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Christmas dinner for vegetarian - no nuts or mushrooms!!

88 replies

hopelessbusiness · 15/12/2020 20:53

Just that really. I'm trying to find a nice recipe/ready made thing that is special enough for Christmas dinner but has no nuts or mushrooms!! Does such a thing exist?

OP posts:
orangenasturtium · 17/12/2020 19:46

I'm never sure why people are bemused by cooking a veggie meal, surely you don't eat meat for every meal, every day?🤷 Although if I'm eating at other people's houses I am happy just to eat the side dishes as I don't want to be a pain.

I think Christmas dinner is trickier than just making a veggie meal. It needs to be something that complements the side dishes that go with the turkey and is a bit special.

eggandonion · 17/12/2020 19:58

Trying to do something festive alongside trying to fit everything else in the oven is a challenge. I dislike anything meaty, I stopped eating meat as a child and don't like the texture or meat flavours.
My dd2 is threatening to make a nut roast, I will happily eat it if she makes it.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 18/12/2020 08:28

If I had to cater for a vegetarian for Christmas lunch, I'd consult them to find out what they would prefer, but without a firm steer, I'd go for making all the vegetable dishes vegetarian (not a problem here, as I don't roast my potatoes in goosefat or add bacon to the sprouts).

Main dish - it would have to be something that goes with gravy, stuffing*, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, roast parsnips, roast potatoes, as that's what the rest of us are having.

One obvious way is a fake meat approach - Quorn roast, the Linda McCartney fake beef someone mentioned. I could do some vegetarian sausages to be the equivalent of the cocktail sausages I do with the turkey. Not everybody likes or approves of fake meat, though.

The other way, without involving nuts or mushrooms, would have to be either a fancy vegetable dish (squash-based, maybe, and definitely not strongly spiced or involving tomatoes, which I think would clash horribly with the traditional Christmas vegetables and gravy) or a loaf/roast type thing (or a casserole) based on lentils or other pulses. I like the idea of adding in things I don't normally do for us - Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese - if the main event is a fancy veg dish, as that ups the protein content.

I love pastry but on top of all the other rich food is it perhaps a bit much?

I'm in the fortunate position, though, of having two ovens, a 6-burner hob and a microwave, which is a big help! With less oven/hob space, not all of this would be practical. It would need a lot of planning to get everything done and kept hot to be served together.

*No way would I forego my lovely turkey gravy for an instant Bisto version, but I'd happily make a vegetarian gravy separately.

**It wouldn't be a big deal to make up some stuffing that doesn't contain any suet, sausagemeat etc.

Good luck!

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Sexnotgender · 18/12/2020 08:30

I’m vegetarian and family not. I’m just making extra sides and having that. So cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and various vegetables. Then extra pudding obviously 😂

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 18/12/2020 08:32

What about a spanikopita (sp)?

ThomasWeek · 18/12/2020 08:39

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shufflestep · 18/12/2020 08:54

The easiest and nicest I've found is a ready rolled sheet of puff pastry, edges pulled up. Then too with a good cranberry sauce (home made if possible) and thinly sliced English brie. Tastes so Christmassy that we eat it every year, whether vegetarians are present or not! Also good eaten cold....

ThatIsNotMyUsername · 18/12/2020 09:13

Yes I do that too - thin layer of red pesto and onions /olives is nice too. But then I’m a pastry monster!

Ginfordinner · 18/12/2020 09:28

[quote ThomasWeek]Hello!
I`m a vegetarian and Christmas dinner at my home vegetarian too. I searching some recipes in books and others in Internet. I recommend to you look in this book "Plenty" by author Yotam Ottolenghi. It contains a lot of great vegetarian dishes. And this is one of my favorite recipes of pumpkin bread recipes.cafe/en/Vegan-Pumpkin-Bread-Recipe-for-Halloween-and-Other-Holidays[/quote]
His recipes are lovely aren't they. We did Yotam Ottolenghi Christmas dinner one year. It was tasty and looked so pretty and colourful.

Babdoc · 18/12/2020 09:41

Another vote for Delia’s parsnip, sage and cheese roulade. Make it now and freeze it so you have no extra work on Xmas Day - just defrost the night before then warm up in the microwave.
The recipe is on Delia online. It’s dead easy and utterly scrumptious.
Even my non veggie guests guzzled up the leftovers on Boxing Day, as veggie DD couldn’t eat the whole large roulade by herself.

TheChosenTwo · 18/12/2020 09:44

@Frostythesnowwoman I was also going to
Suggest aubergine parmigiana - I’m making it tonight for my dd who won’t eat steak with us!
Dd is not veggie but dislikes a lot of meats so we have a list of alternatives now in rotation. Others being spiced, roasted cauliflower and other veggies, a cheese stuffed portobello mushroom, ratatouille stuffed into a courgette, peppers filled with couscous and other random stuff... it’s all quite cobbled together Grin

PhantomErik · 18/12/2020 11:09

Individual toad in the hole made with meat free Richmond sausages goes down really well :)

Cook the sausages first & then drop them in after pouring the batter in.

Ginfordinner · 18/12/2020 11:10

@Babdoc

Another vote for Delia’s parsnip, sage and cheese roulade. Make it now and freeze it so you have no extra work on Xmas Day - just defrost the night before then warm up in the microwave. The recipe is on Delia online. It’s dead easy and utterly scrumptious. Even my non veggie guests guzzled up the leftovers on Boxing Day, as veggie DD couldn’t eat the whole large roulade by herself.
I wonder if I could substitute carrots for parsnips. I eat most things, but I really detest parsnips.
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