This time of year, as friends and family gather together to celebrate the season, the wonderful aroma of holiday meals cooking in the kitchen fills the house. This year, instead of scrambling for dinner ideas that will impress your guests, consider a few tried and true recipes that can be used for any holiday meal.
Between running a dental practice in Burlington, Ontario and his responsibilities at home, Dr. Vivek Handa is passionate about cooking and enjoys spending time in the kitchen and trying new cuisines.
Dr. Vivek Handa has some suggestions to complete your menu of holiday recipes to help you get through New Years.
“It’s my favorite time of year to cook and hopefully I can help make your holiday a bit easier, healthier and tastier!”
Roasted Beet Salad
This vegan roasted beet salad with citrus and avocado is the perfect start to any winter meal and it’s quite easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large roasted beet, diced
- 1 clementine, peeled and sectioned
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 8 cups spring greens
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Dried oregano
DIRECTIONS: Add prepared salad ingredients to a large bowl. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, sald and pepper and oregano. Pour over salad and toss generously.
Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna
Dr. Handa says these butternut squash lasagna roll-ups are sure to impress your guests. Here is everything you need to know to make them.
INGREDIENTS
- 12 lasagna noodles
Sauce ingredients
- 1 lb. butternut squash, cubed
- 1/4 cup Garlic
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Ricotta
- 1 cup raw cashews
- Sea salt
- 1 cup water
Filling
- Olive oil
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Spinach
- Fresh garlic
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Basil
- oregano
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss butternut squash with oil, salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or until soft. Heat up olive oil in skillet. Saute mushrooms, onions and garlic until softened. Toss in spinach, basil, oregano and sun dried tomatoes and set aside. In a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients for the ricotta until you achieve a chunky consistency. Mix ricotta with the veggies. Add roasted butternut squash to the blender until you achieve a silky smooth consistency. In the meantime, cook lasagna noodles as per directions.
To make lasagna roll ups: lay a noodle flat and spread 2 spoonfuls of the ricotta/veggie mix. Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with all lasagna noodles. Pour the creamy butternut squash sauce over the roll ups. Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes before removing the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
With the main course in the oven, there’s only one more thing to do: prepare side dishes that pair well with the flavor of the butternut squash. Dr. Vick Handa suggests roasted brussels sprouts or asparagus as a side dish.
The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones, and that’s often done best with a full plate!
