It’s the holiday season. I’ve been excited since I started planning our menu for Thanksgiving. Speaking of Thanksgiving, in my last blog, I shared ideas for a holiday main dish. An entree that could serve as the center piece accompanied by delightful sides. I’ll write more about this in the following paragraphs. Thanksgiving has passed, nonetheless, it was quite a fortuitous and fruitful occasion. Gathering and spending time with family and/or friends always is. My family and I had lots of scrumptious foods and sweet treats to eat. And we had the opportunity to simply enjoy time to slow down and relax. Shortly after Thanksgiving, we made sure to get out our Christmas decorations to prepare our home for another festive celebration.

We are ready for Christmas. Our home is decorated with holiday lights, our stockings our hung, colorful bows have been placed in various places to brighten up spaces and our dancing Santa Claus is back from his extended vacation to charm us once again with song and dance. We are always charmed by Santa’s singing, and especially his dancing. Watching our Santa dance inspires us to dance too. When I first found Dancing Santa at one of our local shopping stores I had to get him. I also made sure to pick up one or more for others to enjoy. Having our dancing Santa has indeed made every Christmas holiday a special one. Dance in our home is deeply cherished.

A bountiful Christmas this one will be. Every Christmas has been, albeit they all are pleasingly different. It is an occasion that invites us to think more about not only the individuals we love, but about others too. It brings a smile to my face and heart when I receive a kind word or greeting from others, “Merry Christmas.” Joy is also brought to my face and heart when I’ve given a gift to someone who may not be a family member or close friend. Someone who I can make smile just because. I’ve received gifts from others who I hadn’t expected to receive a gift from and it truly brought out from within me a blooming disposition. Sometimes these gifts are intangible and indelible and timeless.

I look forward to every Christmas holiday. Mostly, I look forward to being with my family and with friends. I get excited about what we’ll get to share when we’re with one another. And I get excited about what delicious foods and beverages will be on the table. I haven’t yet thought out what will be our holiday brunch and dinner spreads, but I have some ideas. My family and I have our favorite eats and treats, such as start to the day smoothies for brunch, and for dinner, mom’s potato salad, a pot of mixed greens, homemade stuffing and gravy and homemade cranberry sauce. Of course, we make sure to have either sweet potato soufflé or sweet potato pie. Our holiday main dish always changes. Each year passed, I’ve prepared something new for my family. This year I’ll do the same. This most recent Thanksgiving our holiday main dish was halved roasted green zucchinis with a walnut meat filling and a savory and sweet cheddar cheese sauce drizzled over the tops (image above).

This Thanksgiving was our first time having the roasted zucchinis with the walnut meat filling and the savory and sweet cheddar cheese sauce. The halved roasted zucchinis were a perfect holiday main dish and quite different from the holiday main dishes I’ve made for previous holidays. They were also absolutely yummy. My family and I truly loved this main dish. We loved it so much we had it three nights in a row, beginning with our Thanksgiving dinner. Being vegan has opened up so many opportunities for me to explore a variety of plant based food options for any occasion, including the holidays.

Since I wrote about considering a vegetable based main dish for the holidays in my last blog, and I followed my own advice and did so for Thanksgiving, I would like to share my roasted zucchini recipe with you. Maybe this holiday season you’ll try a vegetable based entree as .your holiday main dish. I’m sure I’ll use vegetables for a main dish again, including for the holidays. Here’s the recipe for my halved roasted zucchinis with a walnut meat filling and a sweet and savory cheddar cheese sauce.

Halved Roasted Zucchini

• Fresh green zucchini halved lengthwise
• Rub the tops, bottoms and sides of halved zucchinis with olive oil
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders on the open side
• Broil or roast in oven until sides and tops are slightly charred
• Keep zucchinis warm or prepare them after walnut meat and cheese sauce are done

Walnut Meat Filling

• Soak raw walnuts overnight or for at least an hour in hot water
• Chop soaked walnuts into small uneven pieces
• Lightly sautéed in olive oil then add a small amount of water to pan and stir
• Add salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders and mushroom powder
• Add cumin, dried or fresh thyme, sage, rosemary and marjoram (or use powders)
• Add a small amount of agave or another vegan sweetener and stir all ingredients
• Add chopped fresh tomatoes
• Add chopped red or white onions
• Add chopped green scallions
• Add tomato sauce (homemade or 1 can)
• Stir all ingredients and let simmer until sauce thickens

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

• In another pot add 1 cup of plant based milk
• Approximately 2-3 tablespoons of Nutritional yeast
• 2 slices of vegan cheddar cheese (optional)
• Approximately 2 teaspoons of olive or lemon juice
• A sprinkle of salt
• A sprinkle of pepper
• A small amount of turmeric for color
• Approximately 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch for thickening
• Stir all ingredients and let sauce simmer until desired thickness
• Taste before serving to ensure you have desired taste

Once walnut meat filling and your sweet and savory (or sharp) cheddar cheese sauce are done, place halved roasted zucchinis on a serving plate then add walnut meat filling over their tops and drizzle on a generous amount of cheese sauce. If interested, add a bit of chopped green scallions or holiday garnish on top of the sauce and/or around the serving plate. This dish is now ready to be the center holiday main dish on your table.

As mentioned in a previous paragraph, this holiday main dish was quite yummy and amazing, Therefore, my family and I indulged ourselves and had this dish for three consecutive nights. There’s a good possibility you might do the same. Either way, I would love to learn more about other vegetable based main dishes made for any occasion, including the holidays. Perhaps, you’ll try my recipe and something new.

A bountiful Christmas with family and/or friends, sharing time and possibly a delicious meal together and partaking in the spirit and joy of this festive season of giving is truly magnanimous. The gifts and memories of these occasions can be both tangible and intangible, yet indelible and timeless. I’ll continually look forward to the autumn and winter seasons with my family, close friends and others, the seasons of harvest, allowing and rewarding. May you, your family and friends too look forward to and enjoy this special time of year. And make sure to sing and dance and eat a little more yummy foods prepared by a mind, heart and hands that LOVE. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. BIG SMILE.

We have the capacity and potential to always be a blessing in our own lives, in the lives of others and in this magical and magnificent world of ours…

Learn more about Omniversal Life International (OLI) at windinc.org or by selecting the link for Omniversal Life International (OLI) in the main menu…

Images photographed, created and/or designed by Partners In Goodwill: Publications & Media…partnersingoodwill.com …

Learn more about The Gathering of Daughters at windinc.org or by selecting the link for The Gathering of Daughters in the main menu…

Learn more about the Annual International Celebration of Dance at windinc.org or by selecting the link for Annual International Celebration of Dance in the main menu…

biashedo™ ~ My Universe Is Friendly… Inside and Out… And So Is Yours… The Macro… and The Micro… Grace… Love… Prosperity… Always sending forth light and love… :o)

Learn more about biashedo™ at windinc.org… Select the link for the Healthy Lives Campaign in the main menu… I have also written a more detailed blog on biashedo™ posted on January 6, 2016… Check it out too… danarondel.com …

Learn more about Unif(eyed) Colors Campaign at windinc.org … Select the link for Unif(eyed) Colors Campaign in the main menu…

Learn more about Natural Food Art Cafe at windinc.org … Select the link for Natural Food Art Cafe in the main menu…