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Have a healthy veggie-filled Noche Buena sans the lechon


The holidays are notorious for feasting of Epicurean levels. Dangerously delicious food like lechon and sugary desserts are difficult to resist, and guests are prone to giving in. For some, the reckless partying may seem to be worth it. But for those who give a more sober thought to the season's festivities, there are ways to be happy without sacrificing health.
 
Although a Noche Buena may not seem proper without the proverbial lechon, vegetarians will tell you that it's completely possible to celebrate without any meat on the menu. Seaweed-wrapped tofu, mushroom pasta, and vegetable pie are a few of the many options to choose from when planning a vegetarian Noche Buena.  
Vegetable pie is one of the many dishes you can have for a meat-free Noche Buena. Photo courtesy of Sugarleaf
 
For the more adventurous, professional chef Asha Peri shows that an entirely meat-free Noche Buena feast is not only possible, it's easy. In fact, she takes it one step further by preparing an entire meal without cooking anything. At her Green Gourmet demonstration held last Monday, she showed how you can create green gourmet dishes with raw food, from appetizers to main courses.
 
At the sunny Sugarleaf cafe in Greenhills, the Bali-certified chef began with Spiced Sunlight Lassi, a refreshing blend of mangoes, orange zest, almond milk and lecithin granules. The sweet, slightly sour drink was laced with hints of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, with some cayenne pepper for a tiny bit of spice. Asha noted that a little salt is necessary to balance the drink's all natural sweetness.  
This refreshing drink is sugar and spice and everything nice.
 
There were two large vases filled with creamy peach-colored flowers, and Asha surprised everyone by declaring that these would be served as appetizers. The squash flowers, which are extremely affordable at P30 a bundle, were washed, soaked, then washed again to ensure a safe meal. The fresh flowers were cut then stuffed with red cheese—a blend of coconut meat, nutritional yeast, miso, garlic, nutmeg, white pepper and onion powder. The cheeseless spread got its vibrant hue from red bell pepper, which was blended in with the rest of the ingredients.   
These edible squash flowers make a bright and cheerful centerpiece.
 
For starters, Asha prepared a giant bowl of Beet Those Greens Rainbow Salad—spiralized beets, carrots, yellow capsicums, crunchy lettuce, purple cabbage, turnip, and sprouts and olives. The cheerful salad was made extra delicious with two kinds of made-from-scratch dressing—red bell pepper and pumpkin seed.   
Fresh, organic vegetables are all you need for a beautiful salad. Photo courtesy of Sugarleaf
 
Although we hadn't even gotten to the main dishes, we were already feeling a bit full. Raw food is light, but since it's packed with nutrients, it's like your body knows it's already had everything it needs. Of course, this didn't stop us from sampling the next dish, an Asian fusion Coconut Ginger Curry Pasta with nori, kelp noodles, basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves. 
 
It's hard to resist this zucchini crust Holiday Salad Pizza by Asha Peri.
And when the Holiday Salad Pizza came out, it was impossible to say no. The pizza was literally a salad of tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and arugula piled on top of a zucchini-nut crust. Candied cumin walnuts and sweet dressing sprinkled and drizzled on top made the pizza perfect for a festive occasion. Looking at the finished products, it was hard to believe that nothing was cooked. It was almost magical. 
 
The meal ended on a sweet note, with Choco Tahini Energy Balls made with carob powder, cacao powder and coconut flour. Rolled in white sesame seeds, the balls were sweet, chewy, and slightly crunchy.
 
Vegan Noche Buena food to go
 
If you can't afford to spend too much time in the kitchen, Vegan Macrobiotics by Chef Alice Ty has a colorful menu of dishes, none of which contain MSG, artificial flavors, chemical additives, preservatives, processed food, sugar, eggs, or dairy. If you think that means boring food, think again.
 
With dishes like Vegan Kinunot, Spicy Noodles with Vegan Gyoza, Baked Okra Balls with Sweet and Sour Garlic Ginger Sauce, Sate Tofu on a stick, and Spaghetti with Fresh Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms in Creamy Soy-Coconut Milk and Basil Sauce, you might just have your most exciting Noche Buena menu ever.
Restaurants like Pipino show that even dessert can be healthy.
 
Vegan Macrobiotics can be found at Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City on weekends, and if you decide to entrust your Christmas feast to them, they deliver. It's a vegan dream come true.
 
If going all the way is still too daunting at this point, begin with baby steps. You don't have to do away with the lechon, but maybe you can replace the chicken in your pancit with tofu.
 
Chef Asha explains that there's no pressure on anyone to go all the way immediately. "Even if you just incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your menu, that's already good," she says.
 
Even dessert can be healthier. Fruitcake can be made using whole wheat ingredients. You could even make chocolate cake with zucchini. 
 
And if you're not the baking type, some restaurants like Pipino Vegetarian accept large orders for holiday treats like vegan chocolate chip cookies, green tea cupcakes, vanilla cinnamon cupcakes, and blueberry muffins. The muffins and cupcakes are made with whole wheat flour and coco sugar. What could be sweeter than guilt-free dessert? –KG, GMA News
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