Vegans and those who cook for them tend to assume that vegan cuisine has to be new, weird and non-traditional. Sometimes this expectation is also an excuse to use off-season ingredients. I'm a firm believer in seasonal cooking, and I see no reason why holiday dishes should be any different, particularly if you're looking for traditional flavors. The roasted fruits and veggies in this dish are not only seasonal and nutritious, but tasty enough to appeal to any hungry traditionalist, vegan and omnivore alike.
The bulk of this recipe consists of tossing brussels sprouts, butternut squash, shallots, celery, apples, cranberries, sage and rosemary all together in a casserole with a dressing made from oil, vinegar and brown sugar. That's all you have to do before sticking it in the oven for 45 minutes.
While the fruits and veggies are roasting, toast some almonds and brown some tempeh bacon on a skillet. After you take the casserole out of the oven, mix in the chopped tempeh bacon and almonds. Seriously, that's it! Now you've got a festive dish that's warm, colorful, and bursting with flavor. Happy holidays!
Festive Winter Fruits and Veggies With Tempeh Bacon
Serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a main dish
Ingredients
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2” cubes
1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2” cubes
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 large shallots, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 package tempeh bacon
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apple, cranberries, shallots and celery in a 5 quart baking dish.
- Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over vegetables. Sprinkle with sage and rosemary, then toss until veggies are well coated. Spread in an even layer.
- Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes or until veggies are browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally after the first 20.
- 10 minutes before the veggies have finished roasting, spread the almonds on a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until they just begin to brown. Remove the almonds and set them aside.
- Spray the same skillet with cooking spray. Fry tempeh bacon on both sides until crisp. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Once veggies have finished roasting, stir in tempeh bacon and sliced almonds. Serve warm.