Spring into Easter with New Recipe Ideas | Vegan Cuts

Hot Cross Buns by mrsporkchop on flickr

Spring has sprung, and has opened the doors to a plethora of holiday awesomeness just ahead.

Whether you?re celebrating Easter/Eostre, Passover/Pesach, Buddha?s Birthday, or any number of nature-based spring festivals, there?s going to be a strong emphasis on food: sharing meals with people is one of the oldest ways of celebrating a holiday, and there is a wealth of vegan recipes out there to suit any tradition.

EASTER/EOSTRE

Spring asparagus, by Casey Fox on Flickr

The first buds of spring bring with them a delectable seasonal treat: asparagus.

Try it for brunch in a vegan crepe! The Vegan Yum Yum website has a fabulous recipe for a triad of crepes including an incredible asparagus one, that?s perfect for a holiday brunch. We?ve made them for bridal showers as well, and they?ve always been a big hit.

Lemon-asparagus risotto is also a special way to work with this gorgeous vegetable. The creaminess of arborio rice contrasts wonderfully with the fresh ?GREEN-ness? of asparagus, and the lemon lightens it up and gives it a summery feel. This is a great recipe to use as a guideline: just swap out the butter for Earth Balance, and toss in some nutritional yeast in lieu of Parmesan to make it vegan.

Take full advantage of the spring greens that are popping up everywhere! Salads of arugula, watercress, and sprouts of all kinds are great accompaniments to great vegan meals.

Speaking of vegan meals, there are few better ways to end a feast than with cake? so why not go for some tried-and-true holiday fare and make a rich, decadent vegan carrot cake or hot cross buns for dessert? Sweet and traditional, they?re sure to bring a smile to any and all.

Tip: If you bake the cake in a bundt pan, you can use it as a centerpiece, stuffed with spring flowers .

potato kugel by mollyjade on flickr

PASSOVER/PESACH

Who doesn?t love kugel? One of the most amazing comfort foods out there, kugel comes in many different flavours and combinations, and all ends up in a warm, bubbling meal that?s like a loving hug in a bowl. I haven?t tried this recipe for a vegan mushroom and potato kugel, but it sounds wonderful, and it?s definitely on my recipe ?to-do? list.

As far as other traditional recipes go, a lovely friend of mine recommended the vegan cholent from Veganomicon. It sounds rich and flavourful, and could undoubtedly become a Passover favourite, sure to rival your aunt?s brisket any day. My guess is the omnivores around the table will enjoy it as much as the veggie-vores will.

A quick, easy and traditional dessert (or even a sweet side dish) is charoset: just walnuts, apples, cinnamon, sugar, and wine or grape juice, and it?s scrumptious enough to make year-round. On the same sweet note, I also found a recipe for chocolate-toffee matzoh bark that had me drooling on my keyboard.? If anyone makes this, please give us some feedback on it. Seriously, I nearly licked my screen as I read about it.

BUDDHA?S BIRTHDAY

Is there any better way to celebrate The Buddha?s birthday than by sharing vegan food with others? Gentle, cruelty-free, healthy and nourishing to both body and soul, Buddhist vegan recipes are celebrations of simplicity, beauty and light.

Credit: Vegan pav bhaji, image courtesy of Ammalu's Kitchen

If you?re looking for multi-dimensional flavours and textures, try Buddha?s Delight: a vegan dish full of fresh vegetables, aromatic spices, and layers of gorgeous tastes to explore. As Buddha Gautama was of Indian/Nepali descent, vegan Indian dishes like pav bhaji would be great to try as well.

The Buddha broke his famous fast with a bowl of kheer that had been brought to him by a young woman named Sujata, and this creamy, sweet desserts is indeed nirvana in a dish. It?s a lovely, rich rice pudding made with non-dairy milk (almond seems to work best), and can be sprinkled with the toasted nuts of your choice. Try swapping agave nectar for the sugar, and pistachios instead of almonds to mix it up a little bit. Adding a pinch of saffron to the rice while it?s cooking will also give the kheer a gorgeous golden glow.

Do you have a favourite vegan recipe for the spring season? Please, share it with us!

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