Are you looking for a quick and easy item to bring to tomorrow’s gathering?
This No Egg Nog is sure to be appreciated for Thanksgiving dinner or for any time during the holiday season, and it takes minutes to make.
No Egg Nog
Ingredients:
5 cups vanilla non dairy milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup amaretto
1/3 cup whiskey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or the scrapings from one vanilla bean
Whir until frothy in a blender, and decorate with nutmeg.
By request, I’m posting this Caramelized Onion Tart Recipe. This is very decadent, and delicious, and would add to any holiday gathering.
It can be served warm or at room temperature so it is the perfect dish to bring to an event.
– Linda Nelson
Caramelized Onion Tart
For the crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening ( I make my own with the vegan
baking .net recipe)
3 to 6 tablespoons ice water
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening. Make sure to chill it before you begin! Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water pressing the shortening against the bottom of the bowl. Add additional tablespoons of water one at a time until the dough forms together. Roll into a bowl, flatten, and put in the fridge until the tart ingredients are ready.
For the topping;
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 to 4 cloves minced garlic
2 large sweet onions or 3 medium sliced into thin, half moons
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
To make the topping: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and pepper flakes over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic! Add the onions and cook and stir, cook and stir until they are brown and sweet to the taste. It will take you about twenty minutes. If they cook too fast, they will burn. Add the salt as they dry out since this will release more moisture. When they are done, set them aside.
To make the filling:
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese at room temp.
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried.
Stir the ingredients together until creamy and smooth.
Roll out the pie crust and place it in your pan. Spread the filling over the crust, and spread the onions over that. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
I served mine with homemade mango chutney. This is very rich!
adapted from Pies and Tarts with Heart.
If you’re looking for an easy recipe idea to whip up when those extra relatives are in town, this may do it. It would be equally good served for brunch or as dessert, and I think it would be rather irresistible with a dollop of vegan cashew cream or coconut cream on top.
– Linda Nelson
Noggy Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
6 cups cubed French bread (I used a whole wheat baguette.)
2 1/4 cups non-dairy nog (You can use a commercial brand or make your own at home. I’ll post my homemade recipe soon.)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons rum extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon, and more for sprinkling on the top
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
Grease an 8 inch baking dish, and preheat the oven to 350.
Whisk the corn starch with the maple syrup and rum extract until smooth in a big bowl, and then add the non dairy nog.
Add the bread cubes to the mixture above, and wait until the cubes are softened and the liquid is absorbed.
Fold in the almonds and raisins along with the nutmeg and cinnamon. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until it is golden and firm.
Feel free to substitute other nuts or dried fruits for the almonds and raisins.
Your kitchen will smell heavenly so you might not want to make this once you’d like your guests to leave!
I think this would be the perfect dish to bring to your neighborhood potluck or to your Thanksgiving feast with family.
It has the tastes and textures that omnivores are used to, and it seems almost the perfect “gateway” recipe to living a vegan life. It doesn’t hurt at all that it is just plain delicious!
– Linda Nelson
Nacho Tots Casserole
First make the cheesy sauce.
Nacho Cheezy Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cups soy milk or other non dairy milk
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup raw cashews (these will need to soak for a couple of hours or overnight unless you have a powerful food processor or blender.)
3 tablespoons oat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a blender jar or food processor. Blend the mixture on high until all is smooth
Pour the mixture into a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer while whisking. Once it simmers, turn the heat down, and cook while whisking until the sauce has thickened.
Now make the casserole!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil or cooking spray
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (I didn’t have any, but I’m sure they would add to the dish.)
1 recipe Nacho Cheezy Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 two pound bag of potato tots, thawed
paprika for sprinkling
hot sauce (optional)
Directions”
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 13 x 9 inch glass casserole dish with olive oil or oil spray.
In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, and cook, until the onions are soft and slightly browned.
Stir in the scallions and the hot sauce, if using, into the cheese sauce. Add salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the onions and the thawed potato tots. Gently fold the sauce in just until all is coated. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 15 minutes.
I added 1 cup of black beans and 1 small can of sliced black olives to the top of the casserole after the initial 15 minute baking time.
Bake another 5 to 10 minutes after you’ve added toppings until the casserole is piping hot.
Remove from the oven and add chopped tomatoes, sliced scallions, or anything else you’d like to the top, and serve.
This was adapted from the excellent Vegan Casseroles book by Julie Hasson.
We are excited to announce yet another way that you can support Triangle Chance for All!
TCA is now registered with Amazon Smile, which means that a portion of every purchase you make when shopping on Amazon.com will go to support our microsanctuary residents!
Follow the link below to select Triangle Chance for All as your charity, and be sure to do all of your Amazon shopping through www.smile.amazon.com!
My family is a family of bakers, so I can’t imagine a celebration without homemade goodies.
My grandmother’s anise sugar cookies were big, thick, and the stuff of magical memories for me. It took very little to veganize her recipe, and the taste is identical to what I remember.
Our celebratory foods can taste the same while being so much kinder when we leave the animals out of them.
– Linda Nelson
Grandma Stonebrook’s Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
5 cups all purpose flour (my grandmother had 18 grandchildren to please, but you can halve the recipe.)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups vegan butter, softened
1/2 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon anise seed (these are optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or with parchment paper.
Cream the sugar, vegan butter, and anise extract until smooth. Sift in the flour and baking soda, and mix with a wooden spoon, and then with your hands adding splashes of the soy milk as you do so. You might not need the full 1/2 cup.
Mix until you have a soft dough and fold in the anise seed, if using.
Work with about a fourth of the dough at a time. You can put the rest in the refrigerator to keep it from getting too soft.
Roll the dough out to the desired thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use cookie cutters of your choice and place the shapes on the cookie sheet with about 1/2 inch space between. Bake for about ten minutes or until the cookies are golden.
This dough can be refrigerated or frozen. My family used to make a big bowl of dough and then use it all up over several days.
Let the decorating begin! All of the cookies pictured here were made with the same dough. I often use wafer papers with edible, vegetable dyes and/or India Tree food coloring. This is expensive, but a little goes a long way.
Here, by popular demand, is the recipe for Vegan Hot Buttered Pretzels. I do want to urge everyone to make a batch of homemade vegan butter (recipe available here) first. It really is a necessary ingredient in this recipe. It isn’t hard, and it is so worth it to make your pretzels irresistible.
– Linda Nelson
Vegan Hot Buttered Pretzels
Ingredients for the dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, or 1 cup warm vegan beer
Baking soda wash:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Toppings:
coarse salt
3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
I have also made cinnamon sugar pretzels and chocolate glazed pretzels, too, but the crowd pleasers remain the buttered and salted ones.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly incorporated. Turn out on a floury surface and knead for five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and flip the dough over once so the top surface is oiled. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Oil a baking sheet.
Move the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide into six equal pieces, and allow to rest for five minutes.
Mix the 1/2 cup water and the baking soda in a small bowl. Make sure the baking soda is all dissolved.
Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 20 inches). Form into a pretzel shape (there are many tutorials online for this.) Brush each pretzel with the baking soda wash. This will give them that nice, rich, brown color.
Space the pretzels on the baking sheet and bake for 4 to 5 minutes before rotating the pan. Bake for an additional 4 or 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush with the melted vegan butter, salt to taste, and enjoy.
These are best straight out of the oven, but they are really good even once they cool. They can also be re-warmed in the microwave.
I grew up on the cranberry sauce from a can that plopped out on the plate still in can form, but we can do much better with this recipe in our holiday recipe series .
It isn’t just good for your Thanksgiving seitan roast or tofurky. I love it atop roasted butternut squash or potatoes, and it is a great topping for a vegan toasted cheese sandwich.
Cranberry Cherry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup tart dried cherries (I use the tart Montmorency cherries from Trader Joe’s.)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice or more depending on how thick you want your sauce to be.
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. It only takes about twenty minutes! This may be served warm or cold.
I know we’ve already posted a butternut squash soup, but this one is completely different. The cranberry swirl adds such a blast of flavor!
– Linda Nelson
Butternut Squash Soup with a Cranberry Swirl
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
3 pounds of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small pieces
4 cups vegetable broth (the commercial brand I suggest is Better Than Bouillon; make sure to get the vegan one!)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Salt to taste
1/2 cup cranberry sauce, homemade or canned
2 tablespoons orange juice
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, cover, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in allspice, ginger, potato, squash, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the vegetables are soft. This will take about thirty minutes.
While the soup simmers, blend the cranberry sauce and orange juice. If you’re using whole cranberry sauce, strain the solid pieces out. I poured mine into a squeeze bottle.
When the squash is very soft, turn the heat off, and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. You can also blend in a regular blender though be careful to blend in portions so that you don’t have a hot soup volcano!
Ladle into bowls and swirl a bit of cranberry mixture around. Enjoy!
Adapted from 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson.
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