COOKING FOR A CROWD
by Chef Gregory Brown
When I became vegan and stopped eating all of the traditional foods my family gathered around, there was a strange wonderment in the eyes of my loved ones. There were so many questions. Are you sick? Is it that girl you're dating? After a while, my family accepted this wasn't a fluke. My mother asked me to bring food for Thanksgiving. So, I made some couscous with peas and carrots. It was the worst-looking dish, dry and tasteless, and my family frowned like it was a bowl of dirt. Nobody touched it. I anxiously kept checking the bowl, hoping someone would take a bite.
I didn't go back with food for a couple of years, but I came back with a vengeance. I endured the jokes about my lifestyle and the food I ate. But I had something to prove. By this time I had done more cooking and realized the key was in seasoning. I prepared that same couscous with fresh veggies and homemade sauce. The dish glowed like it had an aura. With skepticism, my family members put a little on their plate, while I stood in the corner, like a mad scientist, pretending not to watch everyone come back for seconds. No jokes that year, just compliments to the chef.
That's when I realized it wasn't about selling people on the lifestyle; it was simply about sharing. I didn't have to give a speech about the benefits of veganism. Holidays are about enjoying EVERYONE eating together.
Usually vegans spend a lot of time on entrées, toiling over how we can "veganize" our favorite mains. I propose that it's time to break that mold. I became vegan 20 years ago, and learned to re-experience the holiday season. There is always that opportunity that allows us to share in dinners, and this time the focus is on the side dishes, the best part of the meal! As my gift to you, these recipes have a familiar feel, like Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Collards Greens in Orange Sauce, and Cranberry & Mango Sauce. Others are a bit of a turn from the traditional vibe but warm and comforting all the same, like Coconut Curry Eggplant Stew, Thai Squash Soup, and Warm Wheatberry Salad. These recipes can feed a crowd at your family table, a friend's potluck, or the office holiday gathering. And they're bound to leave everyone asking for more. Because sharing is caring, bring a big portion of deliciousness to the table. Enjoy!
Thai Squash Stew
(Serves 12)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups diced onion
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 cups skinned, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
Two 13-ounce cans lite coconut milk
2 cans water (use coconut milk cans)
Unflavored vegan yogurt, optional to garnish
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds with no shell), optional to garnish
In a pot, stir-fry onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in olive oil. Once the onions are soft, fill pot with butternut squash chunks, coconut milk, and water. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat until the squash softens, about 20-30 minutes.
When the squash is fork-tender, pour mixture in batches into a blender and pureé until smooth. Serve warm garnished with a swirl of vegan yogurt and/or a teaspoon of pepitas.
Cook's Note: To save time, use pre-thawed frozen butternut squash cubes. This also shortens cooking time by about 10 minutes.
| Total calories per serving: 114 | Fat: 5 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 16 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 9 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Collard Greens in Orange Sauce
(Serves 12)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 cups diced onion
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons potato starch
4 cups orange juice
4 pounds collard greens, stemmed and thinly cut
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for three minutes or until fragrant. Add potato starch and stir well for two minutes. Then add the orange juice and simmer. Once the liquid begins to lightly bubble around the edges, add collard greens. Use a pair of tongs to flip the greens in the liquid, coating thoroughly. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Flip greens again and cook another 8-10 minutes, until the collards turn dark green.
| Total calories per serving: 107 | Fat: 2 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 21 grams | Protein: 5 grams |
| Sodium: 32 milligrams | Fiber: 6 grams |
Warm Wheatberry Salad
(Serves 12)
3 cups dry wheatberries
10 cups water
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 cups diced red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup seeded and diced green bell pepper
1 cup seeded and diced red bell pepper
2 cups stemmed and shredded kale
1 teaspoon Cajun spice blend, divided
1 cup vegetable broth
In a medium pot, combine wheatberries and water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook about one hour until wheatberries are tender and all the water is absorbed. Set aside. (Note: Most grains cook at a 3:1 ratio, but wheatberries tend to take a little more water to cook completely. If needed, add more water towards the end of cooking to make sure the grains are soft to chew.)
In another pot, add the sesame oil, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes, then stir in the green and red peppers. Toss in the kale and half of Cajun spice blend, stir again, then add the vegetable broth. Allow the kale to steam until it turns a bright green color and begins to wilt, about three minutes. Do not allow to wilt completely. Fold in the cooked wheatberries and mix until the vegetables and the grains are evenly blended. Season with remaining Cajun spice and serve warm.
| Total calories per serving: 185 | Fat: 2 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 38 grams | Protein: 7 grams |
| Sodium: 18 milligrams | Fiber: 7 grams |
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
(Serves 8)
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
4 large sweet potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
3 cups diced onion
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, or to taste
2 teaspoons black pepper, divided, or to taste
2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
6 cups canned low sodium black beans, rinsed
1 Tablespoon lite soy sauce
3 Tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 cups diced cucumber
2 cups seeded and diced red bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish and rub the sweet potato halves with one teaspoon olive oil, then place cut side up in the dish. Bake 45 minutes, until soft.
While the sweet potatoes bake, heat the remaining olive oil in a medium pot, and add the onions, garlic, and half of the salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, black beans, and 4 cups of water.
Once this is done, add remaining salt and pepper, as well as soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and cumin. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
As beans and veggies cook, scoop out the middles of the sweet potatoes, setting aside in a mixing bowl. Leave the skins intact with about 1/2-inch depth to create a sturdy bowl. Mash the scooped potato until soft.
Stir in cucumbers, red peppers, corn, and the scooped sweet potatoes to the cookpot with the beans. Allow everything to simmer together for 3-5 minutes. Scoop the mixture into the hollow potatoes to serve. Drizzle with any remaining sauce from the pot.
| Total calories per serving: 403 | Fat: 4 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 77 grams | Protein: 19 grams |
| Sodium: 454 milligrams | Fiber: 16 grams |
Coconut Curry Eggplant Stew
(Serves 12)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 cups diced onion
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
3 cups water
3 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons curry powder
13-ounce can lite coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, to garnish
Warm sesame oil in a pot, then add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Allow to cook until fragrant, about three minutes. Add butternut squash, stir, and add water. Cook about 10 minutes or until the squash begins to get soft. Next, add eggplant and curry powder. Cook until the eggplant is soft, about 8 minutes. Add coconut milk to warm through, and garnish with cilantro to serve.
| Total calories per serving: 95 | Fat: 5 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 13 grams | Protein: 2 gram |
| Sodium: 7 milligrams | Fiber: 5 grams |
Cranberry & Mango Sauce
(Serves 12)
2 cups orange juice
2 cups organic sugar
24 ounces fresh cranberries
2 whole mangos, peeled and chopped
In a pot, heat the orange juice over medium heat until just warm and slowly add the sugar while stirring. Simmer for a few minutes, then add cranberries and mangos. Cook about 10-15 minutes, until cranberries begin to pop and sauce thickens. As the sauce cools to room temperature to serve, pectins in the fruit will continue to thicken.
| Total calories per serving: 196 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 50 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 2 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Chef Gregory Brown is CEO and Executive Chef of The Land of Kush VeganSoul Bistro in Baltimore, MD. Gregory is a self-educated chef and sits on the boards of the Visit Baltimore Foundation and the Black Vegetarian Society of Maryland.
