Conscious Choice: A Holiday Meal

November 1996 | Cooking with the Seasons

A Holiday Meal

by Susan Epstein

A traditional holiday meal takes on a whole new meaning when you’re cooking without meat, dairy, or refined white sugar. How do you manage to satisfy your own taste and dietary needs and keep your guests happy? It can be simple if you plan ahead of time, use plenty of herbs and spices, make a few substitutions, and stay willing to try something new.

Of course, finding the right ingredients, the freshest available, and buying at the last possible moment will assure you of serving the best you can offer. And here’s one major suggestion; don’t tell people what’s in a dish until after they’ve eaten. You don’t really want to discourage them from trying something new, and for many people, just knowing a dish is vegetarian is challenge enough.

To ease your guests into the idea, start with some strong, familiar flavors. The combination of fresh horseradish and silky tofu with some fresh lemon is a refreshing and invigorating dish, reminiscent of a sour cream dip. Run it through the blender and won’t Uncle Bud be surprised when he learns he dipped his cauliflower in a creamy tofu appetizer—and liked it!

Mushroom Strudel is both elegant and tasty, a dish that will please everyone at your holiday table. The combination of mushrooms, roasted red peppers, shallots, and red wine wrapped in phyllo dough will be the beginning of a new tradition. (The recipe does include butter; if you want to substitute oil remember the result will be heavier).

The roasted vegetable dish I have mentioned before is a reassuringly simple, familiar array of veggies. It not only tastes great, its aromas fill your home and warm up your senses.

Another recipe with ties to the familiar is the recipe for my grandma’s pumpkin-apple-raisin breads. This is a recipe that has been in my family for years, and slowly revised. I make it with maple syrup, whole wheat pastry flour, and—instead of eggs—wonderslim (a plum substitute for both fat and egg requirements).

With recipes like these, the holidays can be enjoyable for everyone. What’s more, preparing food that you know is natural and healthy can be your way of giving a gift to your guests. On the other hand, if your family can’t get festive without a traditional turkey, baked chicken, or ham, you can still make a stab at improving the fare. First, be sure to purchase the organic, free-range, antibiotic- and chemical-free meats that are sold in your health food stores. Serve lots of organic greens and vegetarian options, and select a grain that will balance the meal.

Have fun with your cooking this holiday season and share the shopping, planning, and cooking with someone you love.

The Menu

Tofu Horseradish Dip (serve with fresh raw mushrooms and cauliflower)
Mushroom Strudel in Phyllo (serve with green salad and balsamic dressing)
Roasted Vegetables
Pumpkin-Apple-Raisin Cake

Tofu Horseradish Dip
10 oz. tofu silken
3/4 cup horseradish fresh
1 T garlic, minced
1/4 c lemon juice, fresh
1/2 c soy milk
white pepper and sea salt to taste

Directions: Peel horseradish and cut in small pieces, grind in food processor. Add tofu, garlic, lemon juice and soy milk, pepper and salt to taste.

This makes a good party dip (it’s spicy). You can put in less horseradish and adjust to your taste. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to three weeks in a jar with a tight lid.

Mushroom Strudel
1 pkg phyllo dough
1 stick butter
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb portabello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
1 small red pepper sweet,
thinly sliced and roasted
1 bunch scallions, diced
2 T garlic, minced
1/2 c red wine (optional)
1 t thyme

Directions: Prepare mushrooms by heating 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter in pan; add scallions and garlic; stir over high heat for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme; stir thoroughly and cook together until mushrooms reduce. Add wine and let simmer until consistency has changed and liquid cooked off. Prepare red peppers in oven with a little tamari and olive oil. Lightly rub and spread out on flat baking pan; roast in 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Assembling strudel: Lay a wet cloth on your table and proceed to prep the dough; laying one layer, brush on oil/butter, top with another layer and continue until you have 8-10 layers of dough. Spread mushroom mixture on 3/4 of the dough and top with the roasted red peppers. Roll the dough, tucking in the sides to seal in the juices. Top by rubbing on more butter and oil or egg wash for a shiny topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Roasted Vegetables
2 lge Idaho potato cut in quarters lengthwise
1 lb carrots, peel, cut in pieces
1/2 lb parsnips, peel, cut in pieces
2 lge yellow onions, quartered
2 med sweet potatoes cut in quarters
1/2 lb button mushrooms, leave whole
1 bulb garlic, peeled and whole
1 sm butternut squash, peel, cut in pieces
1/2 lb green beans, clean ends, leave whole
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t apple cider vinegar
2 T tamari
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Prepare vegetables by washing well; peel if you wish. Put all veggies into bowl except the mushrooms and green beans. Toss and spread out on flat baking pan reserving the liquid to use later with mushrooms and green beans. Roast vegetables for 15-20 min. on one side then turn, adding green beans and mushrooms; sprinkle with tamari and continue roasting another 20 minutes.

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