Sweet and citrusy energy balls make for both pretty and healthy holiday snacks. (Photography by Marie Reginato)

7 Lip-Smacking Vegan Holiday Recipes Even Meat Lovers Will Swallow

19 December 2017

The holidays are all about being indulgent—endless feasting, shopping and time with your favorite people. It's also a time when rules are broken and health goals become afterthoughts until the New Year.

But the good news is you can still treat yourself to delicious eats and incorporate more veggies in your life—and that's whether you're a devout vegan, considering becoming one, or just trying to fit into your skinny jeans. For help, we're looking to the expert: Bay Area chef and Instagram food darling Marie Reginato, whose plant- and seafood-based recipes have been featured everywhere from MindBodyGreen to Food52.

Reginato swears by hearty veggie-laden dishes—think pumpkin curry, stews, one-pot pastas and grain bowls—that "do a phenomenal job at keeping you energized and full throughout the day." Her new cookbook, Alternative Vegan, shatters the notion that eating has to be a binary choice and that food and diet is not one-size-fits-all.

"This book gives you the wiggle room to stick to a healthy lifestyle long term," Reginato says. "It makes plant-based cooking more accessible with two sections dedicated to incorporating seafood and eggs into your diet whenever you'd like."

The book is chock-full of mouthwatering recipes that will also do the work of impressing your friends and fam during holiday meals. Check out five irresistible side dishes plus a snack for the road, as well a few tips from Reginato on how to stay healthy this season.

Makes 4 slices. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided
1 medium fennel bulb, quartered and sliced
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
2 tsp (2 g) green onions, chopped into thin rings
2 tsp (2 g) dill, chopped
4 (1⁄2" [13-mm]-thick) slices of precooked polenta roll
2 tbsp (15 g) any flour (use brown rice flour as a gluten-free option), reserved for the polenta
Directions
In a medium-sized sauté pan on medium-high heat, warm half of the olive oil for 1 minute. Add in the fennel slices and a pinch of sea salt, and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the fennel is tender but still crisp. Remove from the heat and add in the maple syrup, green onions and dill. Mix well.
Remove the fennel mixture and set aside while you add in the remaining olive oil to the sauté pan. As the oil warms on medium-high heat, lightly press the polenta into the flour, so that it coats each side. This will prevent the polenta from sticking when cooking in the oil. Now sauté the polenta slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until they're crisp and slightly golden brown. Remove from the sauté pan and pat the polenta with a paper towel to remove any excess olive oil.
Top each polenta cake with the sweet fennel mixture.
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Makes 4 slices: vegan and glutenfree
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
4 (1⁄2" [13-mm]-thick) slices of precooked polenta roll
2 tbsp (15 g) any flour (use brown rice flour as a gluten-free option), reserved for the polenta
4 tbsp (30 g) ricotta, or use coconut yogurt or vegan "cheese" if vegan
1 crisp Asian pear, or crispy apple, sliced thin
2 tsp (2 g) fresh sage leaves, chopped
Small handful of pistachios, chopped
Drizzle of honey, or maple syrup if vegan
Sea salt
Directions
Warm the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.
As the oil warms, lightly press the polenta into the flour, so that it coats each side. This will prevent the polenta from sticking when cooking in the oil.
Now sauté the polenta slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until they're crisp and slightly golden brown. Remove from the sauté pan and pat the polenta with a paper towel to remove any excess olive oil.
Assemble the polenta cake by first layering 1 tablespoon (7 g) of ricotta to each cake, then add four thin slices of pear, a sprinkling of fresh sage and pistachio and top it off with a generous drizzle of honey and pinch of sea salt.
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Serves 3–4. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients for the salad
1⁄2 cup (110 g) black quinoa or black rice
1⁄2 bunch of asparagus
2 small carrots
1⁄2 cup (75 g) snow peas or sugar snap peas, cut in half
1⁄3 cup (50 g) frozen peas
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
Handful of hazelnuts, chopped, for topping (optional)
Ingredients for the arugula pesto
1 cup (115 g) walnuts
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
3 cups (60 g) arugula
1 cup (30 g) spinach
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp (30 ml) water
Sea salt
Directions
Start by cooking the quinoa by following the instructions on the box. Add in a 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt to the pot of water.
In the meantime, prepare the veggies for steaming. Cut the bottoms off the asparagus and discard. Keep the tops of the asparagus and then slice each stem into thirds at an angle (as in photo). Cut the rest of the veggies in this manner, except the frozen peas.
Add the asparagus, carrots, snow peas, frozen peas and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt to a medium-sized sauté pan on high heat and fill the pan with just enough water to cover the veggies. After the water starts to boil, cook for 3 minutes. Fill a bowl with cold water and put the veggies in to stop them from cooking. This process of blanching keeps the veggies vibrant in color and crisp in texture. The veggies rest in the cold- water bath until the quinoa has finished cooking and then are drained.
As the quinoa cooks, make the pesto. Start by placing only the walnuts and olive oil into the food processor and blend for about 25 seconds. Breaking down the nuts first makes for a very creamy pesto. Then add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste the pesto to see if you'd like to add more salt or lemon juice.
Once the quinoa has cooked, add a few scoops to a serving bowl and mix in half of the veggies with a few dollops of the pesto. Mix well so that the pesto coats all the veggies. Top with the chopped hazelnuts.
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Serves 3–4. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) beluga lentils (black lentils)
1 cauliflower head
2 heaping tbsp (35 ml) olive oil
1⁄2 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Sea salt
Juice of 2 medium-sized oranges, divided, and zest of 1 orange
1–2 tsp (3–6 g) chili flakes
2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) red wine vinegar
Directions
Start by cooking the lentils as the box instructs and add 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt to the pot of water.
In the meantime, set your oven broiler to high, line a baking pan and remove the stem of the cauliflower head. Removing the stem lets the cauliflower break off into smaller florets. Cut the florets so that they're all similar in size—medium, bite-size pieces.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Now add in the cauliflower, fennel slices, garlic and sea salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan ever dries out, add a few splashes of water and mix well. Now on a lined baking pan, add the sautéed veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and broil in the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove the veggies from the oven and toss the cauliflower mixture back into the saucepan. Add the juice from 1 orange, chili flakes, red wine vinegar and a few pinches of sea salt and mix well.
Now that the lentils have cooked and have absorbed all the liquid (if they haven't, just pour the excess liquid out), squeeze in the juice from 1 orange and its zest. Top the lentils with the cauliflower mixture (including any of the vinegar-juice that may be left over) and enjoy!
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Ingredients for the harissa roasted tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups [300 g])
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp harissa
Sea salt to taste
Ingredients for the sweet potato and toppings
3 small sweet potatoes
3⁄4 cup (150 g) black beans, warmed
1⁄3 cup (45 g) thinly sliced red onion, cut in half
1 avocado, sliced
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Handful of microgreens (optional topping)
Directions
Start making the harissa roasted tomatoes by roasting your cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Wrap the cloves of garlic in foil and place them on a lined baking dish along with the cherry tomatoes and bake for 25 minutes, or until the skins of the tomatoes have slightly blistered and the juices have burst through the sides.
Once the tomatoes have cooked, remove them and the garlic from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, turn up the heat to 420°F (215°C) and line another baking sheet. Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and toss them onto the lined baking sheet. Cook the sweet potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes (depending on the size), until the skin is crispy and the inside is tender.
As the sweet potatoes cook, add the tomatoes, garlic, harissa and salt into a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds until the tomatoes have broken down and everything is well mixed. Taste the sauce and see if you would like to add more harissa.
Once the sweet potatoes have finished cooking, it's time to assemble your plate! Add a layer of the harissa roasted tomato sauce onto the plate, top with the sliced roasted sweet potato and sprinkle with black beans, red onion slices, avocado, pumpkin seeds, microgreens and a drizzle more of the harissa roasted tomato sauce.
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Serves 6–8. Vegan.
Ingredients for pralines and cream
2 (14-oz [400-g]) cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the fridge
1⁄2 cup (90 g) cashew nut butter or tahini
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) maple syrup
2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
1⁄2 cup (75 g) Medjool dates, pitted
Handful of pecans
For the magic shell (serves 2)
2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil
3 tbsp (20 g) raw cacao powder
1&1⁄2 tbsp (23 ml) maple syrup
Directions for pralines and cream
Remove the chilled coconut milk from the fridge and scoop out the solid cream layer from the can. We want to use only the cream and discard the water (or save for a smoothie).
Place all the ingredients in a blender, except the dates and pecans, and blend for about 30 seconds, making sure everything is very well combined. Then toss in the dates and blend for 10 seconds, breaking down the dates into chunks. Toss in the pecans and blend for 5 seconds, breaking the nuts into pieces as well.
Now pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe bowl and freeze for at least 3 hours, mixing the ice cream every 30 minutes. This helps the ice cream remain creamy and not overly icy.
Once you're ready to eat your ice cream, make the magic shell. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the coconut oil and then remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the chocolate sauce into a small cup and let it cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Now scoop the ice cream into cups and gently pour the cooled chocolate sauce on top and watch it slowly harden. It takes about 30 seconds. Magic!
Ingredients for cake
11⁄4 cups (190 g) Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, or flax egg if vegan (page 188)
1⁄2 tsp vanilla powder, or vanilla extract
3⁄4 cup (150 g) coconut sugar
1 cup (120 g) spelt flour
Pinch of sea salt
Pralines and Cream for topping (recipe below)
Directions for cake
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). In a food processor or blender, add in the dates, water, baking soda and powder, and mix until well combined, about 30 seconds.
In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, vanilla and sugar. Using a hand mixer on the highest speed, whisk the three ingredients together for a minute, until it becomes fluffy and paler in color. Then stir in the flour, the date mixture and salt to this bowl.
Pour the batter into a small baking dish (11 x 11 inch [28 x 28 cm]) that has been greased with coconut oil (so that batter doesn't stick when cooked). Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake is moist. If you're using a different size pan, the temperature may vary. Keep an eye on the cake to see if it has cooked through. Take a knife and stick it into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean it is fully cooked.
Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Top with the pralines and cream.
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Makes 12 balls. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients for honey and lime energy balls
1 cup (150 g) cashews
1 cup (150 g) Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp ginger root, grated
1 tsp honey, or maple syrup if vegan
Zest of 1 lime and juice of 1⁄2 that lime
Pinch of sea salt
Ingredients for classic hazelnut and cacao energy balls
11⁄3 cup (200 g) Medjool dates, pitted
1⁄2 cup (75 g) almonds
1⁄2 cup (75 g) hazelnuts
2 tbsp (14 g) raw cacao powder
1 1⁄2 tbsp (23 ml) water
1 tsp cinnamon powder
Pinch of sea salt
Directions
To prepare the energy balls for both recipes, simply add all the ingredients into the food processor and blend for about 15 to 20 seconds. We want the nuts to break down, but not turn into a creamy texture. There should be small pieces of nuts, adding texture to the balls. Roll into medium-sized balls and pop them into the refrigerator to set for at least an hour, or ideally overnight. Store in the fridge or freezer for up to a few weeks. I love these guys as a pre-workout snack, or really for any time of the day.
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7x7: As people are traveling for the holidays and prone to catching colds, what are some good ingredients to help boost immune systems?

MR: I'd say start with an immune-boosting morning tonic, which sounds fancy but, in reality, we're just mixing pantry staples to create a delicious yet nutritionally dense drink. To make the tonic simply mix 1/2 cup hot water, 1/3 cup warm nut milk, ½ tsp. turmeric, dash of cinnamon, a crack of black pepper and a spoonful of honey. It's absolutely delicious and nonetheless a great way to start your day.

7x7: What are your favorite spices or condiments to jazz up healthy holiday meals?

MR: Caramelized medjool dates in savory recipes work every time. Roast up some rosemary-honeyed carrots and throw in a few dates for crispy bites of caramelized sweetness. This is one of my favorite dishes to serve to friends who might not be sold on the plant-based eating experience. It's a food rainbow, highlighting how delicious a plate full of veggies can taste when roasted with an array of fresh herbs.

// mariereginato.com

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