Roasted acorn squash, with maple syrup and butter....the the next veggie better be green! LOL!

Ratatouille

Makes 7 cups, serving 4 to 6 as a side dish
2 large eggplants (about 2 - 2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
Table salt
2 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion , chopped large
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 Ripe beefsteak medium tomatoes (ripe), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Place eggplant in large colander set over large bowl; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and toss to distribute salt evenly. Let eggplant stand at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Rinse eggplant well under running water to remove salt and spread in even layer on triple thickness of paper towels; cover with another triple thickness of paper towels. Press firmly on eggplant with hands until eggplant is dry and feels firm and compressed.

2. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 500 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.

3. Toss eggplant, zucchini, and 2 tablespoons oil together in large bowl, then divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, spreading in single layer on each. Sprinkle with salt and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until well-browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through roasting time. Set aside.

4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Add roasted eggplant and zucchini, stirring gently but thoroughly to combine, and cook until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, and thyme; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

do we also post recipes or just our choice of the course?

MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD

3 to 4 c. salad greens broken (leaf, Bibb lettuce, spinach)
1/4 c. sliced onions
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted in butter
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine the greens, onions, mandarin oranges and almonds.
Make the dressing with the vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before tossing with the salad ingredients.

Annie

FUN! What a great idea for a game, Sherry! Thanks!

I pick Ann T's Parisienne Potatoes

Parisienne Potatoes ===================

3 or 4 large Russet Potatoes 2 tablespoons Olive oil 2 Tablespoons Butter 2 cloves of Garlic Salt and pepper parsley, rosemary or thyme

Using a melon baller, make round balls from large peeled potatoes or you can cut the potatoes into small cubes. Potatoes can be cut up ahead of time and left to soak in cold water.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and butter. Dry the potatoes really well and add them to the pan. Saute, shaking the pan occasionally until golden brown and the potatoes are tender. Add minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Shake to distribute and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; add fresh herb of choice,
parsley, rosemary or thyme. Serve while hot.

TIP: The potato balls can also be deep fried

Wild and brown rice with mushrooms and pine nuts.

Sorry! We must have been typing at the same time.

how about just simple yeasted rolls?

Pumpkin Pecan Pie (the only pie I know how to bake:)

8. A drink

Spiced Cider...

Only I cheat. I use apple juice, throw in some cinnamon sticks and cloves and simmer on the stove top. Makes the house smell great, and tastes good, too!!

A shot of applejack in the cider!
THAT recipe was easy!

1. Prime Rib (We have this every year for Christmas)

Here's one of my favorites with beef....

CREAMED CORN

Lawry's (Chicago but now sadly closed)

1½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups fresh, frozen or canned whole kernel corn

Melt butter in heavy saucepan; add flour and salt, stirring to blend. Slowly add whipping cream, stirring constantly until thickened. Add sugar and corn, heat. For Au Gratin, place corn in a 9 or 10 inch shallow casserole dish; sprinkle with ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and brown under broiler.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nancy

Brussels Sprouts roasted with Shallots

24 small shallots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, preferably small
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel shallots, leaving the root ends intact so they'll hold together. Place on a large sheet of foil; sprinkle 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Seal the packet and bake until the shallots are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from foil and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, remove the outer leaves from Brussels sprouts and trim the stems. Cut the small sprouts in half and quarter the larger ones. Place the shallots and Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and salt. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Roast, tossing twice during cooking, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings

Annie

Spinach Salad with dried cranberries, candied pecans and blue cheese. Blue Cheese dressing of course!

Alexa

Yorkshire pudding, of course
Now is that a starch or a bread??
Whatever it's gooooood!
Linda C

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Potatoes

Individual Potato And Onion Tartes Tatin (M. Stewart)
=====================================================
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces, plus
more for pan
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (17 1/4-ounce) standard package store-bought puff pastry
4 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 small new potatoes, peeled
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar
. Very generously butter six 5-inch round metal pie plates; set aside. On
a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a scant
1/4-inch thickness. Using a cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut
dough into 4 1/2-inch rounds. Prick rounds all over with a fork.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30
minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay two or three onion
rounds on the bottom of each pie pan. Using a mandoline or sharp knife,
slice potatoes into thin rounds, about a scant 1/4 inch thick. Place
potato slices, slightly overlapping, over the onion in two layers of
concentric circles (they should completely cover the onion). Sprinkle
potatoes generously with salt and pepper. Place chilled puff pastry
rounds on top of the potatoes in each pie plate. Bake until golden
brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately invert tartlets onto a platter. In
a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer
and cook until mixture reduces to a syrup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in
butter, a piece at a time, until incorporated. Season with salt and
pepper. Glaze tartlets with balsamic syrup and serve warm.

We have prime rib also at Christmas and for dessert, two have to be choclate and coconut cream pies!

Well....since no one has posted....how about a Ridge petite sirah....not fussy about the year!

Since we have a rather English-style meal going, I say we have wassail or grog to drink!

Just to clarify - this was Christmas Eve Dinner for many years when I was growing up in Maine.....

Alexa

Butter!! LOL!!

We have a Seafood Boil usually for Christmas Eve - sometimes
on Christmas Day - Coleslaw

lindac---is butter a vegetable?? LOL!
2. a vegetable

Steamed asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto with lemon zest.

Man, the only thing I can think of is corn, and that's not a vegetable. Well, for this thread, it's going to have to be a vegetable. :) Paprika comes from pappers, peppers are a vegetable, so corn sprinkled with sea salt and smoked paprika.

"Pappers" Right. Paprika peppers = pappers.

We all know I can't type.

Big ole Caesar Salad.

Starch is next right?? I'll go with pomme anna. Thin slices of potato layered between melted butter, salt, pepper and rosemary. Baked and then turned out on a platter. Sometimes we also add thinly sliced butternut squash and granny smiths just to mix it up a bit. NancyLouise

Steamed or roasted Maine red potatoes with butter and herbs. Ooops! There's that butter again!

Country French loaf of bread (recipe from Teresa at Panny Camp)

Dessert next? How about a Chocolate Yule Log? Yum!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Yule Log recipe

This meal should have an Irish coffee with dessert.

Way too easy. Let's try this one . . . your vegan son and his vegan fiancee are coming for Christmas dinner. Your husband is strictly a "meat and potatoes" guy! :)

For starters, "Influenced Greek Stew" for the vegan, marinated pork loin roast for hubby.

The stew recipe comes from "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" by Mollie Katzen.
Influenced Vegetable Stew . . . similar to a Greek "stifado/stifatho" but meatless, and containing more vegetables . . .

3/4 cups raw kidney beans, soaked overnight, then cooked in twice their volume of bioling water until tender (1 1/2 - 2 hrs.) and drained.
Yeah right. I use a can of dark red kidney beans, drained!

3 TBLSP olive oil
4 med. cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup THINLY sliced potatoes
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
lots of fresh black pepper
crushed red hot pepper, to taste
juice from one large lemon
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 SMALL head of cauliflower, brokien into small flowerettes (good luck finding a small one!)
4 med. sized fresh ripe tomatoes, cubed (I use a can of diced ones most of the time)
2 tsp. honey

In a very large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil, with salt, for 5 min., or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add potatoes, spieces, and lemon juice. Cover and cook 8-10 min., stirring occasionally. Add small amounts of water, if it appears to be sticking. (It almost always does!)

Add remaining ingredients exept beans. Cover and let it stew over med. heat about 30 min., stirring occasionally.
Add the cooked beans, stir, and cover and let simmer about 10 min. more. I'll bet you could make this in a crockpot.

For the pork, the only time I have made it, I used the Emeril recipe below, and it was fabulous and easy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginger ale marinated pork loin roast

My brother-in-law is vegan and he likes a raw vegetable tray (carrots, green peppers, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) and lots of hummus to dip the veggies in. Sometimes simple is good!

I would have liked to put my black bean cakes here, but that may be too many beans.
Lori, this is a very clever one!
How about a butternut squash casserole with onions and a little maple syrup.

So are we up to starch or bread?

OK, for a starch I suggest a couscous pilaf with dried fruit and nuts to go with the pork and the vegetable stew.

For a bread, I think focaccia with fresh rosemary and asiago cheese.

Someone else feel free to take one of these categories - I got confused as to where we were.....?

I think we forgot the salad course. How 'bout a nice Waldorf salad. Lettuce, apples, raisins, walnuts, celery, -lemon juice and mayo dressing. NancyLouise

Hold the cheese on the bread & hold the mayo on the salad. Aren't vegans a pain? :)

How about some gingerbread cupcakes with lemony frosting for dessert

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes

I was thinking waldorf salad too. There's vegan mayo called "Nayonaise" if you really want to go hard core. Could be served with a lemon EVOO dressing. I make something like that for Christmas except I use pears. (And frankly blue cheese which I would crumble on the non-vegans salads!)

Last is the beverage. It's really past my turn, so feel free to suggest something else, but I can't resist this one. I have actually made it and it isn't half bad. I seriously doubt that the meat and potatoes husband would like it, but it would impress the fiancee, :)

Tofu Nog (Buy some good real stuff for the mainstream crowd, but easy enough to make for vegan friends)

2 10 oz. packages of soft, silken tofu
16 oz. vanilla soy milk or rice milk
1 TBLSP + 1 tsp. real vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBLSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp. tumeric (optional, just for "color")
1/2 cup brandy (optional, can also use a few drops rum or brandy extract if you like those tastes but not the booze. Also fine without alcohol or extract)
Dusting of nutmeg for the top

Combine all ingredients except nutmet in a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Serve well chilled. Makes 8 servings.

We usually have roast beef for Christmas dinner, but I think that would be too easy. How about we start the next round with Rack of Lamb.

Might be easier if we list the next course to be posted. :)

OK, so we need a veggie. How about the Cauliflower dish Trudy posted from Food and Wine?

Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives and Pine Nuts

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
SERVES: 4
Roasting cauliflower caramelizes the florets, making them supersweet. Tossed with crunchy pine nuts and salty olives and capers, this dish is perfect with roasted chicken or steamed fish.

Ingredients
1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon drained capers

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish, toss the cauliflower with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is lightly browned in spots. Add the pine nuts, olives, parsley and capers, toss and roast for about 10 minutes longer, until the pine nuts are lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Source: Food and Wine (posted by Trudy on CF)

Next vegetable, please?

Fried Eggplant - slice wedges - dredge in flour, dip in slightly beaten egg, coat in bread crumbs and fry in heavy skillet until lightly brown.
serve warm - for a real treat -lightly sift powered sugar over the eggplant on the serving platter.

Next is Salad please......

Roasted Balsamic Asparagus. I think Rack of Lamb calls for the slightly sweet. acidic coating of balsamic on the asparagus...... with lots of cracked pepper and sea salt.

Alexa

I would suggest a spinach citrus salad with almonds.
Clare

Citrus Spinach Salad

8 cups torn fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 cup Florida Orange Juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Florida oranges, peeled, halved, and sliced
1/2 of a medium sweet orange or red pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips
In a large salad bowl combine spinach, mushrooms, and onions; set aside.
In a 12-inch skillet or a Dutch oven cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.
Remove bacon; drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. In a bowl combine cornstarch, orange peel, orange juice, garlic salt, and black pepper; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add spinach mixture. Toss until coated. If desired, return salad to heat and toss 30 to 60 seconds more or until slightly wilted. Return mixture to salad bowl; toss in bacon, oranges, and pepper strips. Put slilvered almonds on top.

Makes 4 servings.

The starch could be an orzo pasta tossed with butter, peas, mint, salt and pepper.

Bread is next.....

I would ask Teresa to bring the bread :)
couldn't resist
Bread is next...

Homeade pita, which my lebanese friend used to make. I've never done it, but man was that stuff delish!

Oops sorry. Dessert is next.
Unless Theresa wants to chime in with one of her great bread recipes!
LP

I think that the richness of lamb calls for a simple dessert. What about lemon gelato (I would be happy to fly over to Italy and bring some back!!!)
Drink is next.