3 EASY Holiday dishes for LAZY people

 I never go to a holiday dinner party empty handed. I'm lucky that when I go my family's gatherings, someone often makes a salad or side dish that is vegan and "melinda-friendly", but I still make it a point to bring something. 

 

This Thanksgiving I made 3 things at the last minute, and think these would be great additions to any holiday meal. They were all well-received by my non-vegan family, and are a great way to add some color to your table. 

Roasted Buttercup Squash:  (cook time 50min)

This one is so easy & so good! It's one of my favorite fall/winter meals, holiday or not. Instructions: Cut this sucker in half, scoop out the seeds, bake for 40 minutes at 350 . If you like crispy edges use the broiler to brown the top for 2-3 minutes. If you're driving to some one else's house stick it in the oven for 10-12 more minutes to finish cooking. 

It tastes sweet on its own, like mashed sweet potato. You could add cinnamon or something if you wanted, but I don't. I served this with my Quinoa Kale Salad in the cavity of the squash, but both dishes are great on their own. 

Grilled Asparagus w/ Lemon (cook time 5 min) 

 

This is great when it is grilled but I'm lazy and I usually just throw this in a hot wok w/ a drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, top with salt & pepper. 

I didn't have any on hand today, but I usually I serve this on a bed of (very) lightly cooked spinach, also flavored with lemon juice and s&p. 

This is my go to take along dish for holidays. It's the simplest thing, but there's almost never anything like it on the table. If you don't like asparagus, use zucchini sliced into spears. Eat your veggies, people! No Excuses! 

Quinoa Kale Salad: (cook time 35 min)

 

Don't buy the prepared "kale salad" mix for this one. There are always pieces of stems in those mixes and that is never a crowd pleaser. Wash your hands and pull the leafy peices off the kale stems yourself. Throw in some shredded carrot and cabbage if that's your thing. 

Squeeze the juice of one lemon and one orange into you bowl of kale and massage the juice into the leaves. Add a bit of sea salt and pepper, and let it marinate over night, or even just for a few hours. 

Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. Add red pepper flakes, sea salt, olive oil or any desired mix-ins. I stick with just the red pepper. You could also replace some of the water w/ vegetable stock, but I really don't think it is necessary. 

When your quinoa is done cooking let it cool for 2-3 minutes and mix it into your kale while still warm. Add roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and orange zest on top. I try to stick to a 50/50 ratio of quinoa to kale, but you can change that to suit your taste. 

And there you you have it: 3 dishes perfect for any holiday gathering, that are healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and delicious.