Side Dishes

Vegan-ly Delicious, Decidedly Southern Quick and Easy Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves four

Actress Ginnifer Goodwin’s favorite Thanksgiving recipe, inspired by a dish at Akron, Ohio, restaurant VegiTerranean, which was, opened by renowned vegan chef Tal Ronnon and owner Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes
Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
Organic brown sugar
1/2 tsp fresh, ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup unflavored soy milk

Instructions

1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into cubes (yields approximately 4 cups).
2. Boil cubes in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes, then drain.
3. Add Earth Balance, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Mash with mixer, adding small amounts of soy milk until mixture is creamy.

Enjoy!

Variations: Top with vegan marshmallows, a handful of raisins, or a sprinkling of finely chopped pecans.

Corn Muffins

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup soymilk
*Egg replacer equivalent of 2 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons (¼ stick) margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly oil a muffin pan. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the soymilk and egg replacer and add to the dry ingredients. Add the margarine and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick or fork comes out clean.

* To replace the eggs in these recipes we used Ener-G Egg Replacer, a powdered egg substitute available in health food stores. You could also try the following substitutes in place of eggs:
1 Tablespoon soy powder mixed with 2 Tablespoons water = 1 egg
2 Tablespoons soymilk = 1 egg
1 banana = 1 egg
1 Tablespoon finely ground flaxseed blended with 3 Tablespoons water until frothy and viscous = 1 egg.

Cranberry Sauce

Combine ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until cranberries pop open. Skim off foam. Cool and place in serving dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
5 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup soymilk
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut top off of garlic, leaving a flat surface. Brush cut part of garlic with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic loosely in foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until garlic is tender. Cool, then squeeze garlic out of skins. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash well. Add garlic, margarine, soymilk, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Golden Millet with Pine Nuts and Apricots
Serves 8

4 cups water
2 cups millet
1 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
¾ cup red onion, finely chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add millet, reduce heat and cover pot and let cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for about 20-30 minutes until all water is absorbed.

1. Put cooked millet in a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Toast pine nuts in a non-stick skillet until lightly browned.
3. Add pine nuts and remaining ingredients to millet, mix well and serve warm.
   

Green Beans Almondine

A culinary classic, this simple combo is always a hit.

4 cups green beans, ends trimmed
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup water
1 tablespoon sesame oil (or Earth Balance Spread)
½ cup toasted almond slivers
Salt and pepper to taste

Place green beans, salt and water in a sauce pan. Cover and steam over medium high heat for five minutes, or until desired tenderness.

Drain beans and transfer to a bowl. Toss with sesame oil and almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serves 4

© 2008 Natural Kitchen Cooking School

Millet-Cauliflower Mash

If you like mashed potatoes, you’ll love millet-cauliflower mash. Smother with mushroom gravy and enjoy a delicious version of this nutritious little powerhouse of a grain. You’ll also reap the anti-cancer benefits of cruciferous veggies like cauliflower.

1 medium sized head cauliflower, broken into florettes
1 cup millet, rinsed and soaked overnight in 3 ½ cups of water
Pinch sea salt
½ cup minced parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil (or Earth Balance Spread)

Place cauliflower in a medium sized pot. Add millet, soaking water and sea salt. Cover pot and bring to boil over medium high flame. Reduce heat to simmer on low 25 minutes, until cauliflower is fork tender and millet is fluffy. 

Add parsley and olive oil. Mash coarsely with a potato masher and serve with hot gravy.

Serves 4

© 2008 Natural Kitchen Cooking School

Mixed Greens With Roasted Shallot Dressing and Toasted Walnuts

6 shallots, cut in half, skins left on NOTES
1 garlic clove, cut in half
4 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 cup Light olive oil or olive oil and canola oil mixture
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mixed baby greens (arugula, mizuna, baby romaine, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, etc.)

Toasted walnuts
To make dressing
Preheat oven to 400°. Wrap the shallots in foil, and bake them for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, open it, and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic and vinegar. With your hands, separate the shallot skins from the flesh, and add the flesh to the machine. Puree the mixture.

Slowly, with the machine running, add the olive/canola oil in a thin, steady stream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the greens
Thoroughly rinse the greens and spin-dry in a salad spinner.

To toast the walnuts
Soak the walnuts in 2 times warm water for thirty minutes (e.g., ½ cup walnuts would be soaked in 1 cup water). Drain. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until dry and light brown. Rotate every 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste while warm. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Toss the greens with just enough dressing to coat lightly. Serve with walnuts sprinkled on top.

Southern Oregon Animal Rights Society
Vegan Cooking Series - Fall Entertaining
MeadowBrook Farm Talent, Oregon

Sautéed Green Beans

Steam green beans until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Sauté garlic and ginger in olive oil until they just start to brown. Add the beans and vinegar to the pan and sauté until the beans are well-coated and warmed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sliced almonds.

Stuffing

Fry onion and celery in oil until translucent but still crunchy. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs. Pour broth and remaining ingredients over mixture, and stir well while heating on low. Place stuffing in an 8-inch square pan. Lightly brush the top with sesame oil and cover with foil, baking for 350° for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on desired crispness.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2 cups flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soy margarine
1 cup sweet potato, cooked and
mashed
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking
powder, and salt. Cut in margarine with a pastry
blender (or two knives) until mixture resembles a
coarse meal. Add sweet potato, soymilk and maple
syrup and stir until moist.
2. Knead dough 5 times on a floured surface. Pat
dough into a 9-inch square and cut into 16 squares.
Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 °
for 15-20 minutes.