Holiday Cooking

Plant-Based Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan

November 21, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 8 Comments

Today may be your lucky day! If you are stressed about Thanksgiving I have a solution for you. My Plant-Based Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan is now on sale for only $3.99.

This Meal Plan features 15 recipes, a step by step planning guide, time-saving tips to de-stress your holiday and a Shopping List for the Top 6 Recipes. Many of the recipes have never been published online like the Mushroom Gravy, Green Bean Casserole and Corn Bread Dressing. Every recipe is Gluten-Free (or has a GF version), Vegan and delicious!

Recipes Include:

Sage Cornbread Dressing
Gluten-Free Corn Bread for Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole with optional glaze
Thanksgiving Mushroom Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Creamy Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Dry Veggie Broth Mix
Cranberry Sauce
Lentil Loaf
Cheezy Potato Casserole
Faux Cheese Sauce for Cheezy Potato Casserole
Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad with Oil-Free Cranberry Salad Dressing
Shepherd’s Pie
Veggie Pot Pie

This Plant-Based Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan is 23 pages long. There are even a few recipes that are perfect for small Thanksgiving Day gatherings. There is a recipe for a Thanksgiving Loaf but you could always buy a Tofurky Roast if that’s more your style.

This Meal Plan is perfect for those will allergies to wheat/gluten, dairy and eggs.

Do you know what you are making for Thanksgiving? Don’t worry, I have you covered! This may be the best $3.99 you have ever spent.

Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes with Julieanna Hever

November 19, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

One of the first plant-based books I bought was The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition by written by Julieanna Hever. It answered all of my questions and became my go to reference guide as a waded through the plant-based waters.

Now Julieanna has her own show called “What Would Julieanna Do?” which airs on Veria Living TV. If you haven’t seen it yet be sure to check it out.

I’m honored to be able to feature 3 of Julieanna’s Plant-Based Thanksgiving recipes today. The first is Kale Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing, this was inspired by Chef AJs House Dressing. You can watch a video of Julianna making this salad at Viera Living TV. I’m also sharing recipes for Julieanna’s Fall Harvest Chowder and Stuffed Acorn Squash

Kale Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 [15-oz.] can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup stone-ground mustard

3 TB. Braggs Amino Acids (or wheat-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce)

2 TB. 100% pure maple syrup

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 cup water

1. Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

2. Serve over kale salad or any salad, vegetables, baked potatoes, steamed veggies, etc.

Serves 4

Fall Harvest Chowder

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 small zucchini, diced

1 (16-oz.) package frozen corn

2 small garnet yams, peeled and diced

4 bay leaves

2 tsp. dried thyme

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1. Over medium-high heat, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in [1/2] cup vegetable broth until slightly browned, approximately 5-10 minutes.

2. Add remaining vegetables, broth or water, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes.

3. Remove bay leaves from soup and blend with immersion blender until mostly pureed. Add spinach leaves and turn off heat. Serve hot.

Serves 8

Stuffed Acorn Squash

4 medium-sized acorn squash, halved and seeded

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 medium celery stalks, diced

4 medium carrots, diced

1/4 cup plus 3 3/4 water or vegetable broth

3/4 cup wild rice, cooked

3/4 cup brown rice, cooked

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp. dried sage

Ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 cup raw walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Place squash halves, cut side down, on 1 or 2 deep baking sheets filled with an inch of water. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven, remove the water, and flip the squash so it is cut-side- up.

3. In a medium pot, sauté onions, carrots, and celery in 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth until slightly browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add wild rice, brown rice, mushrooms, poultry seasoning, sage, black pepper, and remaining water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then simmer on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Add parsley and walnuts and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Spoon rice mixture into each squash. Cover in foil and return to oven. Bake

for 20-25 additional minutes, or until squash is tender. Serve warm.

Serves 4

If you are planning a Thanksgiving Dinner I hope you consider Julieanna’s Plant-Based Thanksgiving recipes but leave some room, I’ll be sharing more Thanksgiving recipes and tips this week.

Father’s Day Meal Ideas (and unsolicited and possibly offensive advice)

June 14, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 6 Comments

Grilled Portobello Steaks, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, green beans, and mushroom gravy.

Do you have a great man in your life that you are celebrating this weekend? I hope you do! My dad and step-dad live several states away so I wont get to spend time with them but I’m hoping for an afternoon phone call. The card is in the mail Dad! 🙂

I will get to spend time with my husband, he is a wonderful man and father and I’m honored to have him in my life. I have no idea what we will be eating that day, I haven’t asked him yet but if you are wrestling with what to cook I’ll offer a few ideas I’m kicking around (that I know my husband loves).

Grilled Portobello Steaks (using this Mushroom Marinade) are a “manly” meal and loved by Omni’s as well as Herbivores. I like to pair it with Mashed Potatoes, green veggies and mushroom gravy.

If you’ve read this blog for any time at all you know we LOVE Mexican food. Seriously, LOVE is an understatement. Nothing (food related) makes my husband happier than homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. They pair well with Portobello Fajita’s, Easy Mexican Brown Rice and Bean Casserole, or Quinoa-Lentil Tacos. Avocado Grillers is another favorite!

What If?

Maybe your husband isn’t interested in Vegan/Plant-based options, do you want to know what I’d do? Choose to honor him! Maybe you fight about food everyday, maybe it has been a big problem between you two? On Father’s Day put that aside, you don’t have to cook ribs or a big slab of meat to honor him. Maybe you take him to a restaurant of his choice or pick up take out to eat at home.

This next part is very important. Don’t say anything negative about the food, don’t make a big deal about it, if something needs to be said just say, “I love you more that your food choices and I want to honor you today and thank you for all you do for our family and all that you are as a man.” That is it. When tomorrow comes don’t rub it in his face either.

Sorry

I know many ethical vegans read this blog so I do want to apologize if this offended you. I try to stay away from offending anyone, no matter their beliefs but I feel very strongly that relationships are more important. Many families are caught in a huge struggle and eating choices are at the center of it. It is sad; for Father’s Day let’s remove that from the equation and just love each other.

If you just cannot bring yourself to serve or buy meat and the man in your life wants it maybe he would be happy with a faux meat option. If push came to shove I’d make my husband a Father’s Day meal of his choice but he knows I don’t want to cook or buy meat so he won’t ask me to. I know, he’s a keeper!

What are your Father’s Day plans?

Plant-Based Brownies

April 17, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 52 Comments

Gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, Plant-Based Brownies! These delicious brownies are sweet and gooey. Your whole family will love this plant-based dessert.

This page contains affiliate links. That mean I could make a small commission if you make purchases using my link. This won’t cost you anything extra.

This recipe was updated in 2020! It tastes the same but uses a gluten-free flour blend for ease.

If you love chocolate, and I mean really love chocolate…these plant-based brownies are for you!

I’ve been making these since 2013 and they are my favorite plant-based brownie recipe. You would never guess that they are gluten-free.

I have to thank Sarah at Gazing In for the original recipe; it contained wheat and oil which we avoid so I adapted it to meet our preferences. I’ve made several of Sarah’s recipes and I always enjoy them.

This recipe is very sweet! We like to serve it with plant-based milk and fruit. If you are worried about the sugar you can half it.

Sweet Potato Brownies

I casually refer to these as my Sweet Potato Brownies! Sweet potatoes are the secret ingredient that make these brownies gooey and rich!

I normally make the sweet potatoes in my Instant Pot but you could bake them in the oven. They need to be soft. You can mash them with a fork but you may notice some tiny orange bits. If you blend them in a blender or food processor until they are creamy, you won’t see them at all.

We always use Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Chips. Either the mini chips, semi sweet chips or chocolate chunks all work equally well.

Plant-Based Brownies (Gluten-free)

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Cup for Cup Gluten-Free Flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
2/3 cup pureed cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 1/2 cup plant milk, start with 1/4 cup
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly spray an 8×8 pan. (This recipe doubles wonderfully, just use a 9×15 pan.)
Put all of the ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is mixed well adding more plant milk if needed.
Fold in chocolate chips reserving a few spoonful’s. Spread the batter smooth and sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, toothpick will not come out clean.

Serve

Allow these brownies to cool before cutting if at all possible. They can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature but you probably wont have leftovers unless you make a double batch. Unlike most gluten-free baked goods these taste great the next day.

I hope you try these! I know you will enjoy them. They are now my favorite dessert!

Yield: 9

Plant-Based Brownies

Gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, Plant-Based Brownies! These delicious brownies are sweet and gooey. Your whole family will love this plant-based dessert.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Cup for Cup Gluten-Free Flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
2/3 cup pureed cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plant-based milk, I use rice milk
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly spray an 8×8 pan or use parchment paper. (This recipe doubles wonderfully, just use a 9×15 pan.)
Put all of the ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is mixed well.
Fold in chocolate chips reserving a few spoonful’s. Spread the batter smooth and sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, toothpick will not come out clean.

Notes

Allow these brownies to cool before cutting if at all possible. They can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature but you probably wont have leftovers unless you make a double batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m out of applesauce, what can I use?

You can use a pureed apple, pear, peach or other similar fruit. See this post about substituting applesauce for more suggestions.

What can I use instead of cane sugar?

You can use your favorite sweetener! I’ve used turbinado sugar for years. Lately we have switched or organic cane sugar. Use whatever you already have. Many people have used coconut sugar with good result.

That’s a lot of sugar, can I use less?

You bet you can. I recommend using half. This recipe is really sweet, which we love but it’s too sweet for some. You can also try using maple syrup, date paste or your favorite sugar. If using a liquid form of sugar, you may need to decrease the amount of plant-based milk you use.

Can I use something other than Sweet Potato?

Yes, you can substitute pureed pumpkin in place of the sweet potato. You could also try pureed squash or zucchini but I haven’t personally tried them.

Have you tried these brownies? I’d love to hear what you think!

Healthy Cravings February Recap: A 5 Course Italian Meal

March 1, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo Leave a Comment

I almost forgot to share all of the deliciousness that happened at the last Healthy Cravings.

I admit that I was a little nervous, I didn’t know if everyone would like their favorite Italian comfort foods adapted into healthy plant-based versions. I didn’t want to create recipes that were merely “less toxic” than the originals, I wanted them to be truly nourishing. I’ve shared most of the recipes previously and I have a few more I’ll share in the coming weeks.

I want to mention that almost everything was gluten-free. I have several gluten-free ladies who typically attend but if gluten isn’t an issue for you whole grain noodles could easily be substituted. Also I forgot to take pictures of everything before we ate but I got a few leftover shots.

We started the evening with Bruschetta. Half was served on toasted French Baguette and the other half on gluten-free crackers.

Next was soup and salad. This is my new favorite salad by the way! I used a variety of lettuces and greens, pepperoncini’s , olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and red onion. I don’t even need a dressing with this, but I served a homemade oil-free dressing that everyone loved. Can you believe I can’t find the recipe? It’s true, I remember what’s in it but not the amounts so I’ll make it again today and post it soon.

I served Minestrone Soup that was glorious, it may have been the favorite of the evening. I’ve always gotten good reviews from it. I bought new Italian seasoning and I have to say it has a bit more “kick” than my previous seasoning. I may have used less had I known it’s potency.

Before

After

Everyone LOVED the Lasagna! One friend wasn’t able to attend that night but has since made it for her family and they really enjoyed it. Initially she was skeptical and is a self-proclaimed snob when it comes to Italian food but she was pleasantly surprised and plans to add it to her meal rotation.

This isn’t your typical Mac & Faux Cheese. Yes it is still carbalicious but I’m not afraid of carbs. It has potatoes and cauliflower that add veggies and creaminess without the dairy or oil you would typically get in Mac & Cheese. I added a little too much potato the night of Healthy Cravings and it really muted the cheesiness of the nutritional yeast, I should have added more but I didn’t. The reviewers didn’t love this dish as much as the lasagna. My 2 year old couldn’t get enough. Most of the attenders are still eating dairy and haven’t completely transitioned to a plant-based diet. As I warn in the recipe this is better for dairy-free people. If you are used to eating dairy or boxed Mac & Cheese this will not tantalize your taste buds the same way. If you are plant-based I think you will like it, feel free to dress it up or add other vegetables.

I didn’t serve this with peas or mushrooms at Healthy Cravings but you get the idea.

We also had Happy Herbivore’s Fettuccine Alfredo. I have made this numerous times and it has always been fantastic. Until the night of Healthy Cravings. I couldn’t find the kind of tofu I normally use so I tried a different brand and it was a bust. I’m sure it scared everyone away from vegan alfredo. We don’t normally use tofu or soy, maybe a few times a year but this alfredo is (usually) worth it. Maybe that is a good lesson, you can’t let one bad experience scare you away from something.

We finished off the evening by enjoying coffee and dessert. I have to thank my Dad for giving me a Keurig for Christmas, everyone loved the coffee, especially trying the So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer in original and French Vanilla. They also loved the gluten-free Biscotti I made. It wasn’t as crisp as traditional biscotti but the flavor was great. I plan to give it another go and share the recipe soon.

Now you can imagine you were here with us! Next months food theme is Breakfast! I’ll also pay a little more attention to breakfast on the blog for the month of March.

Chocolate Cake:Gluten-Free and Vegan

February 26, 2013 by Holly Yzquierdo 17 Comments

If you have to avoid wheat/gluten then this is the cake for you. I developed a fascination for GF baking several years ago because I had two friends who couldn’t eat gluten and never got the good stuff at potlucks. I would try to always make something they could eat. They were always so appreciative even though I never loved my creations, they were happy to have whatever I brought.

Fast forward to spring/summer 2012 and I finally discover my son’s eczema is the result of gluten/wheat. He was just under 1 1/2 years old so he wasn’t eating a lot of cakes or cookies but he loved pancakes, banana bread, etc. I was determined that he wouldn’t have to do without “normal” food.

I have a list of favorites I intend to adapt so that they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and peanut-free. I want my little guy to experience donuts, birthday cake, and banana pudding without pain or illness.

I’ve been working on this cake for a while. I wanted to make it as allergy friendly as possible. I have a friend who can’t have apples or bananas so I had been making it without them but I couldn’t get the taste or texture right. I decided to abandon that idea (temporarily, I’ve got some ideas) because I needed to make a birthday cake for my 4 year old.

If you follow My Plant-Based Family on Facebook then you know that I shared this recipe with several people. I got great feedback from everyone who made it. Some people couldn’t make it because they couldn’t find all of the ingredients. I buy some of them from Amazon because I can’t always find them locally. You could probably substitute a store bought GF baking mix with good results.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Cake