Christmas dinner idea

Here is one idea what to offer on Christmas dinner.
I made these last Thursday on Finlands Independence Day and we we're really satisfied and happy! Everything tasted fabulous and fit perfectly together and we were totally full, so full that could hardly go to sauna anymore... and that sure is something for a Finn! Sorry about that, but have to give some credit to myself occasionally :)

We don't really celebrate Christmas, because we're not religious nor materialistic (which you might have noticed by now from the fact that we're selling almost everything!!!) and this holiday just doesn't have much meaning for us, except some nice free days from work :) But we do love to eat well and I love cooking! So I guess that's my way to celebrate all these religious holidays... in kitchen inventing new stuff and feeding my dear 'guinea pig' :D

Hope you like these and get at least some ideas for your hopefully animal friendly holiday!

All recipes are for about 4 persons.

Fruity starter salad
(one of my favourite salads ever, especially the sauce!)

• Salanova lettuce
• Bloody Sorrel lettuce
• 2 carrots
• 2 persimons (aka sharon or khaki)
• cashews
• hemp nuts
• 1 dl mint leafs
• 1 tbsp avocado oil (other oils are also ok)
• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 1 very ripe pear

Wash lettuces. Peal and grate carrots. Peal and slice persimons. Pile into beautiful salads. Sprinkle cashews and hemp nuts on top.
Mix mint leafs, avocado oil, lemon juice and peeled pear in a blender until smooth sauce. Pour dressing on salads or offer on the side.

Seitan & plums stewed in brandy 
Seitan:

• 3 dl wheat gluten flour
• 2 tbsp powdered pepper
• 2 dl water
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp sojasauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet to the dry and knead into firm dough by hands for few minutes. Cut it into 6-8 pieces and boil in water for about 20 minutes. The dough will swell 2-3 times bigger, so have enough big pot for boiling!

Stew:

• seitan (soya cubes might work also, but I haven't tried yet)
• 2 dl dried plums
• 2 dl brandy (or other desired alcohol or even strong juice)
• 4-6 dl water (add if needed!)
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp potato flour (or other starch)

Cut the seitan into cubes. Oil a big oven dish and put all the ingredients in there and mix well. Cover with a lid or foil and let stew in 175C degree oven for about an hour. Check and stir occasionally.

Not really photogenic but really delicious!

Creamy mushrooms

• 300 g champignon mushrooms
• 1 big yellow onion
• 2 whole garlics (about 20 cloves)
• canola oil
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• salt & pepper according to taste
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 dl oat cream

Wash the mushrooms and cut into big peaces. Peal the onion and garlics. Chop the onion into rather big chunks and let the cloves of garlic stay whole. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic cloves as long as most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. (this won't taste too much of garlic 'cos they are not crushed or sliced, the cloves will become just nicely soft and delicious!)
Oil an oven dish and put the mushroom mixture there with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover with a lid or foil and put to 175C degree oven for about an hour. Check and stir occasionally.

Sweet potatoes from heaven :)
(this is one of my biggest comfort food favourites!)

• 1.5 kg sweet potatoes
• 2 dl coconut cream
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.5 tsp salt
• breadcrumbs
• vegan butter

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and boil in salted water until soft. Pour the water away, add coconut cream, cardamon and salt and puree with beater or mixer. Pour the mixture into greased oven dish, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and some thin slices of butter. Bake in 175C degree oven for about an hour. Don't cover so you get nice crispy and brown crust.

...and finally the dessert:

Chocolate pudding with red sauce

• 4 dl cashews
• 2 dl dried dates
• 1.5 dl rice-coconut milk (or other veggie milk)
• 1 dl cacao powder
• 2 tsp vanilla powder
• 0.5 dl melted coconut oil
• 300 g fresh or frozen strawberries (or whatever berries you like)

Soak the cashews in water for 4-8 hours and rinse well. Soak the dates in water that just covers them for 4-8 hours. Put the cashews, 2/3 of the dates & soaking water in to a blender and mix until silky smooth. Add milk, vanilla, cacao and coconut oil and mix again. Pour into serving dish and let stand in fridge at least for an hour.
To make the sauce mix the strawberries and 1/3 of the soaked dates in a blender until fine puree. Serve for example from champagne classes.

~ Ilta