Jingle bells, jingle bells…Is it me or has this whole festive period malarkey come a bit early this year? Although maybe it just seems like that to me as I lost an entire month to sanding and painting…Anyway, I am acutely aware that our American friends are all gearing up for Thanksgiving already (and it feels like they have something big to be thankful for this year, wink wink!) and Christmas is not far behind…Although I do wonder what it’s going to be like this year. A bit quiet I think. We are not allowed to travel (and even if we were we feel like it’s too risky given the current climate, so we are certainly staying home – would hate to gift someone the virus) so it’s going to be just Duncan, Tina and I celebrating Xmas this year.
Anyway, quiet or not, I’m committed to putting a good vegan spread on the table. My house, appropriately, smells of cinnamon as I type this as I have been testing some Xmas cookies on repeat the last couple of days. That recipe is almost nailed and I’m really excited to share it with you, but before I do, I have a cracking vegan Brussels sprouts Caesar salad that I hope will shake up your festive salad repertoire a bit. It’s full of Brussels sprouts goodness but far from boring. It has creaminess and heaps of flavour from the tangy and cheesy sunflower seed dressing, satisfying crunch from garlicky, oven-baked croutons, sweet, salty and smoky pops of flavour from almond bacon and juicy freshness from pomegranate seeds. It also happens to be easy to make and it fits in with the festive colour palette too, what’s not to like? We’ve enjoyed it a lot and I hope you will too.
½ cup raw sunflower seeds OR cashews, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes ½ roasted head of garlic or 1-2 raw cloves, finely grated 2 tsp yellow / shiro miso (optional) 1½ tsp wholegrain mustard* 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp capers in salty brine, drained 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 150 ml / ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened plant milk (I like soy) 1 tsp maple syrup or sugar sea salt, to taste black pepper, to taste
CROUTONS (optional)
30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced finely (optional) 120 g / 4 cups cubed bread (GF if needed) fine sea salt, to taste
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
500 g / 1 lb Brussels sprouts a handful of parsley, finely chopped 3 tbsp pomegranate arils or dried cranberries rehydrated in warm orange juice
CROUTONS (optional) ASSEMBLY
