Vegetarian Christmas

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Normally, I'm the lone veggie at Christmas and usually just buy a pie or nut roast or stuff a couple of mushrooms and am as happy as Larry.

This year, there will be 4 veggies and 2 carnivores. However, one of the veggies doesn't eat mushrooms. Nearly every nut roast recipe I can find has mushrooms in, and most of the ready made ones I've seen in previous years have had mushrooms in. Any ideas for not too fussy, non mushroom mains, please?

Also, need one more main meal too. Wondering about some kind of lovely vegan stew with hassle back vegetables. Or maybe a stuffed butternut squash?

I’m in a repeated loop of making Delia’s parsnip roulade every year as everyone likes it.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/vegetarian-recipes/cheese-and-parsnip-roulade-with-sage-and-onion-stuffing%3famp

It’s not difficult but it does have a lot of steps - make stuffing, separate eggs, blend parsnips etc. But it comes together to look special. Definitely don’t try to cook it on the day as I don’t want to be responsible for tears!

How about a chilli with guacamole and salsa etc. Easy and different to the Christmas food?

Welcome to my world. All veggie, but one seriously allergic to nuts, one mushroom hater, only 2 like squash and only 1 likes blue cheese.

Definitely not chilli. I want something wintry and roast-ish.

The roulade sounds too much faff, although probably delicious. I'm a decent cook but don't want too much to do - nut roast or a pie would be best, I think.

Or maybe some sort of Christmas flavoured stuffed vege? I used to do blue cheese and walnut stuffed mushrooms. I wonder if there's something similar but not with mushrooms?

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Or maybe some sort of Christmas flavoured stuffed vege? I used to do blue cheese and walnut stuffed mushrooms. I wonder if there's something similar but not with mushrooms?

Nigella stuffs a squash/pumpkin I think in her Xmas book.

@OnTheHillNotOverIt That roulade looks great! If you make it in advance, how do you heat it up?

I always make this for veggie Christmas and it’s delicious:

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/chestnut-and-cashew-wellington/

This is my Christmas go to :

www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a25933799/vegan-vegetable-pie/

Can swap in veggies as necessary, but the beetroot and squash look the best!

@Justbetweenus there are instructions for reheating from chilled under the freezing instructions
“ Reheat, coverd in foil on a baking tray in a preheated oven at gas 180°C for 20-25 minutes until thoroughly heated through.”

So I make it Christmas Eve, put in fridge and then sling in the oven after the meat is done.

Aubergine based nut roast is really nice. I haven’t made one but been served one. I think my friend said it was a Mary berry recipe.

Some non mushroom things I’ve done:
Onion tarte tatin or beetroot tarte tatin
Toad in the hole (veggie sausage)
Veggie haggis

For your other recipe, the green roasting tin beet Bourgignon is lovely. You can just leave off the mushrooms from the one who doesn’t like it.

You could do spinach and feta parcels, with leeks and garlic in puff pastry?

Sweat the leeks off in butter, add some garlic and then add the baby spinach and cook it down until it all wilts. Grate in some fresh nutmeg, add black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Leave to cool. (You might want to squeeze out some of the moisture also, to make sure the mixture isn't too soggy).

Then put in a large bowl and add crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and an egg to bind the mixture. I also add a bit of grated cheddar.

Then just get the pre-rolled puff pastry, divide into four, pile on the mixture and make into parcels. Brush with egg yolk and cook for about 40 mins in the oven. They can be eaten at room temperature also.

I serve with brocolli and cauliflower cheese bake for proper comfort food.

For your other vegetarian meal I think a pie is always a winner, especially if it contains lots of roasted root vegetables and cheese.

Or a vegetarian stew with dumplings?

Or french onion soup (can do it in the slow cooker if you have one) with cheesy sliced toasted baguette croutons.

Stuffed onions? A bit retro but goes well with the rest of the Christmas sides and not too faffy!

I do brie and cranberry tarts using pre-rolled puff pastry. Really quick and easy.

I've used the nut roast recipe in fast Leon quite a few times. It's really quick to prep, just pop in the oven on Christmas day and no mushrooms! Delias roulade is very tasty but much more effort. Jamie Oliver has a lovely veggie gravy on his website, again can make ahead. I think it's hugh fearnley whittingstall veg every day that has a nice stuffed squash recipe...

Thanks, everyone.

Lots of 'food for thought' here.

I love beetroot, but always think it looks a bit scary mixed with other colours!

I love the sound of a stew and dumplings, but have never found a really good recipe. Too many veggie recipes cheat by making things tomato based, and that is absolutely not a stew imo!

How about home made chestnut and sweet potatoe nut roast? I’m veggie and hate mushrooms and this is one of my Christmas go tos :-)

Marinade a cauliflower and roast it? It’s so nice as a veg side dish with gravy

The Happy Pear wellington looks gorgeous.

Just found this nut roast Abel and Cole which sounds nice too and really easy.

Roast butternut squash with garlic and sage. Allow to cool then spread it in the middle of a ready rolled pastry sheet. Put chestnuts and cranberry sauce on top, then roll up the pastry ( so it's like beef en croute but with veggie filling). Bake in a hot oven till pastry is cooked.

Sub aubergines for mushrooms in nut roast recipes.

Or buy a Linda McCartney roast - easy peasy

Thanks, both.

None of us like aubergines much. Should have said. And none of us like cranberries either. Arghhhh!

This chestnut and butternut squash roast is really good - easy to make it look festive, and goes well with traditional Christmas sides: thinlyspread.co.uk/chestnut-cashew-nut-vegan-christmas-roast/