My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas

3 vegetarians, 1 vegan, 3 keeping kosher, 4 omnivores and a baby for Xmas dinner

52 replies

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 14:26

I work full time approx 60 hrs per week in the office at moment, have never done a Christmas dinner before, am working up to Xmas eve inclusive with loads still to do at work this year, have no supermarket slot booked, haven't given it one seconds thought or planning. I'm screwed aren't I?

OP posts:
Thattimeofyearagain · 28/11/2015 14:35

No, not screwed, got nearly 4 weeks. 1st step is book your slot. Then contact vegan & veggies and ask what theywouls like.

zzzzz · 28/11/2015 14:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ClashCityRocker · 28/11/2015 14:43

I think a traditional christmas dinner is quite easy to adapt for vegetarians - it's a meal that has lots of veg already so the only thing you have to replace is the meat and gravy. Could you ask them to source a vegan friendly nut-roast?

What meat were you planning? I'm a bit ignorant about kosher food - does it have to be sourced from a specific supplier? If so I would be asking the kosher guests to source.

Other than that, it is just a roast with a few extra bits.

Pipbin · 28/11/2015 14:57

Fuck it all and go out.

In all seriousness though, it should be fairly easy to cater for the vegetarians and vegan. I speak as a vegetarian here, all the veg are vegi providing you don't roast in goose fat. Red Bisto is vegan. I would be very happy with a nut roast. Fry's is vegan and kosher

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 14:58

I'm one of the three veggies; the other two are my DC and the vegan is my oldest DS. The kosher is not massively strict but doesn't mix meat and dairy so I think they generally have salmon at this sort of thing. I've been veggie for thirty years so I've never cooked meat. DH has odd things in house but generally very easy to cook stuff e.g. Bacon.

I can't see how I can avoid doing meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan. I've told vegan DS to think of a vegan thing, but he's not very forthcoming. I generally cook vegan for me, DS2 and him when he is home from uni, but the other veggie my DD is so fussy she will object to anything involving pulses, nuts, chestnuts, cranberries I.e. Anything remotely festive.

I've got two kitchens but at opposite ends of a biggish house. I don't have a dining room, just a very big kitchen extension thing which houses dining table and two sofas too so the mess of prepping four main courses is going to be on show. It just feels so overwhelming I don't know where to start!

OP posts:
Pipbin · 28/11/2015 15:01

Can the omnivores either eat vegi for the day or bring the meat. Like you, I have no idea how to cook meat as I've never done it.
Can a meat eater advise on one of these 'buy it all pre done shove in the oven jobs'?

tabulahrasa · 28/11/2015 15:01

Do all the veggies for everyone...whatever you'd have that's vegan for you, DC and kosher keeping person and a turkey crown for the others?

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:02

Currently can't get an ocado slot later than 19th. That's too early isn't it?

OP posts:
Pipbin · 28/11/2015 15:05

It might be OK. Any salad might not last, but the veg should do. No idea on the dates for meat.

canyou · 28/11/2015 15:06

Have you freezer space, If so a vat of home mafe veg soup no dairy frozen now would make a good starter. Buy prepared veg that will suit every one. Roast potato and the salmon in puff pastry in aldi and lidl is fab, They also do very nice stuffed mushrooms for mains. I do veggie plum pudding it is nice. Wine is a pain in our house so if you know any vegan suitable wines it would really help meGrin
Baby has whatever he can reachWink

Shallishanti · 28/11/2015 15:07

just do vegan- will also be kosher
if meat eaters desperate for meat,ask them to bring something self contained in it's own dish (not pork obvs) the kosher eaters can share that or vegan as they choose

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:09

Oh gosh, but even if it lasts I need to have room in fridge for three teens on uni/school holiday to eat all week so I can't fill fridge with Xmas day stuff 6 days in advance. I generally finish work around midday on Xmas eve and DH is saying just take pot luck on what waitrose have left that afternoon, but two years ago I got stuck in office til nearly 5pm due to some senior stakeholder kicking off about something.

OP posts:
Allalonenow · 28/11/2015 15:09

You do have time to book a supermarket delivery slot, just pop a couple of items in your basket to make up to the minimum spend, then add what you have decided on later.

I wouldn't do a traditional Christmas dinner, especially as you have never cooked one before. I'd also get a lot of pre prepared items to cut down on your prep time as much as possible.

I'd do a large vegetable stew with tinned lentils and haricot beans, using packs of prepared root vegetables, a large dish of Boulangere potatoes using vegetable stock such as Marigold, a large beef casserole.
Your guests can then select what they want to eat from the dishes, with something for everybody, with the vegetable stew being a side dish for the meat eaters.

For pudding I'd make a winter friut salad, poached but served cold, dried fruit like apricots and figs, fresh apples oranges and pears, and some Christmassy spices. If you felt you needed a starter, avocado vinaigrette would suit everyone.

The pudding can be done a couple of days beforehand, timing isn't critiacal for any of the dishes, so no worries there.

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:14

Unfortunately I can't ask the meat eaters to help. The reason I am doing this is its too much for my mum to do any more so would defeat the object! Can I order all but vegan from marks and spencer or is it too late? I love the Aldi/lidl suggestions but I am so not time rich and not sure if I could cope with traipsing in for stuff they might not have.

I hate threads where someone rejects every suggestion, but I think I am just paralysed by how overwhelming it feels.

OP posts:
Allalonenow · 28/11/2015 15:16

Oh have just seen the no pulses thing, in that case make seperate root veg stew and bean / pulse stew.

I think you would still get a Sainsbury's slot nearer Christmas.

tabulahrasa · 28/11/2015 15:19

"I think I am just paralysed by how overwhelming it feels"

In the nicest possible way, you're over complicating it. Smile

Roast potatoes, boil some veg...in the oven a nut roast (or whatever you fancy, you must know what vegan thing you'd have if that's how you usually cook) and literally you stick a turkey crown in for the time written on the packaging.

Gravy.

That's it, that's Christmas dinner.

Pipbin · 28/11/2015 15:19

The problem with Ocado is that their delivery slots went live in October so you might not get anything.
How about Waitrose?

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:25

Waitrose don't deliver here, but there is one near my office so I can go in person. I'm also near a large M&S so could collect stuff on Xmas eve if they will still take an order.

OP posts:
WhatAPigsEar · 28/11/2015 15:27

Can you do a click and collect type order nearer Xmas?
Turkey is dead easy if you buy pre prepped & will come with instructions (Bung in oven for X hours, turn & cook for further X hours).
Where does your dd get her protein if she doesn't like pulses/nuts?
Could you do a qorn roast?

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:35

DD has an appalling diet. A lot of her protein is from dairy. She likes quorn and other meat substitutes, but I try not to let her eat too much as it's processed. Never tried a quorn roast but I suppose I could do a trial run - not vegan though. She will also eat tofu, but it's not very Christmassy!

If I do turkey, salmon and possibly a vegetarian thing from marks or quorn roast if DD wants any of them I could just make a vegan thing and do normal roast dinner veg.

Maybe just do nibbles and vegan soup. I might have to buy puddings too, except for one dairy free one that will cover off vegan and kosher if any of them eat the meat.

OP posts:
AGBforever · 28/11/2015 15:36

Get a vegan Nut Roast from Waitrose/Co-op/Tesco - Artisan Grains do a lovely cashew one, plus Linda McCartney frozen sausages with rosemary are also vegan, plenty of roast potatoes & veg and everyone's happy. Add a turkey crown for the meat eaters if you must!

Pipbin · 28/11/2015 15:37

There is vegan quorn now too.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:39

I can still get lunchtime Xmas eve slot at marks, phew. So if work goes wrong I'll have to nip out and pick up and back to office. I can put my car outside on street parking and stuff should stay cool enough. I've got an ocado slot for 19th booked now so at least I can stock the house for the run up as well and order all the basics too.

Perhaps I was panicking too much then!

OP posts:
mysteryfairy · 28/11/2015 15:40

I've bought the vegan quorn but it's not the full range is it? I've only seen quorn pieces.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 28/11/2015 15:44

I wouldn't do a quorn roast btw, they're so not worth the cooking time.

If she'll eat quorn, either buy the chicken or turkey style chilled slices and microwave for a few seconds to make them not cold or use sausages...they taste better than the roast.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.