Happy Herbivore Holidays S Gatherings: Easy Plant-Based Recipes for your Healthiest Celebrations and Special Occasions

I love this slaw because it comes together as fast as you can chop, and it’s really quite stunning. It’s a fabulous side dish for four, but also makes a great lunchtime meal for one.

½ small red cabbage

1 golden apple

1 carrot, peeled

1–2 tbsp Vegan Mayo (p. 170)* or vegan yogurt

¼ c raisins (optional)

Shred or thinly slice cabbage and slice apple and carrot into matchsticks.
Mix together with 1 tbsp of vegan mayo or vegan yogurt, making sure everything is evenly coated. Add another ½–1 tbsp of vegan mayo or yogurt if necessary.
Sprinkle raisins on top, if using, and serve.

CHEF’S NOTE:

A little lemon, lime, or orange juice can add a nice citrusy dimension to this slaw.

Per serving: 64 calories, 0.2g fat, 16.5g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 11.8g sugars, 1.1g protein

This rustic coleslaw is rich, creamy, and delicious. It goes perfectly on top of salad, spread on crackers, as a side dish to summer meals, or slathered into a veggie sandwich as a condiment. P.S. My husband loves putting it on top of his Carrot Hot Dog (p. 148), along with chili (p. 70 or 72) for a “chili-slaw dog.”

1–5 tbsp Vegan Mayo (p. 170)*

dash of garlic powder

pinch of onion flakes

¼ c shredded carrots

½ c shredded zucchini

Combine mayo with garlic powder and onion flakes, then stir in vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 16 calories, 0.1g fat, 3.5g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 1.7g sugars, 1.0g protein

Thai Slaw

SERVES 2 – 3 | Q | GF | SF_* |

I love this fiery Thai take on slaw. It really jazzes things up!

½ head red or white cabbage, thinly sliced

1–2 tbsp Vegan Mayo (p. 170) or plain vegan yogurt*

few drizzles of rice vinegar

Asian hot sauce (e.g., Sriracha)

few dashes of garlic powder

Toss cabbage with mayo or yogurt until it’s lightly covered or as creamy as you like (but it will get creamier).
Add a few drizzles of vinegar and toss again. Taste, adding more vinegar if desired. (I like my slaws to be pretty vinegary, but my husband likes them sweeter and creamier.)
Add a touch of hot sauce (a little Sriracha goes a long way!) and mix.
Add several dashes of garlic powder and mix. Taste, adding more heat, garlic, or vinegar if desired.

CHEF’S NOTE:

Sometimes I squeeze fresh lime juice into this slaw.

Per serving: 48 calories, 1.8g fat, 5.9g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 3.6g sugars, 1.6g protein

VEGGIE (& FRUIT) KABOBS

You can make veggie kabobs (or fruit kabobs) with grilled vegetables and fruits. Include tofu with peanut sauce, mushrooms, or grilled potatoes to break it up—or even vegan hot dogs! Here are some veggies and fruits that work well for this:

apples
asparagus (squeeze lemon juice on it!)
beets
carrots
corn (add chili powder and lime juice, trust me!)
eggplant
jalapeños
onions
peaches
pears
pineapple
red bell peppers
Romaine lettuce
squash (any, especially yellow “summer” squash)

Cowboy Beans

SERVES 2 | Q | GF | SF | MA | P |

Cowboy beans are the rugged relative to baked beans: they’re sweet but tangy, and give you a good ol’ fashioned kick in the pants with their heat—a nice Southwest twist! These quick and easy beans are a great addition to any summer barbecue menu and they’re easy enough to make at a campfire, too!

vegetable broth, as needed

1 medium onion, diced

3–5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp smoky barbecue sauce

1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

½–1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

¼–½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp pure maple syrup

cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)

brown sugar (optional)

pickled jalapeño slices for garnish (optional)

Line a large skillet with a thin layer of vegetable broth. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add chili powder, stirring to coat onions and garlic. Stir in ketchup, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard.
Add in beans and stir to combine. Gently warm over low for a few minutes. Add smoked paprika and maple syrup.
Stir again and taste, adding more Dijon, barbecue sauce, or cayenne or hot sauce, if using, as desired.
Cover and simmer over low heat until the flavors blend together. For a sweeter dish, add brown sugar (or more maple syrup) to taste, plus a splash of broth if necessary.
Garnish with pickled jalapeño slices if using and serve with cooked greens and cornbread or rice. I also like these beans (and regular baked beans) over sweet potatoes.

CHEF’S NOTES:

A popular addition is a bell pepper (seeded and diced), which you can include for some color. Cook it with the onions and garlic.

Per serving: 258 calories, 2.4g fat, 49.8g carbohydrates, 12.2g fiber, 10.6g sugars, 12.1g protein

Baked Beans

SERVES 4
| Q | GF_* | SF_* | MA | P |

It’s not a summer get-together or family barbecue without baked beans, and these are my family’s favorite. In fact, my parents love them so much that they always make a double batch, substituting kidney beans for the second can of navy beans.

½ small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 15-oz can navy beans, drained but unrinsed

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce*

2–3 tbsp pure maple syrup

light dash of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cook onion and garlic in ¼ cup water over high heat until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and transfer mixture to a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
Let rest for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.
Stir to incorporate before serving.

CHEF’S NOTES:

If your beans come out soupy, you can transfer them to a saucepan and cook them uncovered over high heat for a few minutes to reduce the liquid.

Per serving: 160 calories, 0.1g fat, 33.9g carbohydrates, 6.0g fiber, 13.7g sugars, 6.3g protein

Quick Burgers

MAKES 4 | Q | GF | SF | PA | P |

This is my go-to quick bean burger! It’s embarrassing how often I make it, but it’s so easy and so fast!

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

images c instant oats

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly pureed but with some half beans and bean parts left.
Stir in condiments and spices until well combined, stop then mix in oats.
Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties.
Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip over, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until crusty on the outside.
Slap onto a bun with extra condiments and eat!

Per burger: 109 calories, 0.5g fat, 17.6g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 2.2g sugars, 5g protein

“Cheater” Spicy Peanut Noodles

SERVES 1 | Q | GF_* | SF_* | PA | P |

This recipe comes from my 7-Day Meal Plan service (getmealplans.com). Peanut noodles are a quick and easy meal I picked up in college (just peanut butter on hot noodles!) but now I’ve lightened the load with vegan yogurt, and I’ve added a few nice garnishes to make it feel more upscale. It’s a super quick and easy weeknight meal and potluck favorite!

4 oz noodles*

2 tbsp plain vegan yogurt

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce*

Asian hot sauce (e.g., Sriracha), to taste

bean sprouts for garnish (optional)

green onions, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain, and rinse with cold water. stop
While the noodles cook, whisk yogurt with peanut butter and soy sauce (reduce if your peanut butter is salty) and hot sauce to taste (I like it hot, with 1–2 tsp).
Garnish with bean sprouts and green onions, if desired, and serve.

CHEF’S NOTES:

This recipe doubles beautifully.

Per serving: 282 calories, 10.8g fat, 35.4g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 4.4g sugars, 11.8g protein

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers

Makes 5 | Q | GF | SF | PA | P |

I love a good bean burger, but sweet potato burgers are in a category of their own! These smoky-sweet but spicy burgers will dazzle anyone they’re served to, so if your friends tend to snub bean burgers and other faux meats, try serving these at your party. They’re so beautiful guests can’t help to be intrigued . . . then wowed!

1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed (see note)

1 c mashed sweet potato

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1¼ tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

few drops of liquid smoke (about ½ tsp)

2–3 tbsp ketchup

c rolled oats

¼ c instant oats

hot sauce, to taste (optional)

chipotle powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Mash beans with fork or pulse in a food processor so no whole beans are left, but it’s still chunky with some half beans. Mix with mashed sweet potato, nutritional yeast, spices, liquid smoke, and ketchup (use 3 tbsp for a slight tomato flavor), stirring to combine.
Add all oats and stir to combine again. Add hot sauce if desired, plus a few dashes of chipotle powder (to taste—a little goes a long way!), plus salt and pepper if desired. Taste, adding more heat or smoke as desired.
Pick off 5 equal-sized portions and roll into balls with damp hands. Place balls on cookie sheet (leaving room to spread) and smash lightly with your palm into patties.
Bake for 10 minutes (patties should be somewhat firm after 10 minutes; if not, wait a few more minutes), flip with a spatula, and bake for 5 more minutes. Then flip again and bake for another 2–5 minutes, until deep in color, crisp, and firmer, but careful not to burn.

CHEF’S NOTES:

Two small sweet potatoes (or 1 large) should make 1 cup mashed sweet potato. I cook mine in the microwave, then mash and mixed with nondairy milk (about 2 tbsp) to make “mashed potatoes.” I leave my potato skins on for added nutrition, but you can peel them off after cooking, if desired.
Any canned white bean (e.g., navy) will work in this recipe.

Per burger: 177 calories, 0.9g fat, 34.7g carbohydrates, 7.4g fiber, 4.6g sugars, 8.3g protein

Kidney Bean–Quinoa Burgers

MAKES 6 | GF_* | SF_* | P |

I find kidney beans lend themselves better to a true “burger” flavor and have a better consistency. Serve these burgers on a whole-wheat bun with all the fixin’s.

¼ c quinoa

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp barbecue sauce

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce*

1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp paprika

c vital wheat gluten* (see note)

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with ½ cup water, cover, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until fluffy and all the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash beans with a fork in a mixing bowl until they have the consistency of refried beans.

Add remaining ingredients in order, plus cooked quinoa, and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 450°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Break mixture into 6 equal segments. Roll each into a ball, flatten it, and shape it into a patty using your hands.

Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for 8 more minutes, then flip again for 5 minutes, but only if necessary. When the burgers are brown and crisp on the outside, they are done.

CHEF’S NOTES:

For gluten-free, substitute Orgran’s Gluten Free Gluten Substitute for the vital wheat gluten.

Per burger: 316 calories, 2.1g fat, 53.7g carbohydrates, 11.6g fiber, 4.6g sugars, 22.4g protein

Reuben

SERVES 1 | Q | GF_* | SF_* | PA |

My husband has been after me to create a healthy, vegan version of the Reuben sandwich for as long as he’s been plant-based. I kept resisting, wondering how I’d re-create corned beef. “Why not try portobellos?” he asked. His suggestion was spot on. It’s amazing how much these portobellos taste (and look!) like corned beef. When I was working on the recipe, my in-laws were visiting and my mother-inlaw could not believe how much it looked like beef—all the way to the pink coloring!

1 very large portobello mushroom

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce*

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ground ginger

1 c water

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

few dashes of ground cinnamon

few dashes of ground allspice or cloves

½–¾ tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (p. 171)*

2 slices of rye bread (or other)

sauerkraut, as desired

Rémoulade Sauce (p. 53)

Remove woody stem from mushroom and slice into chunky strips, and down the middle, for long strips that are 2–3 inches long.
Whisk soy sauce, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger with water.
Whisk in vinegar, 1–2 light dashes of cinnamon, 1–2 very light dashes of allspice or cloves, and black pepper as desired (depends on how peppery you like “beef”).
Pour half of the mixture into a skillet and add mushrooms and fennel seeds. Sauté for a few minutes.
When the liquid has reduced, add the rest of the soy sauce–water mixture, stir in Worcestershire sauce, cover, and sauté for a few minutes longer, until the liquid has really reduced and the mushroom strips are a dark brown. (They should be softer, but not really soft or mushy—barely tender and firm.)
Place on top of toasted rye, spooning juices over top. Add sauerkraut, rémoulade (it tastes a lot like Thousand Island dressing, which is traditionally used), and you’re done!

Per serving (just mushroom component): 86 calories, 0.8g fat, 13g carbohydrates, 4.4g fiber, 1.7g sugars, 9.1g protein

PINWHEELS & SANDWICHES

Pinwheels

Pinwheels make sandwiches a cute finger food. They’re easy to make and the options are limited only by your imagination. (P.S. Kids love pinwheels!)

To make a pinwheel with sandwich bread, remove the crusts and flatten with a rolling pin (rolling once, or twice, max). Add toppings on each slice of bread and roll up. Stick 3 toothpicks into the roll (to hold it closed) and slice into 3 sections. If using a tortilla or wrap, skip the flattening step.

PB&J or just jam or jelly (red varieties are really stunning!), hummus and spinach, and shaved carrots with raisins and vegan yogurt or cream cheese are popular pinwheel flavors with kids.

“Tuna” Salad (p. 50) and hummus with shredded veggies like red cabbage, carrots, onion, bell pepper, olives, and/or spinach are popular with adults.

My go-to party pinwheel wrap: arugula, black beans, and Chipotle Aioli (p. 78).

Use wrap recipes in my other cookbooks and meal plans for more ideas!

Party Sandwiches

Sandwich rings are an old party standby, and while supermarket delis and sandwich shops like Subway will generally make vegetable-only sandwich platters for you, you’ll have more options with homemade sandwiches. If you’re pressed for an easy fix, get the platter but offer an array of condiments (including hummus or several hummus flavors) so your guests can jazz up their sandwiches. Piles of faux deli meats or vegan cheese slices so guests can add those to the vegetable sandwiches are another option.

Tea Party Sandwiches

Tea party sandwiches are regular sandwiches that have the crusts removed and are cut into small triangles or squares—but that makes them fancy, see? You can also use cool cookie- cutter shapes to make heart- or flower-shaped sandwiches, which add a nice touch for a ladies lunch or bridal shower. (If your little princess is having a birthday tea party, these fancy pants sandwiches are a must!) For variety, use several different types of bread, including white, wheat, rye, and pumpernickel.

The same flavor suggestions for pinwheels apply here, plus I also like to use the crab cake mixture (Crab Cakes with Rémoulade Sauce, p. 53) for a seafood sandwich; White Bean Dill Dip (p. 118) as a spread; and cucumbers with vegan cream cheese for a classic tea sandwich.

Beautifully garnished Crostini (p. 49) also work!

Meatball Subs

Meatball subs are my favorite party buffet option! Buy hot dog buns and keep your meat-balls in marinara sauce (No-Meat Meatballs, p. 91, and store-bought marinara for ease) in a slow cooker on low. Guests can assemble the subs themselves.

BBQ Sliders

SERVES 8 | Q | GF_* | SF |

Here’s my healthy alternative to pulled-pork sliders. A common replacement in vegan circles is jackfruit, but I find it’s pretty hard to come by, and cabbage is more my speed anyway. Keep in mind with dishes like pulled pork, or even hot wings, we’re typically going gaga for the sauce more than anything, so as long as you use a barbecue sauce you love, and the texture is close enough, you’re in business! I love using my Cola Barbecue Sauce (p. 172) in this recipe.

½ head cabbage

vegetable broth, as needed

¼–½ c barbecue sauce

8 whole-wheat buns or other

GARNISHES

Dill pickle slices (optional)

caramelized onions (optional) (see note)

Remove core and outer green part from cabbage. Discard or save for homemade vegetable broth. Slice white parts very thinly into long strands.
Line a large pot with a very thin layer of broth. Add sliced cabbage and cook over high, stirring constantly with tongs and incorporating until softer, but not very soft or flimsy, about 2 minutes (think pulled-pork consistency).
Drain off any remaining liquid, then stir in cup barbecue sauce. Stir to coat, adding more sauce as necessary. (I tend to add about 6 tbsp, but I like my sliders wet and messy!)
Pile into bun with onions and pickles if using.

CHEF’S NOTE:

For caramelized onions, cook sliced onion in a thin layer of vegetable broth until golden and translucent, in as little liquid as necessary, or bake until golden and crisp.

Per serving (without bun, using ¼ c sauce): 23 calories, 0.1g fat, 5.4g carbohydrates, 1.2g fiber, 3.5g sugars, 0.6g protein

Sangria

SERVES 8 | Q | GF | SF | MA | P |

My love for sangria knows no bounds. On my last trip to Barcelona, I watched a bartender make a pitcher of sangria, and carefully jotted down everything he used. This is the result. It’s strong but delicious and perfect for parties.

2 bottles cheap and fruity red wine

1 c orange-flavored vodka (see note)

juice of 1 orange

4 c seltzer water (see note)

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

2 apples, sliced

In a large pitcher, mix wine, vodka, orange juice, and seltzer, stirring to combine.
Add cinnamon stick and sliced apples, if desired.
Chill for several hours, then serve over ice.

CHEF’S NOTE:

• Any orange-flavored liquor can be used in place of the vodka.

• Any fizzy water can be used in place of seltzer. Sprite or 7Up might also work.

Per serving: 243 calories, 0.1g fat, 12g carbohydrates, 1.1g fiber, 6.7g sugars, 0.3g protein

VARIATION

Sangria Spritzer: For a lightened-up take on sangria, fill a punch bowl with large ice cubes, orange slices, apple slices, and 1–2 cinnamon sticks. Squeeze juice from another orange into the bowl. Add chilled red wine and mixed-berry-flavored sparkling water as desired.