Holiday Bash In a Flash

What many of us really want for the holidays is more time. Enter Marly McMillen, blogger and author of The Everything Vegan Meal Prep Cookbook, making your holidays (and any other days) more restful than stressful with 300 easy recipes to try now or weeks from now. With these recipes adapted from Marly’s blog, NamelyMarly.com, you can make the perfect dishes for passing around the table.

Cranberry Lentil Loaf

Serves 8

YOU’LL NEED

1 cup lentils
½ cup quinoa
4 cups water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbsp. agave nectar
Spray oil
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped celery
4 ½ cups vegan cornbread stuffing mix
1 Tsp. ground flax meal
1 tsp. ground sage
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 to 3 cups vegetable broth

METHOD

• In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, quinoa, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
• In the same saucepan, add the cranberries, orange zest, and agave nectar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Spray the bottom and sides of a large loaf pan with vegetable oil. Pour the cranberry mixture into the loaf pan, spreading it equally across the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
• Spray the same saucepan with vegetable oil and add the chopped onions and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions and celery are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Pour into the bowl with the lentil/quinoa mixture.
• Add the stuffing mix and stir to combine.
• Spoon about 3 cups of the lentil mixture into a food processor and add the flax meal, ground sage, nutritional yeast flakes, and olive oil. Pulse until combined. Add vegetable broth a half cup at a time, pulsing in between additions, using just enough until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour it back into the mixing bowl and stir everything to combine, adding more vegetable broth as needed until the consistency is soft and spreadable.
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan, using a spoon to tightly compress it.
• Bake for 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish.

Spinach Pinwheels

Serves 4 to 6

YOU’LL NEED

1 Tbsp. vegan butter
1 Tbsp. nondairy milk
½ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast flakes)
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
Flour
1 sheet vegan puff pastry
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Melt the vegan butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the nondairy milk and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the vegan mozzarella, vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast flakes), chopped onions, garlic powder, and salt.
• Sprinkle a work area with flour. Lay out the pastry sheet on the floured surface.
• Brush the melted butter mixture over the pastry sheet, reserving a teaspoonful.
• Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the pastry sheet.
• Spread the spinach over the cheese mixture.
• Beginning with the side closest to you, roll up the pastry sheet.
• Use a serrated knife to cut the rolled pastry sheet into ½-inch slices. Place them on the baking sheet an inch or more apart.
• Brush the slices with the reserved butter mixture.
• Bake until the pinwheels are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream

Serves 2

YOU’LL NEED

2 cups sliced frozen bananas
3 Tbsp. vegan chocolate chips
1¼ cups frozen cherries
½ cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional)

METHOD

• Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
• Place the bananas and 1 cup of the cherries in a blender and pulse a few times. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften the fruit then blend on low in short pulses to break the fruit down into smaller bits. Scrape down the sides of the blender, add the almond milk, and continue pulsing. Gradually increase the speed. If the blender spins, stop and let the mixture sit for a minute or two until it softens. Continue until very smooth, adding the maple syrup for more sweetness, if desired.
• Drizzle the melted chocolate and remaining frozen cherries into the blender and pulse in short bursts to combine. Transfer to an airtight container. Cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.