Need a veggie side dish for Christmas!!

[MudPies]

my sis is vegetarian and we are having christmas dinner at MIL who will season all veggie sides in the southern way (with meat ) so I wanted to bring a dish my sis will love. So hit me with a veggie (preferably green veggie- green beans, asparagus, or even carrots etc) that will wow her and everyone! green leafy and potatoes are being brought by someone else. She is not vegan- so cheese is ok!! thanks!!!!!

[DoulaClara]

Roasted fennel is so yummy, and goes with a lot of holiday foods! Cut off the feathery fronds of the fennel, quarter it lengthwise, toss with olive oil and sea salt and roast at 425 until edges are browned and fennel is softened.

Spinach gratin (Ina Garten's recipe) is also yummy, and rich!

[Garland]

A few ideas:

-Stuffing with dried cornbread, celery, apples, dried cranberries, onions, herbs/seasonings. You can cook it on the stovetop with butter and/or olive oil, then put a lid on with some water or broth to cook until soft.

-Peas with melted butter, honey, and chopped pecans.

-Sweet potatoes & yams with butter, maple syrup, and chopped pecans (and marshmallows melted on top if you'd like)

[jenny_islander]

I served this as a main dish with rice and saw my carnivore husband gobble up a meatless meal for the first time ever. If you make a smaller batch without the rice, it should be a tasty side dish, and very substantial. The cookbook I got this from called it "Black-Eyed Peas Delicious."

Pick over, wash, and soak:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

Drain, put into kettle, and cover with fresh water. Add:

1 T salt
1 clove garlic, halved

Cook 3 hours or until tender, adding water as needed. Set aside and keep warm. Heat in skillet:

1/2 cup oil, preferably olive oil (don't skimp!)

Saute until vegetables are soft and bay leaves are fragrant:

3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sweet peppers, chopped
3 medium onions, preferably yellow, chopped
1/2 t ground sage
2 bay leaves

Pick out the bay leaves. Pour vegetable mixture into cooked peas; season with:

3 T cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Stir gently together and serve. This dish reheats very well, so you could make it a day or two ahead of time and reheat in a slow cooker.