IT WAS DELICIOUS. here are some real casual recipes…

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

trim the sprouts and take off any leaves that are gross. cut in half, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. bake at 400 for 10 minutes then broil quickly to crisp up the tops. i then tossed them with a balsamic reduction but that’s pretty optional.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN! I blanched a large head of cauliflower, made a roux then added half broth half almond milk then some daiya and smoked paprika and 1 tbsp dijon  to make a cheese sauce. mixed with the cauliflower, sauteed garlic tops, and season with salt and pepper. i topped it with a mix of bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, black pepper and a big pinch of ground daiya.

STUFFING! maybe my favourite part. i carmelized an onion and a then added a couple garlic tops. mixed it together with 4 slices of my own bread, cubed. also, capers, 4 chopped dates, arugula, fennel seeds, rosemary, chili flakes, a bit of TVP bacon, 1/3 c. chopped walnuts and then added just enough broth to moisten. put it in a casserole and bake it at 400 until it looks like delicious stuffing (15-20 minutes).

here’s the spread. i made sheets of seitan then filled them with stuffing, rolled em, tied em and baked em. after making them, i would rather not stuff them and braise the seitan. with the leftovers, i cut it in slices, lightly pan fried it then braised it in broth and red wine. super tasty.

oh and there were mashed potatoes of course. and almond mushroom gravy…

and for dessert? PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

take half a sleeve of graham crackers and pulse them in the food processor until they’re pretty fine. add 1/2 c. unsweetened ribboned coconut and pulse again. mix with 1/3 c. earth balance and press into a springform pan. bake at 325 until JUST A TEENY BIT GOLDEN, 25 minutes.

let cool. meanwhile mix 1/2 can pureed pumpkin (OH YEAH DID I MENTION THIS IS TRASHY VEGAN CHEESECAKE? if you don’t want trash, don’t read this one), 2 containers plain tofutti cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and 1/8 c. flour and 1/4 c. sugar. spread over crust then bake at 350 until set in the centre. OPTIONAL: do a little swirly on top with a tbsp of pumpkin spice, 2 tbsp earth balance an 2 tbsp brown sugar before baking