Vegan

This sauce blends fresh cranberry relish and cooked cranberry sauce.

This fresh side is a delicious alternative to cranberry sauce.

Once you've soaked the chiles for 2 hours, this mole comes together in 45 minutes.

Green Apple and Celery Salad with Walnuts and Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe

It's low in fat and high in lycopene (a potential cancer fighter). Dig in!

This spread has a dose of fiber and heart-healthy fat, plus beta-carotene.

Instead of relying on fat for flavor, this fresh side dish uses varied tastes and textures to impress guests: crisp, peppery arugula; tart, crunchy pomegranate seeds; and rich, slightly sweet pecans. It's nutritious, too, with pecans contributing monosaturated fat (the good kind) and pomegranates providing a good dose of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

This slightly spicy, moist side dish is both deeply satisfying and nutritious. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, giving them a low glycemic index (this means that they slow the body's absorption of sugar and help regulate blood-sugar levels). A bonus for weight watchers: All those complex carbs will make you feel fuller longer than white potatoes do.

Fresh ginger and yellow mustard seeds make these sweet potatoes much more worldly than their candied incarnations. The cilantro takes them in an unexpected but very welcome direction.

This spicy vegetarian curry is hearty enough for a comforting fall dinner. It's great simply ladled over steamed rice.

This crispy crust won't flop over on you, so it's wonderful for cocktail parties. It's delicious simply brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, focaccia-style, or topped with 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 pound sliced mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves.

This vegetarian gravy is layered with bold flavors — from the onions to the roasted mushrooms and barley — each of which makes a real statement. Even our carnivorous food editors agree it's one of the best gravies they've ever tasted.

This slightly unusual side dish takes the place of your standard green beans, lending a light and crunchy contrast to the heavier, puréed dishes in this menu. (Most people don't think of cooking jicama, but we love its crisp water-chestnut-like texture, raw or sautéed.)

Despite the fact that they require few ingredients and little effort, these beans always get raves.

Every bite of this simple, crisp salad literally bursts with flavor. With each bite, you get a splash of juice and the crunch of nuts.

This light starter can be prepared ahead of time and is a smart alternative to fussy holiday hors d'oeuvres. It has an unbelievably fresh flavor, even when made with frozen soybeans.