Mumsnet Talk

My aunt and uncle say they'll just eat the veg and skip the turkey. I want to make them something nice.

Your input would be much appreciated!!

It varies, but I like to have something that works with veg. Delia does a good roulade, or Rose Elliot's chestnut pie is good.

I tend to just eat veg and trimming. By the time you have roast potatoes (no goose fat though!) roast parsnips, carrots, cauliflower, red cabbage etc and make sure you have vegi stuffing bread sauce etc that usually is enough for me. Alternatively mushroom and nut roast with Madeira/sherry sauce (made up copy of m&s vegi thing from a veg years ago). But seriously ask them, if you're having starter, main course pudding and cheese (made non animal rennet) that may be enough for them.

Think there were some good ideas on last years threads, but I usually leave room for all the other food and lots of champagne water

Meant to say, that works with the veg everyone else is having.

And you're right, just eating the veg while the meat-eaters have their turkey is a bit grim and makes you feel left out (not that I've ever had to do this).

This year we're having something from cook www.cookfood.net

The Food for Friends cookbook has a section on special occasions.

Has to be my mum's lovely nut roast, so that you can have all the trimmings just as you would if you were eating turkey.

I'm quite happy to have all the vege and timmings without the turkey. But otherwise, stuffed butternut squash or a big stuffed mushroom will do me nicely. along with all the vege and trimmings.

Bought nut roast from m and s or veggie sausage plus veggie gravy and all the trimmings. I am not bothered tbh.

Not really qualified to answer as I am a pestetarian as in, other people label me a veggie because I don't eat animal flesh. So will happily munch gravy and goose-fat potatoes and usually make something extra such as creamed nutmeg parsnip mash which is very fattening filling.

This year I will be having this nut roast which looks bloody gorgeous.

Nut Roast is my favourite. Homemade if I can be arsed, M&S if not.

Anything that is compatible with the rest of the festive meal is generally OK. We want to feel part of the meal, not ostracised .
What I hate, when you eat out at Xmas, is something totally unfestive and that doesn't 'go' with 'all the trimmings'. Sweet & Sour Veg being my most loathed.

Make sure your roasties are veggy, ditto, mince pies, puddings, cheese etc.

It's lovely you're thinking about doing them something nice.

I used to know someone who made a fab veggie pancake galette as her main course veggie dish at christmas (and on other special occasions) but as all her family were veggie it didn't have to go with the traditional trimmings, she did what went with it.

It also used to work really well as a buffet dish - you cut slices from it like a big round savoury cake. And she was good at cooking and presentation so it looked beautiful too - sitting on a cake stand in the savoury section, a bit unexpected and different (which has reminded me - need to dig out the recipe as it will be ideal for boxing day!)

My sister and her children are veggie and have a quorn chicken thing. It looks like sliced turkey but clearly isn't.

Our Christmas table consists of 3 vegetarians and 8 meat eaters, so we have a turkey crown and all the usual vegetables. There are 2 gravies, one vege and one made from the turkey juices. We have two stuffings, one vege and one made with the meat gravy.

The rose Elliot chestnut thing sounds nice, might have to try that

DS wants Quorn sausages as they're his favourite

I make mushrooms with green peppercorn sauce and puff pastry lid. It goes down really well with everyone.

Let's be honest - nobody fights over the nut roast. Roast potatoes and lots of them. Crispy, slightly oily with fluffy middles <schlurp>. I don't know why I bother with the other veg <guilt?>

I'll be having a roast with out the meaty bits. I use bullion for gravy.

A have tofurkey. I like it a lot. And all the trimmings.

I can't say I've ever had a Christmas dinner I've liked tbh.

My 'main course of choice' would probably be something completely different from the traditional roast, but of course I would never expect the cook to go to the trouble of making a separate meal. I'd be quite happy to just eat the veg, in fact I'd sooner do that than have them go to the effort of making a nut roast or something I wouldn't even like.

There's usually so much food on Christmas day anyway!

I do a vegetarian stuffing with cranberries and chestnuts for FIL. He always says he'll just have the veg and not to go to any trouble but I can't have someone not having something special at Christmas but have to do something that can be reheated in the microwave as I have a tiny oven.
He does say he doesn't mind eating potatoes that have been done in goose fat and non-vegetarian gravy so I don't do separate potatoes and gravy.
He would definitely say if he minded.

Cranks nut roast is cheap easy to make and my carnivore friends love it just google it and you get the recipe

Lots of vegetarians in my family, and our standard Christmas lunch is Delia's parsnip roulade with all the usual sides. Once or twice we have branched out into a mushroom-and-nuts-in-puff-pastry thing - mushroom Wellington? Both work well. I'd be happy with a good nut roast or vegetable terrine too.

Another vote here for nut roast. I've already ordered the M&S one this year.
I'll have separate gravy and Brussels without pancetta, and all the other veg.

Crank's Bible Mushroom Wellington - can be made in advance and frozen or Simon Rimmer's Mushroom & Hazelnut Parcels. Both contain booze and you can add cranberries to the parcels. They go well with all the other food you will be making and both are yummy! (I always make extra as carnivorous BiL always wants some too!)

Thanks everyone! The mushroom Wellington sounds lovely, I think I'll give that a try.

another vote for cranks mushroom Wellington here. It is delicious and I always make it way ahead of time and freeze it,so its really on hassle