Each year, Easter is a time to give thanks and put forth our wonder for all He sacrificed for us. It's a time to celebrate an awakening and new beginnings. In the past we've presented a Healthy Easter Challenge for Resurrecting your Health and we've encouraged the benefits of biblical fasting both physically and spiritually.
In addition to the spiritual aspects of Easter Sunday, you're likely working hard to prepare for a big brunch or dinner with loved ones. If you're looking for inspiration or healthy plant-based ideas for your celebration, we've got you covered. While traditional flaky and buttery tarts are often traditional at spring celebrations, there are healthy, primarily raw alternatives to the fruit tarts you may be used to. Consider this festive and delicious tart recipe that everyone will love:
Spring Green Vegetable Tart
If you're looking for an visually pleasing and mouth-watering centerpiece, look no further than this incredibly green and nutrient-rich tart from Amy Chaplin's blog. This buckwheat sunflower crusted tart packed with peas, broccoli and spinach has great texture and flavor. It's also high in fiber and protein and boasts turmeric and flax. Impress all of your guests this Easter by giving this recipe a whirl:
Crust Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, gluten free if necessary
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour, gluten free if necessary
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to oil pan
- 4 to 5 tablespoons plain almond or soy milk
Filling Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup plain almond or soy milk
- 1 (14 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon ground golden flax seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon tamari
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 leek, cut into 1/2-inch slices (for topping)
- 3 cups broccolini florets (for topping)
- 3 cups baby spinach (for topping)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (for topping)
- Black pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Use a 10-inch tart pan and prepare it with oil, then set to the side. In a food processor, combine sunflower seeds and oats until the mixture is fine. Next, add rice flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. Process until well combined. Add a slight drop of oil to help mix, scraping down sides when necessary. Add soy milk and continue to blend mixture.
Press mixture into the prepared tart pan. Prick crust bottom with fork and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove tart crust from oven and let cool, but keep oven on.
In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion with olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft or translucent. Add salt and white balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add to a blender with olive oil, almond milk, beans, nutritional yeast flax, turmeric, tamari and pepper. Combine until completely smooth and then scrape into a bowl.
Warm olive oil again in skillet, adding leeks this time. Saute for only 3 to 4 minutes, stirring in broccoli and 2 tablespoons of water. Heat until bright green in color. Then add peas and continue to heat for 1 more minute. Once spinach is wilted, remove from heat.
Chop about 1/2 of the vegetable mixture and stir it into the filling. Add to the pre-baked tart crust and spread evenly across. Bake for 25 minutes in oven. Remove tart, add remaining vegetables and cook for another 20 minutes. Allow tart to cool before serving. Enjoy!
If you're looking for more plant-based Easter recipe ideas, check out these ones we compiled for our readers last year. These include a hearty cucumber zucchini pear salad, raw vegetable soup and fruit salad with an orange almond cream. And if you're looking for a raw treat to please that sweet tooth while all the kids are running around collecting candy-filled Easter eggs, consider these delicious plant-based vegan treats.
