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Hey there

Christmas Day is come and gone. I went a bit haywire in the week preceding Christmas, and want to turn that around. However, there is at least one celebration in the works, the Family Party on Dec 30. There will be the standard rich non-McDougall foods there, and I DON'T want to eat any of it. I've had enough.

It's a potluck, so I get to bring a dish or two or three. So I need festive, delicious, McDougall friendly foods that omnivores will enjoy, and that are special enough for a holiday feast, but not chock full of expensive ingredients, either.

any ideas? thanks

Sweet & Sour Lentils.

I believe the recipe is here on the McDougall site somewhere, but if you need it, pm me, I can give it to you. I have made them several times for non-McDougallers & everyone has liked them.

Makes a big batch, too, so you always have leftovers for a few days.

Check out this feast a local vegan restaurant prepared for us, oil-free! http://www.thehealthyvegans.com/#!/2011 ... i-eat.html

Picadillo Pie

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green chile, minced (remove the seeds for less heat)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp mild chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes (I omitted the chili and used tomatoes with chilis)
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives (optional)
salt to taste (optional)

Topping
3 large sweet potatoes
3 large russet potatoes
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
pinch of salt

Peel the sweet potatoes and russets and chop them into one inch chunks.
Place them in a large pot with water to cover, and boil until tender.
Mash the potatoes in some of their cooking water, adding a pinch of each of nutmeg, cayenne and salt.

Filling
Place a small amount of water in a large skillet and water saute the onion, garlic and chil until the onion begins to soften.
Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano and cinnamon, and cook stirring until veggies are coated with spices.
Add the tomatoes, salsa corn, beans and raisins and simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Stir in the olives and salt if desired.

Transfer the filling to a 3 quart baking dish and spread the topping over it.
Bake the caserole in a 400 degree oven til the topping is slightly browned and the filling hot and bubbly.



Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie [color=#FF0000]
This dish is so tasty and very filling. I served this for Xmas dinner. Everyone loved it. Some of my friends have made this too. Everyone agrees this recipe is a hit. Even the meat-eaters enjoy it as a side.

Serves 6
mashes potatoes (enough to spread over a 9 x 13 pan) (Since I was so busy Xmas I used 3 bags of Oreida mashed potato steamers)
salt to taste
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced or shredded carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp barley flour
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup veggie broth
2 cups cooked lentils
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
11/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp tamari
1/2 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, water saute onions for 2 min.
Add mushrooms, carrots and celery. Cook for 1 to 3 min.
Add garlic and saute for another minute.
Add flour and stir until absorbed.
Stir in marjoram, celery seed, thyme, paprika, and salt to taste and pepper.
Cook for 2 min. and stir in broth.
Continue to stir frequently until the mixture comes to a slow boil.
Stir in the lentils, parsley, Worcestershire, tamari and peas.
Then remove from heat.
Transfer the mixture to a deep pie dish or a 9 x 13 casserole.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the veggie mixture.
Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are browned and mixture is bubbly.

To serve a large crowd I increased all the vegetables and lentils.

[/color]


• [color=#FF0000]Enchilada Casserole
• [/color]
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 15 oz can fat-free refried beans
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes with Mexican seasonings
• 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
• 1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 T mild chili powder
• 1 T cumin
• ½ t. granulated garlic
• 1 T Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 1 28 oz can. enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 recipe Golden Cheaze Sauce
In a large pot, sauté onion and green pepper in a little water until soft. Add beans,
tomatoes, chiles, corn, cooked brown rice, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and hot sauce.
Mix well, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, until flavors blend.

Spread a generous amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” casserole dish.
Pour the rest of the sauce into a large bowl. Dip 4 of the tortillas in the sauce and
layer them in the bottom of the casserole dish. I find that standard 8” corn tortillas work
best if you cut them in half and arrange them with the cut sides against the edges of the
dish – two halves along each of the long sides, one half for each short side, and two
halves to cover the middle, all overlapping slightly. Spread half the bean mixture over
the tortillas, and top with half of the cheaze sauce, dropping it by spoonfuls onto the top
of the beansand spreading evenly. Repeat layer with 4 more dipped tortillas, the rest
of the bean mixture, and the rest of the cheaze sauce. Finish with the last 4 tortillas.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the casserole. Cover with a
piece of parchment paper and an outer layer of foil (this is to prevent the foil from
touching the food), and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F.

To serve, cut into squares and garnish with chopped scallions, sliced olives,
tofu sour cream, salsa, or additional cheaze sauce.


Golden Cheaze Sauce

1 15 oz can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
6 T nutritional yeast
¼ c. pimiento or roasted red pepper
I T lemon juice
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
½ t. prepared mustard
1 t. onion powder

Using a blender or food processor (I use a hand blender), process
all ingredients until very smooth.

A lot of people like this too. Simple to prepare.

Bourbon Beans

1 large onion
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Bragg's aminos or soy sauce
3 cups cooked white beans (nave beans or great northern are good)
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

Saute the onion until softened. Put in a slow cooker.
Add tomatoes, molasses, vinegar, mustard and Brags. Mix together well. Mix in beans, bourbon and orange juice concentrate.
Slow cook for 4 to 6 hours.

I serve this over rice.
Serves 4 as an entree with the rice.
For a potluck, I have doubled the recipe including the liquid. I spoon extra liquid over the beans and rice so if some gets absorbed before I get to the potluck, there is still a lot of juice.

You could sub artificial flavor for the bourbon.
You could do this on stovetop.

I found this recipe from a cookbook called Peas and Thankyou. I think she has this recipe on her website as well. But I served it with Christmas dinner and it was so good. People really liked it. Even my kids asked me if I could make it again tomorrow. It had leafy greens, strawberry, mango, dried craisins, chopped almonds, pumpkin roasted chickpeas and then a cinnamon vinegrette. It was amazing. It is really a keeper and a beautiful salad. Just look on her website.
It is called Peas and Thankyou.
Kathy

Okay, I forgot that I had posted it in the Excursion, when Mike suggested we have a "virtual" potluck. So here it is:

Sweet & Sour Lentils-

1 1/2 c. brown lentils
1-medium onion
1-red bell pepper
2 Zucchini, diced
1 C. Pineapple Chunks/tidbits
1/4 c. Apple cider vinegar 1/4 c. Soy Sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. ketchup
3 t. tobasco sauce
1 T. corn starch
Cook lentils in water til tender. Saute onion, red pepper & zucchini until beginning to soften. Add cooked lentils with other ingredients, simmer for 10 min. If mixture is too soupy, add cornstarch mixed with 2 T. water to make a smooth paste, whisk into the lentils.

Enjoy!!

Mmm Jan... sweet and sour lentils... that sounds delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

Another great recipe which is very festive and which almost everyone loves is the Engine 2 lasagna. Easy to find the recipe online.

Make sure you use a good amt of sauce.
You can use rice lasagna noodles if desired.
You can omit the cashew topping and either use no topping or some nutritional yeast.
You can also omit the tofu if you prefer it sans tofu.
Also, I prefer fresh baby spinach to the frozen spinach called for in the recipe

For our recent family gathering (which had a sandwich/finger foods theme), I made two kinds of fresh spring rolls and dipping sauce. I made a Thai green papaya salad filling for one, along with a peanut sauce. Along with the papaya salad, the first version contained red leaf lettuce and rice vermicelli. The second version contained julienned persian cuke, pineapple tidbits, red bell pepper, scallion, red leaf lettuce, cilantro, Thai basil, crushed peanut, and rice vermicelli. I took along a bottled Thai sweet chili sauce that went well with this one. Salad with no need for a fork. My BIL who never eats vegetables said "Anything you cook tastes good" and put one of the spring rolls on his sandwich. One of my nephews (whose girlfriend is vegetarian) also liked these a lot.

The pineapple-cuke version is pretty straightforward, and the ingredients are generally readily available. Have all the ingredients prepared and ready. Just cut the red bell pepper, cuke, and some scallion in matchstick-like pieces. You can use canned pineapple or fresh. Chop some roasted peanuts. Use the leafy parts of lettuce, leaving out the harder stem part so it won't break the rice paper when you roll them. Use whole leaves of Thai basil and cilantro, adding a few of each per roll. Soak the rice vermicelli in boiling hot water til soft (or prepare as package suggests), rinse well in cold water and drain. You can toss the noodles with 1/2 to 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for flavor and to prevent noodles from sticking together, if desired. You'll need rice paper wraps, of course, and a container (bowl or plate) with hot water to dip/soften the rice paper wraps. A wet towel is good to lay out on the counter to place the finished rolls on. Fold the towel over the rolls to keep them from drying out while you're making the other rolls. I also use a wet towel to lay my rice paper on when making these. To store, I layer the spring rolls between pieces of damp paper towel in a sealable container. Fresh spring rolls are best eaten the day they are made, but they'll keep a couple days in the fridge if you have leftovers. After that the rice paper can dry out, get hard/chewy, or become soggy and fragile (depending on the filling).

Green papaya might be harder to find in some areas. In the Phoenix area, I find green papaya already shredded in 1 pound packages at Lee Lee's market. Alternatively, if it's available, you can buy a whole green papaya, peel, seed, and shred/julienne it yourself.

Kari's Green Papaya Spring Rolls

Dressing:
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar (or other sweetener to taste)
2 1/2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil*
1/2 tsp vegetarian fish sauce (opt)
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce

For Salad:
1 pound shredded green papaya
1 carrot, peeled and shredded (I used a potato peeler to make shreds)
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 Roma tomato, julienned
3 scallions, jullienned, cut in 2-inch lengths
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped or cut in ribbons

Combine dressing ingredients in large bowl. Add salad ingredients. Toss well to combine. Allow papaya salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

For Spring Rolls:
12 rice paper wrappers
red leaf lettuce
3 ounces rice vermicelli, prepared as directed

Dip a rice paper wrapper in hot water (about 10 seconds). Lay wrapper on your damp towel. Place a piece of lettuce leaf on the part of the wrapper closest to you. Add some vermicelli. Add some papaya salad. Carefully roll the rice paper wrapper up over the filling one complete turn, then fold in the sides and finish rolling. Place roll under a damp towel and proceed with remaining rolls.

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup very warm water
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1-2 tsp Sriracha
2 tsp lime juice (opt)
1 Tbsp chopped peanuts (opt)

Combine the ingredients, starting with the lesser amounts, and adjust to taste. This makes a fairly thin dipping sauce. For a thicker sauce, use less water.

*NOTE: If you're concerned about the toasted sesame oil in the dressing, most of the dressing actually remains in the bowl when you take out the salad to make the spring rolls, so the amount of oil in the rolls will be minimal. If you want an alternative to using the sesame oil, I'd suggest toasted sesame seeds. I'd crush these a bit with a mortar/pestle to help release the flavor before adding them to the dressing.

I get a lot of ideas fom the fat-free vegan's blog:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/tag/holidays
Kate

thanks for all the terrific suggestions. I found the sweet and sour lentil recipe and am going to make that for sure. My sis wants me to bring a veggie platter, and I'm planning on that with some homemade hummus (I hope. I've been a flop at fat free hummus, though if I make it with the tahini, it usually comes out good for me, and I haven't ever made it with the amount of olive oil that most hummus recipes call for.)

I like fat free vegan a lot, and I found this site happy healthy long life

there's a lot of lovely looking food on that site. All low fat or fat free, and she featured Our Own Jim on there in her most recent post (from which I am taking the recipe for the Asparagus and Brown Rice salad, and making it and taking it to the family get-together. With that tahini dressing it looks really special.)

so, sweet and sour lentils, Asparagus and Brown Rice salad with Tahini Dressing, veggie platter, hummus...and Lord, keep me away from the chips, crackers, desserts... I'll believe it when I see it.

BUT this week I'm sure I'll "be good." I threw away some Hershey kisses and Dove chocolates, some salt water taffy and chocolate covered raisins, yesterday. Today, I walked past the box of Maxfield's chocolates and the popcorn bin at work...no problem...One stocking gift I got myself was a bar of extra dark "intense mint" Lindt chocolate. I haven't touched it, but I won't toss it. I'm waiting to share with the ladies at the book discussion I go to on Mondays.

Ooh, I love the E2 Mac and Not Cheese! hmmmm...

Oh, these spring roll recipes look yummy. I love to make them. I probably won't do it for the family party, but I will DEFINITELY try these recipes. spring rolls are a favorite around work!

I haven't tried the E2 mac and no-cheese. Glad to see a good review about it.
I brought the E2 lasagna to a vegan potluck Thanksgiving weekend. Was it ever a hit. I thought the sweet potato would be good for the occasion but the dish not a typical holiday recipe like most would make. Everyone loved it. I was so surprised that no one else had heard of the Engine 2.

I agree, those spring rolls sound yummy. I would like to make them too.

Those spring rolls sound great, AA. Thanks for sharing!