6 Plant-Based Recipes for a Festive Holiday Feast

Recipes by Jayme MacFayden
Photos by Phil Crozier

1. Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini and Pomegranates

I love the look of beets on a festive table. This dish is so easy yet looks so beautiful when it comes together (who needs a centrepiece when you have food that looks like this!) As this dish is served room temperature you can prepare it a day or two in advance, so you are just assembling the dish at the last minute. The cashew cream will keep for up to four days in the fridge in an airtight container.

2. Mushroom Miso Gravy

I sneak functional mushrooms into everything and using a mushroom broth is an easy way to add it into lots of recipes that call for hot water. Here, the broth takes about an hour to make; if you’re pressed for time you can just use hot water in its place.

3. Roasted Beets with Cashew Cream, Pistachios and Mint

I love the look of beets on a festive table. This dish is so easy yet looks so beautiful when it comes together (who needs a centrepiece when you have food that looks like this!) As this dish is served room temperature you can prepare it a day or two in advance, so you are just assembling the dish at the last minute. The cashew cream will keep for up to four days in the fridge in an airtight container.

4. Gluten-Free Stuffing with Chickpeas, Mushrooms and Sage

This is not your typical stuffing recipe. It’s packed with protein and sneaky, healthy foods and will leave you and your guests feeling well-nourished and cozy from the inside out. I use the sourdough to create croutons and toss them with the roasted veg and tofu at the last minute, making this almost a cross between a panzanella salad and a stuffing. Although great as a side dish, this can also be served as a main course with a nice green salad.

5. Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms

This shepherd’s pie is a staple in our home once the days start getting shorter and you can feel winter creeping in. It fills the home with comforting smells and although it requires a bit of prep, you can easily make this a day ahead of time and bake it to serve. Prepare it a day in advance or in the morning and keep it in the fridge. When you are ready to bake it, take it out at least 30 minutes before it goes in the oven so it has a chance to come close to room temperature. If you like leftovers, it also keeps for days in the fridge and tastes just as good reheated on day five as on the first day you make it.

6. Quinoa Chocolate Cake with Roasted Dandelion Root (with Non Dairy Icing)

This chocolate cake is loaded with protein, contains almost no sugar and it’s so fluffy! Dandelion root adds a nice rich, earthy flavour that complements the chocolate and it’s good for your liver. You can find roasted dandelion root at most health or natural food stores. If it’s not ground you can do so yourself in a coffee grinder very easily.

READ MORE: A Holiday Dinner Party at Home with Designer Amanda Hamilton