Holiday entertaining can be joyous and fun, a time to celebrate with friends and family members as well as meet new people. It can also be challenging to accommodate guests’ diverse dietary wants and needs. With years of professional cooking experience, my advice is to create a menu offering mostly vegan or vegetarian options and lean toward dairy-free and gluten-free ingredients. Instead of worrying yourself with a multitude of dishes that cater to individuals, simply make the menu friendly for most.
Plan ahead to make the event relaxed and comfortable for you and your guests. It’s often easier to serve family style or as a buffet. Make certain to label all the dishes, including listing all the ingredients. (You can create individual labels to place beside each dish or place a full menu in a frame and feature it on the buffet.) If you do serve meat, dairy or seafood, try to serve it as a separate garnish that guests can pile on themselves — think bacon bits, grated cheese and chopped shrimp. The key is to make the ingredients clear for your guests.
The great news is that plant-based eating is on the rise. This is generally better for our bodies, better for the planet, and better for your party budget.
RECIPES
This trio of vegan hors d’oeuvres is simple, satisfying and appealing to guests with a wide variety of food preferences. If you are concerned about nut allergies, substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds for the almonds and pecans.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Romesco Sauce with Potatoes
Romesco sauce is a highly flavorful tomato-based sauce that originated in Catalonia, Spain. It was made by fishermen to accompany seafood and is fantastic to serve with grilled or poached fish and shrimp. The bonus is that it truly has many uses in the kitchen. It can be used as a nondairy dip for vegetables, as a sandwich spread, and spooned into soups and stews for a punch of bold flavor.
This Romesco sauce can also be served with blanched broccoli florets or oven-roasted cauliflower.
1 pound small Yukon gold potatoes (about the size of a walnut)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup roasted almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Once cooled completely, use a paring knife to halve the potatoes.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, grind the almonds. Add roasted peppers, tomato puree, garlic and smoked paprika. Blend until it becomes a paste. Add the vinegar and pulse to blend. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately, surrounded by halved potatoes. Romesco sauce may be stored in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 2 cups.
Per 2-tablespoon serving, including 1 1/2 potatoes: 74 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 184 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Tofu Veggie Dip
Dips are notoriously decadent and delicious, often made with full-fat sour cream, rich cream cheese and smooth mayo. Who doesn’t like dunking a chip or wedge of veg into creamy goodness? That very creaminess also makes dips overly indulgent, the equivalent of dipping a healthy broccoli floret into an ice cream sundae. Silken tofu is the answer. It’s full of protein, vegan, low in calories, and yet has a rich taste that’s certain to satisfy.
1 (16-ounce) block silken tofu
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, basil and dill
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the tofu, herbs, nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, onion powder, salt and pepper in the jar of a blender. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately. Store in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 21 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 2 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, 1 gram total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 61 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Pecan Stuffed Mushrooms
This recipe for Pecan Stuffed Mushrooms was inspired by the blog Lana’s Cooking by Lana Stuart, a popular home-cooking website dedicated to Southern comfort food. I’ve subbed whole wheat bread for her cornbread stuffing mix to increase the nutritional density. Stuart offers her stuffed mushrooms as a side dish for a special dinner, and I find they also make for a lovely warm hors d’oeuvres. It’s rich and meaty-tasting, but vegan and low on effort and expense.
1 pound whole cremini mushrooms (about 18 medium mushrooms)
½ sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup chopped pecans
2 pieces whole wheat bread or gluten-free bread, torn into bits
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Closely trim the stem ends of the mushrooms with a paring knife and discard. Remove the remaining stems and chop them into small bits.
Spray all sides of the de-stemmed mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray and place in a medium ovenproof casserole dish. Set aside.
Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the pecans, bread, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared mushroom caps, pressing lightly to pack the caps. Transfer to the oven and bake until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 18.
Per mushroom: 51 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 2 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 83 milligrams sodium.
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