On New Year’s Eve I love filling the table with finger food for everyone to enjoy while they’re having a drink and chatting away. I hope these Raw & Vegan New Years Eve Menu Ideas will inspire you to start 2016 in a healthy and delicious way ☺
Start New Year’s Eve with a refreshing drink that will open up your palate and hydrate your body – perfect if you are planning on partying all night long with several glasses of champagne…
Are your guests complete newbies to raw food? Serve them this 4-Ingredient Watermelon Limeade or get a little adventurous and present them this Fennel Pear Green Juice. It’s sweet and refreshing!
I love to welcome my guests with several small appetizers.
Mini Pizzas with Spicy Cashew Cheese
These Mini Pizzas with Spicy Almond Cashew Cheese and Zucchini Rolls with Cashew Herb Cream Cheese are always a winner. They are super simple to make, yet so flavorful! It’s best to assemble them right before serving though because the salt in the nut cheese tends to ‘react’ with the zucchini, making it a little watery.
These Romaine Lettuce Wraps with Walnut Parsley Paté make a great appetizer too. They are sweet, salty and refreshing + you can prepare them hours in advance.
It’s always nice to have something crunchy too, right? Mexican food adepts will love these Tortilla Chips with Guacamole & Tomato Salsa. Is it really cold outside? Serve the salsa with fresh chili slices for extra heat ☺
Other simple appetizer ideas include this Smoked Cashew Cheese Spread with crudités or your favorite gluten free crackers, and a cocktail shot glass filled with this refreshing Cream of Green Pea Soup.
On to the main dishes!
Again, I like to fill the table with several dishes for everyone to share. This way, you can try a small portion of every dish and get a second serving of your favorites.
These Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stacks will bring Italy to your plate. If you can’t find quality tomatoes this time of the year (it is winter, after all), replace them with large slices of oven-roasted pumpkin, parsnip, beetroot or other winter vegetables. The sweet aroma of the root veggies combines really well with the salty flavor of the pesto.
This Candy Cane Beet Salad with Avocado and Macadamia Cashew Cheese is super festive too. Watercress adds a nice spicy hint to the rich flavors of the avocado and the nut cheese.
Did you know watercress has been named the number one powerhouse vegetable thanks to its nutrient content? It is a great source of calcium, vitamin K, magnesium and vitamin C, so it will support your immune system and keep your skin young.
This Zucchini Pasta with Basil Hemp Pesto will please even the pickiest eaters. It makes a great dish for children, too! You can add noodles made out of carrots, beetroot, kohlrabi (turnip cabbage)… This is a great way to get creative with seasonal produce!
Last but not least, I love adding an Asian dish to the dinner table. This Pad Thai Noodle Salad with Ginger Almond Butter Sauce is super colorful and surprisingly easy to make. If you are craving something warm, you can serve this pad thai warm too by lightly sautéing the vegetables in some coconut oil and by adding your favorite cooked vegan pasta like quinoa spaghetti or rice noodles.
Dessert doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming either! Choose something you can prepare in advance so you can enjoy your company on New Year’s Eve instead of being stuck in the kitchen preparing food all night long.
Any dessert that involves chocolate is usually a winner, and this Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse is no exception. Serve it in coupe champagne glasses with lightly thawed frozen berries and a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
Not a big fan of chocolate? Try this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Syrup. You don’t need an ice cream machine to make it and you can keep it in the freezer until right before serving. Make sure to serve it with plenty of fresh fruit though, because the ice cream is very rich. No one wants to feel bloated on New Year’s Eve, right?
If you still have some room left after all this deliciousness, you can serve your coffee or tea with small sweet treats like these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites,
this Hazelnut Coffee Fudge (quite decadent!),
or these Chocolate Coffee Truffles.
Or how about this cute Superfood Dessert Sushi?
I would love to see your festive creations, so definitely share your pictures on social media by using the hashtag #julieslifestyle and by tagging me @rawfoodchefjulie ☺ I can’t wait to see your beautiful pictures!
