Your December recipes are here

Masterful centerpieces for your holiday gatherings

This month’s Weeknight Simple is arriving a little later than planned — for a mix of very real life reasons — but the upside is that this feels like a bumper edition. Perfect timing, too, as many of you are in the thick of planning gatherings, dinners, and holiday tables.

This week I’m sharing three true showstoppers, pulled from three special cookbooks:
Vegana Italiana by Tara Punzone & Gene Stone, Nosh by Micah Siva, and my own The Vegetarian Reset.

What’s on the menu, you ask?

First up, a plant-based Lasagna. Many of you have requested for dairy-free but genuinely creamy options, and I can’t think of a better guide than an Italian chef and restauranteur herself. Tara Punzone’s cashew mozzarella and ricotta deliver everything you want from a lasagna — richness, structure, and comfort — without the dairy. (You can find the full collection of recipes in Vegana Italiana and follow chef Tara on Instagram here. Plus, if you’re in LA, stop by Pura Vita!) For more from Chef Tara, see the decadent Tiramisu below.

Next - recreating a plant-based brisket may sound like an impossible task, but Micah Siva — trained chef, registered dietitian, and author of Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine — does it with absolute aplomb. Her pulled mushroom and tofu “brisket” is inspired by the wisdom of traditional Jewish cooking, where texture, patience, and layering flavor matter more than mimicry. It’s savory, celebratory, and more than worthy of a holiday table. (You can explore more of Micah’s work in Nosh and follow her ongoing cooking on Instagram.) And if you’re looking for a weeknight dinner, get her Sabich Grain Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas below.

And last but not the least, I’m sharing my favorite party appetizer from The Vegetarian Reset — Overstuffed Mini Peppers - the kind of dish that always prompts requests for the recipe and is my go-to for potlucks.

If you’re already thinking ahead to dessert and cookies, don’t worry — I’ve got bonus recipes coming in a day or two, and they’re well worth the wait.

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Lasagna Pura

SERVES 9 TO 12

My grandmother and my mother always cooked up the best lasagna imaginable, and the cheese was an important part of it. So when I went vegan, I was determined to create a lasagna that was just as good—without the animal products. I tried so many different versions and didn’t nail it until after I graduated from college. Every time I tried a different version, my parents would bravely taste, only to shake their heads. My mother was polite, but my father would simply say “no.”

It wasn’t until I finally came up with the Cashew Ricotta recipe that the lasagna passed the Punzone test.

Cremini Mushroom “Meat”

• 8 cups cleaned, sliced cremini mushrooms (approximately 1 pound)

• 2 tablespoons extra-­ virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 2 teaspoons black pepper

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (approximately 1/2 bunch with bottom of the stems removed)

Lasagna

• 4 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce for building the lasagna, plus another 5 cups for serving

• 5 cups Cashew Ricotta

• 18 lasagna noodles

• 4 cups baby spinach

• 3 cups Cremini Mushroom “Meat” (recipe above)

• 9 tablespoons firm Cashew Mozzarella

Cremini Mushroom “Meat” Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.

3. Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet. Roast them for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the mushrooms from the oven, add the nutritional yeast and parsley, and mix. Let cool.

Lasagna Instructions

1. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.

2. In a 9 by 13-­ inch baking pan, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce.

3. Place 6 lasagna noodles in a single layer on the sauce. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles. Top with five 4-­ ounce scoops of cashew ricotta (2 1/2 cups total).

4. Add another layer of 6 lasagna noodles. Pour on 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce. Spread on five more 4-­ ounce scoops of cashew ricotta (2 1/2 cups total). Sprinkle with the cremini mushroom “meat.” Spread on the remaining 2 cups of the baby spinach. Pour on 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce.

5. Add another layer of 6 lasagna noodles. Pour on 1 more cup of the marinara sauce. Spoon on the cashew mozzarella, in three rows of 3 tablespoons.

6. Now that you’ve built it, you bake it. Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 50 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

8. Cut the lasagna into 9 or 12 squares (depending on how hungry your guests are!). Serve with the remaining marinara sauce to pour over each portion.

Cashew Mozzarella

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 7 CUPS

Mozzarella is one of the most popular cheeses in America—­ and in Italy as well. Mozzarella should always be light in flavor and texture. Unfortunately, many of the vegan mozzarella options on the market are too thick, heavy, and not particularly meltable. So my goal for vegan mozzarella was to make it light with a wonderful texture that can complement any dish.

Mozzarella is excellent just by itself or in a caprese salad.

TIP: You should adjust the amount of tapioca you use depending on which dish you plan to use the mozzarella in. For example, if you plan to use the mozzarella melted or soft, use about 1/4 cup tapioca. If you plan to make a caprese salad, you will want the cheese to be firmer.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews

• 1 quart filtered water

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sea salt

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil

• 1/2 cup tapioca starch

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in water for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain and rinse well before using.

2. Add the cashews, water, yeast, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and coconut oil to the jar of a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan.

4. Stir in the tapioca. Cook over low heat, stirring until completely combined. Reduce the heat so the cheese is at a low boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The cheese should have a very thick consistency (you should have a hard time stirring it).

5. Remove from the heat and let cool.

6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cashew Ricotta

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 9 CUPS
(Enough for a full tray of lasagna or parmigiana di melanzane)

Raw cashews are interesting; they don’t have much taste on their own, meaning you can make them taste however you want them to taste. But they have just the right amount of fat to create these creamy types of dishes.

Ingredients

• 1 quart raw, unsalted cashews

• 2 cups extra-­ virgin olive oil

• 1 cup filtered water

• 1/4 cup minced garlic

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons sea salt

• 1 tablespoon black pepper

• 2 pounds super firm tofu

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in water for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. Place the cashews, olive oil, water, garlic, vinegar, yeast, salt, pepper, and tofu in a high-­ speed blender and blend until smooth.

3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

TIP: If you cannot find super firm tofu, you can use firm instead. Make sure to squeeze all the excess water from the firm tofu. The texture of the ricotta will be slightly less dense but the taste will remain the same.

Excerpted from VEGANA ITALIANA by Tara Punzone. Copyright © 2025 by Tara Punzone & Gene Stone. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Savory Pulled Mushroom and Tofu “Brisket”

Serves: 6
On the table in… 1 hour 30 minutes

Brisket is synonymous with Jewish cuisine. It seems as though every bubbe has their own recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. A fall-apart brisket was the centerpiece of our Hanukkah meal, with umami-rich gravy pooling onto our plates loaded with crispy potato latkes. Recreating the texture and taste of beef for a plant-based dish is challenging, but king trumpet mushrooms and grated tofu help mimic the look and feel of brisket. Serve it with roasted potatoes or latkes, or try it in a challah bun and slaw for a play on a “pulled beef” sandwich.

“Brisket”

• 1½ pounds king trumpet mushrooms

• 1 (14-oz) block extra-firm tofu

• ½ cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari, if preferred

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoons garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Sauce

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

• 2 cups dry red wine

• 1 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon mustard powder

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400℉.

Make the “brisket”

Use two forks to shred the mushrooms into strips. Put them in a large bowl.

Drain the tofu. Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the tofu into the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper and toss with the mushrooms and tofu until well combined.

Transfer the mushroom and tofu mixture to a large rimmed sheet pan and spread it into an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.

Make the sauce

While the mushrooms are roasting, in a blender or food processor, puree the onion, garlic, red wine, ketchup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme, and mustard powder until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the roasted mushroom and tofu mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. The liquid will evaporate while it roasts, making a thick sauce.

Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the mushrooms and tofu are deep brown.

Serve topped with the chopped parsley.

Note:
Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until heated through. To make this kosher for Passover, be sure to use a Passover-friendly soy sauce alternative.

Variation:
For a less traditional, yet very tasty, flavor more similar to a pulled barbecue “beef,” in lieu of ketchup, try adding your favorite barbecue sauce.

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Overstuffed Mini Peppers

These mini peppers started out modestly, filled with just the masala peanuts and cheese. Then, of course, I decided to make another filling with mushrooms and overstuff them. Definitely the right call. They make a hearty appetizer and will be much loved at any party.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Masala Peanuts

• 2 Tbsp chickpea flour

• 4 tsp water

• 2 tsp avocado oil, or other neutral oil of choice

• 2 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

• ½ cup / 56g raw or roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews

Peppers

• 10 oz / 280g mini sweet peppers / capsicums (8–10 peppers), halved lengthwise with stem intact and seeded

Chile-Garlic Mushrooms

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 8 oz / 225g white mushrooms, finely diced or blitzed in a food processor

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• ¾ tsp fine sea salt

• ¼ tsp red chile flakes

• 1 cup / 112g goat cheese, crumbled

• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro / fresh coriander

Directions

Step 1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F / 180°C or oven to 400°F / 200°C.

Step 2. Mix together the chickpea flour, water, oil, paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a bowl to make a thick marinade. Add the peanuts and mix. Try to ensure that all the peanuts get coated with the paste. Lightly spray the air fryer base with oil and spread the nut mixture evenly on the base, or spread the nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you can also lightly spray the parchment). Air fry for 5 minutes, tossing halfway through, or bake for 12–15 minutes, turning over halfway through (you may need to use a spoon to scrape the peanut mixture off the parchment), until golden brown. Remove from the air fryer or oven and let cool (leave the air fryer or oven on). The nut mixture will stick together. Once cool, finely chop or pulse 3–4 times in a food processor and set aside.

Step 3. Place the mini peppers on the air fryer base or spread on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with oil if desired, and air fry for 5–6 minutes or bake for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the peppers are soft. Let cool until you can hold them, about 5 minutes.

Step 4. Meanwhile, for the chile-garlic mushrooms, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, mushrooms, garlic, salt, and chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

Step 5. Combine the peanuts with the crumbled goat cheese. Stuff each mini pepper with the mushrooms, then top with the peanut-goat cheese mixture (press the mixture down; you want to overstuff these!). Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

To Veganize

Use ½ cup / 40g nutritional yeast instead of the goat cheese (but mix it in with the mushrooms instead of the peanuts so that it blends more easily).