The holidays can be tough, especially for a new vegan or someone trying to change their eating habits. I can remember my first holidays as a vegan. I think both my family and I were defeated with trying to figure out how I can still feel comfortable and have something to eat, while everyone else was enjoying their ham, turkey, and all the sides that were still made with meat and milk. The first year, I ended up just making my go to sweet and sour eggplant as my main dish and picked over the sides I could actually eat from the main meal.
Now that my family and I are more comfortable with my vegan lifestyle, I actually bring some of my favorite dishes to the holiday meal, so that I can have a full meal the way I like it and if any of my non-vegan family members want to try something they can, theres enough for that too! You can see that from the photo above, all the vegan items are on one side of the table but still in the rotation for everyone to try.
Below youll find recipes for my vegan mac n cheese, collard greens, and roasted veggies. As well as meat substitute options for a 3 bean sausage wrap and king oyster mushroom pulled pork.
Give it a try and let me see your creations on social media by using the hashtag #veggiecurls
vegan mac n cheese, roasted veggies, and bean wrap
Vegan Macaroni & Cheese
- Servings: 12-24
- Difficulty: medium
Ingredients
2 Cups of Almond Milk
1 1/2 Packages of Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Package of Daiya Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
1 Box (1 LB/16 OZ) of Elbow Macaroni
2 Tbsp of Sea Salt
1 Tbsp of Black Pepper
1 Tbsp of Basil
1 Tbsp of Paprika
1/4 cup of Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup of vegan butter
DIRECTIONS
Prep a large pot of water on high heat and add 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
Add the macaroni once the water starts to boil.
Cook the macaroni to Al Dente(when the pasta is cooked but still a bit firm).
Drain, strain and rinse pasta with cold water so the pasta doesnt stick.
Pour drained pasta back into the large pot and set aside.
Pour 2 cups of Almond Milk into a deep skillet on medium high heat.
Add 1 package of the shredded cheddar cheese and half of package of the pepper jack cheese into the almond milk.
Stir the mixture together until it becomes a thick cheese sauce.
Add the salt, pepper and basil to the cheese sauce for flavor and stir.
Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir the macaroni and cheese together.
In an aluminum baking dish, spray nonstick cooking spray and add The macaroni and cheese. Add the vegan butter in chunks in between the mac and cheese across the pan.
Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar and half of the pepper jack on top of the mac and cheese, along with the Paprika and breadcrumbs. Be sure to spread the breadcrumbs evenly, so you can have a tasty looking dishes without chunks of breadcrumbs splattered throughout the dish.
Place into the oven and bake for 30 mins.
Enjoy!
Vegan Collard Greens
Collard Greens
- Servings: 4
- Difficulty: medium
Ingredients
- 1 package or bundle of collard greens
- 1 tbsp of liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1/2 of white onion diced
- 1 tbsp of onion powder
- 1 tbsp of garlic powder
- 1 tbsp of chili powder
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1-2 cups of vegetable stock or No-Chicken Broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Wash the greens very well. You can presoak them in lemon juice, vinegar and water for an hour, if desired.
If the greens arent already cut be sure to remove the ribs (if desired), but into a chiffonade, rinse and drain.
Sautee onion and garlic in a large pot on medium high heat for 1 minute.
Add all the stock, seasonings, and liquid smoke to the large pot
Bring to a boil
Add the collard greens, stir and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes
Enjoy!
Bonus: Heres another version of vegan collard greens to try
Need more? Check out the following recipes to complete the Thanksgiving meal:
Basic Roasted Veggies Feel free to add any additional veggies you want to this dish including broccoli, zucchini, or any of your favorites. This is something vegans and non-vegans can enjoy equally
3 Bean Sausage Roll: Pinned from http://www.tinnedtomatoes.com
Spicy 3 Bean Sausage Roll This is really good but be sure to add some type of sauce to it to prevent it from being too dry. Ive tried it with Guacamole (amazing), vegan blue cheese, and more!
KING OYSTER MUSHROOM PULLED PORK from http://www.liveeatlearn.com
Mushroom BBQ Pulled Pork Im making this this year and added some vegan rolls to make this a slider! Be sure to add your favorite BBQ sauce. I add the sauce from my favorite BBQ joint back home in Jacksonville. The extra touch of home make this meal taste even better!