Inauguration

Jan 20, 2009 -- Presidential Inauguration

Merry Christmas Dinner

Swedish "Meatballs" with a side of Cranberry Sauce and Asparagus
Swedish “Meatballs”
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
1/2 white onion - chopped
1 garlic clove - minced
2/3 cup fresh mushrooms - roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1 TB Worcester sauce
1 TB ketchup
1 tsp dry parsley flakes
2/3 cup bread crumbs
Canola Oil

For the sauce:
1 TB Soy Butter
2 TB Flour
1 cup Cream of Mushroom Soup (vegan versions are available in organic section of most supermarkets)

1) Boil lentils and brown rice (separately). Make sure they're cooled before adding to food processor.
2) Wet ingredients: Sauté onions & garlic until tender. Turn off heat. Add salt, Worcester sauce, ketchup, parsley. Stir and set aside.
3) Add all the ingredients to food processor. Pulse for 15 seconds or pulse just enough to combine and keep somewhat chunky. Do not overmix, otherwise you end up with watery mush.
4) Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet (makes about 26 "meatballs”).
5) Bake at 355 degrees for 12 minutes. Let them cool for about 5 minutes so they have time to firm.
6) Use a deep pan, coat bottom with canola oil (about 4 TB) and fry until all sides are crispy. Remove meatballs to separate serving dish.
7) Now to make the sauce…..
8) Drain the remaining oil from the pan, leaving about 1 TB oil remaining in pan.
9) Add about 1 TB Soy Butter and 2 "heaping" TB Flour. Stir on low heat until golden.
10) Add 1 cup Cream of Mushroom Soup. Stir lumps away. Turn off heat. Sauce should thicken.
11) Pour sauce over the meatballs sitting in serving dish. Serve immediately. Do not cook meatballs and sauce together, as the meatballs will become soggy and break apart.

Cranberry Sauce:
· 1 cup water
· 1 (12oz) package fresh of frozen cranberries
· 1 cup sugar
In saucepan, simmer all ingredients until cranberries burst and thick sauce forms. (Optional: top with lemon zest)

Asparagus:
Use 1 bunch fresh asparagus. Rinse. Cut or snap off white bottoms. Boil in 1 inch water for 3 minutes. Drain water. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil. Add pinch of sea salt & black pepper. Squeeze half a lemon. Toss and serve.

Easy Banana Cream Pie

2 boxes Cooked Banana Pudding (I used Dr. Oekter Organic Pudding & Pie Filling Mix)
Unsweetened Rice Milk
2 Bananas
1 container Tofutti Cream Cheese
6 Graham Crackers (makes 1 ½ cups if using ready-made crumbs)

Heat oven 355 degrees.

Crust: Using a rolling pin, smash graham crackers in sandwich bag. Melt about 4 TB soy-butter. Mix until crumbs are moist. Add more melted butter if necessary. Line pie pan with graham crust. Bake for 15 mins. Turn off the oven, as baking is no longer required. Let crust cool 20 minutes….start on filling while you wait.

Filling: Following instructions on box of pie mix: stir in 2 cups milk per box = 4 cups total. (I used “Unsweetened Rice Milk”). Stir until thickens and bubbles break surface. Stir once more and cool 5 minutes. In glass bowl, using hand electric mixer, blend cream cheese & pudding for 30 seconds or until lumps disappear.
Pour half of the filling over crust. Layer with banana slices (1 ½ bananas). Pour remaining filling. Decorate top with vanilla wafers (Safeway's brand appears to be dairy/egg-free). Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Decorate top with banana slices.

Refrigerator Magnets

I made some food magnets (using Polymer Clay) for my refrigerator door. You can find Polymer Clay and magnets at your local arts/crafts store. This type of clay can be molded, then baked to harden.

From top left to right: Grapes, Watermelon slice, Peas in a pod, Butternut Squash, Lemon slice, Peas in a pod, Carrot, Winter Squash, Strawberry, Pineapple, Green Bell peppers, Red Bell pepper, Acorn Squash.