Community Plant Based Recipe Swap

 With the mushrooms providing protein, this fancy but easy dish makes a delicious main or side.  Jane used a mix of white and sweet potatoes because that is what we had on hand and we all decided we would make it that way on purpose in the future.

 You can't get more Thanksgiving dinner than succotash!  If you are planning to roast a turkey and want some sides that will amp up the protein for your plant-based eaters, add this side to your table.  The Smiths and their guests enjoyed it one Christmas day. Gluten-free

 You might remember the meatball version from a pre-pandemic CUCC Christmas party.  The Smiths repurposed these Thanksgiving weekend fancy burgers into meatball format to feed a crowd.  Not only are these plant-based... they are gluten free!

 Jane made this for the 2024 Life & Faith Christmas party to great reviews.  None of the guests were vegan.  She recommends doubling the recipe if serving a dozen+ people.  The recipe comes from The Curious Chickpea .

 Jane brought this cake to a Halloween potluck and everyone - plant eaters and omnivores - said it was delicious.  A rare, easy cake recipe that Jane baked a day ahead and it was still most 36 hours later.

Paul Kiel served this on the guys' autumn kayaking weekend to rave reviews.  Find the recipe at Australia's Best Recipes .   Gary (one of the "guys") isn't a big cooked spinach lover, but he loved the dhal so this one might be a recipe to try if you are not too sure how you feel about cooked spinach.

I increased the protein content of  www.goodforyouglutenfree.com's Carrot and Walnut Soup by adding 1 cup of dried red lentils (for the pot, 1 cup added 46 g to the 117g of the walnuts).  This soup is a surprisingly easy to make because the veggies are in big chunks and forgiving to serve.  After the blending step, we drove to the airport to pick up our guests; when I came home, I quickly (10 minutes) reheated it while I threw together the salad.  The texture and flavor were as good as when we left the house.

Try this "Glenda-original" that allows you to decide your own measurement and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Here's another "Glenda original" from one of our Charging Up Hope suppers.  She brought a bag of fresh shiso / perilla leaves for us to smell and taste.  A member of the mint family, these leaves are used in Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese cooking.  Jane thought they added a milder-than-basil, fresh, "green" taste to the dish that was a nice complement to the cucumber and cantaloupe.  Read more about shiso / perilla  here .

At a recent Charging Up Hope planning supper, Glenda brought a pickled watermelon rind salad that we raved over.  This recipe is a "pinch of this and splash of that" that Glenda created.

 This refreshing and unusual gazpacho is easy to make; roughly chop the ingredients, then whiz in the food processor and chill for an hour before serving.  The mint and apple make it a refreshing change from the usual hearty red tomato based gazpacho and the bright yellow color with the apple sliver garnish was elegant. !!!!!!!!!  Important:  I bought an Anaheim chile pepper at the farmer's market, expecting something mild and sweet.  Maybe a spicier chili migrated into the Anaheim bin, but the one I bought was ferociously spicy.  I minced about 1/32 of a teaspoon and that was plenty to provide some zing.  Definitely taste your Anaheim before tossing it into your gazpacho. Quantity:  I made the recipe in the quantities recommended (2 yellow tomatoes, 2 small/medium Honey Crisp apples) and it would have provided 6 small bowls packed with flavor as an appetizer to a heartier meal.  If you want to use it as part of your main course as I did for...

Judy and Paul Kiel brought this dish to a Justice in a Changing Climate supper/planning evening and we all raved over it and asked them to share the recipe.  You can see their adapted version below.  This is one of those perfect crowd-pleaser recipes that is fancy enough for a potluck or perfect for a comfort food dinner at home.

We served this one as the main dish at a Justice in a Changing Climate supper/planning evening and everyone had seconds.  Easy prep on a hot day because the only heating is to thaw the frozen edamame and steam fresh green beans which I did the day before when I cooked green beans for dinner.  All other prep is chopping and mixing.