Vegetarians invited themselves for Christmas- got beef ordered!

[EdenFlower]

So, my vegetarian relatives and asked if they can join us for Christmas? I have it planned- joint of beef on order, I've perfected my roast potatoes and like them cooked in beef dripping, likewise the yorkshire pudding, my sprout recipe is cooked with pancetta, starter is parma ham and figs...and so on! Grrr! Now everything will need to adapted to be veggie because I'm not doing two versions of everything. It was already adapted to be gluten free for MIL but now two more special diet guests is a push.

Would it be rude to ask them to bring their own veggie options with them- nut roast and vegetarian gravy or whatever it is they eat?

Clinging to those traditions?

Well yes, what with it being Christmas and everything, that's kind of the point.

You sound quite anti-veggie - “whatever it is they eat” and so on. I’d probably tell them you don’t want them there, you can’t be arsed to cook something for them and they can probably find somewhere nicer for Christmas.

Not with my Christmas lunch thanks. Bit weird.

LOL, how very 1995.

With a roast dinner? Urgh. Weird.

So anything you don't like is 'weird'?

Why weird?

Broccoli in soy sauce is something most people would associate with Asian food, rice or noodles, not a British style roast dinner with potatoes and gravy.

Almost raw, rock hard sprouts and broccoli is awful and not good cooking. If you want raw vegetables eat a salad or crudites. They don't need to be boiled to a pulp but neither should 'al dente' mean they shoot across the room when you try to spear them with a fork.

@youjustfolditin you are being aggressive and arrogant, and Im not sure I understand your point. (Apart from how wonderful yo7 are)

This is a thread about cooking a christmas dinner for vegetarians, its not a cook off between michelin star chefs. Theres no need to mock someone elses food tastes in the way you have, and whilst meat juices can be tasty, equally so can vegetarian side dishes. And if youve got vegetarians coming for dinner how much your prefer every single thing cooked in meat juices is a moot point.

So anything you don't like is 'weird'?

No. But we are talking Christmas dinner here, so yes it's weird.

Someones a bit salty

Almost raw, rock hard sprouts and broccoli is awful and not good cooking. If you want raw vegetables eat a salad or crudites. They don't need to be boiled to a pulp but neither should 'al dente' mean they shoot across the room when you try to spear them with a fork.

Maybe that's how PP likes to eat them.

PurpleDaisies

My question was would it be rude to ask them to bring their own (which would undoubtedly be home-cooked) with them.

“Yes. It would be.“

No ruder than inviting themselves to someone else’s home for Christmas.

@YouJustFoldItIn

So anything you don't like is 'weird'?

No. But we are talking Christmas dinner here, so yes it's weird.

Maybe that's what they like and is traditional for them?

@MrsSkylerWhite

PurpleDaisies

My question was would it be rude to ask them to bring their own (which would undoubtedly be home-cooked) with them.

“Yes. It would be.“

No ruder than inviting themselves to someone else’s home for Christmas.

I feel like I need to point out that I said exactly that in my next post having pressed post too soon.

@youjustfolditin you are being aggressive and arrogant, and Im not sure I understand your point. (Apart from how wonderful yo7 are) Theres no need to mock someone elses food tastes in the way you have

Perhaps have a little look at all Pumpers comments on this thread to see what brought us here. I am just responding in kind.

and whilst meat juices can be tasty, equally so can vegetarian side dishes.

I agree. I never tried to say otherwise. I was responding to another poster who said there was no need to cook separate food for the vegetarian because a roast dinner always came with loads of sides that were vegetarian anyway. I merely pointed out that they may not be vegetarian just because there was no obvious meat in them, as many stuffings, gravies and roast potatoes etc have the meat juices/stock/meat fat added in some way so it wasn't a given that they's be suitable. That's all.

That's when Pumper decided to get on her high horse and said the following:

Why so much meat?

(there wasn't 'so much meat' just a regular amount of meat for Christmas dinner.)

You said only three things in your Christmas dinner don’t have meat in them! That doesn’t sound like a decent roast, or a discerning cook.

Maybe one of your resolutions should be to experiment more with different flavours?

Most chefs are not cooking a roast dinner like they’re serving Henry VIII. Most chefs are not sticking religiously to one flavour because of some weird tradition. I think you’ve misunderstood what it means to be a decent cook.

See, it’s this: the flavour of meat. The endless meat flavour in your food, it’s bizarre

(This is Chrismas bloody dinner we are talking about, remember, and I'm getting slated for basting the roast potatoes in the turkey juices?!)

Then we had:

I'm not a vegetarian. I'm just someone who knows how to cook. (the implication being that I do not.)

That sounds really bland. (referring to the OP's use of beef dripping.)

You don’t need meat residue in every side dish.

I’m not eating your Christmas meal, I’m delighted to say

And you wonder why I decided to have a pop at her rock hard fricking broccoli in soy sauce on a roast dinner?

I don't give a shit what she wants to eat or how hard she likes her sprouts, but why does she get to rip someone else's perfectly normal Christmas dinner to shreds in a way that just comes across as goady and sneery, and yet I am the arrogant aggressive one?

I’m a veggie and I hate eating at anyone else’s house because I don’t trust it won’t be contaminated by meat (ham and cheese sandwiches served on the same plate, veggie bbq option cooked in amongst all the meat on the bbq etc, gives me shivers just thinking about it. It’s always somewhere where it would be really awkward for me to say sorry can you cook that separately please? 🙈 I think people who eat meat sometimes just think oh well that’s not meat, you can have that but completely forget about the fact it’s touching and splattered in meat. Anyway, I’d always take something or offer to take something because I know how much of an inconvenience it is when a vegetarian comes for dinner, especially me. I’d be delighted with a pre prepared M&S meal!

I personally don't think it's rude asking them to bring their own veggie option but I do think it's rude inviting yourselves over for lunch. So even if they do think it is a rude gesture, they were rude first!

Exactly @Wheelz46. No need to worry about being rude over the main, when they're already up 1-0 in the rude stakes.

Adapting the sides is easy. Just use rapeseed or another oil for the roast potatoes, do the sprouts with chestnuts and add bacon separately if you want to still have this.

Definitely ask them for suggestions for a main, or even for them to bring it. Different people like different things, I don't really want something pastry based with a roast, others don't like meat substitutes like quorn etc.

Although the M&S vegan nut roast is very nice and doesn't look/taste 'processed'. It's a range of nuts, beans, dried fruit and squash and comes with a small amount of vegan gravy, although I'd probably buy a larger pack of gravy, most supermarkets will probably do a good ready made vegetarian gravy if you can't bring yourself to use Bisto - your tastes must be superior to mine because I think Bisto Best is fine.

The reviews are mixed but you could ask them if this will suit, it's a perfect size for 2

Almost raw, rock hard sprouts and broccoli is awful and not good cooking. If you want raw vegetables eat a salad or crudites. They don't need to be boiled to a pulp but neither should 'al dente' mean they shoot across the room when you try to spear them with a fork.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean other people don't. I like broccoli only just cooked, the same with other veg. That doesn't make me wrong, it's called different tastes.

@Malibuismysecrethome

Bofski14 I laughed at your guest who scoffed the lot despite being vegan for 5 years. I had the same experience with a dedicated vegan who came round to mine and eat 2 roast chickens that were cooling on the side. They then proceeded to work their way through the fridge, studiously ignoring anything remotely vegetarian or vegan. I have a large fridge.

Another made up story.

@Ionlydomassiveones

Are we still banging on about nut roasts for vegetarians? Ugh. News flash - vegetarianism has moved on since the 1970s. Just because supermarkets sell them doesn’t mean vegetarians actually want or like them.

No need to be so rude and dismissive. The point is that traditional Christmas dinner is a roast of some kind with accompaniments, so that’s why people are looking for a vegetarian centrepiece. If I was cooking for vegetarians or vegans for any other meal the last thing I’d cook is a roast but on Christmas Day there’s no way I’m cooking a completely separate meal. Some nut and vegetable ‘roasts’ are delicious anyway, and far more appetising than the utter processed crap that some vegetarians and vegans eat.

Are we still banging on about nut roasts for vegetarians? Ugh. News flash - vegetarianism has moved on since the 1970s. Just because supermarkets sell them doesn’t mean vegetarians actually want or like them.

Quite a few posts from people saying they like them so not that correct.

Also instead of having a snark suggest other options?

I guarantee my homemade nut roast with Stilton will be hoovered up by the meat eaters, it's like a fancy stuffing after all.

I quite like a nut roast 😂 Back to the 1970s with me!

I’ve got not roast sandwiches for lunch because of this thread!

That sounds amazing, I’d never have thought of that.

The point is that traditional Christmas dinner is a roast of some kind with accompaniments, so that’s why people are looking for a vegetarian centrepiece

Exactly. You need something that goes with roast potatoes, stuffing and vegetables. Sausages seem a bit 'everyday', anything pastry based is probably too rich/heavy to go with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, stuffing and possibly Yorkshire pudding, lots of people don't like quorn, so a nut roast is probably the most appropriate choice.

But then again, many people might be happy with the lack of a centrepiece. If you have roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, parsnips, sprouts, carrots and stuffing, it's not like anyone's going hungry, especially if there's a starter and dessert too.

But you need to ask, because everyone's individual and what one person loves, another will hate.

I'm vegetarian. I'd probably prefer to bring my own dish.
Alternatively, Lidl have sone great vegetarian Christmas meals in, including nut roast, which I also love after 35 years of not eating meat.