Ok, I know there are a lot of veggies on the board, and as the holidays are approaching, I felt this might be a good place to share meat-free or vegan recipes and dishes that you serve at the holidays!
Also, any store bought stuff you’ve discovered to be vegetarian (for example, I know most brands of stuffing mix are not vegetarian… but some are. Which ones? I forget)
We always do mashed potatoes and stuffing at our house… and ususally broccoli with hollandaise sauce or cheese sauce… and pumpkin pie for dessert. Actually we usually go so overboard on side dishes that we don’t even bother making a “main” dish.
I equate the holidays with good eating, and I just can’t get away from that. For this reason, I plan on making a marinated portobello mushrooms over parmesian couscous dish for my family’s Christmas celebration. I think even meat-lovin’ pops will enjoy it. Pretty easy marinade, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, fresh basil. Marinade the mushrooms for an hour or two, making sure the bottom of the cap is hydrated as often as possible. Slice and saute till soft, or preferably grill. Serve over couscous with a ton of butter and parmesian cheese added in with the pasta. Serve warm or cool.
My dad the chef makes stuffed pumpkin every Thanksgiving, hell if I know the recipe, though. I think it’s in The Vegetarian Epicure. It’s a small pumpkin, stuffed with rice & beans & bits of autumn-type veggies like carrots, eggplant, etc., & herbs & spices & flavor. It’s good for a “main dish” for the vegetarians, and as a side for the omnis. Everyone loves it. Plus lots of other sides: mashed potatoes, stuffing (homemade, not from a mix), squash, cranberry sauce, rolls, etc. Mmmmmmm… Is it Thanksgiving yet? I’m hungry now.
Okay, though I would share a great recipe with you. It’s not a family recipe but very good;
WINTER SQUAH RISSOTTO WITH RADICCHIO
ingredients
1 blue hubbard Squah (about 4 lbs)
2 cups water
1 (14 1/2ounce) can vegetable broth
Cooking Spray
2 1/2 cups sliced radicchio
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1 1/2 tsp butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup oncooked arborio rice or other short grain rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp half/half or whole milk
1/2 cup (2oz.) fresh parm. cheese.
The recipe
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard the seeds and membrane. place squashhalves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet; bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool. Peel squash; mash pulp. Set aside 1 cup pulp, reserving remaining pulp for another use.
Bring water and broth to a simmer in a large saucepan. Keep warm over low heat. Place a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add radicchio to Dutch oven; saute 2 minutes or until wilted. Place radicchio in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp pepper. Melt butter in Dutch oven. Add onion; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add rice; saute 1 minute. Stir in wine and 1/2 cup broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of liquid is absorbed before adding the next (about 15 minutes total). Stir in Squash pulp. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/4 cups broth mixture (about 9 minutes total). Stir in radicchio mixture and half-half. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp pepper.
If anyone tries this please let me know how it turned out. I will be trying the tufo turkey tommorow and report back with my findings. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
This recipe is written for Vegan guidlines. However, it does benefit from the use of butter to fry the mushrooms. I’ll post my eggplant Parmesan recipe next.
Red Pepper Couli Vegan appetizer, dip or sauce)
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2-4 people
Ingredients:
3-6 Ripe red bell peppers
3-4 Cloves of garlic
1-2 White onions
1/2 LB. Small button mushrooms*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
1 Tsp of red wine vinegar
Dash of Cayenne powder
Dash of Sherry
*For more flavor, use small Crimini mushrooms
Note: Use mushrooms that are small and with unopened caps. Do not wash mushrooms prior to use. Brush off any dirt with an unused paint brush. Crimini mushrooms are also called Italian brown field mushrooms. They are really immature Portabello mushrooms. Please try them, they are far superior to ordinary white mushrooms and sometimes sell at the same price. They have more flavor and lend a more noticeable flavor note to vegan fare.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to Broil. Start to saute the chopped mushrooms in some of the olive oil with a dash of salt. Place the peppers in the broiler and turn them every 5 minutes or less until they are blistered on all sides. When the mushrooms are brown add the chopped garlic. After the garlic has cooked (but not browned) add the Sherry and turn off the pan. Place the roasted peppers in a plastic bag and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Remove the garlic and mushroom mix and proceed to saute the onion in the same pan. Add extra oil if needed. Turn off the pan once the onions are translucent. While the onions saute, peel and seed the peppers. In a small bowl, use a hand blender to puree the onions and peppers. Add the rest of the oil and spices. Salt to taste. Once the puree is smooth, strain and add all the other ingredients.
It is best to allow the couli to chill so that it sets up correctly. Remove it before serving and allow it to reach room temperature. If your peppers were ripe, the couli will gel from all of the pectin in them.
2 Medium Eggplants
1 Cup Salt
1 Qt Marinara Sauce
1-2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella
2-3 Cups Fresh bread crumbs
2-3 Eggs
1 Cup White flour
1 Cup Vegetable oil
1/4 Tsp Onion powder
1/4 Tsp Garlic powder
1/4 Tsp Ground pepper
1/4 Tsp Salt Preparation:
Peel and cut the eggplant into medium thick (1/4"-1/2") slices. Coat each slice on both sides with salt. Line a colander with a few layers of paper towels. Stack the slices in the colander and cover with more paper towels. Place a heavy weight in the stack and let sit for one to two hours. Rinse off all of the salt, pat the slices dry and proceed with the preparation.
Cut the crusts from 5-10 slices of white bread and shred them into crumbs using a hand blender. Place the crumbs in a shallow dish. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Preheat your oven to 300 F. Mix the spices into the flour and lightly dredge the eggplant slices in the spiced flour. A light coating is all that is needed to help the bread crumbs stick to the eggplant. Beat the eggs until creamy in a shallow dish. Run the dredged eggplant slice through the egg wash, then into the bread crumbs. Place into the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain all of the slices completely on paper towels. Fry only one or two slices at a time so that the oil does not cool off from the addition of too much material.
Lightly oil the interior of an oven proof casserole. Pour a little marinara into the bottom of the pan and coat it completely. Place a layer of the fried eggplant in the pan and cover with some marinara and a thin layer of shredded cheese. Continue until the pan is filled with the eggplant. Top the last layer with marinara. Leave at least 1/2" of space at the top of the pan so it does not overflow when cooking. Cover the pan with foil and bake for ~1/2 hour until the pan is heated through. When the pan is almost done, remove the foil and top the dish with the remaining shredded cheese. Return to the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Garnish with some chopped parsley for color. Note: If you use a bottled marinara sauce, be sure that it is not too authentic. The original marinara recipe calls for the addition of anchovy. Your vegetarian guests will not approve. The “Golden Grain” brand of sauce is one of my favorites.
My roommate, her boyfriend and I will be having a vegetarian Thanksgiving. We, being to lazy and/or inept to cook, will be enjoying the buffet at the Hari Krishna temple.
OK. I just finished dinner, and I’ve really got to hand it to you guys, especially those who go to meat-eaters’ houses for the holidays. There is meat freaking everywhere. Our host put cheese in the mashed potatos, for Cecil’s sake. There was beef stock in the damn bloody Mary mix!
So kudos and Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who choose not to eat meat. You’ve got a tough row to hoe and I admire you for it.
Sad to say dearest, cannonizing, most revered Swiddles, but please make sure that you are not using Lea and Perrin’s. Traditional Worcestershire sauce recipes call for the inclusion of (horreurs), anchovies!
Sorry that I somehow missed this, even after posting once or twice, but;
That’s the way it goes…
first your money,
and then your clothes.
I eat mainly vegetables, but I’m not strict about it.
I can eat whatever someone serves me, or thing that have some animal fat, etc.
What’s that called? Does it have a name?
I guess in liquor terms I’d be a “social meat eater”.
