5 Vegetarian Christmas Recipes

Here are five vegetarian main dishes to try this Dec. 25.

Lentil Meatloaf (6 servings)

1. Cook 1 1/2 cups of French green lentils for about 45 minutes.

2. Using a food processor, blend 3/4 cup of onions, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 cup of red bell pepper and 1/4 cup of wheat germ. Blend until finely chopped.

3. Pour lentils in food processor and blend until it turns into a paste.

4. Mix veggies, lentils, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 3/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of flax seed, 2/3 cup of egg whites, 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Top with 2 tsp. of thyme, 1 pinch of cayenne pepper and salt.

5. Pour mixture in loaf pan and bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes.

Tofu with Steaksauce (4 servings)

1. Slice package of tofu in 6 pieces.

2. Sautee onions in 2 tbsp. of olive oil and fry with tofu.

3. Add 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp. of steak sauce. Add 1/3 cup of water and 1 tbsp. of flour and cook until sauce thickens.

4. Serve with rice.

Feta and Ricotta Cheese Skillet Pie (6 servings)

1. Mix 1/2 cup of feta, 1 pound ricotta cheese, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup flour and 3/4 cup milk. Add 1 tsp. salt, pinch of ground pepper and 1 tbsp. dill.

2. Pour batter into skillet and top with 1/4 cup of feta. Bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Serve with braised black kale and a Zinfandel.

Vegetable Strata (4 servings)

1. Cut 6 slices of day-old bread into cubes. Place into 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking pan.

2. Add your choice of 2 cups of veggies and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

3. Mix 6 large eggs, 1 can of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp. of basil leaves, 1/8 tsp. of pepper. Pour over dish. Refrigerate overnight.

4. Bake for 50 minutes at 350ºF or until golden brown.

Curd Rissoles (2 servings)

1. Mix 9 oz. of low-fat curd, 1 egg, 1 clove of garlic, pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg.

2. Add 2 oz. of bread crumbs, 3/4 oz. of sun-dried tomatoes and a pinch of thyme. Let it stand for 20 minutes.

3. Shape mixture into 8 rissoles and fry in olive oil for 4 minutes on each side.

–Hoa  Quách