Christmas food and recipes

[twinkle]

I wasn't sure where to put this exactly or whether someone else has already posted it, but Viva have a Christmas recipes page (http://www.viva.org.uk/christmas/) with the opportunity to send off for a free leaflet if you're in the UK (also a free magazine).

One of my friends says this leaflet was also available last year, apparently he distributed it around his area and he reckons it's pretty good.

[Skajen]

Dear All

I need a recipe for Vegan christmas biscuits by tonight (weds) as I'm going to the supermarket tonight so any ingredients can be obtained.

I just wondered if anyone had any recipes to knock the socks off my meat eating family and prove to them we can have a cruelty free christmas at our party on 24th?

A ginger biscuit recipe would be ideal (as i have adorable christmas cookie cutters) but any suggestions are welcome

Jen x

[dyocis]

OK,

I've been dating my girlfriend for about 6 months now. She has been a vegan for a long time, and I have always respected that about her and eat according to her diet when I am with her.

Here is the HELP! part. I want to make her Christmas dinner when she gets back from her parents house on Monday. There's only one tiny little problem, I'm not the best cook to begin with and have never cook vegan before. Can you guys PLEASE help me with some simple but tasty recipes that a beginner can't mess up? I would really appreciate it.

I've been looking through your forum hoping that I would be able to find something without bothering anyone, but every recipe I look at, there is something that I have no clue about. :confused:

I really appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks in advance!

[fiamma]

Perhaps you could try a nut roast - there's a recipe here (http://www.boutell.com/vegetarian/nut-roast.html)that sounds very simple. Along with that you could have some mashed potatoes (try frying a little crushed garlic in oil and mashing this into the potatoes - very tasty!!!) and steamed veggies. If you can get vegan gravy granules you could have some gravy too - perhaps the others can help out with a vegan gravy recipe. Good luck with your dinner!

Edit: If nut roast sounds too scary, marinated tofu is very simple - mix soy sauce, crushed garlic, lemon juice and grated fresh ginger; cut the tofu into pieces and leave to soak in the marinade for a few hours. You can then grill it, lightly fry it or eat it cold, with potatoes or rice and vegetables. If you mix some of the marinade with a little peanut butter you get a delicious and nutritious sauce. It's not as filling as the nut roast, but way simpler and I'm sure she'd appreciate the thought.

[dyocis]

fiamma, thanks, that does sound easy and I even know what everything is!!

I'm also going to try that tofu...it sounds good for a light dinner before we go salsa dancing (one more thing I've never done before). LOL

I appreciate all your help!

[twinkle]

If you have some specific recipes in mind but are not sure about some parts, you could link to them and we could help you on the bits you don't know how to do :)

[dyocis]

Thank you to both of you. I'm going to use the nut roast recipe. I also found an artichoke mushroom casserole recipe that I'm going to try, and some sweet mashed potatos. (I raided her personal recipe book, since most of the stuff that she makes me is amazing, I figured I would use some of hers too!!) I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions in the future about recipes and stuff. For some reason all the food she makes me is so much more tasteful and amazing than anything else I've ever had. I don't know maybe its just her magic touch.

[Roxy]

What a sweet thing to do, dyocis! All the very best with your special Christmas dinner - be sure to let us know how it all turns out :)

[yum]

thought we could have a thread where we can tell each other about christmas foods you've seen in the shops or are going to make :)

I was in holland barrett and saw vegan chrimbo mince pies and a chocolate selection box.

[Joeybee]

Bryan's Xmas meal from last year was GOOOOOOOORGEOUS!
It consisted of:

"Bacony" sprouts,
Roast Parsnips,
Roasted chestnuts,
Carrots,
Roast potatoes,
stuffed cashew nut roast (homemade!),
gravy,
Vegan trifle,
Fruit cake,
mince pies.

Erm...there's probably more. I think we had a starter as well.

[veganvoo]

Hi yum, will have to check out the vegan mince pies, great find! This will be my first vegan christmas so this thread will be closely watched. Im going to make a stuffed cashew nut roast this year and make all the veggies really special.
Its my first time cooking for all the family as well, and no their not vegan, so ive really got to wow them.
I'll use Alpro custard to go with the pud and maybe make my own brandy sauce.

[yum]

Joeybee: Is Bryan's christmas dinnera brand or was it cooked from scratch by someone called bryan? Looks lush!
I find christmas dinner sad in some respecrs because there will be people on my table having turkey etc and i want my dinner to be top notch vegan yumminess!
Last year my mum made me a nut roast with banana to bind and it was really tasty... mmmm
Any recipes for things would be great too:p

mmmmmmmmmmm food!

yum
xxxx

[bryzee86]

It's gonna be a bit harder to make everything how I want this year - We're eating at Jo's brothers house rather than our own, so I think I'll take my own loaf tin up to Manchester with me and prepare a chestnut roast the night before. I might go to my nanna's to prepare all of my food, cos she has mixing bowls, scales etc and Jo's parents haven't. That'll make it easier.

This year, the menu'll probably be:
Fruit cake as per usual,
Mince pies,
Christmas pud for me, something else for Jo (she hates christmas pud!),
Chestnut roast,
sage and onion stuffing (that packet stuff for convenience),
Roast spuds and parsnips,
The usual sprouts, carrots etc,
Graaaaaaavyyyyy,
might do some pigs in blankets,
maybe a starter, though Jo might not eat her dinner if I do that.

Oh and After Eights for...after. Well, own brand cos Nestle are poo.

[Joeybee]

Joeybee: Is Bryan's christmas dinnera brand or was it cooked from scratch by someone called bryan? Looks lush!
I find christmas dinner sad in some respecrs because there will be people on my table having turkey etc and i want my dinner to be top notch vegan yumminess!
Last year my mum made me a nut roast with banana to bind and it was really tasty... mmmm
Any recipes for things would be great too:p

mmmmmmmmmmm food!

yum
xxxx

hahah no it wasn't brand, was cooked by my lovely Fiance, bryzee86 on this forum.

Ooh and also, I agree, all my family are meat eaters and I'll be with them on xmas day, it really puts me off my lovely food when I can smell cooking flesh!

Erm, if you want a good recipe pm Bryzee cos his stuff usually turns out quite nice...though I may be a bit biased!

[animaladvocate]

I'm going to break with tradition and make a victoria sponge cake with buttercream and sweet mincemeat instead of jam and sweet mincemeat cheesecake.

[Cherry]

I like it that it's "christmas Food" and not "Christmas food" :D

[bryzee86]

cos the Food is more important than christmas

[Cherry]

Exactly :D


and a chocolate selection box.
A vegan one!:eek: ???? I got all excited for a fraction of a second when I saw the montezuma's chocolate advent calendars on the uk veganstore website, but they're SOOOOO expensive!! I'd rather have several bars of montezuma's chocolate and an advent calendar with pictures.

I'm going to make lots of orange and walnut mince pies
Chestnut roast
Carrot and turnip (with some plain boiled carrots for my brother in law!)
Sprouts
Roast potatoes and parsnips
Onion gravy
Stuffing (packet stuff cos it's squidgier!)
Gingerbread christmas shapes with chocolate
Christmas cake - though might make this early as half my family don't like it and there's never enough room by the time we've eaten everything else.
Christmas pud
and some sort of alternative to christmas pud like a chocolate cheesecake

[bryzee86]

I'm going to make lots of orange and walnut mince pies
Chestnut roast
Carrot and turnip (with some plain boiled carrots for my brother in law!)
Sprouts
Roast potatoes and parsnips
Onion gravy
Stuffing (packet stuff cos it's squidgier!)
Gingerbread christmas shapes with chocolate
Christmas cake - though might make this early as half my family don't like it and there's never enough room by the time we've eaten everything else.
Christmas pud
and some sort of alternative to christmas pud like a chocolate cheesecake

you copying me? :p nah I copied you. after all i'm using your recipes.

[yum]

Lol- 'christmas Food' must be a typo ;) The chocolate selection box is vegan as in truffles and choc liquors. Mmmmm vegan advent calender!

[bryzee86]

yeah i saw that box of choccies. Might have to get one - i'll have the liquers and jo can have the truffles.

[Joeybee]

Damn right I'll have the truffles!!

[Mr Flibble]

I got all excited for a fraction of a second when I saw the montezuma's chocolate advent calendars

I'd rather have several bars of montezuma's chocolate and an advent calendar with pictures.

;)

[Tigerlily]

I think for Christmas dinner (lunch, actually), I am going to make veggie 'meatloaf', mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Mmmm.

[Blue moon]

Vegan mince pies in Sainsburys, the 'Basics' ones in the ultra cheap packaging. :p