Wow Your Holiday Guests with Vegetarian Side Dishes

It's Christmas, and you're serving dinner for eight or ten people. That's enough to make anybody nervous.

But if you have the added concern of wanting to serve a vegetarian meal-or, at least some vegetarian alternatives - you might really be feeling some pressure. How can you serve something deliciously different, for such a special day, while not leaving the meat-eaters in your group dreaming of cheeseburgers?

Good news: this doesn't have to be difficult. Start your meal with a special holiday salad and you're off and running. Then, in addition to meat and/or meatless entrees-this can be the ideal time to break out your most magnificent meatless minestrone-serve an unusual vegetable side dish and a stuffing so tasty that it doesn't need to be stuffed into anything at all, least of all an oversized bird. Or, if you wish, stuff it into eggplants, zucchinis, tomatoes, whatever you like, and everyone will be happy, and well stuffed themselves. Then, polish it all off with coffee and an apple pie to die for, and no one will even notice there was no meat on the table.

1. Holiday Waldorf Salad

The tang of the cranberries gives this Waldorf salad a special holiday air-their color makes it especially pretty, too. For a nice contrast, use green apples, such as Granny Smiths. You'll notice that the amounts are approximate-use more or less of each ingredient, to suit your taste.

Serves 8.

4 crisp apples, washed, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice.

5 or 6 stalks celery, washed, trimmed, and diced.

1 ½ - 2 c. dried cranberries

1 - 1 ½ c. chopped walnuts

Mayonnaise

Toss all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise a few tablespoons at a time, to taste. Serve immediately.

If you want to make this ahead of time, keep the apples separate from the other ingredients, and toss them with a little lemon juice to keep them from darkening. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to finish and serve the salad.

2. Margi's Gingered Turnips

Even lifelong turnip loathers will change their minds when they taste turnips made this way.

Serves 4-6

2 bunches turnips (small white ones, if available)

Oil as needed for cooking

1-3 cloves garlic (or more, if you love garlic), finely minced

1 onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 ripe bell pepper-yellow peppers are especially delicious, but red would be especially pretty for Christmas

1-inch (or more, if you love ginger) chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Cut the tops and root ends off the turnips and cut them into matchsticks. If you weren't able to find small white turnips, it's a good idea to steam the matchsticks for 5-8 minutes, until they're about half cooked. Drain thoroughly. Small, tender turnips don't need this precooking, as they're tender and mild in flavor, but larger, older turnips can be tough and very strong flavored, so use your own judgment.

Heat oil in a large skillet. When it's hot, add the garlic; stir-fry briefly. Add turnips and continue to stir-fry five minutes. Now add the onions, peppers, and the grated ginger, and stir-fry until the onions are soft. The garlic and turnips should be slightly browned, but be careful not to let them burn. Add oil as needed. It's done when the turnips are tender but still crisp. Serve immediately.

3. Forget-the-Bird Stuffing

Deliciously-and classically-seasoned with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Serves 8-10.

1 c. butter or oil

¾ c. minced onion

1-3 (or more-I use 8-10) cloves garlic, finely minced

1 ½ c. chopped celery

1 T. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. EACH dried sage, rosemary, and thyme

1 T. dried parsley or ¼ c. to 1 c. minced fresh parsley (or more, to taste)

12 c. crumbs (about half a loaf) of Whole Wheat Bran Bread (see recipe below)

If you're not into baking bread or don't have time, use a good quality whole wheat bread, crumbed and/or torn into small pieces. Don't use the crust if it's tough.

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is yellow. Add celery and seasonings, and cook briefly. Turn this mixture into a large bowl and add the bread crumbs. Stir thoroughly. Keep it warm in a covered dish in the oven. If you like, uncover it and let it crisp up on top (about 10 minutes). Or you can refrigerate and reheat it (about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F).

Variations: Add 3 c. chopped, peeled apples OR 2 c. chopped pecans, or a mixture of these, totaling not more than 3 c.

Or add 3 c. grated raw vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips (or carrots and parsnips-a particularly tasty combination), or sliced mushrooms.

We like this stuffing crispy on top, with cranberry relish, butter, or maybe some lentil gravy, but if you like your stuffing moist, add 1-3 c. vegetable broth in the final mixing.

Stuffing can be the main course if you stuff it into a large, beautiful eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, or whatever else you may prefer (including a bird or pork chops, for those who will). Just hollow out the vegetables, add some of the pulp to the stuffing, fill the cavities to overflowing, and bake until thoroughly hot (top with cheese for the last fifteen minutes or so, if you like). Some veggies, like eggplant or peppers, may need some precooking, but tomatoes or zucchini are fast and easy.

Or you could serve your guests plates of Forget-the-Bird topped with stir-fried veggies and/or a poached egg. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

4. The Greatest Apple Pie Ever

The combination of lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon make this an apple pie that everyone will love. Choose flavorful apples for best results.

Makes 1 10-inch pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix and roll out (or-okay, we all do it sometimes-buy) pastry for top and bottom crusts. Allow plenty for a high rim, as this pie has lots of juice.

Line a 10-inch pie pan with pastry.

Peel, core, and slice 9-10 c. apples

Sprinkle the juice of one small lemon (about 3 T.) over the apples and mix thoroughly.

Mix together:

1 ¼ to 1 ½ c. brown sugar

½ c. sifted unbleached flour

1 ¼ t. cinnamon (or nutmeg, or a mixture of the two)

Add to apples and mix thoroughly.

Pour apples into pan, dot with 2 T. butter, and cover top with pastry. The apples will mound high over the pan, but don't worry-they shrink as they bake. Seal the pastry edges, cut a few steam holes in the top, and place on a cooky sheet (a proper fruit pie WILL overflow). Bake in the preheated oven 55 to 60 minutes, more if needed. You should bake this pie until the juices are oozing out through the steam holes and the top crust is golden brown. To avoid excessive browning of the rim, cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil until the last ten minutes of baking. If you can restrain yourselves, it really is best to let this pie cool before you cut it, so the juices have a chance to set. But if the aroma overcomes your will power, no one will blame you, and no one will mind that it's a little messy with all that juice sliding around. Serve in generous wedges with vanilla ice cream. Everyone will drool.

5. Whole Wheat Bran Bread

This bread is so delicious-nutritious, too-that you might find it becoming a staple in your diet. It's so good you can serve what's left (after making your stuffing) with your holiday dinner-a tasty alternative to dinner rolls.

2 loaves

Combine in your largest mixing bowl:

1 ¼ c. boiling water

1/3 c. instant powdered milk (1/4 c. non-instant)

6 T. butter

1 c. wheat bran

½ c. dark molasses

Allow this mixture to cool to lukewarm, then add 2 T. yeast and stir.

Add 4 t. salt, 3 cups whole-wheat flour and beat thoroughly. Gradually add 3-5 c. (less or more, as needed) unbleached white flour until the dough is thick enough to knead. Turn out on a floured board and knead, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Don't add too much flour or the bread will be heavy. The dough will actually feel slightly sticky when it's ready to rise.

Turn into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm place. Let rise until double. Punch down and let it double again. Punch down and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Shape into two loaves. Place in well-greased loaf pans, cover with kitchen towels, and let rise in a warm place until double. Bake at 400 degrees F., 40 minutes. Watch carefully at the end of baking time, as the molasses makes this bread brown faster than other breads.