Gaelen
03-16-2006, 07:36 PM
At this time of year, many non-Western religions observe periods of abstinence from meat, and several 'holiday' or holy day menus are entirely meatless. Here are three suggestions that fit within the dietary rules for holidays at this time of year.
THREE MEATLESS HOLIDAY MENUS
MENU #1: 22-32g protein, 9g ECC
--stuffed button mushrooms with assorted fillings: palek paneer (commercially prepared, or make your own...); ground walnuts & blue cheese; chopped roasted red peppers, cream cheese & wheat germ (~1g ECC, 2g protein for 3 mushrooms 1" in diameter)
--ruby broth with sour cream (any clear beet broth/borscht recipe, with a dollop of sour cream. I like the one in Anna Thomas' 'Vegetarian Epicure' the best (5g ECC) )
--whole smoked lake trout (or snapper, salmon, etc.) with wilted greens in balsamic vinagrette (20-30g protein, 2g ECC)
--coffee granita with vanilla whipped cream (1g ECC) from Fran McCullough's 'Low Carb Cookbook'
MENU #2 38g protein, 14g ECC
--assorted appetizers: tapenade, herbed cream cheese, macadamia nuts, endive, cucumber & celery spears
--Greek egg lemon soup
--pumpkin stuffed with TVP, mushrooms & onion and broiled herbed grape tomatos (22g protein, 10g ECC) (stuff a small (about 6-8" diameter) whole, seeded pumpkin or large winter squash. Bake the pumpkin and stuffing approximately 30 minutes per pound, in a pan filled 1/3 full with water and covered with foil, until pumpkin is tender. One 6-8" pumpkin or winter squash will serve 6-8. If you can't get either pumpkin or winter squash, use 2 halved and seeded acorn squash, or two halved and seeded zucchini. Stuff the halves, bake as above and slice each half into quarters.
--ricotta puffs with cranberry coulis (16.5g protein, 4g ECC). These puffs are also from Fran McCullough 'Low Carb Cookbook.' The Cranberry coulis is mine: 1/2c cranberries, poached in 2T red wine or lemon juice until the berries
burst, then pureed...drizzle about 1T on each puff.
MENU #3...(29g protein, up to 18g ECC, depending on ingredients and courses included)
--Bitter greens with Goat cheese, pine nuts and pears (7g protein, 5g ECC). ECC can be reduced by using melon or avocado instead of the pear in this salad, if necessary (from Lose Weight the Smart Low Carb Way by Bettina Newman, RD, published by Rodale)
--Chickpea crepes stuffed with sauteed marinated tofu and spicy vegetables
Adding tofu to the stuffing increases the protein to about 22g per pancake, 8g ECC.
--Mushrooms provencale (3g protein/3g ECC per serving). From 'LWTSL/CW' by Bettina Newman, RD
--Berry gelatin layered with whipped cream (use unflavored gelatin, fresh berries and whipped cream, or SF gelatin and whipped cream. (about 2g ECC)
Gaelen
THREE MEATLESS HOLIDAY MENUS
MENU #1: 22-32g protein, 9g ECC
--stuffed button mushrooms with assorted fillings: palek paneer (commercially prepared, or make your own...); ground walnuts & blue cheese; chopped roasted red peppers, cream cheese & wheat germ (~1g ECC, 2g protein for 3 mushrooms 1" in diameter)
--ruby broth with sour cream (any clear beet broth/borscht recipe, with a dollop of sour cream. I like the one in Anna Thomas' 'Vegetarian Epicure' the best (5g ECC) )
--whole smoked lake trout (or snapper, salmon, etc.) with wilted greens in balsamic vinagrette (20-30g protein, 2g ECC)
--coffee granita with vanilla whipped cream (1g ECC) from Fran McCullough's 'Low Carb Cookbook'
MENU #2 38g protein, 14g ECC
--assorted appetizers: tapenade, herbed cream cheese, macadamia nuts, endive, cucumber & celery spears
--Greek egg lemon soup
--pumpkin stuffed with TVP, mushrooms & onion and broiled herbed grape tomatos (22g protein, 10g ECC) (stuff a small (about 6-8" diameter) whole, seeded pumpkin or large winter squash. Bake the pumpkin and stuffing approximately 30 minutes per pound, in a pan filled 1/3 full with water and covered with foil, until pumpkin is tender. One 6-8" pumpkin or winter squash will serve 6-8. If you can't get either pumpkin or winter squash, use 2 halved and seeded acorn squash, or two halved and seeded zucchini. Stuff the halves, bake as above and slice each half into quarters.
--ricotta puffs with cranberry coulis (16.5g protein, 4g ECC). These puffs are also from Fran McCullough 'Low Carb Cookbook.' The Cranberry coulis is mine: 1/2c cranberries, poached in 2T red wine or lemon juice until the berries
burst, then pureed...drizzle about 1T on each puff.
MENU #3...(29g protein, up to 18g ECC, depending on ingredients and courses included)
--Bitter greens with Goat cheese, pine nuts and pears (7g protein, 5g ECC). ECC can be reduced by using melon or avocado instead of the pear in this salad, if necessary (from Lose Weight the Smart Low Carb Way by Bettina Newman, RD, published by Rodale)
--Chickpea crepes stuffed with sauteed marinated tofu and spicy vegetables
Adding tofu to the stuffing increases the protein to about 22g per pancake, 8g ECC.
--Mushrooms provencale (3g protein/3g ECC per serving). From 'LWTSL/CW' by Bettina Newman, RD
--Berry gelatin layered with whipped cream (use unflavored gelatin, fresh berries and whipped cream, or SF gelatin and whipped cream. (about 2g ECC)
Gaelen