Vegetarian (and Vegan) Christmas Dinner Recipes

If you're looking to serve an all-vegetarian Christmas dinner, or simply want to placate some vegetarians that are attending your Christmas dinner, here are some ideas to spark your creativity, or recipes to follow if desired.

Grilled Brussel Sprouts

20-30 brussel sprouts

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Rinse the brussel sprouts and peel off the outer leaves that look like they might fall off. Then cut the sprouts in half.

Pour the oil in a saucepan and rub the sprouts with the halves facing downward on the pan. Do that to all of the sprouts that fit on the pan and turn the burner on medium-high

heat. Let the sprouts fizzle a few minutes on the pan until the bottoms are browned.

Sprinkle balsamic vinegar and grill a few minutes longer. Add a few splashes of water and close the lid of the saucepan. Cook 3-4 minutes longer, until sprouts are bright green. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and cheese if desired and serve warm.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash

2 small onions, chopped finely

3-4 teaspoons curry powder

3 cups vegetable stock

2 peeled fuyu persimmons, peeled and chopped.

1 cup apple juice

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and place in oven, face-down, on oiled baking sheet. Cook 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Scoop out flesh.

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, sauté onions with curry powder, salt, pepper in butter until tender. Add persimmons, vegetable stock and simmer until fruit is tender. Then add baked squash. Using hand mixer, puree contents until smooth. Add apple juice and simmer. Serve hot with your favorite crusty bread.

Tofu Steaks

2 packs firm tofu

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon chili sauce

2 tablespoons chili or sesame oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Rinse tofu and cut into 1 inch by 3 inch steaks. In a bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, honey, water, and chili sauce.

Heat oil in flat skillet. Add tofu to pan and grill for a minute. Pour ingredients above onto tofu and grill for a few minutes until all sauce has been absorbed by tofu and tofu is brown and crusty. Serve hot.

Baked Apples

This recipe can be adapted if you want your baked apples sweeter, or with more spices. Feel free to adapt as desired...its hard to go wrong with baked apples!

4 granny smith apples, cored

½ teaspoon butter or earth balance per apple

½ teaspoon cinnamon each

1 tablespoon brown sugar

pinch of nutmeg, if desired

In a Pyrex container, place cored apples with each butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg filling. Place in microwave and cook for approximately 4 minutes, or until apple skins begin to shrivel slightly. Serve warm with frozen yogurt on the side.

Oven Instructions: Set oven to 350 and bake for 35 minutes.