Some affordable holiday menus
Burns Night: Homemade vegetarian haggis (made with split peas, among other things), neeps and tatties (mashed potatoes with turnip or rutabaga), mock cranachan (full-fat yogurt, toasted oatmeal, and jam parfait): $1.57/person
Valentine’s Day: spaghetti marinara with lentil meatballs and parmesan, individual baked custard with chocolate sauce, mock champagne (mix apple juice, grape juice, and seltzer, serve in a dollar store wine glass): $1.22/person
St. Patrick’s Day: Vegetarian Irish stew, colcannon (mashed potatoes with greens), homemade shortbread, green limeade (generic Sprite with a splash of fresh or bottled lime juice and a drop of green food coloring): $1.71/person
Purim: chickpea wat (Ethiopian-style chickpea stew), carrot-raisin-sunflower pilaf, apple pie hamantaschen, mock champagne: $1.63/person
Easter brunch: impossible spinach quiche, deviled eggs, homemade hashbrowns or lentil-potato hash, homemade hot cross buns, virgin mimosas (orange juice and seltzer), fresh fruit: $1.50 (with hashbrowns) or $1.60 (with hash)/person
Shavuot: Vegetarian lasagna, carrot-orange salad with yogurt-citrus dressing, mock cheesecake (cookie-crumb crust, filling is cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix made up with plain yogurt instead of milk): $1.92/person
Fourth of July Picnic: Barbecue pinto beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon: $1.38/person
Rosh Hashanah: vegetarian mock gefilte fish (made with potatoes and cornmeal), chickpea noodle soup, carrot and raisin tzimmes, baked apple with honey and cinnamon: $2.10/person
Thanksgiving: pinto bean “turkey,” bread stuffing with onion and celery, brown gravy, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green bean and mushroom soup casserole with crispy topping, carrot and celery sticks, cranberry sauce, impossible pumpkin pie with whipped topping, water, milk, mock sparkling cider (apple juice + seltzer): $2.43/person
Hanukkah: tofu brisket with roast vegetables, potato latkes with sour cream and/or applesauce, french toast jelly donuts (make little jam sandwiches, dip them in egg batter and saute like french toast): $1.55-$2.07/person, depending on how many latkes you can eat and whether you prefer sour cream or applesauce
Christmas: mock goose (bean and lentil loaf), sage and onion dressing, mashed and roast potatoes, brown gravy, homemade applesauce, roasted root vegetable medley, plum pudding with custard sauce, mandarin oranges: $2.30/person
