Happy 1st Birthday to the “So Many Cooks in the Kitchen” team! Congratulations! You made it to this milestone with SO MANY resounding successes. You are an outstanding resource for everyone who is interested in eating delicious, nutritious plant-based meals. This certainly calls for celebration! There is something exciting about gathering with friends and family to commemorate a special day – even over zoom! Whether it is a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, or a holiday, these occasions are at the heart of many of our most cherished memories. Of course, celebrations are strongly tied to celebratory foods, and you can be sure that plant-based offerings can turn any meal into a colorful and delicious feast.
Let’s consider how plant-based families can navigate these special days, even when so many of our cultural traditions are woven around animal products. There are two ways of approaching food for these occasions:
    1. Make plant-based versions of traditional favorites
    2. Create your own unique traditions and share them with family and friends.

Either way, being plant-based does not mean sacrificing the fun in these festivities. Quite the contrary, it is wonderful to celebrate knowing that you are not contributing to the pain, suffering, and death of other sentient beings, or adding excessively to the ecological burden on the planet. Of course, it is also comforting to know that plant-based foods are preferable for supporting your health and the health of your loved ones.

So how can we make our most cherished celebrations fabulous without animal products? First and foremost, with a generous dose of love, laughter, and a little imagination.

Birthdays and Anniversaries – The foods that traditionally mark these occasions are cake (or cupcakes) and ice cream, salty snacks, and fast foods like hot dogs or pizza. Fortunately, there are exceptional plant-based versions of almost all party foods. While many of the plant-based versions are not especially healthy, it is good to know that for the committed whole food plant-based eaters, there are plenty of options. You can make chocolate cake and icing with dates instead of sugar and use nut butter instead of butter or oil. Carrot spice cake is another popular favorite. Serve your cake with frozen banana ice cream. Instead of fried potato chips, make homemade air-fried chips, kale chips or popcorn. Pizza is easily adapted to a plant-based crowd. Use whole grain crust, lots of veggies, and some vegan nut cheese. Make a fancy fruit punch with soda water, a splash of pure pomegranate or blueberry juice and some sliced citrus fruits or berries.

Religious Holidays – Whether it is Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Eid, Passover, Diwali, Christmas, or other religious holiday, food is a treasured part of the tradition. For many of these celebrations, meat is front and center. Turkey is the centerpiece for Thanksgiving and Christmas, brisket is featured for Hanukkah, meat stews are popular for Eid (the celebration that ends the fast of Ramadan), and curries and samosas are part of Diwali (the festival of lights). The great plant-based challenge is to replace traditional meat-based dishes delicious plant-based alternatives. Because family traditions are so cherished, the most desirable replacement is often one that resembles the traditional meal, at least in flavor. To replace turkey, a stuffed tofu creation works well. For Hanukkah, the brisket could be replaced with a gluten roast or a casserole. For Eid, plant-based stews can replace meat stews, and for Diwali, vegetarian versions of curries and samosas are simple replacements. In most of these feasts, many of the accompaniments are vegetable-based dishes, so simple swaps for the butter or eggs may be all that is required. The internet is a great source of plant-based recipes for all of these feasts!

Fourth of July – the great celebration of freedom typically features barbequed food. Traditional favorites include barbequed chicken or ribs, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, coleslaw and other summer salads, fresh rolls, and baked goods. Below are some suggestions for transforming the feast into something to sing about.

The Perfect Plant-based Celebration Barbeque
Ah summer, the perfect time for a barbeque. What could be better than eating a meal around a picnic table with your loved ones? Here are a few family favorites:
Main Dishes
  • Kabobs with rice or quinoa – Kabobs are such fun, and so simple. You can purchase inexpensive wooden skewers for this purpose. Prepare all the items you would like to use on your kabobs. Some great options are tofu, sweet onions, peppers, mushrooms (cut in half if too large), zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and pineapple. Cut into 1½ or 2-inch chunks and alternate the items on the skewers. Baste with your favorite barbeque sauce and grill.
  • Grilled tofu, potatoes in tin foil, and assorted grilled veggies (e.g., peppers, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, whole baby Bok choy, and mushrooms) – Marinate tofu and veggies in barbeque or other favorite sauce. Cut potatoes in bite-sized pieces and place in tin foil with onions, garlic, dill, and a splash of tamari. Seal and barbeque for about 45 minutes. The best way to barbeque tofu and veggies is over low heat, allowing about a half hour for the tofu and 10–20 minutes for the veggies.
  • Grilled burgers, fixings, corn-on-the-cob, green salad – burger options are more diverse and better tasting than ever. For omnivorous friends, some are so tasty and meat like, your friends may ask where they could buy them. For whole food diet devotees, you can prepare the burgers from scratch (see recipe below). The key to a great burger, beyond the patty, is a fresh whole grain bun, and delicious fixings. In addition to the usual mustard, relish, and ketchup, try caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, tomato slices, romaine lettuce and avocado slices.
Desserts
  • Grilled peaches – Cut large, ripe peaches in half and sprinkle with cinnamon before grilling. Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream or fruit ice cream.
  • Chocolate-covered bananas – Nothing beats a frosty chocolate-covered banana on a hot summer day (see recipe below).
  • Fruit Ice Cream – Oh the miracle of frozen fruit! Using frozen bananas on their own or along with other fruits such as mango, pineapple, or strawberries, you can make the most flavorful ice cream! Use a Yonanas machine, Champion or Green Star juicer, blender, or food processor. If using a blender, add a little non-dairy milk.
Beet Burgers
Makes 12 large patties
These burgers take a little time to put together, but they are well worth the effort. Leftovers freeze beautifully and can be easily grilled.
Salad:
  • 2 tablespoons broth
  • 2 tablespoons tamari or liquid aminos
  • 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 large or 2 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups shredded)
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seed
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons your favorite seasoning blend (or 1 tsp each of basil, chili powder or red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, marjoram, and parsley)
  • 2 cups cooked brown lentils (cook in broth, if desired)
  • 1 cup cooked brown, black, or red rice, or quinoa
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. In a medium or large skillet on low-medium heat, place broth, onions, and garlic. Cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
  2. Using a food processor, process the oats and walnuts or sunflower seeds to a coarse texture. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
  3. Shred the beets in the food processor. Add to the bowl with the walnuts and oats.
  4. Pulse the cooked rice and lentils in the food processor until somewhat chunky, not smooth. Transfer to the large bowl with oats, walnuts, and beets.
  5. Add in the onion and garlic mixture, flaxseed, tamari, paprika, and seasoning mix. Stir the dough until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  6. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and mix everything in the bowl until well blended.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  8. Divide the dough into 12 patties. Start with a ball and flatten it out. Place on a lightly sprayed non-stick cookie sheet or a silicon mat on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes or until nicely browned on both sides. Flip patties after 30 minutes. When the patties are baked, they firm right up and can be quickly grilled on the barbeque. Add a little barbeque sauce, if desired. It is always great to use a barbeque grill pan with homemade patties, but it is not essential.
  9. Add both an apple and an orange.
  10. Add 4–5 dates to the water when adding the sliced orange.
  11. Add a few drops of monk fruit or stevia to the tea just before consuming.
Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas
Makes 8 servings
You can’t go wrong with chocolate-covered bananas! They are a little reminiscent of ice cream bars, only much healthier!
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped nuts or granola
  1. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
  2. Cut bananas in half crosswise and insert a popsicle stick or short wooden skewer.
  3. Freeze until solid.
  4. Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.
  5. Take the bananas out of the freezer one at a time, quickly brush with chocolate (using a brush or spoon), and immediately roll in nuts or granola. Return to the freezer and proceed with the next banana.
  6. Serve immediately or store in a large zip lock bag or airtight container in the freezer.

This article was written for a PCRM Food for Life Instructors group called So Many Cooks in the Kitchen. This group meets online to provide amazing cooking and nutrition demonstrations that are free to share globally. For wonderful whole food, plant-based cooking shows, tune in to their monthly broadcasts. https://somanycooks.com/about/

Brenda Davis, RD is a plant-based pioneer and author/co-author of 13 books on plant-based diets. She is co-Author of Nourish: the definitive plant-based nutrition guide for families, Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive and Express Editions and Kick Diabetes Essentials. www.brendadavisrd.com