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A Colorful Vegetarian ChristmasVegetarian Celebrations is your source for festive holiday fare
Let me admit first off that I am not of the Christmas-celebrating persuasion, so I have gleaned many of my ideas from accommodating friends, adding my own spin with an abundance of traditional late-season produce. I have tried to include the flavors, spices, and aromas of the season, those that seem to imbed themselves so deeply into wonderful holiday memories. SPICED CARROT AND ORANGE SOUP 8 to 10 servings A warming soup with the cheering color of carrots and the zesty flavor of citrus.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and celery and sauté over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the carrots (except for the reserved batch), along with 4 cups of water, the juice, wine, and spices. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over moderate heat until the vegetables are quite tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer in batches to the container of a food processor or blender and puree until quite smooth. Return to low heat and stir in enough milk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the soup stand off the heat for several hours before serving. Just before serving, steam the reserved carrots until crisp tender and stir into the soup along with the parsley and scallion. Taste to correct consistency and seasonings before serving. CREOLE GREEN SALAD 8 to 10 servings
LEEK AND CORN STUFFED PEPPERS 8 to 10 servings Fresh southern corn is widely sold this time of year, and it is usually quite good. Use it if you can, leaving frozen corn only as a last resort. This dish makes an attractive centerpiece for this dinner, encircling the wild rice pilaf that follows.
Carefully cut away the top stems of the peppers and remove the seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the bottoms so that the peppers can stand. Arrange, standing snugly against one an other for support, in one or two very deep casserole dishes or a roasting pan. Heat the oil with two tablespoons of water in a large skillet. Add the leeks, shallots, and garlic. Saute over medium heat, covered, lifting the lid to stir occasionally, until the leeks are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the toppings. Cook, stirring, another 5 minutes. Distribute the stuffing among the peppers. Top each with a sprinkling of wheat germ, followed by a dusting of paprika. Cover the casserole or roasting pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the peppers are tender but still firm enough to stand. Arrange in a circle on a large platter surrounding the pilaf, following. Serve at once. WILD RICE PILAF WITH APPLES AND PECANS 8 to 10 servings Wild rice, apples, and pecans just seem to belong together. The texture will invigorate your palate.
Heat the margarine in a very large skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the apple and sauté another 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice mixture along with the juice, scallions, currants, and spices. Season to taste with pepper. Sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, another 5 minutes. This may be done somewhat ahead of time to this point, then left covered off the heat until needed. Just before serving, heat through, adding a bit more liquid if the mixture needs it, then stir in the parsley and pecans. Mound in the center of a large serving platter and surround with the stuffed peppers, above. SAUTEED RED CABBAGE 8 to 10 servings A cheering winter recipe, and a great side dish for Thanksgiving, it gets its New England character from maple syrup.
Stir in the honey and poppy seeds and sauté over very low heat, stirring occasionally, another 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving container to serve. COCOA MOCK MINCE PIE Makes 1 9-inch pie, 8 servings Mince pies are a long-standing Christmas tradition, but of course the standard versions use mincemeat or suet. Nineteenth-century American housewives began making mock mince pies, and they're so good that I suspect no one ever missed the meat. My version has an additional twist—a bit of cocoa for a deep, rich flavor. If none of your guests have offered to bring additional desserts, you might want to double this recipe.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and stir until smoothly dissolved and combined. Add the currants, raisins, and apples and simmer over low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, nuts, vanilla, and spices. Pour in the mixture from the saucepan and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into the pastry crust. Melt the margarine in the same saucepan used previously. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the pie. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let cool and serve just warm or at room temperature. |
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