Whether or not your favorite team prevails this Sunday, it’s a guaranteed win for the animals when your Super Bowl party features vegan fare.
Try these ideas for fast appetizers which include easy ways to give familiar favorites a vegan make-over.
Chips and Dip: Tofutti brand Sour Supreme can stand in for regular sour cream in any dip recipe. It’s rich and creamy but without the saturated fat. Use it in your favorite onion dip and serve with potato chips or baked tortilla wedges.
Easy Vegan Quesadillas: Place whole wheat tortillas in the bottom of a baking dish and spread each with a mixture of black beans, frozen corn, and chopped onions sautéed in olive oil. Sprinkle with shredded Daiya brand Pepper Jack cheese. Cover each with another tortilla and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into triangles and arrange on a platter with salsa for dipping.
Creamy Avocado Paté: Pistachios give this dip extra pizzazz! Blend together 4 ripe avocados, 8 ounces of vegan cream cheese, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and salt to taste. Mound the paté in a bowl and top with sliced black olives and a few tablespoons of chopped pistachio nuts.
Hearty Vegan Sausage Sandwiches. Slice fresh ciabatta rolls and stuff them with slices of heated Field Roast brand Smoked Apple Sage Sausages. Sauté chopped apples and onions in canola oil for a zesty relish.
Need something a little fancier? Wow your guests with this deceptively easy Black Olive Bruschetta with Cashew Cream from the cookbook Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
Colleen says that the contrast between the white cashew cream and black olives is striking – and even more so if you serve it along with traditional tomato bruschetta.
Black Olive Bruschetta with Cashew Cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
2 shallots, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, finely minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 whole grain baguette, sliced
Olive oil for brushing
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely minced
Cashew Cream
Cashew Cream
1 cup raw cashews 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional oil for brushing
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon yellow/light miso
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
Soak the cashews overnight in just enough water to completely cover them. The next day, drain and rinse the cashews. Set aside. In a medium sauté pan, sauté the onions in the 1 tablespoon of oil until translucent and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Place the soaked cashews, sautéed onions, miso, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process until smooth.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Add the oil to a large sauté pan, along with the garlic, shallots, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the shallots begin to glisten, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and olives, and sauté for 3 minutes more. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, and turn off heat.
Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until the ends of the bread begin to turn golden brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread a generous amount of cashew cream on each bread slice, and carefully spoon the olive mixture on top. Sprinkle with some minced parsley and basil, and arrange on a pretty serving platter.
Virginia Messina is a dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. Her new book is Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-based Diet. Learn more about vegan nutrition by reading her blog TheVeganRD, or by following her on twitter.
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