Vegan suggestions for Xmas dinner, to go with traditional trimmings?

[VenetiaLanyon]

Said vegan is also not eating any processed carbs, sugar and peas, although is eating brown carbs (wholemeal rice, pasta) in moderation. But it means that my usual pastry options are out of the window.

Does anyone have any cunning ideas? And any lovely vegan canape ideas also v welcome.

Thanks

Roasted veg on crostinis as canapes?
Maybe a layered aubergine dish for dinner? Use some pesto, or hot salsa, or something for mixing with layers of maybe mushrooms, or peas and lentils?
Throw a few mild tasty chillis in with some brown rice to serve with it?
If they will eat CousCous, that can be quite nice with some diced plum tomatoes and a few chopped chives and a drizzle of lemon juice threw it?

I really hope you get lots of interesting ideas in the responses.
Good luck!

Sorry, just read the title of the thread again, and noticed the '..to go with traditional trimmings' bit.
Ratatouille on crusty bread things can be nice canapes too.

Thanks v much, Lovehandles. Like the roast veg canapes idea; will have to be brown bread crostinis; can you get these?

I make a fab. chestnut vegan 'stuffing' Of course cooked separately from the meats. ; Oil a pretty oven/microwavable deepish dish then gently fry small chopped garlic,onion,celery,carrot,etc. add a tin of unsweeteened chestnut puree (do your own if you've the time). Mix all together with rye breadcrumbs and also sprinkle them on the top with olive oil.

This can be made in advance and frozen (I also make and freeze onion gravy) then heated up in the microwave on Xmas day.

Oh I forgot I don't add salt just put in Tamari (wheat free soya sauce) it's good for colour as well in the gravy too!!

How about a "mushroom wellington"? A large flat mushroom (fried a bit beforehand), topped with wilted garlicky spinach, and wrapped in vegan pastry.

BTW, pesto usually isn't vegan as it has parmesan in it. In fact it's not usually even vegetarian, as real parmesan is made with animal rennet.

Thanks ppeatfruit. Stuffing sounds fab, although think she's eschewing soya, so Tamari will have to go.

I like the Wellington idea, Spawnchorus, but will need to find a supplier of wholemeal vegan puff pastry; any ideas?

Something stuffed - aubergine (halved lengthwise), tomato, or pepper. Fill with e.g. couscous/brown rice/bulgar wheat and herbs, other veg, etc.

delia has a good recipe for a canape base where you simply roll out bread as thin as possible and then cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter, brush with oil and garlic and then bake in the oven for 15 mins. Can keep for 2 weeks and then you get put what ever you want in them

You could make some flakey pastry with e.g. Trex. It's surprisingly easy, and (I think) can be made ahead and frozen :)

I am having nut roast for christmas dinner [made without egg so suitable for vegans, though I'm not one]. I'm not sure if that would fit in with friends other 'requirements' though.
For the nibbles how about homemade houmous, guacamole, olives , etc.

for vegan canapes, beetroot and walnut hummus is a favourite standby. Cambodian wedding day dip also looks amazing but haven't tried making it yet.
Both recipes in River cottage Veg.

For main course, how about falafel? You could cheat and buy ready made, or get a packet mix ...

Will investigate the own pastry option, Spawnchorus, although feel that I'll probably have enough to do on the day.
Fatlazymummy, nut roast is a good idea, although guess I'll have to make my own, to avoid the whole sugar / processed stuff bit.
GeorgeEliot, beetroot and walnut houmous sounds fabulous- will google instantly
Witch, very good idea re bread canapes, and thanks for your suggestion too, StopRaining

Veggie haggis? There's a lovely recipe on the Vegetarian society website. It's incredibly tasty and not actually that "haggisy". You'll need to leave out the soy sauce though (only a tablespoonful, could prob. substitute with Marmite for flavour).

Yes i second witch's Delia's canape recipe I made them last year with spelt bread and we found them in the freezer after christmas and they were YUM with a nice dip. Beetroot and walnut sounds nice george.

Gosh this is one of the hardest questions I've ever seen on here!

All I can think of is a long sweet red pepper, cut in half and cleaned out then filled with cherry tomatoes, finely chopped red onion, basil, a bit of red chilli and a bit of olive oil and roasted.

Or brown rice cooked with onion, garlic etc. Meanwhile finely slice mushrooms, maybe peppers, courgettes etc and fry with some paprka, chilli flakes perhaps. Then mix them into the rice and use a ring mould to serve it so that it looks nice and neat perhaps.

I would do a chestnut-based nut roast which doubles as a stuffing. That will go with roasties, red cabbage (make with sweet apples and sultanas so you don't have to add sugar), all your veg etc. Then make a vegan gravy.

You don't want to be coping with a whole extra meal with brown rice etc - potatoes aren't processed carbs!

Canapes - I'd go with a anti-pasti feel - artichoke hearts / olives / marinated mushrooms.

Thanks everyone ; some great ideas here. I actually cheated and got some "goodlife" nut cutlets from Ocado, but did make the beetroot and walnut houmous (thanks GeorgeEliot) which vegan and non-vegans thought was delicious (and I'm not a big beetroot fan)

I'm vegan and love the Rose Elliot Red wine and chestnut pate encroute recipe below
I love Rose Elliot recipes

Red wine and chestnut pate encroute
it's delicious and easy
This Christmas main course can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen. It will cook to golden perfection on the day, and goes well with all the usual extras - roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, sprouts ... For a vegan version, just use a vegan puff pastry. Serves six.

4 onions, chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
100g button mushrooms, sliced
180ml red wine
435g unsweetened chestnut purée
150g soft breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
375g frozen ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, defrosted
Milk or soya milk, to glaze

In a covered pan, gently fry the onions and celery in the oil for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook for two or three minutes, add the wine and boil until it has reduced almost to nothing. Mix in the chestnut purée, crumbs and seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8. Roll out the pastry, lay it on a greased baking sheet and pile the mixture in a line along the centre. Make diagonal cuts in the pastry at 1cm intervals on either side of the filling, cutting right to the edges of the pastry: this will leave you with 10-12 strips of pastry on both sides - the idea is to make a lattice covering for the filling, so, alternating from side to side, fold the strips up and over the filling. Trim, then brush with milk.

Pop into the hot oven, and after five minutes reduce the heat to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and cook for a further 20-25 minutes

Thanks Clure, that sounds utterly delicious, and I'm a meat-eater

What about nut roast? People always criticise it but its a classic for a reason. Goes really well with the rest of the meal so you don't have to cook seconds. I'm not veggie but we do turkey plus nut roast at Thanksgiving because it is soooo yummy.

WRT carbs, I would be telling her to stuff it to be frank!

tardisjumper, do you have a recipe for a nice nut roast? We've friends who are coming over and their daughter is vegan. thanks

The Cranks recipe is good. Just don't add tomatoes which they suggest as optional. It makes it disgustingly slimy.
I can't find it online but will have another look. It is in one of their first books.