How to Create a Plant-Based Holiday Feast pt 1 (cranberry sauce recipe, vegan)

When I first went vegan I was terrified of Thanksgiving. I was terrified of Christmas. And I was terrified of everything having to do with getting together with family and eating a meal. Because I didn’t know what to bring and I was still getting used to creating plant-based foods.

So when I say I get it if you’re scared, worried or nervous about feeding yourself or your plant-based family member this holiday season. But after two years I’ve finally cracked the code of holiday meal planning. I’m going to walk you through preparing this amazing holiday feast using the concepts I learned in culinary school. Some of these recipes are more complicated than others but all of them we can prepare in advance.

Menu

Lentil loaf with gravy

Miso maple glazed carrots

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Roasted brussels sprouts

Cranberry sauce

Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Pecan crust

Breathe easy when I tell you that you are capable of creating every dish on this menu and enjoying your holiday as well. The trick is to prepare all you can ahead of time. A great restaurant dish isn’t made from start to finish every day before service, elements are prepared days in advance and put together on the plate at the last minute.

I will get into my ultimate planning and preparation guide for your holiday next week. But, for now, I’m giving you the recipe for a condiment I’ve had a love-hate relationship with since childhood. A simple cranberry sauce that you can make today. That’s right, today, now, and put in the freezer until the night before your feast.

When I say love-hate relationship I wasn't lying. The squelch of canned jellied cranberry sauce sends shivers down my spine. For years I thought I hated cranberries and cranberry sauce. For years I thought that that white can of dull magenta goo was all there was in the realm of cranberry sauce. I thought that’s all there was for cranberries, having never seen fresh cranberries. But like most things in the kitchen, using fresh, whole ingredients create a clean depth of flavor.

As soon as I realized I could make my own cranberry sauce at home I jumped for joy and made some. I was an excited 16-year-old and made it even though Thanksgiving was three weeks away. I will say, cranberry sauce is fantastic to make ahead of time because it freezes well. All you have to do to prepare the sauce is defrost it I the fridge the night before. So, I hastily made cranberry sauce before storing it in the freezer. And then promptly forgot it in the freezer three weeks later when Thanksgiving finally arrived.

Now not only do I remember the cranberry sauce, I relish in it. The bright, tart flavor of the cranberries, paired with cinnamon, orange, lemon and maple syrup is heaven. Did I mention this sauce is refined sugar free? No matter what you’re eating at your next holiday feast this cranberry sauce belongs on your table.

Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

Ali Lawrence | 11/8/19

• prep time: 10 minutes
• cook time: 15 minutes
• total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 12 oz or 3 Cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/3 to 1/2 Cup maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan
2. Heat the pan on medium heat, covered. As the mixture heats up you will begin to hear a popping sound of the cranberries bursting. This is completely normal.
3. Once the popping subsides, remove the cover on the saucepan and cook until jammy (sbout 7 to 10 minutes)
4. Cool and serve immediately, keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.