A Vegetarian Holiday
Festive foods for vegetarians
Imagine being a vegan or vegetarian on Christmas Day. There’s no glazed ham and no wishbone to break in half with your sibling. And no one fights over the turkey drumstick.
Before you think about what you’re missing, here’s a surprise: I’ve spent ten holidays as a vegetarian, and I happily overeat just as much as other family members at my dinner table.
With limited options, I’ve learned to make side dishes or appetizers shine on my plate.
One way is to make vegetables the centerpiece.
Nikki Spears, owner of sealevel city gourmet, a Wilmington restaurant that caters to vegetarians and vegans, looks for ways to create satisfying vegetarian dishes.
“I went to Whole Foods the other day, and they had these beautiful Japanese sweet potatoes. Just plain baked, they tasted like cheesecake,” Spears says. “I went and made rolls with them at work. Then we started frying the sweet potatoes, and they were absolutely to die for. I love for people to experience that vegetables can be that amazing.”
Like Spears suggests, a great vegetarian meal is often about great vegetables.
For salads, adding hearty greens such as kale or cannellini beans ups the nutrients.
Beans are protein-rich super foods, and they can be fixed in multiple ways.
Spears loves falafel, a common Mediterranean dish using chickpeas. The delicious, sometimes spicy food can be served as a holiday appetizer.
“I think (falafel is) one of the best things in the world. It’s cheap, it’s completely vegan, and it’s so good. I’m always trying to make mine better,” Spears says. “On my day off, I go and eat falafel in town. It’s so cool how everyone is making it different.”
Non-meat eaters learn to find substitutions for the traditional dishes they used to love.
I still enjoy my stepfather’s mashed potatoes like any good Southern girl, but instead of traditional gravy, I might coat my potatoes with a barbeque sauce or a mushroom or vegan gravy for a taste with depth.
SUE CAG, leader of WILMINGTON VEGAN, is no stranger to improvising. Cag has been a vegan for nearly twenty years, so she’s happily survived almost two decades without a Christmas Day ham.
“For all typical holiday dishes … veganizing it is simple,” Cag says. “There’s a replacement for just about anything.”
Vegans and vegetarians can also purchase a turkey substitution such as a tofurky roast.
Cag recommends the Celebration Roast or Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute made by Field Roast Grain Meat Company. And for at-home recipes, a seitan loaf, a quinoa-based dish, or a vegan pot pie are other options.
“One example of an easy-to-make loaf is a lentil loaf. There are numerous other types, typically including nuts,” Cag says.
Vegans like Cag and vegetarians make their diet choices for various reasons, but holiday meals never have to be limited.
Sue Cag, of the Wilmington Vegan group, shares recipes she turns to for holiday dinners.
Falafel
Ingredients
1 pound soaked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
¼ cup garlic cloves
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cups parsley, chopped
Black pepper, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper (to taste)
Directions
Soak the chickpeas overnight and drain.
Grind in a food processor in batches until chickpeas are ground up. Add onions and garlic to food processor. In a separate bowl, add parsley and spices to the chickpea mixture.
Deep fry in peanut oil. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with sesame sauce.
Easy Vegan Gravy
(recipe from Compassionate Holidays)
Ingredients
2 cups vegan chik’n broth or veggie broth
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon soy sauce
⅛ teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
Stir flour into oil over medium heat. Stir while browning 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn.
Add broth and other ingredients.
Stir until thickened.
Lentil Loaf
(recipe from Gentle Thanksgiving)
Ingredients
2 cups red lentils, cooked until soft and drained
1 can of red kidney beans, drained and mashed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh green chilies, chopped (optional)
1 cup vegetable stock
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, using just enough veggie stock to bind together. Season with salt and pepper.
Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown.
Click here to see more of Jeff Janowski's photography
