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?

thanks tommy and paula.

Am feeling quite inspired!

Sorry didn't read all the other posts, just skipped to the end.

If it was me I wouldn't mind if you asked. Us veggie's appreciate that poeple find it sometimes daunting to cook for us. I find that people try to do something complicated and stressful as they want to impress and make it special, but the best meals are usually the simplest.

Also, if you do cook a tradition xmas roast for the meat eaters don't forget to cook the veggies separately. The first time my dh came for dinner at my Dad's he cooked all the veg in lard and couldn't understand why dh couldn't eat them

yes sushi I always do my roast tatties in olive oil.

they've eaten with us before, I usually do fish for all of us - just this time I fancied trying something different.

I have a vegetarian (Mner) coming for Christmas lunch. She's having the veggies without the turkey, and is quite happy with that!

we just expect lots of mash and yorkshires with vegge gravy (which we bring anyway) - the best of everything.

Do they actually care?

I have had this before when people panic about what to make me for dinner. Once I actually bought something from M&S that way you can just shove it in the oven with everyone else and the host doesn't have a fit about what to make you.

I'm a veggie too and I wish I was having this for Christmas dinner. The vegetarian society have some great Christmas recipes to make your mouth water (I promise they're not paying me!)

Make everybody who's veggie provide you with a list of vegetables they don't like - I find that people often assume I like all vegetables and yet I've never met one person that likes every single one!

Also, if you make veggie gravy, slosh a bit of red cooking wine in there to give it a bit of depth - it doesn't have any alcohol in it, but it makes it taste much better.

I'm having my first Christmas dinner made by someone else this year as I've always just turned up with a nut roast that my host can just sling in the oven with everything else. I'm a bit nervous about what I will be presented with and I want to discuss it with the host, but know that she'll think I'm suspicious of her cooking skills if I do. And I'm really not - I'd just like to be involved. Especially as she's decided not to cook any meat this year, so everyone will be eating it...

sorry haven't read all thread, i was a non-meat-eater for a few years but did eat fish, my Christmas dinner was always SALMON - why not get a proper big wild salmon and make it the main dinner for everyone? absolutely delish. alternatively still get a big salmon and everyone else can have it for boxing day with mayo, delish again.

For mine, i am just having the same as everyone else except a separate roast that is just slung in the oven and forgot about.

Makes it as easy as poss for the stressed out cook!

my veggie DH has had this for Christmas dinner for the last few years:

Realeat VegeRoast Chicken Style Roast with Stuffing

it's dead easy, just goes in the oven for an hour.

I always offer to make him a nut roast or something fancy, but he much prefers this with the roast potatoes, parsnips, bread sauce, etc etc.

There was a lovely looking veggie pie with filo pastry in the free Tesco magazine. Think I might have thrown mine out but if you can't get one, will dig through the recycling box tomorrow just incase it's still there.

thanks lilo ...and everyone.

Will you all kill me now, when I tell you they're not coming after all...family crisis, somebody diagnosed with something nasty. Not my family, theirs.

Shame I was looking forward to trying one of these ideas. All sound sooo yummy,yes even just tons of veg and roast tatties and gravy and bread sauce and everything...

Still, could be a kind of bless in disguise as we are out on Christmas Eve to dinner...so I probably wouldn't be in a fit state to be plaiting filo pastry etc.

Veggy here- can't stand it when every one else has a roast with trimmings and I end up with goats cheese tart! I want roast potatoes, veg gravy, brussel sprouts, cauli, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce (bit of yankee thanksgiving inspiration there), and a nut loaf. I did have a v simple nut loaf recipe if I can dig it out for you I will. There are some nice supermarket nut roasts too. Cauldren brand Lincolnshire veggy sausages also go well with a roast alongside a nut loaf and all the trimmings. Yum yum I am getting so carried away with the thought of it I feel absolutely starving hungry now. Might go raid the fridge.

Oops just saw your last post, so please ignore me drooling on about nut roast in a demented half starved late night ramble. Have a lovely Xmas!

jetson, don't worry...

I always end up starving when I'm on mumsnet late at night when I really should be in bed!! Especially on the recipe threads!

I would love a nutroast recipe sometime, will try it out on myself (also dd2 12 is threatening to become vegetarian.. I have explained that you to be a veggy you have to be willing to eat vegetables )

roasted pepper with goats cheese and mixed veg inside (yum!) and a roast pork for the rest of you?

standard veg with peas, broccoli, carrots

If you can get hold of a Rose Elliot Christmas cookbook she has a fab recipe for a cranberry, chestnut and red wine thing en croute. You are supposed to add goats cheese but I never do. I can't find the recipe online and don't have a copy here so I can't write for you but it is really delicious and looks 'special' as you make it in one of those ring tins, then wrap puff pastry round it, and can cut out holly leaves etc to stick on if you so desire. You can make it and freeze it ahead. As it is Christmassy flavours it goes brilliantly with all the Christmas dinner trimmings. IMO, it is nicer and more sophisticated (!) than a nutroast (but maybe just because I am a bit sick of nutroasts, being brought up on them in the 80s!!).
Anyway, if you'd like the recipe, I can post it here for you at the weekend as my mum has the book and I'll be seeing her then.
Sorry for long post, I just genuinely think this is a successful Christmas dish.

thanks everyone - i'll keep watching this thread for interesting ideas.

Yes windup if you have a mo to chuck the recipe on here - do. Txs

i'm not a vegetarian now but i was for 15 years and i can safely say i have never eaten a nut roast, nor wanted to.

anyways there are loads of ideas on here for main courses but i thought i would remind you about pudding in case you are preparing a traditional one with suet. vegetarians and chocolate have a strong affinity i have always found.

I'm a bit cross that people seem to think that vegetarians eat fish. Where DID that idea come from ? BTW we're having butternut squash veggie loaf with veggie sausages, tomato salsa and all the trimmings.

agree with lulu25's observation about the link between veggies and chocolate- so true!

They don't CB.

I too have never had nut roast, thank god

lol. i too am a veggie who would much much rather just hae the full christmas trimmings without the meat. give me a jug of cheese sauce (NOT blimmin goat's cheese either) on the side and maybe a couple extra yorkshires if you do small ones and i'm happy

SIL is threatening us with stuffed tomatoes this year....bleurghhhh.