigs, minced (optional)
1) Preheat oven to 350 degree F., and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) Scrub the potatoes, prick the top with a fork a couple of times, and place the potatoes on the prepared pan.
3) Roast potatoes for about 1 1/2 hours. Once baked, remove the skins and place in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mash everything together, and then you can whip it with a beater to make it fluffy.
Here is another delicious holiday feast recipe, perfect for Christmas eve or anytime
For dessert I love the idea of making this mouthwatering Vegan Chocolate Cake by Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest. Doesn’t it look so lush and decadent? I’ve made it a couple of times, and it is all that! It’s perfect for Thanksgiving too, because the creamy chocolate filling has pumpkin purée in it.
P.S. I’m updating this post to include even more Thanksgiving recipes and ideas. Enjoy!
Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound of haricot verts
- 1 large or 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- couple of sprigs of minced fresh thyme
- couple of sprigs of minced fresh rosemary
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup lightly toasted thinly sliced almonds
Instructions
Boil water in a large pot, add the beans, and cook for 3-5 minutes. You want them still crisp but not raw. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the beans from continuing to cook; set aside.
In the pot you boiled the beans in, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook stirring constantly until the beans are just heated and the garlic fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle the almonds over top.
