fat-free

How To Make Thanksgiving Vegan or Plant Based and Still Enjoy It

November 6, 2014 by Veronica Grace Leave a Comment

Our Thanksgiving is already long gone in Canada, but I saved this post for my American readers as many of you have a hard time deciding on what to make and spend a lot of time worrying if your guests or family can survive a meal without turkey or ham on a big holiday. Lol. Well never fear I can help give you some ideas for filling out your plant based Thanksgiving menu with ease.

I make everything from scratch and find that whipping up mashed potatoes and mashed yams/sweet potatoes an absolute BREEZE in my pressure cooker. I actually have 2 now, one is an EZ Bean Cooker pressure cooker that I can set manually for cooking anything else other than beans as well, so I fill one with potatoes, one with yams and then I don’t have to sacrifice stove top space and watch the pot. This is a huge time saver and I use my pressure cooker every holiday to makes my potato recipes.

A few things I’ll mention, I actually forgot about making stuffing this year as I focus more on making my lentil loaf recipe, stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes. No one seemed to mind though and having an alternative side of Greek Stuffed Peppers was actually a healthier option than traditional stuffing. The other thing is that I ran out of pecans and didn’t have any for my mashed yams but they were still delicious none-the-less. I also just realized that this Thanksgiving dinner was essentially gluten-free as well so everyone with dietary restrictions can enjoy it! And best of all we had so much leftovers for the rest of the week it was SO nice not having to cook each day. (As my lentil loaf recipe makes 2 loaves and I made a double batch of gravy!)

Here are my favorite veganized Thanksgiving dishes to share with you since many of you will be dining plant based or trying to dine mostly plant based this year and still feeding some carnivores too! All of these recipes have been tested on my family and their non vegan friends, so I assure you they are crowd pleasers. 🙂

Some of these recipes are featured in my blog, and some are in my recipe cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World has loads more delicious and hearty entree recipes for every occasion.

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Raw Vegan Salads:

The Best Caesar Salad

Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad

Vegan Thanksgiving Entrees:

Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash

Greek Stuffed Eggplant

Herbed Lentil Loaf with Miso Gravy

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Side Dishes:

Holiday Baked Maple Yam Pecan Casserole

Cranberry Apple Pecan Holiday Stuffing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy

Steamed Vegetables In Cheezy Sauce

Tangy Collard Greens in Coconut Milk

Vegan Decadent Desserts (These are not low fat):

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

(mine was based on this recipe here, I skipped the oil and t I put it in a pre made graham cracker crumb to save on time and added more spices to my tastes)

Holiday Vegan Pecan Pie

Vegan Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote

Vegan Lower Fat Desserts:

Fudgey Black Berry Brownies

Vegan Rice Pudding

Apple Strawberry Strudel Pie

There are lots of delicious and healthy recipes to choose from. I hope that I included some of your favourites or gave you some inspiration to try something new. 🙂

So if these goodies entice you be sure to check out my book Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World and grab it before Thanksgiving is here! (Available in digital and physical format.)

What are you looking forward to having for Thanksgiving this year?

Missing Summer Already – Plant-Based Harvest Soup (Butternut Squash, Sweet Corn and White Beans)

September 15, 2014 by Veronica Grace 5 Comments

Ah summer… I think it’s everyone’s favourite month. (At least mine as it’s the sunniest/warmest time in Canada.) But now the weather is growing colder already and I can tell I’m missing the heat…. I was looking around the freezer the other day and wanted to make up something quick and healthy and I saw I had some bags of frozen butternut squash and some fresh corn. I decided to put it together with onions and broth and make a soup out of it, but it wasn’t thick enough so I thought, hey why don’t I try some white beans to add some bulk and cream it up? It turned out to be a great idea and a totally delicious combination. This soup doesn’t need any butter or cream to make it creamy and delicious, the white beans work perfectly. It also needs very little seasoning since it’s so sweet naturally from the sweet corn.

In fact you could even eat this soup without any of the seasonings at all, it would be a great soup for fussy children, or even a good choice for toddlers. Everyone knows children enjoy soft naturally sweet foods and butternut squash and corn is a favourite.

I decided to kick things up a bit with some smoked paprika which added a delicious smokey flavour to the soup. Smoked paprika isn’t of the spicy variety, but sweet so it adds some nice flavour without being spicy.

Summer sweet corn goes really well in almost any dish. It’s a great topping for salads, adds natural sweetness to soups and is great on it’s own, no seasonings required.

Give this soup a try! It’s super easy (especially if you have frozen squash already, available at most health food stores.)

Fat Free Vegan Summer Harvest Soup (Butternut Squash Sweet Corn and White Bean Soup)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

4 cups/1 qt./946 mL vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium)
1 large sweet onion, diced (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups/25 oz./1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups sweet corn (fresh, frozen or canned – no sodium)
16 oz./453 g can white beans or chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or any other seasoning of choice)
3/4 tsp Herbamare or salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Sauté onions and garlic in a large pot over medium heat in 1/2 cup of vegetable broth until soft 5-6 minutes.
Add squash, corn and beans and remaining broth and cover. Cook until squash is tender.
Carefully spoon mixture into a Vitamix blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour mixture back into pot, add seasonings and mix thoroughly. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.

What do you think of this summer soup? Have you ever tried smoked paprika before?

Slowcooker Vegan White Bean Cassoulet by SkinnyMs

March 16, 2014 by Veronica Grace 8 Comments

I love using white beans, especially in plant-based Mediterranean cuisine. They are a delicious addition to soups, stews, chillis, salads or even in place of chickpeas in hummus. They have a mild creamy taste and pair well with almost any herb. I instantly liked this recipe for vegan white bean cassoulet because is jam packed and filled with veggies and flavor without all the meat and cheese of the classic French dish. And once you see how beautiful it is when it comes together it’s sure to please all of your family’s senses.

So before you put away your slow cooker for the season, why not try this hearty dish when you are craving something “different” yet still budget friendly and super filling. I’d also pair this veggie cassoulet with a nice light salad with a homemade vinaigrette. (Check out my quick dijon dressing in this video)

Vegetarian White Bean Cassoulet

A cassoulet is a French dish that is very complicated to prepare and is usually very meat-heavy. Traditionally it is a dish filled with fatty meats, white beans, and vegetables topped with savory bread crumbs and cheese. This version is not nearly as complicated, and it is a healthy cassoulet that is full of veggies. It’s a slow cooker recipe unlike any other. So, if you’re looking for a vegetarian white bean cassoulet recipe that is satisfying, rich, and filling, this one is sure to be a hit.

Vegan White Bean Cassoulet

Recipe provided by SkinnyMs.com

Ingredients:

Cassoulet:

3 leeks, white parts, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 15 ounce cans white beans of your choice, rinsed and drained

Breadcrumbs:

1 cup good quality coarse bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable broth or water. Add the leeks and celery and cook until soft. Add the carrots and cook until lightly browned. Add more water or broth as necessary. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the rest of the cassoulet ingredients. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, until vegetables are tender. Lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the cassoulet.

Make the toasted breadcrumbs by tossing the breadcrumbs with the garlic (or garlic powder). Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a 350 F degree oven, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and combine with the parsley and lemon zest.

To serve, spoon the cassoulet into individual ramekins and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Alternatively, sprinkle breadcrumbs directly on the cassoulet in the slow cooker and serve from there.

Notes:

This recipe has been edited to omit the olive oil to be in line with the needs of the readers of this blog.

Have you ever made a cassoulet recipe? What did you put in it?

Reader Recipe: Plant-Based “Cream” of Celery Soup (Vegan)

February 3, 2014 by Veronica Grace 11 Comments

Photo credit: digidreamgrafix FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I received a wonderful recipe last week from a fellow reader named Elke White who was so kind to share this with all of us. What’s great about this cream of celery soup recipe is that it is exactly like I would have designed myself! Simple, oil free, low in fat and using fresh ingredients. Making soups this way are super easy and a great way to use up extra veggies in the fridge, or just an inexpensive meal with leftovers you can save for later in the week.

The key to a low fat vegan creamy soup recipe is actually potatoes, they’re fat free and add some heartiness and creaminess to the soup without any need for oil or cream. If you desire a little more of a creamy texture you can use a few tablespoons of almond milk if you desire, but I think this soup is delicious as is.

Feel free to also use this recipe as a template for any cream of vegetable soup recipe, you can try different root vegetables and create all sorts of combinations!

Plant Based “Cream” of Celery Soup (Vegan)

by Elke White (a fellow reader of PlantBasedU)

Ingredients:

2 packs of celery (1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
3 large potatos, cooked and cubed
6 cups homemade vegetable broth or 4 cups Imagine No-Chicken broth and 2 cups water (do not use tomato based vegetable broth)
1 large onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 TBSP fresh
2 TBSP fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Peel the strings from the outer layer of celery ribs and discard. Dice remaining celery and set aside.
2. Sauté onions in water on high heat until clear, lower the heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme (add a little more water if needed, to keep spices from burning or sticking).
3. Add vegetable broth and celery, bring to boil, then add parsley and simmer (covered) for 30 minutes.
4. Add potatos and simmer for an additional 10-20 minutes or until all vegetables are soft enough to blend.
5. Use stick blender and blend until soup is creamy, or place a small amount at a time in a traditional blender and puree until smooth.

Variations:

You may also want to try adding 3 large diced carrots, or 2-3 leeks instead of the onion to switch up the flavours in this soup. 🙂

What’s your favorite cream of vegetable soup recipe? Have you ever made a vegan version before?

Spicy Plant-Based Potato and Chickpea Stew from SkinnyMs.com (Vegan)

January 14, 2014 by Veronica Grace

I have another great recipe to share with you from SkinnyMs.com that is right up your alley! Sometimes I just cannot decide what I would rather go for at night – potatoes or chickpeas… Well good news! This recipe has both so it’s hearty, filling yet still incredibly healthy and whole food based. Really you can’t go wrong and what’s even better is that is’s quick and easy to make.

I am still freezing my butt off in Canada and all I can think of is making warm easy meals that can do away with my chills. You know the ones you get when you spend all day working on your computer 🙁 Although I looove having a slow cooker, sometimes I am just not that organized in the morning so having fast stove top recipes REALLY is a lifesaver. Just toss it together and voila! A one pot wonder!!

So now that I’ve got you all excited and hungry you have try this recipe and let me know what you think! P.S. Did I mention it’s gluten free as too 🙂

Spicy Plant-Based Potato and Chickpea Stew (Vegan)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably hot
2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juices (I use Muir Glen Organics)
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can also try yams or sweet potatoes!)
2 cups homemade vegetable broth (or low sodium)
2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Stove top Directions: (Provided by LowFatVeganChef.com)

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions {and dry sauté or use a little water}. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute until very fragrant.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium heat and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes) or just until the potatoes are tender.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Garnish with cilantro.

Slow Cooker Directions: (Provided by SkinnyMs.com)

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions {and dry sauté or use a little water}. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute until very fragrant.

2. Transfer this mixture to your slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat until potatoes are tender and slightly thickened.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve topped with the chopped cilantro.

{This recipe was edited to omit the oil used in cooking to be in line with my reader’s preferences}

Thank you to SkinnyMs.com for allowing me to share this recipe with you!

Quick and Easy Plant-Based Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup (Vegan)

January 6, 2014 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy new year! I cannot believe it’s 2014 now and it’s a new year here at Low Fat Vegan Chef. When the weather is cold and chilly I often like to make quick one pot meals as it’s not only warm and satisfying and makes for fewer dishes for me when all I really want to do is crawl under a blanket. This vegan black bean and corn soup recipe is SIMILAR to the one on my Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm ebook, but it is simpler and thus faster to make. Even if you have NEVER made soup before or feel like you are a novice in the kitchen (or even a terrible cook) I promise you can make this recipe.

I find it imperative to have simple hearty recipes like this on hand when I am low on ingredients or simply pressed for time and can’t make something more complicated from scratch.

Have you ever bought a store bought boxed or canned soup? Maybe now you choose those “organic” and “healthy” looking ones. Now have you ever tried them? I have to say unfortunately I have! While they may LOOK GOOD on the package, what’s inside is often so thin, watery, bland and boring it’s impossible to enjoy. In fact I usually end up tossing half of it because it’s so unappetizing.

My soup recipes are different! They have spices! Depth of flavor! Are heartier! And are actually something you’d want to make again and again. So that’s why I want to share this recipe with you, that even if you don’t have a lot of time, or money or know how to cook from scratch you CAN make something quickly that is infinitely better than what you’ll find at the store and it won’t cost you much to do so.

So check it out:

Quick and Easy Vegan Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup

This delicious soup is ready in no time and is packed full of flavour!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can roasted diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organics)
1 15 oz. can black beans, low sodium or 1 2/3 cup fresh cooked (I use Eden Organics)
1 11 oz. can whole corn (low sodium AND sugar free or 1 cup frozen corn)
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade)
1 tsp roasted cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp Herbamare or sea salt
2 tsp lime juice (1/2 small lime)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

Directions:

1. In a large non stick wok, sauté the onions for 6-7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Add a little water if needed to prevent sticking.

2. Add the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, drained corn and black beans and stir. Add the seasonings except the lime juice and taste test. Adjust seasonings if desired.

3. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add lime juice and stir.

5. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve.

What’s your favorite pairing for plant-based black bean soup?

SkinnyMs Plant-Based Quinoa with Black Beans (Vegan)

November 13, 2013 by Veronica Grace 12 Comments

I have a wonderful quinoa and black beans recipe to share today from SkinnyMs.com! Quinoa is a perfect substitute for traditional ‘Rice & Beans’ and it cooks much faster too. If you’ve been skeptical of trying quinoa in the past and are not sure just what to pair it with, this is a great recipe for you to try as seasoned quinoa is very tasty and better than a bland and boring side. I love how quick this one pot meal is to throw together and it’s a perfect lunch or mid week dinner recipe.

Are you crunched for time, on a tight budget or just starving for healthy meal ideas? You will find delicious, healthy choices for you and your family at SkinnyMs.com. Skinny Ms. offers recipes made with natural, whole food ingredients. At Skinny Ms., we are devoted to providing information and tools that empower one to make choices beneficial to living a healthy lifestyle. For our latest recipes, join us on Facebook.

If you are a quinoa hold out but love Mexican food, this dish will convince to make quinoa a regular part of your dinner menu. Skinny Quinoa with Black Beans is gluten free and vegetarian friendly.

Skinny Quinoa with Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked), rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low sodium

Directions:

Heat a large skillet to medium-low heat and sauté diced onions until tender (add water or broth if needed to prevent sticking), about 4 minutes, add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow it to sit 5 minutes covered before serving. Fluff quinoa with a large spoon and serve.

Nutritional Data

This recipe was edited to omit the 1 TBSP of olive oil originally present in order to be in line with my reader’s interests.

Thanks to SkinnyMs.com for sharing this recipe with my readers!

Meatless Monday: Plant-Based Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes (Vegan Recipe)

November 10, 2013 by Veronica Grace

It is snowing like crazy where I am right now and I am making good use of my slow cooker these days. Sometimes it’s just too chilly to spend much time in the kitchen, so I like to chop up some veggies and throw some beans into the slow cooker for an easy meal. These meatless sloppy joes are a super easy recipe that I guarantee ANYONE can make… if you have a knife and a slow cooker (or alternatively a pot and a stove) you can make this recipe. Promise.

For more plant based slow cooker recipes I just throw things in with some herbs and spices and then adjust the seasonings at the end, but if you’re new to using the slow cooker for plant based recipes I know you’ll appreciate actual measurements! So that’s why I’m happy to help and share this recipe which is featured in my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World.

You can also serve this plant based sloppy joe recipe on rice or quinoa as well and eat it more like a chili too! Just tweak the spices to your liking and you can use this as a guideline for many different variations. 🙂

Vegan Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 15 oz. / 425 g. cans no-salt red kidney beans (or 4 cups fresh cooked)
2 large onions, sliced and chopped
2 large red bell peppers, sliced and chopped
1 14.5 oz. / 411 g. can fire roasted, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
8 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup / 60 ml. organic ketchup (low sodium)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. chipotle or chili powder
½ tsp. roasted cumin
½ tsp. smoked paprika
8 hamburger buns or rolls (Gluten free if desired)

Slow Cooker Directions:
1. Drain the kidney beans and pour into a shallow dish.
2. Arrange the ingredients in the slow cooker starting with the onions, then beans, peppers, tomatoes, with garlic and seasonings on top.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Stir and taste. Add more spices if desired. Mash part of the stew with a potato masher to thicken the sauce.
4. Serve with large hamburger buns or rolls.

Stove top Directions:

Add some vegetable broth to the bottom of a large pot and when hot add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until tender. Mash part of the mixture until chunky to thicken and serve.

Variations:
This recipe can double as a quick chili. Just add more beans or diced vegetables and remove the ketchup and mustard. Alternately you can serve this with rice or quinoa for a 100% whole food meal.

Additional Tips:
Mash the beans really well as they need to absorb the liquid. If you don’t, it’ll be too runny. 🙂

For more delicious recipes check out my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World (with many many recipes you won’t find on the blog!)

Have you ever made sloppy joes before? What about meatless ones?

Quick Stovetop Plant-Based Black Bean Chilli (Vegan Recipe)

October 20, 2013 by Veronica Grace 15 Comments

This is a really tasty and easy chili that tastes like it’s been simmered for hours, but it’s ready in about 25 minutes! The secret is in using roasted or smoked spices and fire roasted tomatoes that make this vegan black bean chilli so good. My favorite fire roasted tomatoes are made by Muir Glen Organics. You can make this recipe in a slow cooker, but since the majority of the ingredients are already pre cooked there’s no reason to take all day creating this.

When you want a hot meal that’s comfort in a bowl, one pot meals are the way to go. I don’t like to make a big mess in the kitchen every night, so this is one of those recipes that gives me a break from dishes and is very easy to throw together when I’m short on time.

As always you can ensure your canned goods are BPA free by reading the label and choosing brands such as Muir Glen Organics or Eden Organics or making sure your cans do not have a white plastic lining in them as well. Another cost effective option is to simply stew your own tomatoes (and you can roast them in the over after) or cook your own dried beans from scratch. To make my own beans in a snap I use the Easy Bean Cooker and it does all the timing and cooking for me.

Quick Stovetop (Low Fat) Plant Based Black Bean Chilli Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained (or 4 cups fresh cooked beans)
28 oz. can regular or fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp sugar or sweetener
3/4 tsp herbamare or salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large non stick wok saute the onions for 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally. Add water if necessary to keep from burning.

2. Add the tomatoes and drained beans and seasonings and heat through for about 15 minutes, until peppers are soft and flavores have melded.

3. Serve with brown rice, baked potatoes, bread or vegetables for a filling meal.

Variations:

If you want to add more veggies such as carrots or mushrooms you can add them with the onions and sauté them first, if you want to add some corn you can add them with the beans.

Plant-Based Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice, Mushrooms and Cranberries (Vegan)

October 15, 2013 by Veronica Grace 13 Comments

You guys loved my Pumpkin Raisin Muffin recipe last week so how about another fall favourite? Acorn squash! I’m see it now in stores and it reminded me of this recipe I just LOVE in my Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World recipe book (which by the way is jam packed full of recipes to use at Thanksgiving or Christmas…) It’s Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash!

I was first inspired to make a recipe like this by watching Forks Over Knives and saw them serving a lovely version for their holiday plant based meal. I decided to make a recipe and cram in as many goodies as possible to make it burst with flavor, there’s mushrooms, celery, pecans, cranberries, wild rice and brown rice in these stuffed squash halves. Instead of butter or margarine I glaze them with a nice balsamic vinegar so those the flavor explode in your mouth with sweet, savory and tangy. When I serve these for holiday meals they are a huge hit!

If you are trying to think of a plant-based centrepiece to your holiday meals this year why not try a stuffed vegetable? I also have several others for you to check out as well Quinoa Veggie Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Greek Vegetable and Rice Stuffed Peppers, Greek Rice Stuffed Eggplant. A fat free stuffed vegetable is a great way to pack in all the flavor without extra calories and show your omnivore friends and delicious holiday entree they wouldn’t otherwise get. 🙂

Plant-Based Holiday Stuffed Acorn Squash With Wild Rice, Mushrooms & Cranberries

Makes 4 -6 stuffed acorn squash halves

Ingredients:

¾ cup dried brown rice, rinsed and cooked
¼ cup dried wild rice, rinsed and cooked
2-3 cups vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium), divided
1/3-1/2 cup dried mushrooms
3 medium or 2 large acorn squash
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or brown sugar
Cooking spray
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 celery stalks, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries (no sugar added variety or sweetened with apple juice)
½ -1 tsp. Herbamare or salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup raw pecans, toasted – see Note

NOTE: To toast raw pecans, preheat oven to 350° F/177° C. Place pecans on baking sheet and toast for about 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Directions:

1. If using a rice cooker (I use a Zojirushi), cook your rice 1 hour before you start making the squash. Rinse rice and place in rice cooker. Fill to appropriate line with vegetable stock, not water. Add chopped and rinsed dried mixed mushrooms. Add a little salt and pepper if desired. Stir to combine and cook on mixed rice/white rice setting (depending what kind of rice cooker you have). Let steam 10 minutes after done cooking and fluff with a fork.
2. Heat the oven to 400° F / 204° C and place a rack in the middle position.
3. Cut squash in half with a sharp knife and de-seed. Make sure to get out all the stringy bits inside.
4. Place the squash -hollow side up – on a baking sheet, and spray some cooking spray lightly on the tops and insides of the squash halves. Brush maple syrup on the tops and insides as well, and season with salt and fresh pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until ‘fork tender’.
5. Pour the vegetable broth or water into a pan and when it’s hot, add the onion, and celery. Cook this for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just softened.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked rice, pecans, and cranberries. Add salt and fresh pepper if desired.
7. Scoop the rice filling into the roasted squash halves (about ¾ cup for each if 4 halves, ½ cup if 6 smaller halves)
8. Continue roasting the squash for 20 to 30 minutes more – until it’s completely tender, the edges have started to brown a little, and the filling is hot in the middle.
9. Serve the squash warm, with balsamic vinegar on the side as a dip, and a nice salad.