TakePart's Christmas Dinner Menu for All Kinds

Recipe and photo compliments of Epicurious.com

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (1 1/4-lb) eggplant
• 12 1/2 oz ricotta (preferably fresh; 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Special equipment: a well-seasoned ridged grill pan or a gas grill (see cooks' note, below)

Preparation

Make sauce:
Cook garlic and red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Grill eggplant while sauce cooks:
Heat grill pan over high heat until hot.

Peel 2-inch-wide strips of skin from opposite sides of eggplant and discard. Holding a knife parallel to a peeled side, cut eggplant lengthwise into 8 (1/3-inch-thick) slices. Brush both sides of slices with 3 tablespoons oil (total), then season with salt and pepper.

Grill slices in batches, turning over once and brushing grilled sides with some of remaining oil, until golden brown and tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a tray.

Assemble eggplant rolls:
Stir together cheeses, 2 tablespoons basil, pepper, and remaining salt. Divide cheese mixture among slices (3 to 4 tablespoons per slice), leaving an 1/8-inch border along edge. Roll up each slice, beginning with a short end, and serve rolls topped with sauce and sprinkled with remaining basil.

Cooks' note: Eggplant can be grilled using a gas grill. Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium. Grill eggplant on lightly oiled grill rack, covered with lid, turning over once, until tender and grill marks appear, 4 to 5 minutes total.

Photo and recipe compliments of GenerationYFoodie.com

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, halved, seeds removed
1 large leek, washed, green parts removed
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
4-6 medium garlic cloves, skin removed
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoon fresh sage, washed and chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
salt and pepper

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Slice squash in half and scoop out all the seeds
3. Rub squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper, place face down on a baking tray
4. Arrange leeks and garlic cloves around the squash and drizzle with remaining olive oil
5. Roast vegetables for 40-50 minutes, until squash is soft
6. Remove leeks and garlic and puree in a food processor until smooth
7. Add garlic/leek mixture to a medium sauce pan and simmer
8. With a spoon, carefully scoop squash flesh out and add to the pot
9. Stir mixture with a whisk, making sure to break up any large clumps of squash
10. Add veggie broth slowly, stirring constantly
11. Add sage and paprika
12. Cover and simmer on med-low heat for 15-20 minutes
13. Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds

Recipe and photo compliments of HealthyCrush.com

Ingredients (serves about 8):

• About 6 cups of fingerling (or any other kind) potatoes, chopped into chunks
• 2 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head of kale
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• sea salt + black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Wash and chop the potatoes. I left the skin on, but you can peel them if you want. Add the potatoes to a pot of boiling water and boil until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

While potatoes are boiling, chop shallots and garlic and add with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Saute until the onions and garlic are soft and begin to slightly brown.

Chop kale very finely, into small tiny pieces. Add the kale to the pan with the shallots and garlic and cook for only 1-2 more minutes, until the kale is bright green.

When potatoes are tender, mash with a potato masher. Add coconut milk, the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt + pepper to taste. If you want a creamier consistency, add more milk slowly until it seems perfect.

Mix kale/shallots/garlic gently into the potatoes—not mixing too much, or the potatoes will take on a green color.

Recipe and photo compliments of MyVeganCookbook.com

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup ice water

Pecan Topping

• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 tablespoon Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• salt, sprinkle

Filling

• 10 multigrain Saltine crackers
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 tablespoons spplesauce
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

For the crust, place pastry and all-purpose flour, butter, salt and baking powder into food processor and pulse about 7 times. Add water to this and turn food processor on and let it mix until it turns into a ball of dough. Takes about a minute to happen.

Sprinkle pastry or counter top generously with all-purpose flour. Take dough ball and roll it out into a 1/4 inch thick sheet. Transfer to pie plate and shape it to the pie plate. Trim the edges that are hanging off. You can decorate the raw edge by creating a fluted edge using your fingers or a fork. This crust is forgiving, if the crust tears you can pat it down with your hands and it will repair easily. Take a fork and prick across the bottom of the crust 5 or 6 times. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

To prepare the pecan topping place pecan halves, butter, brown sugar and salt into a heavy skillet on medium heat and soon as it starts to sizzle cut heat down to medium-low and stir occasionally while mixing up the filling.

For filling, crumble crackers into a small mixing bowl and pour water in with this. Let cracker crumbs soak all the water up.

In a food processor place butter, brown sugar, sugar, agave, vanilla, applesauce , corn starch and the cracker/water pulp. Check to make sure the crackers have soaked up all the water by mixing them around with a fork. Now process for about a minute until it's all liquefied. Pour into saucepan on medium heat and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. When it comes to a boil, let cook for 2 minutes. Pour into shell while still hot. Then put pecan halves on top. Place into oven and cook 50 to 55 minutes. If crust starts to get too brown or starts to burn before it finishes cooking, place a piece of tin foil on top. After cooking, let cool on counter top for 2 to 3 hours.