A very merry vegan holiday

Holiday time is approaching fast, and you know what that means. Food, food and more food. Holidays are a time of cheer, delicious treats and mouth-watering turkey. But wait, what happens if you’re vegan? What do they eat? Do they just skip holiday dinner?

Being vegan is no reason to skip the best meal of the year. It’s an opportunity to make the traditional holiday meal different and unique. Veganism is a very hip diet these days. People go vegan for many reasons, but what people don’t know is that going vegan can actually protect you from harmful diseases.

Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets states that adapting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can actually lower your risk of getting cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The main reason for this perk is because vegetarians and vegans tend to have a lower body mass index.

So where do you find delicious vegan friendly recipes? Well look no further. The blog Hot For Food (hotforfoodblog.com) is exactly what you’re searching for. Hot For Food is a blog written by couple Lauren Toyota and John Diemer. Their blog includes some delicious recipes, DIYs and vegan friendly events.

Toyota and Diemer shared some of their thoughts about veganism and why it’s an important topic people should be educated about. The Hot For Food couple said, “We think it’s important because we’re so common now. There are lots of people who eat vegan and it’s becoming a bigger movement. If you’re having guests over for the holiday season and someone is vegan, don’t make them feel bad or look at it as a set back. Think of it as a challenge to your culinary abilities.”

The pair also shared that they love to bring a vegan cheese ball and crackers to gatherings as the perfect pre-feast snack.

Toyota and Diemer were nice enough to share some of their holiday themed recipes to get our holiday meals started. Follow Hot For Food on Instagram (@hotforfood) for more.

Roasted Corn Salad with Fresh Herbs

2 cups roasted corn kernels (approx. 3 cobs)

2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp each chives, mint, basil, parsley, all finely chopped

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Ground pepper to taste

Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and break up the pieces into a medium sized bowl. Add other ingredients and mix with a spoon until everything is well coated and combined.

Vegan Lasagna

Layers ingredients:

1 pack of ready bake brown rice lasagna noodles

1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

2 cups baby spinach

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

1-15 oz can crush tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp each of fresh chopped basil & parsley

1 tbsp fresh or dried oregano

Salt and pepper

Sauté onion in some olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add tomato paste and herbs, then the crushed tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Bechanel (white sauce) Ingredients:

1/2 cup silken tofu

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp seat salt

Put all these ingredients in a blender and combine. For the cheese on top you can use whatever you please. One option you could choose is Daiya Mozzarella shreds. Bake at 400 F covered with foil for 40 minutes. Then, a few minutes under the broiler to brown the top.

Raw Apple Crumble

Filling ingredients:

4 apples, peeled & thinly sliced

1/2 lemon, juice only

6 pitted dates

1/4 cup water

2 tsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Peel and slice apples and toss in lemon juice. In a blender or food processor combine the remaining filling ingredients. Pour over apples and toss to coat evenly. Evenly layer them on the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish or circular cake pan, or you can assemble these as individual desserts in bowls.

Crumble Ingredients:

1 cup raw walnuts

4 pitted dates

2 tbsp coconut butter, softened

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

To soften the coconut butter just use a spoon or your hand to work a little bit of a massage into it’s pliable. Combine the remaining crumble ingredients with the coconut butter in a foot processor. You should have a soft crumble. With your hands, crumble and spread the topping evenly over the apples.