Well beloveds November is here and you know what that means right? If not, let me fill you in. It means that whether you celebrate holidays or not, a whole helluva lot of cooking is about to take place. Now many of us during the holiday season eat like our minds are bad, walk away from it with 15 pounds of extra weight, and then proceed to making New Year’s resolutions to lose it. So it only makes sense to give you all some healthy Vegan holiday recipes. This way you can eat good and willfully feel lighter than you normally would.
Tofurky (Vegan Tofu Turkey)
1 ½ cups of boiling water
½ tbsp dill
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp sage
½ tsp pepper
1-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lb firm tofu cut into ¼ inch thick squares (Press the water out of the tofu with a tofu press for 20 minutes prior to cutting)
Preparation:
Mix all of the ingredients except for the tofu in a bowl and set to the side, this will be your marinade. Take your tofu that has been drained and cut it into ¼ inch thick slices and place them is the marinade and let them sit for 1 hour minimum or longer (the longer the tofu is in the marinade the better the flavor profile will be). If it is longer than an hour sit the marinated tofu in the refrigerator. Once your done marinating your tofu, place the slices on a baking sheet and cook at 350° for 1 hour turning the slices over for even cooking after 30 minutes. If you find that you would like the tofu slices to have more color, fry them in a nonstick pan until both sides are browned to your liking.
Cornbread
1 cup of medium grind cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup of sugar (I use sugar in the raw)
1 Egg (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer) {Egg replacer makes this recipe Vegan and not Vegetarian}
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup earth balance butter
Preparation:
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add egg or egg replacer, soy milk and vegan butter. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute (be careful not to overbeat). Bake in a greased 8-inch square pan for 30-45 minutes at 350°. Stick a knife, fork, or toothpick in the center to ensure that it is completely cooked. Serve warm with vegan butter and enjoy
As much as I would like to give you an entire menu of good Vegan holiday eats, we don’t have that degree of time. I did however want to at least give you a quick, easy, and healthy 5 minute dessert.
Chocolate Pudding with Whip Cream
1 package of silken tofu (I like vanilla)
3/8 cup of Cocoa Power
4 tablespoons of Soy Milk
Preparation:
Place all of the ingredients into a blender cover and puree until smooth. Then place the mixture in a container and refrigerate an hour, then serve.
VARIATIONS: You DO NOT have to adjust the recipe if you want to add any variation
You can add a Banana, for chocolate banana pudding
You can add 5 Strawberries, for chocolate strawberry pudding
You can add 1/2 cup of Blueberries, for chocolate blueberry pudding
Whip Cream
¼ cup soy milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp of cane sugar
1 tsp cornstarch (get organic cornstarch to avoid GMO corn)
½ cup oil
Preparation:
Place all of the ingredients except the oil into a blender and start blending the ingredients. While the ingredients are blending slowly add the oil. Blend the entire mixture until it is smooth. Then place the mixture in a container and refrigerate an hour, then serve.
Enjoying holiday meals does not mean it needs to be to the detriment of your figure. Remember to eat moderately during these times and making sure you are staying on top of your exercise regimen. This way the holiday good-good will not have you struggling and regurgitating resolutions for the New Year. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @NakeashaJ and on Instagram @Melanated_Beauty.
