Food & recipes

A Very Veggie Christmas (recipes)

This three-course meat-free feast is guaranteed to impress your guests.

Starter Course: Brussels sprouts and horseradish pâté

Serves: 4
Ingredients

100g Brussels sprouts
25g cream cheese
Half a clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp of horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

3 toast triangles per person
Dressed leaf salad
Grated radish or a sprinkle of red pepper

1. Trim the sprouts and steam them until soft. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool.

2. In a food processor, blend the Brussels sprouts with the garlic. Add all of the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth.

3. Place the paste into the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

4. Either shape either into one dessert spoon oval per person or three teaspoon-size ovals per person. Plate them individually with a little dressed salad and three toast triangles per plate, topped with a small amount of grated radish or sprinkles of red paprika.

Chef’s tip

If you’re entertaining vegans, try supplementing the cream cheese for a vegan variety.

Nutrient low down

The high fibre content in Brussels sprouts means they help to bind bile in the digestive track, which helps to lower cholesterol. A recent study has also shown improved stability of DNA inside white blood cells after daily consumption of Brussels sprouts. It’s the ability of compounds in the vegetable that block sulfotransferase enzyme activity, which researchers believe to be responsible for these protective benefits.

Main Course: Walnut and spiced plum Christmas cob

Serves: 4

1 round cob loaf or boule
2 tbsp olive oil

For spiced plum sauce

10 ripe plums, roughly chopped
6 tbsp full bodied vegetarian red wine
4 star anise
8 cloves
6 allspice berries

For the walnut pâté

2 tbsp olive oil
1 slice of seeded bread, made into breadcrumbs
150g walnuts
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
50g of the bread from hollowed out loaf
10g flat leaf parsley
1 chilli deseeded
1 tbsp soya sauce

For the filling

2 bunches of fresh asparagus
150g vegetarian brie or camembert

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Then, hollow out the cob loaf by placing it on its side and cutting off the lid. Using your hands, scoop out the centre leaving just a little bread on the crust – do the same for the lid. Reserve 50g of the bread for later. Brush inside of the hollowed out loaf and lid with olive oil.

2. To make the spiced plum sauce, place all of the ingredients in a medium pan and cook on a low heat until plums have softened – you may need to add a little water to prevent the plums sticking – the end mixture should be soft and moist. Remove the spices and discard. Allow the sauce to cool.

3. Next make the walnut pâté by frying both the shallot and celery in oil until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for a further two minutes.

4. Add the remaining ingredients (except 50g of walnuts) to a food processor and process until the walnut mixture comes together but is still rough and not quite a paste. Roughly chop remaining walnuts and add to the mixture.

5. Cut the asparagus in half and discard the bottom half. Gently peel to expose the pale green colour. Steam for between two to three minutes until soft. Allow to cool.

6. Divide the walnut pâté in half and place one half in the bottom of the hollowed out cob loaf ensuring the mixture goes right into the edges. Press down firmly.

7. Place half of the asparagus over the top. Spoon half the plum sauce on top, then add slices of cheese. Top this with the remaining asparagus, then the remaining walnut pâté and lastly the rest of the plum sauce. Place the bread lid back on top.

8. Wrap the whole loaf in tin foil and bake in the oven for one hour. Allow to stand for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.

Chef’s tip

This recipe works with individual good quality rolls. Just bake for 15 minutes instead of one hour. They can be eaten hot or cold.

Dessert Course: Ginger and bourbon trifles

Serves 4

600ml water
2 sachets of Vege-gel
1 tsp natural orange extract
3 tbsp bourbon
3 tbsp ginger syrup
3 tbsp caster sugar
50g crushed ginger nut biscuits
80g stem ginger, chopped
250ml vegan custard

• Vegan whipped cream and mint leaves

1. Mix the first six ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, put half of the biscuit crumbs in four tall glass tumblers and press down gently to form a base. Now divide the stem ginger between all of the glasses.

3. Once the water mixture has come to a boil, pour it into the tumblers, leaving about a 4cm gap at the top. You might find it easier to pour the liquid into a jug first rather than directly into the glasses. Leave this to set – it will take at least an hour.

4. Cover the top of the jelly with the remaining biscuit crumbs and then top the glass with the vegan custard.

5. You can then top with whipping cream and garnish with a sprinkle of biscuit crumbs, a few pieces of stem ginger and a mint leaf. Serve immediately so as not to let the crumb mixture go too soggy.

Chef’s tip

Rather than using bourbon fry a few seeds of cumin. Then dissolve in three teaspoons of white grape juice.

What’s that?

Vege-Gel is a setting agent and an excellent alternative to gelatine. It can’t always be directly substituted as it works in a different way so it may be necessary to adapt your recipe. For example, swap low-fat alternatives for some of the high fat ingredients e.g. cream in the place of fromage frais.

All recipes from the Vegetarian Society. For more information and other Christmas recipe ideas visit vegsoc.org. For your free booklet call 0161 925 2000.