Pumpkin Cordon Bleu – a special holiday meal

This was a delicious meal we enjoyed. It will be our holiday meal this year. It is a bit tricky to make but well worth the effort. It is the breading that is a bit tricky, but if you take your time, it can be done without problems.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash with a wide neck
• 1 package vegan cheese (best of it “melts”) 4-8 slices
• 1 package vegan smoky cold cut (8 round slices)
• 1 cup homemade vegan creamy uncheese sauce

for the creamy uncheese sauce:

• 1 cup soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon miso
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash nutmeg

for the breading:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons flour mixed with water as a paste
• 1-2 cup panco breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

for the light lemon caper sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1 organic lemon, thinly slices
• 1-2 tablespoons capers

Directions:

1. Choose a big butternut squash that has a large “neck” that will make nice size individual rounds.
2. Slice the top stem part of the butternut off.
3. Slice individual rounds that are about 1/2 inch thick. I got 8 nice slices form the 1 butternut. That would be 2 cordon bleu per person.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outside skin to the butternut off of each round.
5. Place the rounds in a steamer and steam until al dente (about 5-8 minutes).
6. Make the homemade creamy uncheese sauce by mixing those ingredients together.
7. Prepare the breading mixtures. You will need 3 shallow bowls.
8. Place the dry flour in 1 bowl.
9. Mix flour and water to form a paste in the 2nd bowl.
10. In the 3rd bowl, place the panco breadcrumbs.
11. When the butternut squash rounds are al dente, carefully remove and place on a cutting board or plate.
12. Spread a small abount of the homemade cheese sauce on top of the round.
13. Place a layer of the vegan cheese on top.
14. Spread another thin layer of homemade uncheese sauce on top of the cheese, and top with the vegan cold cut.
15. To bread the stacks: Carefully pick up a stack (the pumpkin round with the cheeses and cold cut, and place the bottom on the dry flour.
16. Next pick up the stack and place on the wet flour paste.
17. And at last place the wet side down on the panco breadcrumbs.
18. Lay the stack back on the plate and continue breading all the bottom sides of the stacks.
19. While you are breading the stacks, each bottom side is becoming slightly solidified.
20. Next, carefully pick up the stack and do the same process with the vegan cold cut side of the stack.
21. Continue to do this for each of the 8 stacks.
22. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
23. When the oil is hot, place the stacks in the oil to lightly fry until golden brown.
24. Fry on both sides.
25. If it will be a while before you serve, keep the stacks warm in a oven on low heat.
26. To make the sauce: Heat the olive oil and vegan margarine until the margarine is melted.
27. Add the lemon slices and capers.
28. To serve: We served the pumpkin cordon bleu on a bed of green beans, with a lemon slice and some capers dressing each cordon bleu.
29. We enjoyed a multi-grain rice mixture as a side dish.