vegetarians coming for christmas lunch, any ideas please? Something easy but special??

[iwantacoolchristmasnickname]

they'll eat fish, dc's won't, dh wants meat, what can I throw in the oven that would go with potatoe dauphinois?

feta, leek and red pepper filo pie is gorge. A bit fiddly but looks great when brought to the table.

sounds yum, can I do all the prep in advance? Lazy girl. Hoping for something that will cook itself while I slump with a glass of something!

Where can I get recipe?

Nigel Slater's column yesterday

Layers of goat's cheese, caramlised red onion, spinach and cranberry jelly all wrapped up in a puff pastry 'plait'. Could use soft cheese instead of goat's. It goes well with the veg, and you can do it in advance and then heat it through. Ja's filo pie sounds yummy!

thanks everyone, some fab ideas, keep em coming?

Would be happy to be a vegtarian meself.

How do I plait pastry? Can I do it after two glasses of something? Can I use frozen?

Mushroom strog sounds interesting too.

Will check back later so any more ideas really welcome

ta!

Reading with interest. It is me that is the non meat eater in our family. On Cristmas Day DH and DD like to have meat and all the trimmings. I love all the trimmings, so looking for a yummy veggie option to go with it all. Have no inspiration at present.

I do a puff pastry tart thing with caramelised red onions and goats cheese, really easy if I can make it, goes well with veggie gravy and all the usual veggies. I also cheat and buy some apricot and almond stuffing from M&S.

Plaiting pastry does sound mad, doesn't it? Just defrost some puff pastry, roll it out, and then if you think of it as being divided into 3 length ways sections put a layer of red onions, a layer of goats cheese, etc. down the middle bit. Then score horizontal lines about 3cm wide all the way up on the pastry on either side (like a sort of fringe, iyswim). This all sounds stupidly complex when I'm typing it, but all you have to do is take a strip from one side and fold it over the filling a slight angle, then a strip from the other side and fold that over the filling and overlapping the previous strip of pastry, then an opposite strip again and so on until it's like a plait shape all the way up. Honestly it takes about a minute to do and is much easier than I make it sound!! You can cook it the day before, and it tastes nice cold if you have left overs. No law says you have to plait, but it looks nice and yes, can be done while tipsy!

I am probably being an old killjoy here but I really, really hate goats cheese, and I almost always hate pastry, and as a vegetarian it is usually inevitable that you get served one or the other if not both

Nigel Slater's mushroom strog is lovely, or just a nice vegetable or nut loaf to go with the roast veg and so on, with some vegetarian gravy, is always very nice. I don't think strog will go with your dauphinoise though - too creamy. Maybe do one or the other

As a veggie too I would agree with Frannny, some nut roast or similar to go with all the other usual trimmings sounds fine. It's what I do as DH and DSs eat meat.

Veggie here too - nut roast! Goes well with veg and you can slather it in veggie gravy too - can't do that with cheesy things - and I couldn't do without my gravy.

Mushroom and vegetable wellington is delicious and special enough the festive meal.

it is my theory that vegetarians don't actually like cheesy plait things, it is just what meat eaters think they like

I'm not overly keen on mushrooms they are ok in sauces etc but hate big mushroom things meat eaters think all veggies love mushrooms

agree sweetkitty - a can bear them but ewww a stuffed mushroom
i like 'pretend' meats really esp with a roast dinner
quorn roast/nut roast - vegetarian sausages etc

not easy but definately special!

it is my christmas dinner from the last 2 years - served to a mix of veggies and non-veggies last year (having xmas dinner at my house you have to be a veggie for the day i am afraid) - it always goes down a storm and can be prepared well in advance.

I am a veggie who has a serious aversion to mushrooms, agree that most meat eaters think all vegetarians love them. I have meat free sausages, roast onion gravy and possibly a bought nut roast, M&S usually have a nice one. TBH the sausages and gravy are usually enough, with all the Xmas veggies and bread sauce. The veggies are the best bit of the dinner - as long as they haven't been cooked in goose fat or ham stock... If I was doing an all vegetarian meal, I would make some sort of nut/spinach roast in filo pastry (bit lighter than puff)

I hate nut roast type things. Just not keen on nuts in my food particularly.

The mushroom/veg wellingtons sound nice - recipes?

I would go with M&S nut roast or nice veggie sausages, too, and use any spare time to make some kind of veggie gravy (could make earlier and reheat, not sure if you can freeze it) - Christmas dinner with no gravy is awful. Essential to make sure roast pots are veggie too. I'm not veggie any more but I'd think that was OK myself. I also hate goats cheese!

I wouldn't be at all offended by being given something shop-made if I was the only veggie - I know what a hassle it can be, and like I say I'd far rather be guaranteed a full set of veggie trimmings than to have something posher but have to go without the other Christmassy things.

Recipe for Mushroom Wellington here.

wow thanks for all these ideas and opinions..

back later but someone give me a nut roast recipe..or meat loaf...thingy but without the meat and without the nuts...please?

that would probably go well with my dauphinois tatties...wouldn't it?

I made Nigel Slater's mushroom stroganoff tonight, a doddle, and oh dear lord it was marvellous

It sounds fab myeye. What did you have with it?

Gad, if I didn't have carnivores in the house I swear I could easily be a veggie.

Nobody's given me a nut loaf recipe, I suppose I'll just have to lift a finger and get one from the bbc.

(An aside: I made the simple choc pots I found in another thread at the weekend...wow they were good.

I always do something in pastry for a special meal. YOu can make it the day before and leave it in the fridge. The BBC Good Food Magazine produces a Vegetarian Christmas edition which is always excellent and full of ideas

Goodhousekeeping had a lovely sweetpotato & goats cheese tart recipe