Well folks, the holidays are upon us and like my dear Mama some of you may be all aflutter scouring the internet, cookbooks, and spice stained recipe cards trying to find a way to veganize some of the traditional holiday dishes. Now, I have thought about this quite a bit and as a vegan I must say I do appreciate the attempt to make a few traditional side dishes vegan. While I love my Dad’s sweet potato soufflé and my Mama’s green bean casserole, which they have both worked tirelessly to transform into vegan delights. I don’t always want to eat just side dishes. Sometimes I want a main dish, scandalous I know!

Growing up I detested brussel sprouts, I truly believed Mama cooked them intentionally as a way to make me suffer, I was a regular Cinderella, before the glass slipper. However, just as we grow in shoe size so do we grow in our tastes and now I simply love brussel sprouts and I hope you enjoy them in the form of this holiday main dish recipe as well!

Maple Dijon Dressing:

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup

*1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Mince or grate the garlic cloves then add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together thoroughly.

If you or your freaky vegan pal enjoy a more vinegar taste add an extra 1/2-1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

Brussel Sprout Salad:

12-15 Brussel Sprouts

2 Red Potatoes

1 Green Apple

1/3 cup Dried Cranberries

*1/2 cup Walnuts

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoons Salt & Pepper

1 Lemon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the foil lined baking sheet. Wash then dice your potatoes and toss with salt and pepper, place potatoes on the baking sheet. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of half the lemon onto the potatoes. Place potatoes on the top rack in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Once your potatoes are done they will look and smell delicious, like this:

While the potatoes are cooking let’s make the reminder of the salad!

In a food processor shred the brussel sprouts, I usually drop 2-3 in at a time. If you do not have a food processor simply slice and then dice your brussel sprouts. They should be fairly small, like so.

Once you have shredded the brussel sprouts, place them in a bowl. Slice and dice your apple into small pieces and add to the brussel sprouts. Now add the dried cranberries and walnuts. Once the potatoes are finished remove them from the oven and place them in the bowl with the other ingredients. Take the other half of the lemon and squeeze it on top of the salad, this will help to keep the apple fresh and add a zing. Drizzle the dressing on top and mix in well with a large spoon. Now it’s time to eat this delicious dish. Spoon a generous helping into a bowl and let your freaky vegan daughter and pals devour! I’ll bet my stuffed stocking this will be a new holiday staple that vegans and non-vegans alike can enjoy! Look at me, the freaky vegan creating holiday harmony!

* If you prefer more nuts increase the 1/2 cup of walnuts to 1 cup of walnuts.