If you’re vegan or hosting an Easter celebration for vegan guests, you might not know how to go about substituting your regular menu for a festive vegan one. Luckily, there are loads of options available to you.
Tri-Colour Pasta
When making a pasta dish, use tri-colour pasta to make your meal more pleasing to the eye. If you don’t have tri-colour pasta, add in some green peas and toasted pine nuts as well as a delicious tomato-based sauce.
Move Over, Meat!
1. Tofu Tricks
To replace those meaty dishes, opt for soy as an alternative to create filling meals. Tofu lettuce wraps are a winner. Mix together ingredients for the wrap filling, such as garlic, lemongrass, ginger and onion, before cooking them in a large skillet over medium heat for about ten minutes. Add crumbed tofu and nuts to the mix, making sure to cook it for about four minutes. Place lettuce leaves on a platter and scoop the mixture inside them, gently curling the lettuce leaves so that they become wraps. You can make the colors more festive by adding carrots and peppers to the filling.
2. Tempeh
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans as well as other grains. As it contains whole soybeans, it is a denser and more substantial meal than tofu. A tempeh stir fry is an easy and delicious way to give your guests something delicious to eat. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and add the tempeh to it – make sure you heat it for a few minutes on either side until it is a light brown in colour. Add in green peppers and onions, making sure to mix it well with the tempeh. Serve this with quinoa, rice or veggies.
Perfect Pulses
Another must for the Easter table are legumes! Lentils are healthy and delicious – here is a great recipe to try for lentil balls that contain mushrooms, kale, cranberries and walnuts. Delicious! These will go down beautifully with some sweet potato wedges.
Did Someone Say Pie?
What’s any holiday without some delicious pie? You can make your own vegan fruit pie in the following way:
What You’ll Need
- 8 peaches that have been peeled, pitted and sliced (you can use other fruits if you prefer)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 vegan pie crusts (you can find an easy vegan recipe on Food52.com)
Three Easy Steps!
- Mix together the peaches, sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Let it rest in the kitchen for about ten minutes to give the peaches time to soften.
- Pour the filling into one pie crust and then use the second crust on top of the pie. Don’t forget to poke a few holes in the centre to allow steam to exit.
- Bake the pie at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Sassy Smoothie
Easter is all about vibrant, bold colors so intrigue your guests with a treat before or after lunch in the form of a smoothie. There’s a really wonderful recipe on how to make brightly coloured, tiered smoothies on the Lunch Box Bunch website.
Happy Easter!
