5 Gourmet Vegetarian Recipes For Christmas

Even if you are a vegetarian you can still enjoy a gourmet dinner with your family with these 5 gourmet vegetarian recipes for Christmas. Christmas is the time of year for celebrating. The key to many gourmet foods is that they look difficult to make, but many of them are not. You don't need to spend the whole day in the kitchen to make great food.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 large white onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• dash of thyme
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp white wine
• dash white pepper
• croutons
• grated gruyere or swiss cheese

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions and salt. Cook for ten minutes.
2. Add mustard and thyme, stir and cover.
3. Simmer over very low heat for 35 minutes.
4. Add stock, soy sauce, wine and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes.

Gourmet Butternut Squash Risotto

• 2 1/2 lbs winter squash
• 3 tbsp butter
• dash salt
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
• nutmeg

1. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and strings, and put them in a saucepan. Brush squash with butter, sprinkle with salt, and place on cookie sheet. Bak 45 minutes at 450 degrees. Set aside to cool, and the spoon flesh into a bowl and mash.
2. While squash is cooking, add stock and 1/2 tsp of salt to seeds and strings. Bring to boil. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
3. Pour liquid through strainer into a bowl. Measure liquid, add water to equal five cups. Heat to simmer and cover. Turn off heat.
4. Heat one Tbsp of butter with olive oil in saucepan. Add onion and saute. Add garlic and saute.
5. Stirring constantly, add rice and cook for one minute. Add wine and cook two minutes. Add one cup of broth and cook until absorbed. Repeat until rice is soft.
6. Remove from heat ad add mashed squash, cheese, sage, and last tbsp of butter. Add dash of nutmeg.

Gourmet Stuffed Tomatoes

• 4 medium tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup parsley chopped
• 3 tbsp basil chopped
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. Cut tomatoes in half. Scoop out seeds and pulp. Discard seeds, put pulp in a bowl. Place tomatoes in baking pan.
2. Mix pulp with rest of ingredients.
3. Fill tomatoes with mixture. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Christmas Apple Salad

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
• 2 carrots shredded
• 1 bunch arugula, chopped
• 1 large Fuji or Gala apple chopped
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 3 green onions, choppped
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped toasted pecans.

1. Wash and dry lettuce. Place in large salad bowl. Mix in res of ingredients.
2. Serve with Cranberry Salad Dressing.

Cranberry Salad Dressing

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• '1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp guar gum

1. Put all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Use a funnel to transfer dressing to a bottle for serving.