Heavy Hors d'oeuvres (November 2017)

Need some Hors d'oeuvres for an upcoming party. These healthy options are sure to satisfy any party-goers appetite!

Artichoke Spinach Dip

From: Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton
¾ cup raw cashews unsoaked
1-2 medium large cloves sliced or quartered to taste
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ plain almond milk
2 ½ -3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon
2 cups of thawed  or canned artichoke hearts
2 loosely packed cups fresh spinach leaves
Directions
1 In the blender blend all ingredients except spinach and artichoke
2 Add the artichokes and spinach and just pulse trough do not fully blend in order to keep some chunky texture!
3 Transfer into an oven safe baking dish and bake for 17 to 20 minutes until lightly golden on top.

Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps

Adapted from ohsheglows.com

2 russet potatoes unpeeled and sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe for Walnut Taco Meat (recipe follows)
Recipe for So Very Sour Cream (recipe follows)
½ to ¾  cup salsa
2 to 3 green onions  thinly sliced
Directions
  1. Make the potato crisps: preheat oven to 425 F line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle them with the oil. Rub the potatoes to disperse the oil evenly, sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt.
  2. Roast the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping them once halfway through, until tender and lightly browned. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5 minutes before assembling.
  3. To assemble, top each potato slice with about 1 teaspoon each of the walnut taco meat, so very sour cream, salsa, and green onions, in that order serve why still warm.

*Tip instead of potatoes try serving the topping on lettuce cups or pair them with tortilla chips for a satisfying nacho plate.

Walnut Taco Meat

1 cup of walnuts toasted if preferred  
1 tablespoon of olive oil  
½ teaspoon of ground cumin  
¼ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt
⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Directions
Make the walnut taco meat in a food processor, combine the walnuts, oil, cumin, salt and cayenne and process into a fine crumble.

So Very Sour Cream

From: Vegan Holiday Cookbook by Isa Moskowitz

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours and drained
1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
½ teaspoon onion powder
Big pinch of salt

Directions
  1. In a blender, puree all the ingredients until completely smooth; this can this can take up to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your machine. Periodically stop the machine to keep it from overheating and scrape down the sides of the blender jar with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything.
  2. Transfer the sour cream into a quart sized container, cover, and let set for at least a day. Dollop away.  


Coleslaw in Peppers

From: Give Them Something Better

4 cups cabbage, shredded
¼ cup carrot, grated
⅓ cup soy mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons green onion finely minced
1 tablespoon sugar   
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Directions
1 Combine cabbage & carrots in a large bowl.
2 Mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
3 Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well.
4 Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours and serve or stuff into small bell peppers.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Adapted from daringgourmet.com

1 cup canned pineapple juice ,see note
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons ketchup
For the Cornstarch Slurry: 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Directions
1 Place all of the ingredients, except for the cornstarch slurry, in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2 Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for another minute until thickened, stirring constantly. If using red food coloring, stir it in.  
3 Let the sauce cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Oat Balls

Adapted from "Give Them Something Better"

3 ½ Cups of water
¼ Cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper powder
3 ½ cups of quick oats
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2 Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil
over a high heat.
3 Remove from heat; add oats and stir well. Allow mixture to sit 5 minutes.
4 Scoop mixture into 1’’ round balls place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes;.  

Red zinger Punch

8 Red Zinger Tea bags
12 oz raspberry and white grape juice concentrate
3 qts water (some water may be replaced by ginger ale or seltzer water)
Directions
1 Bring 1 quart of water to a boil.  
2 Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes.  
3 Add juice concentrate and remaining 2 quarts of water and stir.  
4 Chill and serve.

Cashew & Pear Cream Sauce

From: Cook:30 by Jeremy Dixon


14 oz can pears (in juice)
1 cup cashew nuts
Directions
Add the pears with the juice and cashew nuts to a blender and blend until you have a smooth cream. Keep blending until you have a smooth cream you do not want bits of cashew nuts and juice.