Savvy Vegetarian Tips for Holiday Harmony

Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Eat Together for The Holidays

This is a short version of the Savvy Veg report 'Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Together, A Guide to Harmonious Co-Existence'. The full report is available as a free PDF download.

At Savvy Vegetarian, advice requests come thick and fast at holiday time, when people are stressed about feeding veg or non-veg friends, relatives, and total strangers.

Why should this sad situation continue, when it can be cured by good will, common sense, a few ground rules and some menu suggestions?

The Care and Feeding of Your Veg or Non-Veg Holiday Guests:

1. Regarding what vegetarians eat, and whether they should in fact be vegetarian and whether meat-eating is unhealthy, unethical or ruining the planet: My advice is don't even go there! Take the opportunity to stretch your boundaries, and display loving generosity for the holidays.
2. Don’t isolate your special holiday guest. Integrate veg friendly and non-veg menu options, and make sure that at least half the dishes you serve can be enjoyed by all.
3. Ask your guests in advance about their likes and dislikes, and whether they have allergies or food sensitivities. Solicit their help in planning the menu.
4. Offer the option of bringing a dish to share. That way all your guests can be sure of having something they'll enjoy eating. But try to get things that everyone can eat – be specific, and use your host or hostess veto if needed.
5. Feature any vegan (dairy and egg free) dishes as low fat and cholesterol. This will endear you to the dieting and health conscious, plus sidestep the whole vegetarian issue.
6. For vegetarians: If possible, serve chicken or fish to your non-vegetarian guests, or have them bring some. Remember that people don't usually feel well fed unless they can eat what they are used to eating. And you do want your guests to feel welcome, right?
7. Stick with familiar comfort foods. That includes dishes with egg or cheese, like quiche or lasagna. Chickpeas and kidney beans are fairly safe, and can go in salads or soups. Ethnic foods work well - if it’s spicy and tasty, people are less likely to notice there’s no meat, especially if there’s cheese or egg involved. The dense, chewy, brown qualities of whole grains confirm non-veg suspicions about vegetarian food, and tofu is too strange for most people.
8. Rich desserts like cheesecake are popular and filling, and you can find or make vegan versions. Fruit pie or crumble can be made with veggie spreads such as Earth Balance, or you can buy vegan piecrusts.
9. For non-vegetarians feeding vegetarians: Unless you know otherwise, assume that your guest is vegan, and eats no animal products whatsoever. Animal products include: all varieties of meat, fowl and fish, meat by products, eggs, dairy and honey. Vegetarian protein sources include beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, sometimes cheese or eggs for non-vegans.
10. Please don't commingle animal foods with non-animal foods, and expect the vegetarian to pick out the meat, or eat around it. The taste of the meat will remain to offend vegetarians, or make them sick. Watch out for these hidden hazards:
    
    'Vegetable' soups or other dishes made with beef or chicken broth
    Stir fry with bits of meat, chicken or fish
    Bacon bits in the green beans
    Egg in the mayonnaise
    Gelatin in the jello
    Hard boiled egg or feta cheese in the salad
    Sauces and dressings with dairy, egg or honey
    Cooking with butter or other animal fats
    Sweetening with honey
    
11. Be sure to include a grain dish (rice or pasta) or two, bread, veggies and/or salad, with no animal ingredients. Serve meat, eggs or cheese on the side, or make veggie versions.
12. There are always situations that nobody could predict, and can't imagine how to deal with. That's when you haul out and dust off your sense of humor! And pray that everybody else has one too.

I've included two recipes below, as examples of simple yummy dishes that veg and non-veg both will enjoy. Explore Savvy Vegetarian Recipes for more such recipes. Look in SV Resource Guide for a list of recommended cookbooks. For instant non dairy substitutions and ideas, read Dairy Free Holidays from DairyFree.org

Happy Holidays!
Judy Kingsbury

Squash-Pecan Casserole

Adapted from Miriam Hospodar's excellent cookbook, 'Heaven’s Banquet'. I’ve made it vegan and reduced the fat and sugar. Serves 6 – 8 people.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pureed cooked winter squash (a large Kobucha squash is recommended)
• 2 Tblsp canola oil or veggie spread
• ¼ cup brown sugar or unbleached cane sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tblsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• ½ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Pecan halves.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter a baking dish or place hollowed-out squash shells on an oiled baking sheet.
3. Puree the squash, oil, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.
4. Stir in the crystallized ginger, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans
5. Spoon into the baking dish or squash shells and spread evenly.
6. Decorate the top with pecan halves
7. Bake 30 minutes.

Cashew Rice Casserole

Posted on Savvy Vegetarian as Quinoa Pilaf , which is also delicious. This recipe serves 4 – 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 c basmati rice
• 1 c. celery, chopped small
• 1/2 c. red pepper, chopped small
• 1/2 c. raw cashews
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• Pinch asefetida or crushed garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaf
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp gr. coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 c. minced parsley or cilantro
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse rice three times and drain
2. Heat olive oil on medium in a 3 qt saucepan or saute pan
3. Chop celery and red pepper
4. Add asoefetida, celery, red pepper and cashews. Stir fry until cashews are golden
5. Add the rest of the spices except for the parsley. Add the rice and stir until dry
6. Add 1 3/4 c. water, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed
7. Stir in the chopped parsley or cilantro, fresh ground pepper, and serve

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