Sweet And Orangey Brussels Sprouts Stove Top Or Instant Pot Pressure Cooker RecipePerfect Side Dish For The Holidays

Orange and maple syrup flavored Brussels sprouts.

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Planning my Thanksgiving Menu
Thanksgiving should have been named the Holiday of Starch with mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and stuffing always being the highlights of the menu. But my favorite dish is always Brussels Sprouts, even though I also make garlicky green beens for those who aren't crazy about the petite cabbage. Last year I made Roasted Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Shallots with Pomegranate Seeds. A few years ago I served them raw in a Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Seed Vinaigrette, Dried Cranberries and Almonds. But this year's recipe is super simple and flavorful with just a handful of common ingredients.

If you have a Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker, this recipe will take only a few minutes. But I'll also show you a simple stove top recipe too.

It's nice to have an extra pot on Thanksgiving day since
all the burners and the oven are full of other things!

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Sweet and Orangey Brussels Sprouts 
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]

2 pounds Brussels sprouts (1.5 pounds when trimmed)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon Earth Balance buttery spread
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Trim 1/4 inch off the bottom of each Brussels sprout. If they are large, cut them in half. Otherwise, leave them whole. Rinse under cold water.

Stove Top Recipe
Place the Brussels sprouts in a 5-quart Dutch oven or medium pot with a steamer basket. Steam them until they are fork tender. Some people like them as hard as a rock but I am not one of those people. I think they taste creamier when you can pierce them easily with a fork. 

Drain the cooked Brussels sprouts in a colander and set aside. Remove the steamer basket and remove all water.

Using the same pot, combine the orange juice and zest, Earth Balance, and maple syrup. Heat at a low temperature until the Earth Balance melts, stirring so that it mixes with the other ingredients.

Orange sauce

Add the Brussels sprouts to the orange sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir until each Brussels sprout is covered with the warm sauce. Serve immediately or reheat before serving.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipe
Place all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot or similar Pressure cooker.

Cover with the pressure cooker top, making sure that the quick release switch is closed. 
Push the manual button and set it for 3 to 4 minutes if the Brussels sprouts are good size and whole and 2 to 3 minutes if they are very small or cut in half. If you like them harder than fork tender, you should set it for less time. You can always cook them longer if they aren't done to your liking by just setting the lid back over the pot and letting them sit in the pot a minute or two more.

When the time is up, hit the off button and quick release the pressure.

Stir until the Brussels sprouts are evenly covered with sauce and serve.

Per serving: 65 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 83 mg omega-3 and 45 mg omega-6 fatty acids*, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 179 mg sodium.

Low Fat, Vegan Potato Latkes For Hanukkah With A Recipe For Dairy Free, Vegan Sour Cream

Mixture of yukon gold and sweet potatoes.

Potato latkes on a large, non-stick grill.

Don't You Have To Fry Latkes?

OK, you figured it out. I'm not Jewish. You're probably saying, "doesn't this shiksa realize it's the OIL that's traditional Hanukkah food, NOT the potatoes?" I do know that (after all, I was born in Israel Zion hospital in Borough Park, Brooklyn!) but for those of you who just feasted over the Thanksgiving holiday and are now watching your waistline, I will give you the option of making these tasty, low calorie latkes with less oil and with a vegan sour cream that only weighs in at 8 calories per tablespoon! And yes, they are cooked in a small amount of oil to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah - where one night's worth of oil lasted 8 nights!

This Recipe

I do a few things that aren't traditional. I've sliced and sautéed the onions instead of grating them with the potatoes and mixing them in raw. Grating makes the onions turn to water and gives the latkes a slightly bitter taste. I love the sweetness of onion once it's sautéed. I also use a mixture of Yukon gold and sweet potatoes instead of the traditional russet potato. I throw in some nutritional yeast with the flour for added nutritional benefits.

Compare to Full Fat Sour Cream

I love sour cream. I can eat it with a spoon. But full fat, dairy sour cream has 27.8 calories (vs. 8.3 calories in vegan sour cream), 2.8 g of fat (vs. 0.3 g), 1.6 g of saturated fat (vs. 0 g), and 7.5 g of cholesterol (vs. 0). I now have something that I can freely pour over my latkes or baked potatoes without the guilt!

Also, check out other Healthful Hanukkah recipes like Raw Vegan Walnut and Mushroom Pâté which makes a great substitute for chopped chicken liver. For dessert, try making Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons. For a complete raw vegan feast, check out my Raw Vegan Hanukkah menu.

Happy Hanukkah!

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Vegan Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Latkes

[makes about 2 dozen latkes]

2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds

6 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cups peeled and grated sweet potatoes

4 cups un-peeled and grated Yukon gold potatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons vegetarian support formula nutritional yeast

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, for frying

You'll need a large, non-stick griddle or frying pan.

Make 2 flax eggs by blending the ground flaxseeds with water. For a really gooey egg, blend it with a high speed blender but you can also do this by hand. Set aside.

Sauté onion in a teaspoon of olive oil until barely soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine onion with grated sweet and Yukon gold potatoes, salt, pepper, flour, nutritional yeast and flax eggs. Mix well.

Heat griddle (medium heat) and coat with a bit of olive oil for each batch.

Place one quarter cup of mixture on the griddle for each latke, flattening them with a spatula.

Cook for 3 minutes on each side being careful not to burn them. You may have to flip them more than once to cook them thoroughly and keep them from browning too much.

Serve immediately or keep in a warm oven. Serve with applesauce or vegan sour cream.

Per latke (24 per recipe): 34.5 calories, 0.9 g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 6.4 g carbohydrates and 1.1 g dietary fiber.

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Vegan Sour Cream

[makes 2 cups or 32 tablespoons]

1 pound soft or silken tofu

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons light agave nectar

Drain off excess liquid from the tofu.

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth but do not over process or it will get watery.

Refrigerate until needed. It will last about 4 days.

Per tablespoon: 8.3 calories, 0.3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.6 g protein, 0.5 g carbohydrates and 0 g dietary fiber.

Complete Raw Vegan Hanukkah, Christmas or New Years Menu

Guacamole and raw jalapeno corn chips - a great appetizer.

Raw vegan substitute for chopped chicken liver.

Easy-to-make raw split pea soup.

Pear salad with blueberries and raw goat feta on greens.

Zucchini spaghetti and walnut meatballs - a blog favorite.

Chia pudding with pomegranate seeds - healthy and festive.

Delicate raw chocolate truffles dipped in coconut.

Some Ideas for a Raw Dinner Party

Although you may still be full from Thanksgiving, tonight is the beginning of Hanukkah and Christmas and New Years eve are close behind. Here is a complete raw menu pulling together some of the many raw recipes I've posted this year. OK, they're not the traditional sliced prime rib and green bean casserole recipes, but being a healthy raw vegan isn't traditional either. I hope you enjoy.

Raw Vegan Menu for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years Eve

Please click on recipe titles to link to the actual recipes and then hit the back arrow to return to this posting.

Appetizers

Guacamole is a popular appetizer and this Guacamole and raw jalapeno corn chip recipe is no exception. You'll have to start the corn chips a day in advance but you can whip up the guacamole right before you need it. If you are making it in advance, leave the pit in the middle of the dip and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Another good appetizer is a raw Walnut mushroom pate that makes a great substitute for chopped chicken liver.

Soup

Raw soups are fast and easy to make. This Raw vegan split pea soup will make a great soup course to a large meal since there is little fuss. You can use frozen peas and corn so no worries about finding ingredients in the middle of winter.

Main Course

For the main course, we have Raw zucchini spaghetti and walnut meatballs. This recipe is perhaps the most popular raw food recipe on this website so I thought it only fitting that it be served on these important holidays. With it is a Pear and blueberry salad with raw goat feta, hemp seeds and apple cider vinaigrette. If you don't do raw cheese, just omit it.

Desserts

Since I write so much about chia seeds and have quite a few chia seed recipes it should come as no surprise to find Chia pudding with pomegranate seeds as part of this important menu. To add a little chocolate surprise to the meal, here's the recipe for Tropical chocolate truffles. It's one of our favorite recipes and is enjoyed by all - raw foodist or not.

As many raw foodists will be going home for the holidays and are probably worrying what they will eat, bring along these recipes and prepare a few of them for your family and friends. I've introduced raw food to many people and the folks you least suspect would be interested in it turn out to be the most interested. Enjoy!