Great Do Ahead Vegetables For Holidays And Everyday

HOLIDAY MASHED POTATOES
3 pounds all purpose potatoes (peeled, cooked and hot) 2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream dash of pepper

In large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes (I use a portable mixer). Add cream cheese (cut in pieces). Beat well until butter and cheese in blender. Add sour cream and mix. Combine heavy cream, eggs onion and add to the potatoes with salt and pepper. Beat until fluffy. Put in buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.

SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
4-6 medium summer and zucchini squash (sliced) 1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1 medium onion (cut in wedges) 1 8 ounce container sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 1/2 sticks butter (melted)
1 package corn bread stuffing mix 1 16 ounce package cheddar cheese (shredded)
(can use other flavors)

Mix together stuffing with melted butter and put half in 9x13 casserole dish.

Cook squash and onion in water until tender. Drain completely, then place in dish towel and pat until most of the moisture is gone. Return to the sauce pan. Add water chestnuts, cream soup, sour cream and shredded cheese, mixing well. Spoon squash mixture in casserole dish, cover with remaining stuffing mixture. Cover with aluminum foil. Can be refrigerated now or baked in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Variation: Use shredded carrots, or a can of sliced mushrooms instead of water chestnuts.

MEME'S CREAMED ONIONS
1 16 ounce bag of frozen baby pearl onions 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Heavy cream 1 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup bread crumbs 2 tbsp each, flour and water (to make a slurry)

Cook onions according to package directions. Drain onions, return to sauce pan and add enough heavy cream to almost cove the onions. Heat and when cream is hot, stir in slurry. When onion mixture is thickened, add butter. Cook over low heat for a minute or two so there is no flour taste. Pour into a casserole and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Can be refrigerated until it's time for dinner, then put in oven covered,on low temperature, until rest of dinner is ready and onions are hot.

Original article

Healthy Vegetarian Meals For the Holidays: No Problem!

One of reasons people start getting serious about their health come January 1st is not only to have a New Year's resolution but to start setting goals to change their diet, get in shape or lose some weight. Usually people tend to eat more than normal during the holidays in the months of November and December. And if you are like most people....maybe some of the food choices are less than healthy - after all, how can you resist your mom's baking? Between the feasting and drinking, it takes a toll on our bodies. And so goes the resolution.

Don't feel as though you have to continue down this path. You can start a vegetarian lifestyle right now. Healthy vegetarian meals can help with this change and it is a perfect idea to help yourself or those you love. Finding ways to enjoy the holidays AND include vegetarian dinner recipes to your menu does not need to be stressful. The traditional holiday menus that we all love can be sprinkled with healthy choices.

Most people wait all year for enriching holiday moments and special celebrations with their families and friends. Don't let diet strain relationships and ruin holiday cheer. Here are some tips to become a master at creating familiar dishes that are sure to fit within your family's culture and traditions and will appeal to all taste buds.
It is very easy to find vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving for example - as vegetables are mainstays in many parts of this meal.Instead of your traditional turkey, you can enhance your guests with a herb roasted soy vegan chicken, served with your traditional vegetable side dishesFor those that normally serve "beef" at your turkey dinner, try something like a Vegan Beef Wellington with a traditional salad to entice their taste budsWant to be warm and cozy, serve something like a Vegan Chicken Pot Pie, warm cranberry sauce and some mashed potatoes with a vegan gravy (yummy)A traditional chef prepared Meatloaf, ala vegan style, that would food the Queen of England

People want to be healthy, but they don't want to give up the taste of traditional fare of meat at their holiday meals. Once you realize how easy it is to find vegetarian dinner recipes, you will feel joy in making and eating such healthy fare. You can show people they don't have to give up anything; You will bring delight to the table and health to those you care for.

You can give the gift of health in the next few weeks and months to people who otherwise are engaging in un-healthy diets by sharing your healthy vegetarian meals with everyone at your next holiday! If you do not feel comfortable preparing vegetarian dinners or making vegan meal plans; no worries, you can order them online!

Veggie Brothers Founder, Michael Balducci, suffered from numerous illnesses, experienced fatigue and pain daily, and needed a solution. He recognized the need to change his diet and improve his health to create a permanent lifestyle change that would serve him well. However, he was frustrated with the taste of meatless prepared foods found in supermarkets and resorted to learning to cook dishes that were bland, boring and not enjoyed by others he knew.

Original article

Just In Time For Your Holidays - Vegan Friendly Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe

The sound of relatives and company chattering and laughing as the aroma of dairy-free spice pumpkin bread tickles your guests' noses and Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" plays in the background, are some of my favorite memories of the holiday festivities and being surrounded by the people who are significant in my life. Food is the centerpiece of family functions and holiday parties, so naturally you want to make sure you put your best "dishes" forward and have a wide assortment of tantalizing treats on display. This vegan spiced pumpkin bread is an easy addition to complement your meat-free or vegan holiday feast. If your celebration menu is already maxed out with your traditional favorites, give your guests a piece of the evening to enjoy once they get home, by wrapping (in a cute and decorative cellophane wrap) these egg-free and dairy-free loaves of sumptuousness and giving them to your friends to take home with them. Who could resist the present of food? Even better, you could share this vegan recipe with your other vegetarian and vegan friends so that they can bake this bread whenever the mood sets in.

Ingredients:

Bread

1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon all spice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of brown sugar

½ cup of softened vegan margarine

1 cup canned purée pumpkin

½ cup of plain soy yogurt

1 teaspoon rum extract

2 teaspoons chopped ginger

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 cup of raisins

Glaze

1 ¼ cup of powdered sugar

1 tablespoon of vanilla or plain soy milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x5 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, cloves, and baking powder.

2. In a mixer or food processor, mix the sugar, pumpkin, soy yogurt, rum extract, ginger, and orange peel. Mix until the batter is well-blended and smooth. Slowly pour in the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, until fully blended. Next, add the raisins and pulse for about 1 minute. Pour batter into loaf pan.

3. Bake the bread batter for 60 minute or until the edges pull away slightly from the sides of the pan and the center of the bread springs back when lightly touched.

4. Cool bread for 15 minutes. Once bread has cooled, remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely (about 30 more minutes)

5. While bread is cooling, in a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, soy milk, and vanilla extract and whisk together until smooth. With a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the bread. Let glaze set before serving (about 10 minutes)

This bread can very easily replace a piece of pie or cake as a dessert. The vegan pumpkin spiced bread is also a great sweet appetizer that can be sliced and smothered, with the vanilla glaze, and served on a platter. If you're cooking for a large group, and you need to save time with cooking and food preparation, you can easily prepare the bread ahead of time and freeze the baked bread for as long as 2 weeks and just thaw the bread at room temperature for at least six hours just before serving. What are some of your favorite holiday memories and recipes? Do you have a specialty vegetarian or vegan dish that all your guests rave about each year? Enjoy this recipe and more importantly, enjoy the company of your family members during this holiday season.

Are you a vegetarian like Ebony Johnson? Ebony has been living a meatless lifestyle since the age of 12 and she has created "Vegetarian Like Me," designed to help fellow vegetarians become healthier and more informed. Visit http://www.vegetarianlikeme.com/ today to receive access to vegetarian and vegan video recipes, cooking tips, vegetarian advice, and news. So what exactly are you waiting for? Become a healthier and more informed vegetarian and start enhancing your meat-free life right now.

Original article