I can’t believe November is around the corner which means the holidays are almost upon us. It also means cooler temperatures for many and the urge to dive into hearty meals. Today, I’m sharing a few recipes that are perfect to warm you through for your mid week meals or cool you off if you need something refreshing to drink. These recipes are easy to prepare and cooks in around 30 minutes, except for the vegan cinnamon rolls which is totally worth the effort!
The meals are a mix of vegan and non-vegan meals. and I can only hope you enjoy these simple recipes as much as I do.
Meals
- Vegan Tofu with Noodles
What can i say? I am addicted to tofu and this recipe is quick and delicious. All you need are a handful of spices, noodles, kelp noodles, cilantro, and tofu!
Dice 1 pack tofu and sauté with salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne and paprika, and turmeric. Sauté until skin is browned and crispy. In a pot, bring water to a boil, add noodles of choice. Once cooked, serve in a bowl, top with a light tahini sauce, tofu, and cilantro. To add kelp to this menu, soak the kelp noodles in warm water for 5 mins. Drain the kelp noodles and add to the bowl. Here is a quick 1 minute video on how I made this.
- Broiled Salmon
This recipe for broiled salmon is fresh salmon fillets coated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, then broiled until browned. I serve salmon to my family at least once every other week. It is quick to make, loaded with nutrition and tastes great.
How do you make broiled salmon? Preheat the broiler. Whisk together 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1-2 full lemons squeezed (use the zest to top on the lemon), 2 teaspoons dill, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons fresh parsley or cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place 4 salmon fillet on a prepared sheet pan. Pour the mixture over the salmon and add 1 thinly sliced vegan butter on top of each salmon. Broil for 10-15 minutes or until salmon is browned and opaque. Usually at the last 3-5 minutes, I will change the setting to “roast” to slightly toast the skin. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with rice and vegetable of choice.
- Cucumber Salad
Yes, I threw a simple salad into the mix. It’s fairly simple. All you’ll need is 1 cucumber chopped in cubes (you can also remove the seeds before chopping. I tend to make the extra effort to remove this for my kids – you will need to peel the cucumber skin, cut it in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, rinse, then chop the cucumber), 1 tomato sliced with seeds removed, 1-2 spring onions sliced, kale and lettuce, 1/2 red onions sliced, a handful of olives. Serve with choice of dressing.
Drinks
- Pomegranate JuicePomegranate juice is a Holiday favorite. This fruit pops up in stores around the holiday season and there’s nothing more beautiful than the bright fuchsia liquid that comes from making a drink. This fruit is also full of vitamins and nutrients and is a good source of vitamin E and K, folate, and potassium.
You will need 2 cups pomegranate seeds, 1 lemon, 1 cup still water or sparkling water. Optional: 1 tsp agave (to sweeten), 1 tsp fresh grounded ginger. If you’re using a juicer, add 2 cups of pomegranate with a little water, lemon and ginger slices to the mix. Once it’s done, add your water and sweetener of choice. For a blender, pulse the pomegranate seeds with the sliced lemon and ginger for 7-10 seconds. Sieve and add water and sweetener of choice.
- Hibiscus Ginger Tea
This is a recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up and I remember drinking it warm and cold. It’s the perfect drink for both warm and cold months and I especially love festive rich color of the tea. I like to think of it as an immune booster during the cold months. You can watch my how to make this recipe here
To make this, you’ll need dried hibiscus, 1 tablespoon diced ginger, 1 tablespoon grains of selim, 1 tablespoon cloves – Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the ginger, grains of selim and cloves. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes then add a 1/2 cup of dried hibiscus. Let it boil under 5 minutes then turn off. Once cool, sieve and serve with sweetener of choice. I love mine without any sweetener.
Desserts
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
Just in time for the holidays. I feel like nothing taste better than homemade pumpkin pie. I love making these starting in mid-October until the holidays. For my all-time Fall favorite homemade pumpkin pie recipe, click on this link.
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Oh the world of cinnamon rolls love. I have made these multiple times each year and I feel like I continue to experiment and refine. These cinnamon rolls are for my vegan friends. I’ll be sharing a non-vegan cinnamon roll recipe in the coming weeks. The vegan cinnamon rolls are surprisingly soft, fluffy and not chewy. I like to think of them as somewhat healthy.
You can find this delicious vegan cinnamon roll recipe on my blog post here
