This time of year it’s highly likely that you’ll find yourself playing hostess for a holiday party or two (or three!).  Even though it’s super fun, we all know holiday entertaining can be a stressful concept any way you slice it. When you throw in the fact that you’re a vegan and the majority (or in my case, all) of your guests are omnis, it can make menu planning for a crowd seem even more challenging.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be! Relying on some of your favorite everyday recipes, thumbing through your cookbooks and spending a little time perusing recipes online are all surefire ways to net yourself tons of fantastic ideas that will please any crowd.

To get you started, here’s my menu from a casual afternoon gathering I hosted this weekend for my mom and a small group of her friends. By sticking to familiar recipes and keeping things simple, I was able to pull off a successful holiday shindig for ten. The food got rave reviews and I know they weren’t just being polite because they ate every last bit (I almost didn’t even get to try the Bruschetta)!

Holiday Party Menu

Finger Foods:

Bruschetta with Tomato & Basil
Spicy Mixed Nuts
Black Bean Dip with Chips & Fresh Veggies

Entree

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato & Vegetable Soup

Dessert

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snickerdoodles

Beverages

Water
Iced Tea
Pomegranate-Champagne Punch

A few of these recipes have already been featured on the blog. Over the next several days, I’ll be posting the rest. Let me know if you need one in a hurry though. I’ll send it your way!

Always a crowd pleaser, this recipe is one of my faves for parties, holidays, trivia nights, etc. It comes from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, the absolute most hilarious cookbook you’ll ever read, which also happens to be packed with a wide variety of tasty vegan stuff!

The heat of these nuts is perfectly complemented by the sweetness. If you’re not big on spice though, keep your distance. They do have a kick!

In the book, the bitches leave specific instructions not to eat the entire batch in one sitting. They ain’t kiddin’. I’ll take it one step further and challenge you to eat just one. I am confident you will not succeed.

Vegan Spicy Mixed Nuts
Recipe Courtesy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbs warm water
1 lb roasted, salted mixed nuts
1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 tsp kosher or other coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp cayenne powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250° F
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and let drain for at least 2 minutes
• Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl and combine the sugar, salt and cayenne. Add the nuts, tossing to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes
• Stir with a spatula and spread the nuts out again. Reduce the oven to 200°F and bake another 30 minutes, or until dry
• The nuts will crisp as they cool to room temperature
• Thoroughly cooled, they can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container

Note:I use a premium mixed nuts mix from Whole Foods when I make this. It’s almonds, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts and hazelnuts. It makes for a really pretty mix…but we always find ourselves picking out the cashews and pecans. The next time I make this, I may just buy 1/2 lb of each of those and go all in. Use whatever you like best!