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Original poster

vegetarian christmas- the ultimate challenge

30 replies

Shallishanti · 30/11/2013 22:34

OK, I bet you think you have the answer- a nice nut roast or a mushroomy en croute type thing. But sadly neither suits everyone and for years I have cooked 2 main courses. Can you resolve these conflicting needs???
We are all vegetarian. One adult dc is allergic to nuts. One doesn't like mushrooms. Nobody (except me) likes blue cheese. Squash are not favoured. We all LOVE roast potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, gravy etc so a totally non traditional solution (like a posh curry) won't do. I have just spent too long trawling the web and can't find anything nice enough for christmas that will suit everyone. Any ideas? TIA

OP posts:

WaitingForMe · 30/11/2013 22:41

Individual pies with filling of each persons choice. Goes with the side dishes for the most part.

Original poster

Shallishanti · 30/11/2013 22:48

hmmm
and I could mark them TN (tis nuts) and TN (taint nuts)
(sorry, that was a story I had when little)
that would work, but involves me in making 2 different fillings
am lazy!
but thanks

OP posts:

quiltmum · 30/11/2013 22:50

Take a look in rose Elliott's vegetarian Christmas, lots of delicious stuff in there. What i was going to suggest has both mushrooms and nuts, so no good. Also got a lovely recipe for a parsnip roast , but that has cashew nuts...

A tricky one!

I'll think some more a have a look in my books in the morning.

How about puff pastry parcels with different fillings, goats cheese and cranberry?

NoelOfLorst · 30/11/2013 22:51

I think I'd do a massive dish of vegetarian, chestnut-y (are chestnuts really nuts?!) herby, bready, sage and oniony stuffing and serve it with extra large portions of the side dishes that you all love

Original poster

Shallishanti · 30/11/2013 22:57

yes, chestnuts are nuts sadly- in the past I have done RE's chestnut and red wine pate en croute which was nice, but still had to do an extra dish for allergic child. Goats cheese not favoured by DP .... we sound really fussy, don't we, but it's just that there are 6 of us and each of us has either a allergy or a disfavoured ingredient....would be so much easier if we ate meat!
I think a friend has the RE book, could check that.

OP posts:

WaitingForMe · 30/11/2013 23:37

Couple of rolls of puff pastry and everyone has to fill their own. Bit like DIY pizzas.

lolalotta · 01/12/2013 05:16

I think puff pastry pies are your best bet, why not by fresh unfrozen pastry, fill them with two different fillings and then freeze them
Uncooked so they are ready to pop in the oven on the big day?

beansmum · 01/12/2013 05:34

A vegetarian meatloaf thing? I know it doesn't sound very fancy, but it would go well with the traditional sides.

This is delicious, and easy, and you could swap the curry powder for something more Christmasy.

HairyPorter · 01/12/2013 06:21

this! Is amazing!! I made it for our anniversary and it was very very yummy. I halved the recipe and that was fine for two of us, and used butternut squash instead of summer squash (still dont know what it is). It's very easy to make and it looks stunning once cut.

NotJustACigar · 01/12/2013 07:23

Stuffed aubergine or a Wellington made with seitan. My DH is a veggie who's allergic to nuts but he loves those quorn roast thing so he has that which is incredibly easy while the rest of us have something nice!

Lagoonablue · 01/12/2013 07:28

I had a FILO pastry thing recently. Feta, spinach, pine nuts ( you could leave them out)' grated carrot, in FILO. Very nice.

olivo · 01/12/2013 07:29

M and s vegetable Wellington.

OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 01/12/2013 07:34

When I was a veggie teen my mum and I would make Delia's parsnip roulade every year, yummy. Mmm in fact I think I might make it myself for a pre-Xmas evening this year thinking about it! There are hazelnuts for the coating but they could be replaced with something else, maybe maybe some pumpkin seeds if they are not a problem.

Indigoviolet3 · 01/12/2013 07:49

For the last 20 years we have had Leopard Pie, which is kind of a layered macaroni, roasted vegetable and spinach pastry pie, when you cut it it has spots hence Leopard! Perfect with roast dinner and even better cold on Boxing Day, I think the recipe was a Vegetarian Good food one.
Another winner is smoked tofu, shallot and mushroom pie (you could substitute) with a red wine gravy sauce.

MollyBerry · 01/12/2013 09:00

Is your DC definitely allergic to chestnuts because I have a severe nut allergy and chestnuts are not nuts therefore I can eat them - they come from a different family. Having said that Christmas isn't the best time to check!

Snowbility · 01/12/2013 09:17

Dh has a nut allergy and chestnuts are fine too - dcs hate them so not much help!

Snowbility · 01/12/2013 09:24

I was veggie for years and we battled with finding something to lift the Christmas dinner and be a focus like the turkey....last year I ate turkey for the first time and I discovered that Christmas dinner didn't taste any better with it's inclusion - it's all a bit bland.
Have you tried stuffed Yorkies - at least you'd get an interesting crunchy texture, there are loads of different recipes online.

AngryBuddha · 01/12/2013 09:25

How about this
Or this without the mushrooms

I am having the first served with exotic veggie

Her pictures don't do her justice of how nice this is.

Lizzabadger · 01/12/2013 09:29

Filo pastry money-bags stuffed with tasty shredded veg and posh mushrooms and/or chestnuts for those who eat them.

HawtChocolate · 01/12/2013 10:20

Veggie sausages roasted in the oven?

To be honest, I think all those nut roasts and filo pastry thingiemejigs are vile.

Or just have all the trimmings with extra stuffing, bread sauce and possibly yorkies to bulk it out? The trimmings are the best bit, anyway.

NotJustACigar · 01/12/2013 10:45

Those recipes look amazing, AngryBuddha! I'd serve one of those, OP.

DameDeepRedBetty · 01/12/2013 10:52

I wonder what's actually in Cauldron veggie sausages? I prefer them to meaty ones (I have one veggie dd so often cook either fully veggie or partial, iyswim).

Could one turn them into something festive, maybe a version of toad in the hole?

Onykahonie · 01/12/2013 14:00

I'm thinking along the lines of individual filo or puff pastry pies/tarts too, as they would go with all the usual trimmings.
How about spinach and feta cheese, red pepper and goat's cheese, broccoli and brie etc?
I like the toad in the hole idea too...maybe make mini ones with home-made Glamorgan sausages?

Original poster

Shallishanti · 01/12/2013 15:01

wow, loads of ideas thank you all so much!
I think lentilly/veggie loaves are the way to go probably- we have veggie sausages on the side anyway (pigs!)- the spinachy filo feta type things I love, but we have stuff like that anyway hence not christmasy. Maybe something in a yorkshire- although I'm not very good at yorkshires.
Mind you, ds2 has just come in and said 'why don't we just have big curry'
Try getting that past the others, ds!
seeds not OK sadly for dd, nor soya

OP posts:

Snowbility · 01/12/2013 18:41

Yeah we did curry one year, hand made pasta on another, veggie Wellington, wild rice timbale with cider gravy thing from Cafe Paradiso and we finally did the turkey last year....but won't do it again. I love our tradition of not having a tradition!

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