Vegan Christmas 2008: Recipe Testing Part 1

This year with so many amazing recipes floating around I decided to do some Christmas testing recipes since we are having a small Christmas dinner at our house with family and a few friends. The first recipe I wanted to try out was the Mushroom, Lentil and Wild Rice Timbales from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. They were extremely easy to make and did not take up much time in the kitchen but overall I was not impressed with the texture. Both DH and I voted them out. They were good and the recipe is excellent but not what we were looking for.

I made a side of stuffing by just sauteeing fresh sage leaves, onions and celery in earth balance, then removed the sage leaves. Added the usual spices, a few cups of stale bread and about 1 cup of veggie stock. Mixed it all together then baked in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Served with sides of steamed corn and mashed potatoes.

Next I made the Mushroom Gravy from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. This one is a keeper. I loved the flavours and the gravy was so rich tasting without a lot of added fat.

Here is the cranberry sauce I make every year. Super basic recipe, 1 bag of cranberries, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of maple syrup. Boil until they pop and then simmer on lower heat for about 1/2 hour until it thickens nicely. Super easy to make and well worth the effort.

So, the cranberry sauce and gravy are in. The main dish still has yet to be discovered and I want to work on the stuffing a little more. Stay tune...I will be testing Round 2 on Sunday.