The Lusty Vegan

H oliday time! It’s everyone’s favorite time of year: family, friends, and awkward situations—you know it well. Sometimes, the only saving grace is the food! So let’s make it good, shall we? In this chapter, I assembled a menu of seasonal holiday crowd pleasers. These work as both as individual entrees or as side dishes, so you can take them to a party on their own or put all these components together to make a grand feast. I believe in you! Feel free to dip back into the book and add some cornbread or biscuits to pull it all together.

Miso-Vermouth Braised Drunken Bok Choy

Prep time: 3 minutes | Cook time: 4 minutes | Serves 2 | GF, SF

At different points in my culinary career, I’ve gone through phases where I focus heavily on one type of food. An obsession, some might call it. I mentioned I went through a pickling phase. Well, at one point I was also braising everything. Bok choy is nutrient rich and naturally juicy, which makes it great for braising. Bok choy looks a little scary, like a cross between celery and spinach, so often people don’t know if they’re going to like it until you put it in front of them. In this recipe, miso adds pungent flavor and sets the dish off. I hope this is a beginning to your braising career. Braise on!

1 teaspoon chickpea miso

¼ cup vermouth

1 tablespoon grapeseed or safflower oil

½ cup diced onion

3 stalks baby bok choy, cleaned, cut length wise

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1. In a small bowl, combine the miso and vermouth, blending with a fork or whisk.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot and shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to turn translucent, about 1 minute.

3. Add the bok choy, using tongs to turn and coat with oil. Add the thyme, salt, and vermouth and miso mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Cover the pan and allow to braise for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for a few minutes until ready to serve. Serve hot.

WTF is braising, anyway? A little bit about braising: You have 2 kinds of heat when cooking—dry like in the oven or sauteing and wet like boiling or with water. When you braise, you use both. Dry heat is introduced to the liquid, and it begins to braise, creating a new level of flavor.

“If you’re in a serious relationship and see yourself having children together, make sure you’re both on the same page regarding possible children’s diets right off the bat. If not, that can make for a messy conversation later on.” – GRAEME, VEGAN

White Mushroom Truffle Gravy

Prep time: 7 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves 4

When brainstorming this recipe, I must have passed fifty emails back and forth with my then-editor at Veg-News Magazine. We were trying to land a gravy that you would literally want to drink. This gravy is sacred, and yes, it’s good enough to drink. The mushrooms and truffle flavor blend the perfect amount of earthiness with a touch of sophistication. Trust me, you’re gonna want to put it on just about anything. It’s best paired with your holiday vegan centerpiece, whatever that may be. (Try some simple braised tempeh, here). Be sure to wipe your gravy mustache.

Note: Mixing a non-dairy milk with a lil’ lemon juice is the oldest vegan cooking trick in the book. It creates something with a similar flavor to buttermilk. You’re welcome.

¼ cup vegan butter

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 king oyster mushrooms, finely diced

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh sage

1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups unsweetened soy milk, divided

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon black truffle oil

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, sage, thyme, chili powder, pepper, and salt and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and whisk until the flour is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the soy milk with the lemon juice, then slowly add remaining soy milk. Add the soy-milk-lemon juice mixture to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth.

4. Add the truffle oil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Granny’s Candied Yams with Marshmallows

Prep time: 7 minutes | Cook time: 60 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | GF

One Easter at my maternal grandmother Pauline’s house in Baltimore, fifteen-year-old Ayindé was offered this signature dish for the first time. It was an awkward moment as this wasn’t a vegan option—at that time, vegan marshmallows were non-existent. “Oh it’s just a little butter, baby,” was her response to my mother’s objection. Of course, granny was offended that I did not eat her food, and I was bummed because I thought it looked pretty good and like a clever combo; I wanted to eat it. Now that vegan marshmallows are a thing, I am able to revisit this recipe. This one is for you, Granny!

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick wheels

1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained and ¼ cup juice reserved

½ stick vegan butter, sliced, or ¼ cup coconut oil (optional)

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups vegan marshmallows

1.Place the yam wheels into medium soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Pour off the water and let the potatoes drain and cool in a colander for 7 to 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Transfer the potatoes to a medium baking dish, and add the pineapple chunks and the ¼ cup juice. Add the butter slices, if using, making sure they are evenly dispersed.

3. Place 1 wedge of lemon into each corner of the dish and sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt on top of the yams and pineapples. Bake for 15 minutes. Using oven mitt, remove from oven and evenly distribute the marshmallows on top. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove lemon wedges before serving.

Savory Shiitake and Parmesan Bread Pudding

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Bread pudding is a staple in the Southern kitchen. It’s often served as a breakfast or brunch dish, and can be either savory or sweet. This vegan version is savory. Because sometimes you have to indulge, this is not my healthiest dish. Indeed, it is plucked from the Paula Deen world. Be sure to pace yourself and enjoy!

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons safflower oil, divided

½ cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

½ cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 cups unsweetened soy milk

¾ cup vegan Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons Ener-G egg replacer powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

3 cups bread, roughly torn apart into pieces (whatever kind you have)

¼ cup chopped scallions, for garnish

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, until hot. Add the onion and sauté until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In large bowl, combine the soy milk, parmesan, nutritional yeast, egg replacer, sage, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt. With a handheld emulsion blender or in a high-speed blender, slowly blend ¾ cup oil into the soy milk mixture until the consistency becomes thick and custard-like.

3. Fold in the sautéed mushrooms and onion. Add the bread pieces and fold together until well combined. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled casserole dish and let it sit for 7 to 10 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot. Serve garnished with chopped scallions.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT HIITAKES

1. In many cultures, shiitakes are viewed as a medicinal mushroom, which is NOT the same as a magic mushroom.

2.These little fungi are thought to support our immune system and protect us from cardiovascular disease.

3. Shiitakes are a great source of iron.

4. Shiitakes have grown wild since prehistoric times. They were chillin’ with your friend the brontosaurus.

5. China currently produces over 80 percent of all commercially sold shiitake mushrooms.

Quinoa-Cranberry Wild Rice Skillet Stuffing

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 7 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | GF, SFO

Ginger and I came up with this for a Thanksgiving we spent together during our move-to-Austin, start-a-quinoa-company fantasy period I mentioned earlier. The wild rice complements quinoa’s nuttiness, and when paired with the cranberries, the dish is both savory and sweet. Still living in New York at the time, we were invited to Jersey for dinner and decided to bring this dish. Even though we were late, because we chose to have sex all morning, once at the dinner, everyone enjoyed our addition. Use soy-free Earth Balance to make this soy-free.

3 tablespoons vegan butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup cooked wild rice

½ cup dried cranberries

Salt and black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the cooked quinoa, wild rice, and cranberries. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and sauté for 5 minutes or until hot.

WTF is so wild about wild rice? You might be surprised to learn that wild rice isn’t even a grain, it’s a grass. Yep, I’m telling you to go eat grass. Okay, technically it’s a water-grass seed, and it was a staple in the diet of the Chippewa and Sioux Indian, so it’s fitting to eat on Thanksgiving. Wild rice is also high in protein—roughly equivalent to quinoa, even! So munch on, grass eaters.

Truffle-Roasted Vegetable Medley

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | GF, SF

In my later NYC years, I worked at a hippie-ish veggie joint in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was heavy on seasonal veggies, and we roasted a lot. They used things I would normally skip over, like turnips and squash. However, I learned to love them. They remind me of the simplicity of a garden and of eating seasonally. Your body needs certain things at different times of year, and in winter, you need roots to stay warm. This dish takes it all back to the basics. Just some oil, salt and pepper, heat, and a little added dill to finish. If you’re not a dill fan, you can use your favorite herb to complement the veggies.

2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cut into wedges

2 turnips, peeled and cut into wedges

1 butternut or other hard winter squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch slices

8 ounces baby carrots with stems

1 red onion, cut into wedges

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper

½ cup chopped dill

1 tablespoon black truffle oil, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables. Add the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, tossing to coat.

2. Place the oiled veggies on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in oven and roast until all the vegetables pieces are fork-tender.

3. Remove from the oven, top with fresh dill, and drizzle with truffle oil, if using. Serve hot.

“Separate pots, pans, and cutting boards. Or at least label one side of the cutting board as “vegan” and the other side as “what are you thinking?” – CLARK, VEGAN

Vodka Cranberry Sauce

Prep time: 3 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves 4 to 6 | GF, SF

This is for the grown-up table at Thanksgiving. I couldn’t help but pair these two: cranberry, the holiday season staple, and of course who doesn’t like vodka? Put these two together to make a sauce, and it’s heaven.

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup orange-flavored vodka

½ cup orange juice

½ teaspoon orange zest

Pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, vodka, orange juice, and orange zest, and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the cranberries burst, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Continue to cook over very low heat until the desired consistency is reached. Add pinch of salt. Serve hot.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CRANBERRIES

1.On the antioxidant scale, the tart cranberry outranks nearly every other fruit and veggie, including spinach and broccoli. Damn!

2.In addition to being high in antioxidants, cranberries have natural antibacterial elements, which is why they’re a common holistic cure for urinary tract infections.

3.We import the majority of our cranberries from other countries. Only five states in the U.S are heavy producers of cranberries: Wisconsin (the cranberry is their state fruit), Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, and Washington.

4.Cranberries are one of only three native North American fruits currently cultivated, the others being blueberries and concord grapes. So maybe there’s a reason we incorporate them heavily into our Thanksgiving dishes. Way to go, America.

5.At one point, cranberries were referred to as bear berries. Why? Because bears ate them. Yep.

Seitan Wellington with Roasted Potatoes

Prep time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Seitan is probably the most accessible protein for non-vegans. I chose a Wellington because it’s based on a classic dish and presents very well. This recipe is not for the novice. I suggest you read it over several times before attempting. However, when done well and correctly, it is sure to please. The complex flavors and textures combine to create a meal that is both pleasing to the eye and filling to the stomach. Again, read through this recipe and be prepared like it’s your mid-term and worth half your vegan grade.

Roasted Potatoes (here)

Green Peppercorn Sauce (here)

DUXELLES

2 cups button mushrooms

½ cup peeled, halved shallots

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon vegan butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper

SEITAN BROTH

4 cups water

3 ribs celery, rough chopped

½ onion, quartered

2 tablespoons low-sodium wheat-free tamari

2 teaspoons salt

SEITAN

1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon gumbo filé powder (see here)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon safflower oil, plus more to sear seitan

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 pound vegan puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm brand is vegan)

1. Prepare the roasted potatoes and green peppercorn sauce and set aside.

2. Duxelles: In a food processor, combine the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Pulse until pulverized. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Add the shallots and mushroom mixture and sauté for approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

3. Seitan Broth: Pour the water into a medium stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the celery, onion, tamari, and salt and keep at a low simmer while you prepare the seitan.

4. Seitan: In a medium bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, file powder, and salt.

5. Stir the water and oil into the dry ingredients and mix until it becomes a dough ball. The ball should be moist but not sticky. Knead the seitan ball together with your hands for exactly 2 minutes. Let your dough rest for 5 minutes.

6. Knead the seitan dough for another 2 minutes and let it rest for approximately 5 minutes. Using your hands, form the seitan into cylindrical shape, 8 to 10 inches long.

7. Bring the broth to a boil and place the seitan cylinder into the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 7 minutes. Cook, uncovered, occasionally spooning broth over the top of the seitan. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the seitan from broth. (Reserve the broth for the green peppercorn sauce.) Place the seitan on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

8. Once the seitan is cool, heat a thin layer of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seitan and pan-sear it on all sides, then remove it from the pan to cool. Once cool, smear the Dijon mustard on the seitan and let it sit. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

9. Roll out the puff pastry. Spread the duxelles in center of the pastry, roughly the length of the seitan. Place the seitan in the center of the puff pastry on top of the duxelles mixture. Roll up the pastry and seitan until it is closed. Brush oil on the edge of the pastry to help seal it, tucking in the ends and sealing in the seitan.

10. Place the Wellington on a baking sheet, seam-side down. Brush the top with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Make a couple of slits on the top of the puff pastry to create steam vents. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. About 10 minutes before the Wellington is done baking, return the potatoes to the oven so they’re nice and toasty for serving.

11. To serve, transfer the Wellington to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut it into ½-inch thick slices. Serve hot with the potatoes and the green peppercorn sauce on the side.

Pro-Tip: Flambé is a means to burn off alcohol to leave you with the flavor of the sprits or wine you are using, in this case brandy. The flames are finite; they will disappear after the initial burn. When you light it, be sure to have space above and no low-hanging flammable things like hair or weave and just let it burn—it usually takes about 20 seconds.

Roasted Potatoes

2 pints fingerling potatoes, scrubbed (3 ½ to 4 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

3 tablespoons safflower oil

Salt and black pepper

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, rosemary, sage, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet. Place the garlic cloves around the potatoes. Bake until tender, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Green Peppercorn Sauce

1 ½ cups water

1 cup soaked cashews

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons vegan butter

½ cup sliced shallots

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

⅓ cup brandy

1 cup remaining seitan broth

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

⅓ cup green peppercorns

Salt and white pepper

1. In a blender, combine the cashews and water and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and blend again. The mixture should thicken and coagulate once the lemon is added.Transfer the cream to a bowl and set aside.

2. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and sauté for approximately 2 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté 1 minute longer.

3. Add the brandy, then remove from the heat. Flambé the brandy using a kitchen match. Once the brandy burns out, place the skillet back over medium heat. Add the seitan broth, stirring to combine.

4. Stir in the reserved cashew cream and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until the sauce reduces by half, about 20 minutes Add the mustard and green peppercorns and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

WTF is duxelles? Duxelles is a fancy way of saying “mushroom mixture.” Traditionally, it’s a blend of minced mushrooms, onions, and herbs sauteed in butter and then reduced to a paste. Look at you, you’re learning to make duxelles. Make sure to tell all of your co-workers that’s what you did this weekend…

Stories from the Field

Chloé Jo Davis, founder of Girlie Girl Army

“My husband told me on our first date not to try and turn him into a vegetarian. Then he watched Peaceable Kingdom and went vegan that day. I saw a big heart in him and knew that if he’d read what I read and seen what I’d seen, he would make the change. Here we are, both vegan and together eight years with two human kids and five rescued pets. You can’t go deep, real, dirty, and forever with someone who doesn’t have the same wide expanse of heart that you do. And by “wide expanse,” I mean selfless enough to give up the ego of eating animals for the greater good of compassion, the Earth, reverence for life, and self.”