Dilled Chick'n Salad

Since we've been eating salads the traditional way, in a bowl with a fork, I decided to change it up a bit and make one you can eat on lettuce or in a sandwich.

Dilled Chick'n Salad

Vegan chick'n - I used Trader Joes chick'n strips - sautéed and diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
4 oz. vegan cream cheese
1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise
1/4 c. vegan sour cream
1 T. dill
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. coarse ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve. Enjoy!

We ate ours on bread topped with lettuce. Everyone wanted at least two sandwiches each!

Dips and Savories

I have a fondness for delectable finger foods. Especially at Yule. Christmas Eve. New Year's Eve. Any day that ends in y. We refer to them as fun food. Sometimes we buy up a bunch of several different prepackaged kinds, but after awhile they become boring. Making my own ups the fun ante and the plus side is I get to experiment with new recipes.

Tiny Taco Tarts

30 individual frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed
1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
6 T. vegan sour cream
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 T. lime juice
Toppings of choice (we used cilantro)

Bake the phyllo shells at 375 for 10 minutes. Let cool. Mix the remaining ingredients (except for toppings) and spoon into the cooled shells. Top with chosen toppings and serve.

These were very tasty, but don't use too much of the mixture in the shells, or you'll taste more mayonnaise than anything else. Use a smaller amount and the mix of creamy ingredients with phyllo crunch is perfect.

Black Bean Dip

Half a red onion, cut in quarters
1 c. cilantro leaves
2 cand black beans, rinsed and drained
4 t. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1/2 c. orange juice

Add onion and cilantro to a food processor and whirl until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients except for orange juice and whirl again until well mixed. Place in a bowl, add orange juice and mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.

I would have liked the beans to be more mashed than they were, so would whirl it all a little longer. This, however, did not stop it from being devoured. Also, more than half an onion overwhelms all other flavors. Add more if you like that.

Cilantro Pesto

2 c. cilantro
2 T. walnuts
1 T. lime juice
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. water

Combine everything in a food processor and whirl until well mixed. Serve with raw veggies. We used cucumber and celery.

I initially left out the sugar, but discovered it really was needed to tone down the tartness. While it went well with the raw veggies, I found out the next day it went even better over pasta.

I woke up the next day really expecting leftovers. I should have known better serving these to a house full of twenty somethings. Everything was gone but for just over a tablespoon of the cilantro pesto.

Non-traditional Thanksgiving

You could say our Thanksgivings have been anything but traditional since we became vegan. Despite the lack of a turkey centerpiece, I still love the multitude of dishes that are made for the day. Leftovers!

This year we went to my parent's to celebrate with them. My father has had a turkey aversion for a few years now, after getting sick after eating some. While I would say that suits me fine, it hasn't stopped my parents from having some meat dish for the day's meal. This year my mom settled on ribs. Knowing that the vegans in my family wouldn't be eating any, and that I would be cooking later in the day for a second feast (my kids work retail and wouldn't be home until evening), I volunteered to make a couple of sides to accompany my mom's choice of macaroni and cheese (non-vegan, of course!)

I went with potato salad and coleslaw. Completely non-traditional, but certainly an accepted accompaniment for ribs.

Dill and Sour Cream Potato Salad

3 lbs. red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 T. fresh dill
1/2 t. black pepper
2/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
2 t. fresh parsley
One container vegan sour cream
1/2 t. salt

Boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and cool. Refrigerate them until ready to mix with remaining ingredients.
When ready, add remaining ingredients to the chilled potatoes and mix well. Refrigerate again until serving time.

Tri-Color Coleslaw

One head red cabbage, shredded
One head green cabbage, shredded
One bunch kale, shredded
2/3 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. pumkin seeds
Vegan mayonnaise

Mix all the ingredients together with enough mayonnaise to coat well, but not too juicy. This makes a LOT of coleslaw, so make sure you are feeding a crowd!

My mom loves potato salad and my dad loves coleslaw, so the choices were a success. My husband thought the potato salad needed more salt (I tend to use less because of his propensity for salting at the table before tasting) and my dad doctored his coleslaw servings with more mayo (he likes his creamier), but everyone else thought the dishes were just right.

Personal preferences aside, try these out at your next cookout or non-traditional feast. Enjoy!