One of my adult children has been very involved in the Occupy movement, particularly in helping with food preparation and serving at one of the sites. This has me thinking about vegan recipes that can be easily made large for many people. There are basics, like spaghetti, that take some time to do in batches, but are pretty easy. Other things are harder to adapt, but if you work on it in sets, not so bad. Here I present a few of my recipes or recipes that I have used adjusted for large numbers of people.
Vegetable Soup for a Crowd
3 gallons vegetable broth
1 pound pinto beans (soaked overnight)
1 pound barley
1 pound diced onion
2 pounds diced carrot
1 pound diced celery
1 pound diced potato
1 pounds snapped green beans
1 pound broccoli chopped
2 cups tomato paste
1 T basil
1 T pepper
1 T salt
After soaking beans, drain and then add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Serves about 50 full ladles.
Baked Faked Mac n Cheese for A Crowd
5 lbs macaroni elbows
1 ¼ cups olive oil
1 ¼ cups flour
3 quarts non-dairy milk
5 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 T brown mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 T salt
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 T paprika
5 cups bread crumbs
2 T. basil
Cook pasta to al dente, rinse in cold water, drain.
Heat oil to medium and wisk in flour. Stir until it creates a paste and then continue until it is a medium brown. Slowly add the non-dairy milk, whisking to make it smooth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients (except crumbs and basil) and mix well. Combine sauce gently with pasta, and pour into baking dishes. Top with basil and bread crumbs. Bake at 350* until heated through (about 45 minutes). Serves about 50 as a side dish.
Overnight Baked Oatmeal for a Crowd
(adapted from Ellen’s Kitchen – http://www.ellenskitchen.com)
2 c. vegetable oil
3 c. applesauce
6 c. sugar
4 packages silken tofu, blended
25 c. regular oatmeal
2 c. nutritional yeast flakes
4 T. cinnamon
1/3 cup baking powder
8 tsp. salt
9 cups soy milk
Wisk together tofu, sugar, oil, and applesauce. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into baking pans (2 steam table sized). Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Serves 50.
Hummus for a Crowd
5 lbs dried garbanzo beans
6 c olive oil
5 c lemon juice
20 cloves garlic minced
5 T sesame tahini
3 T cumin
¼ c salt
3 t. red pepper
Soak and cook beans per directions. Using food processor, blend beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with pitas or veggies. Serves 50.
Vegan Ratatouille for a Crowd
(adapted from Ellen’s Kitchen – http://www.ellenskitchen.com)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon thyme
3 T basil
2 pounds bell pepper, julienned
5 pounds sliced onions
10 cloves garlic, minced
10 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
8 pounds eggplants, peeled and diced
6 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 T salt
1 T pepper
Put oils in a deep skillet. Saute garlic and onions until tender. Add basil, mix, and remove from heat.
In baking pans, layer ½ of each – tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions and garlic. Repeat.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350* for 90 minutes. Remove covers and cook about 20 minutes longer or until liquid is reduced. Serves 50.
Vegan Baked Beans for a Crowd
7 pounds dry navy beans
4 onions, diced
1 cup molasses
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 T brown mustard
1 T paprika
1 T turmeric
1 T garlic powder
2 T salt
1 ½ cups olive oil
Soak navy beans overnight, drain and rinse. Cover with water, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and mix with remaining ingredients. Pour into baking pans. Add water as needed to make sauce cover top of beans. Cover and bake at 350* for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Serves 50.
Mexican Rice and Beans for a Crowd
6 lbs medium grain rice
4 lbs dry black beans
6 stalks celery chopped
3 lbs chopped fresh onions
3 gallons tomato sauce (or 1 gallon tomato paste and 2 gallons water)
1 cup chili powder
1/3 cup cumin
5 T dried (or 2 cups fresh chopped) cilantro
3 T red pepper
3 T salt
Soak and cook beans according to package directions until al dente. Mix all ingredients (including cooked beans). Cook 45-60 minutes at 350* (or until rice is tender). Serves 50.
Cumin Rice with Eggplant and Edamame for a Crowd
(adapted from Fat Free Vegan – http://blog.fatfreevegan.com)
8 cups brown rice
1 cup olive oil
5 medium eggplants, cubed
5 onions, diced
5 green, yellow, or red bell peppers, diced
5 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
5 T cumin
3 t turmeric
2 t ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 T pepper
1 t red pepper
1 cup chopped parsley (optional)
7 cups fresh or frozen edamame (beans only)
1 gallon water
Put rice in a bowl and cover it with water. Set it aside to soak while you prepare the remainder.
Place oil in skillet. Add eggplant and onion. Cook, over medium-high heat, stirring often. When the eggplant is getting soft remove from heat and mix with remaining vegetables and seasonings (all except rice and water). Combine well. Drain soak water from the rice and mix in the gallon of water. Place in baking pans, cover with parchment paper and then tightly with foil. Bake at 375* until the rice is tender, about 70-90 minutes. Serves 50.
1 large spaghetti squash
Cut squash in half along the longest side. Place flat side down on large baking sheet, pierce a few times with a knife, and place in oven at 400*. Cook for 1 hour. Meanwhile, add onion, garlic, and oil to a pan and saute gently. When transparent, add tomato, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer gently while squash bakes. When squash is tender, remove from oven and separate out strands with a fork into a large bowl. Top with olive oil mix and toss gently. Add vegan Parmesan if desired. Serve with you favorite (gluten-free?) bread and salad.