Vegetarian Christmas Recipes

Tofu Turkey      Cornbread Dressing       Baked Acorn Squash       Pumpkin Pie

Tofu Turkey - a vegetarian low fat alternative to Turkey

Here's our original tofu turkey recipe that will turn your friends and family around to eating tofu.  The most common response we get from customers when we mention tofu is "no thank you., I tried that and it tasted bland.  This tofu recipe, like all our recipes with tofu, seitan, tempeh and TVP,  is very tasty.  You can adjust the taste my marinating longer or shorter or adding more water.

This recipe yields 8 moderate servings.  To serve more add another tofu block per 3-4 people and marinade longer.

The Dinner

Drain tofu from marinade and let sit for a moment to drain dry. You can use the marinade again for a smaller amount of tofu or as a soup base or to flavor gravy.
Then Bake Tofu at 35 degrees F for 25 minutes or our favorite option
Lightly fry in pan using butter.  (You can also use olive oil or your favorite spray though the later option does not add to the flavor and is therefore one we choose not to use at the Cheese Factory Restaurant unless our customers request it).

You can use your favorite gravy or our Good Country Gravy in our cookbook "Vegetarian International Cuisine".

For a fat free turkey alternative use seitan (wheat meat or gluten are other names it goes by) and the Festive Seitan Turkey Recipe with Good Country Gravy also in our cookbook.

Savory Cornbread Dressing

Here's one of our vegetarian holiday recipes from our cookbook.  We serve it in the restaurant every Thanksgiving and Christmas as part of our special holiday dinner.  Other holidays recipes included in our cookbook are: Carrot Ginger Soup, Lemon Tarragon Mushrooms, Smoked Eggs with Citrus Herb Sauce, Eggplant stuffed with Chevre, Festive Seitan Turkey Recipe, Seitan Smoked Virginia "Ham",  Good Country Gravy,  Tofu Cordon Bleu, Braised Leeks, Baked Acorn Squash, Autumn Harvest Medley, Wild Rice with Portobello Mushrooms, Quinoa Fresh Cilantro, Cloud 9 Cake, Cheese Strudel, Mocha Pecan Pie. 

This recipe yields 8 servings

1 recipe Cheese Factory Cornbread
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup vegetarian "chicken" broth
1 cup onion, diced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup roasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped or
2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Soak the raisins in the "chicken" broth and set aside.
Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, apples and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet for 2-3 minutes.  If you are using dried herbs, add them at this time and sauté another minute or two.
Remove skillet from heat.
Crumble the cornbread into a mixing bowl, leaving some chunks larger than others.
Mix the skillet ingredients, raisins with he butter (melted), 1 teaspoon of salt and all the fresh herbs into the cornbread.
Place mixture in a greased 10 x 12 inch baking dish or casserole and bake uncovered in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 30- 45 minutes.

If you do not have our cookbook, you might want to consider having it in your collection for great tasting gourmet vegetarian cuisine.  You can also use your own cornbread recipe but we can't guarantee the flavor will be the same.

This recipe may be prepared 2-3 days in advance and reheated in the microwave or oven.

Baked Acorn Squash

This recipe, also from our cookbook,  yields 8 servings

2 acorn squash, approximately 1-1/4 lb each
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup orange juice
2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/2 teaspoon salt

Quarter each squash and remove seeds
Place the sections in a 10 x 12 inch baking pan, cut side up.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour the sauce over the squash and cover with foil.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Remove foil and allow to cool.
Store the squash in the liquid and marinate for 24 hours in refrigerator.  Reheat in microwave or in a moderate 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes or until just heated through.

This dish has a refrigerated shelf life of up to one week and the flavor only improves the longer it marinates.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into bits
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
4-6 tablespoons ice water

Dough makes enough for one 9" or 10" pie shell.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalfured molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 3/4 cups whipping cream (sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla as an accompaniment if desired)

The Shell By Hand

Blend flour, butter, vegetable shortening and sugar with fingertips in bowl until the mixture resembles meal.
Add ice water, toss mixture until water is incorporated.
Form the dough into a ball.
Knead dough lightly with heel of your hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds to distribute evenly.
Dust dough with flour and chill it wrapped in plastic wrap for at least 1 hour, or for up to 2 days.

The Shell By Food Processor

Fit processor with steel blade.
Combine flour, butter, vegetable shortening and sugar.
Process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle water over mixture and process until it comes together in large pieces about the size of pebbles.
Transfer dough to work surface and knead with heal of hand for a few seconds to distribute evenly.
Dust dough with flour and chill it wrapped in plastic wrap for at least 1 hour, or for up to 2 days.

Roll out dough, trim off excess from sides of pie shell leaving 1 inch overhand.
Fold overhang over rim pressing onto sides of shell.
Crimp the edges decoratively.
Prick bottom of shell with fork and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line, weight and blind-bake shell in middle of oven for 10 minutes. 
Carefully remove weight beans and paper and bake shell for 5 minutes more or until lightly colored.  Let cook on rack.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in bowl.
Stir in pumpkin puree.
Add eggs and cream to the pumpkin mixture. 
Pour filling into pre-baked shell.
Bake pie in the middle of oven for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is set.   Let cool on a rack.
Serve pumpkin pie with whipped cream if desired.

We wish you a Very Happy Christmas and Joyful entrance into the New Millennium.

521 Wisconsin Dells Parkway S.(Highway 12), Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Tel: 1-608-253 6065   Catering: 1-608-254 4942   Fax: 1-608-253 6038
E-mail:  thecheese@baraboo.com