Different Ideas for Your Christmas Dinner Side Dish Vegetables
I love vegetables! In fact we have at least 2 or even 3 kinds of vegetables with our regular daily dinners, so for that special Christmas dinner when all the family is all there, I really want to have some vegetables side-dished with pizzaz. Since it is the winter months the tradition vegetables served with Christmas dinner are usually root vegetables like carrots and yams which are good vitamin enriched vegetables that we want our families to have and enjoy so usually for a fancier dinner like this we give them so extra tastes and jazz them up a bit. Over the years I have compiled a book with some of my favorite vegetable dishes that has a real variety to it and sometimes are even asked for by members of the family. In fact I have been told that certain family members won't even come unless I make a certain veggie dish. That's the way I like it --make them beg!
Yams and Sweet Potatoes -So what is Christmas dinner with a great Yam dish! This is a family favorite that was given to us by a friend over 10 years ago and I have been making it ever since. I have even had one young man, who shall remain nameless, who didn't eat any vegetables or fruit EVER, ask for a second helping of this great Yam dish.
Click here for Cynthia's Yam Casserole Crunch Recipe
 If you want a dish equally as yummy but with a little less calories and fat then try the Cider Sweet Potatoes (curtisy of Rachel Ray) This recipe is cooked on the stove top until tender and then are either processed with a hand held blender like a Bamix or removed and processed in a Food processor and mixed with a wonderul sauce made with cream and maple syrup and garnish with some pecans or walnuts.
Click her for Cider Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans and Brussel Spourts - For some additional colour to the table a Green Bean recipe or Brussel Sprout dish is always welcomed. We sometimes just cook up either fresh or frozen green beans until just tender (last min.) and then pour 1/4 cup of slivered almonds that have been lightly browned in a 1/4 cup of butter and pour over the drained beans. We have also used this recipe we have for Carmelized Shallots and Bacon over the tendercrisp green beans. For a  wonderful Brussel Sprout dish you can slso carmelize them for a real nutty taste by either sauteing them in a heavy pan on the stove, or in a roasting pan in the oven (375 F.) with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper. On the stove it may take about 5 min. or so until the bottoms of the sprouts show a hint of browning however in the oven it will take 20 to 25 min. (personally I like the oven as the turkey has come out and is resting and it free up the space on the stove top). Cut into or taste one of the spouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not you can cook them for a little longer on the stove with the lid over the pan. Once just tender, uncover and turn up the heat and cooke until the flat sides are deep brown and carmelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some of the browning on the rounded side . Season with more salt and pepper, and a dusting of parmesan cheese (or any other grated cheese you may like) While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth right away. These brussel sprouts prepared this way swayed the opinion of some of my grandchildren that had told me they didn't like brussel sprouts before the dinner and then were asking for seconds latter.
Click here of Carmelized Shallots and Bacon over Green Beans
 Corn- Another of my favorite choices for a Christmas dinner veggie is a canned corn casserole that can be prepared well in advance with the exception of the addition of the egg whites and then again popped in the oven to cook after the turkey comes out to rest, making it piping hot and ready to eat around about the same time the gravy is made and the turkey carved.
Here is a link to the Corn Casserole recipe
Glazed Carrots-- Carrots are also plentify and inexpensive so why not use them as a Christmas dinner side. To lower the calories in this dish to only 39 per serving, we are going to use Xagave as the sweetening agent to glaze the carrots. If you choose fresh young carrots on the smaller side you may need to only scrub them clean to prepare them for cooking. We cook about 2 lb. of carrots in a saucepan with about a cup of water, brought to a boil and covered on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until tender crisp. Drain the water and add 2 Tbsp. of butter and 1/2 cup of Xagave along with 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg and 11/2 tsp. of cinnamon and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 min. I will get them prepared and cooked ahead of time and then get the butter and spices in them just before dinner is served..
Stay tuned as we are going to have some great stuffing recipes in our next post including Gluten-Free stuffings
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If you want a dish equally as yummy but with a little less calories and fat then try the Cider Sweet Potatoes (curtisy of Rachel Ray) This recipe is cooked on the stove top until tender and then are either processed with a hand held blender like 
wonderful Brussel Sprout dish you can slso carmelize them for a real nutty taste by either sauteing them in a heavy pan on the stove, or in a roasting pan in the oven (375 F.) with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper. On the stove it may take about 5 min. or so until the bottoms of the sprouts show a hint of browning however in the oven it will take 20 to 25 min. (personally I like the oven as the turkey has come out and is resting and it free up the space on the stove top). Cut into or taste one of the spouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not you can cook them for a little longer on the stove with the lid over the pan. Once just tender, uncover and turn up the heat and cooke until the flat sides are deep brown and carmelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some of the browning on the rounded side
. Season with more salt and pepper, and a dusting of parmesan cheese (or any other grated cheese you may like) While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth right away. These brussel sprouts prepared this way swayed the opinion of some of my grandchildren that had told me they didn't like brussel sprouts before the dinner and then were asking for seconds latter.
Corn- Another of my favorite choices for a Christmas dinner veggie is a canned corn casserole that can be prepared well in advance with the exception of the addition of the egg whites and then again popped in the oven to cook after the turkey comes out to rest, making it piping hot and ready to eat around about the same time the gravy is made and the turkey carved. 
you may need to only scrub them clean to prepare them for cooking. We cook about 2 lb. of carrots in a saucepan with about a cup of water, brought to a boil and covered on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until tender crisp. Drain the water and add 2 Tbsp. of butter and 1/2 cup of Xagave along with 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg and 11/2 tsp. of cinnamon and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 min. I will get them prepared and cooked ahead of time and then get the butter and spices in them just before dinner is served..
