During the holiday season, you surely attend many celebrations with family and friends. Turkey and pork are usually the main dishes, while vegetables take second or third place. Here are some tips to "survive" Christmas dinner, as well as some tasty ideas to make vegetarian dishes even meat-lovers will want to try.
- If you're a vegetarian,it's important to make sure your diet is well-balanced and that it provides you with all the nutrients your body needs, in the right amounts. In this holiday season, the key is to plan your meals ahead.
- If you're going to a dinner or party where you know there won't be any vegetarian dishes available, don't take this as a reason for not attending. Talk to the host of the party and offer to contribute with a side dish. Prepare some cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese and sweet potato. This will be a great way to include a complete, high-protein dish in your dinner, while you impress your friends with a vegetarian treat.
- If you don't have the chance of taking a vegetarian dish to dinner, don't worry; you'll always find meatless options on the menu. Recipes with pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms are very common during this time of the year.
- A vegetarian Christmas dinner can be both nutritious and tasty. The key lies in variety and in the way foods are combined. Below you'll find an original recipe to cook tofu as a main dish for Christmas dinner.
Stuffed Tofu 
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 onion (medium-size)
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
16 oz tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon mustard
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C).
Heat the sesame oil in a skillet and fry the onion together with the celery and mushrooms, until they become golden brown. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Combine and add the bread crumbs. Stuff the tofu with the mixture and place on a baking tray.
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, and mustard. Use a brush to spread this mixture on the tofu.
Bake for about 1 hour, constantly spreading the tofu with the olive oil mixture.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 372 Kcal
Carbohydrates: 29 grams
Protein: 23 grams
Fat: 20 grams
Sodium: 563 milligrams
Fiber: 5 grams
