Today I have a guest post from vegan Karin Ridgers, founder of the VeggieVisionTV site, on how to have a vegan Christmas, including a great recipe for a Vegan Christmas Strudel. Karin has also produced the resource 'The VeggieVision Essential Guide to Surviving and Loving your Vegetarian Christmas'. With Thanksgiving around the corner too though, I think the post is perfectly apt for that holiday, as well!
How to Have a Merry Vegan Christmas
I can't even remember a non veggie Christmas, we vegans don’t miss out at all. Christmas is the time for celebration – although it ain’t much for turkeys.
We enjoy everything that everyone else has – just a animal free version. Maybe a fry up for breakfast – mushrooms, hash browns, veggie sausages, toast, a soya latte. And maybe some naughty but dairy-free choccie nibbles during the day. Well, it is Christmas.
"Unimaginative 'carb with more carb' options for vegans and vegetarians at Christmas lead to some vegans exasperatedly falling for heart challenging saturated fat options at Christmas.”
She has mentioned family run veggie business Fry’s’ Vegetarian, as with these recipes using lower fat, higher protein Fry's products, vegetarians and non vegetarians alike can have their cake and eat it.
We do find there is a big problem with our recipes though. The veggie options tend to be eaten by everyone else and they can disappear before the late coming vegan or vegetarian guest arrives so do keep some aside – or make extra!
My Quick Veggie Christmas Tips would be….
1. If you have a veggie guest coming for Christmas dinner make sure that the vegetables and roast potatoes are cooked separately from the meat. Gravy can easily be made without animal products.
2. Check ingredients of mince pies and Christmas puddings – and ask! Simply ask your guest what they do or don’t eat, where they buy products from – and even if they could bring something to share. We would rather be catered for than cause embarrassment – or be embarrassed.
3. Maybe ask everyone to bring something veggie friendly to share so they don’t feel like the odd one out.
4. There are lots of tasty meat free roasts so the veggie Christmas dinner could look just like to traditional roast. Many veggie people just love the stuffing too (just not from inside the bird), as well as potatoes and veg – so it could be a simple as leaving off the turkey.
Recipes:
Main Course – "Turk-ish" Christmas Strudel with Herby Beanie Balls
Serves 6. Total prep and cooking time 1 hour
Spare the turkey by serving Fry's Chicken Strips parcelled up in crispy seeded filo pastry with a colourful festive concoction of chestnuts, red cranberries, and Christmas green curly kale.
Serve with herby hazelnut Fry’s beefy veggie mince balls and a selection of winter vegetables.
Ingredients:
270g pack Filo Pastry sheets
190g (1/2 x 380g box) Fry’s vegetarian Chicken Style Strips
160g jar/vacuum pack of cooked chestnuts
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
80g curly kale – finely chopped
80g cranberries
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon of cold pressed rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon of flax seeds
For the balls:
190g ( ½ pack) Fry’s beef style vegetarian mince (defrosted)
60g ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon marmite
1 Tablespoon wholemeal flour
Vegetables:
160g roast sweet potatoes
1 dessertspoon coconut oil
160g parsnips cut into sticks
1 teaspoon soy sauce
160g mashed swede turnip
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
160g stir fried shredded red cabbage
80g cashew nuts
1 tablespoon sesame oil
160g green beans
160g carrots, thinly sliced in rounds
1 lime
Salt and pepper
1. Prepare all veg, finely chop the swede and boil in water.
2. Preheat oven to 180ºC with a baking tray with the coconut fat.
3. Chop up the sweet potato, toss in the hot oil on the baking tray in the oven put back in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Bake the Fry’s chicken strips in the oven for 5 minutes
5. Toss parsnips in soy sauce and add to the sweet potatoes
6. Put the finely chopped Kale, the chestnuts, the balsamic vinegar and garlic into a large stainless steel heavy pan and gently heat for a few minutes until the chestnuts are hot Add in the Fry’s strips and the cranberries, take off the heat and leave to simmer with a lid on.
7. Unfold the filo sheets onto a sheet of baking paper on a large chopping board. Paint a very light coat of oil and a pinch of flax seeds between each sheet. Into the middle of the stack of filo sheets, place a horizontal line of the chestnut and Fry’s strips mix. Roll it up, paint lightly with oil and sprinkle with remaining seeds. Scrunch the strudel up a little, and place on a baking tray and then into the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
8. In a cold bowl, knead all the ball ingredients together then shape into 12 balls. Add balls to the sweet potatoes and parsnips in the oven which will meanwhile all need turning to make sure they are oiled and cooking on all sides. Mash the swede with the ginger.
9. Simmer the carrots and beans in 3 tablespoons of water and juice of a lime. Gently stir fry the red cabbage, with the sesame oil and the cashew nuts.
10. Serve with rich gravy, cranberry or redcurrant jelly, hot apple sauce or a Christmassy chutney
SEE: www.frysvegetarian.co.uk
By Karin Ridgers, founder of the VeggieVisionTV
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