christmas dinner It is one of the most emblematic and important gatherings that bring together most of the members of a family. It is a time when the company and the pleasure of food are mixed, achieving a feeling of comfort and well-being.
Pasta, sweet or salty salad, cod, romeritos, turkey and desserts are the typical dishes that are served at this very particular dinner. However, what if some members of the family are vegetarians?
To enjoy this Christmas season respecting and validating the beliefs of each of the members, we share these 10 recipes for vegetarian and healthy dishes:
Bell peppers stuffed with vegetables
Ingredients: 4 bell peppers, 2 green peppers, 4 onions, 2 carrots, 1/4 cabbage, 150g of peas, 300g of mushrooms, 4 garlic cloves, 1 glass of white wine, water and extra virgin olive oil.
Instructions: Once the peppers have been washed, season them with a little oil and salt to place them on a baking tray. Put them in the oven for 1/2 hour. Chop the cabbage and cook it for 8 minutes in a saucepan with water and salt. As for the sauce, chop the onion and 2 cloves of garlic, the mushrooms, and place them in a casserole. Pour the white wine with water into it. Season and cook for 10 minutes. Then chop 3 onions, the peppers and the peas; Peel the carrots, 2 garlic cloves into slices and brown them in a pan with oil. Fill the peppers with the vegetables, adding the mushroom sauce; then put them in the oven for 6 minutes.
Vegetable, legume and mushroom stew
Ingredients: 200g of peas, 120g of green soybeans, 300g of mushrooms, 3 onions, 1 slice of pumpkin, water, extra virgin olive oil, salt and chopped parsley.
Instructions: Soak the green soybeans for 3 hours and then cook them for 5 minutes in a pot with water and salt. Remove the strings from the peas and cook the remains in a saucepan with water and salt for 8 minutes. Chop the onions and fry them with oil. When they start to have color, add the pumpkin cut into wedges. Let them cook, adding the peas and the soaked soybeans to the saucepan. Cook everything together. Clean and cut the mushrooms, browning them in a pan with oil. Season and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Portobello Mushroom Lasagna
Ingredients: 340g of dry lasagna, 4 cups of milk, 1 and 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of flour, 700g of Portobello mushrooms, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 1 tablespoon of nutmeg, olive oil and coarse salt.
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Boil in a large pot water with 3 tablespoons of salt and 1 of oil. Add the lasagna and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and save. For the white sauce, bring the milk to a boil in a pot, removing it from the heat. In another pot, melt 1 stick of butter, adding the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, mixing constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the milk, heat and mix. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and beat with a balloon whisk while cooking for 5 minutes, until thickened. Take it off the heat. Remove the sticks from the Portobello mushrooms to slice them. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, adding the mushrooms and seasoning with salt. Cook for 5 minutes. To form the lasagna, place the white sauce in a baking dish; on the sauce, a layer of lasagna, another of sauce, then 1/3 of mushrooms and 1/4 of Parmesan. Repeat the step two more times and in the final layer place the lasagna, sauce and the leftover Parmesan cheese. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
Vegetarian Christmas Terrine
Ingredients: 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, 300g of textured vegetable protein, 2 tablespoons of curry paste, 30g of breadcrumbs, 3 drops of almond essence, 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary, 50g of toasted walnuts, 250g of chopped plums, 4 beaten eggs, 1 sliced peeled orange, 1 can of roasted chili peppers, salt and pepper.
Instructions: Turn on the oven to preheat it to medium temperature. Line a terrine container with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Sauté the onions in olive oil for 5 minutes, adding the garlic and textured vegetable protein. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the curry paste, breadcrumbs, almond essence, water, rosemary, half of the plums and walnuts, stir a little and turn off the heat. Let cool for 10 minutes and then add the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper. At the base of the terrine mold place the sliced oranges; then a layer of roasted peppers, and on top of the rest of the preparation. Finally, a layer of plums and walnuts. Cover with nonstick paper and put it in the oven for 40 minutes. Unmold the terrine carefully and that’s it!
Vegetarian lasagna with Italian bread
Ingredients: 4 medium zucchini, 1 package of mushrooms, 1 medium onion, fresh garlic, 280g of frozen cut spinach, 790g of pasta sauce, 680g of mozzarella cheese, 227g of sliced cheese, olive oil and lasagna noodles.
Instructions: Boil the lasagna noodles until they are al dente. Chop the zucchini, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Heat a frying pan with the olive oil, sautéing the vegetables until they are tender. Then add the spinach and add the pasta sauce. Top the lasagna with the vegetables in layers, adding mozzarella cheese to each layer. Cover with the cheese slices. Then bake the lasagna until golden and bubbly.
Grilled vegetables on the coals
Ingredients: 8 small potatoes, 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Preparation: Wash the potatoes and tomatoes, drying them with absorbent paper. Then cut the onions and tomatoes into wedges, to place them on a preheated grill
Step 1: Wash the potatoes with their skin and the tomatoes. Dry them with absorbent paper. Cut the onions and tomatoes in half or into wedges. Have the grill preheated and with little ember because it is going to be used for slow cooking since some vegetables, such as tomatoes, are very sensitive to direct heat. First place the potatoes with their skin and whole.
Step 2: When the vegetables are tender on one side, flip them over and add the onions, cut side down, and continue cooking until just tender. In the case of tomatoes, you have to be careful, since their interior is almost all liquid. Cook them only 2 minutes on each side.
Distribute the vegetables on a platter, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and serve.
You can experiment with other types of vegetables and add sweet potatoes to the grill with their skin or corn in their chala. Let’s cheer up!
vegetable pudding
Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 cup of cooked spinach, 1 cup of cooked cauliflower, 1 bundle of cooked asparagus, 4 cooked baby carrots, 1 chopped onion, 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, a pinch of sugar and oil.
Instructions: Cut the previously cooked spinach, cauliflower and asparagus into not too small pieces, so that their color and texture can be perceived in the final preparation. Place the chopped vegetables in a container. Booking. Take half of the cut onion and wilt it a little in a pan with a few drops of oil. Let it cook until it is tender. In another bowl, dip the bread crumb with milk. Let it rest for a few minutes and squeeze it; you can help yourself with a strainer. Add the moistened breadcrumb to the cut vegetables. Add the eggs and the cooked onion. Take a pudding tin and line it with waxed paper. Distribute the asparagus in the bottom of the mold along with the chopped carrot. Pour over this the prepared mixture. Cook in the oven in a bain-marie, that is, place the mold inside a larger one with a little water, at 350°F, until it looks firm and when you insert a toothpick in the center it comes out clean. Let stand until it cools down a bit. Unmold, cut into more or less thick slices and serve with the mayonnaise mixed with the rest of the cut onion as a dressing.
chard cannelloni
Ingredients: 12 large Swiss chard leaves, washed well, 4 cups spinach, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small diced onion, 5 garlic cloves, 15 ounces ricotta cheese, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, 3 9×12-inch pasta sheets (fresh or dried, already cooked), 2 cups pasta sauce Neapolitan type tomato and 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese to sprinkle at the end.
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the chard and/or spinach into large pieces. Booking. In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the onions until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the chard and/or spinach. Lower the flame and sauté, stirring constantly, until the leaves are reduced and the liquid they produce evaporates (about 7 minutes). Remove from the fire and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the three cheeses, basil, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked leaves and mix very well. Place the mixture in a Ziploc type bag and cut one of the corners to create a sleeve to fill. Place the cooked pasta sheets on the counter and draw a line with the cheese and chard mixture along the longest sides of each sheet. Roll each end in half, creating 2 cannelloni. Cut in the middle and then in half, to create 4 cannelloni with each sheet. In case you used the already rolled cannelloni pasta, simply fill it with the mixture. Grease a baking dish. Place a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the tray. Put the cannelloni over the tomato sauce and drizzle with the rest. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over them. Bake uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until you see the cheese melting and the tomato sauce bubbling.
Baked vegetable tian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion halved and then sliced, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 or 2 potatoes, unpeeled, 1 zucchini, 1 squash, 3 large round tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste , dried thyme to taste, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: Preheat the oven to a moderately strong temperature (190ºC). Coat an oven-safe container (plate or dish) with vegetable spray. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until translucent – about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Spread the garlic and onion mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Cut the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes into 0.50cm-wide slices. Arrange them in tight layers in the baking dish over the onions, so they form a single layer in the shape of…