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Been veggie for less than a year, this Christmas was my first without any meat on the plate. i wouldnt say i nearly folded, but i did have a moment where i questioned myself when i saw the plates of turkey, gammon and pigs in blankets, and then looked at my sad 'aldi nut roast with root veg and brie', which to be honest looked sh1t and tasted little better. and then of course afterwards theres the plates sat on the side for nibbles, and it would have been so easy to just pick up a pig in blanket and dip it in a bit of mustard 😀
my wifes a great cook and the rest of the dinner made up for it anyway, but i suppose i need to work out what my goto nut roast or alternative might be.
so...... im interested in what some of you veggies had?
obviously there are meals that are completely different such as pizzas etc which im totally fine with, i just need to find something to replace meat in a roast so i can still partake of those lovely roasties, parsnips, carrots and yorkies.
Firstly, why did you become veggie - what was your motivation behind the change? For me this is key. Was it 'just' health. If so, I guess it's not going to hurt to go rouge once in a while. If your reasons were more profound, and you believe in them, motivation to follow them shouldn't be too hard to find.
Vegan household here (7 years vegan after 25 odd veggie). This year only two of us so didn't make the main - I just bought the "This" brand chestnut mushroom and caramelised onion nut roast. Pretty good for shop bought. Pretty good plate of food otherwise - the vegan pigs in blankets from one of the bosh books (tweaked a bit to our tastes) are really good (basically marinated aubergine thin slices wrapped around the refrigerated style veggie sausages). And a bit of effort into making the other elements a cut above rather than just plain boiled/steamed. A nice homemade gravy makes all the difference too to step the meal on a level.
When I was veggie I used to use a pretty awesome roasted vegetable plat recipe. Awesome enough that meat eaters would insist on having a slice. It had 'presence' on the table too which is a large part of a winter festive meal. Not in my hitting zone now. I could dig out the recipe if you wanted it.
We had nut roast but made our own with roast potatoes, parsnips, sprouts and veggie gravy.
i would say that if you are veggie in a meat eating house it harder than if the household is veggie.
We have been vegetarian for 35 years and are now vegan.
Good luck with your food choices and have a happy new year.
Firstly, why did you become veggie - what was your motivation behind the change?
animal welfare - i just looked at a packaged chicken earlier this year, for some reason it was upside down in the package with its little 'arms' tucked in and of course headless, and it just made me compare to our little jack russell if he had been plucked and beheaded and i thought why should an animal have to go through that just for me to have a nice meal. then i thought of the trailers of pigs you see on their way to slaughter. bit extreme you might think, strange what goes through your head sometimes 😀
ive never been a big meat eater anyway, hated meat on the bone and id gag if i got a bit of cartilage or a 'hard bit' in my meat. steaks, take em or leave them. couldnt cope with fat so itd have to be a fillet, and even then id be picky. so it wasnt hard to 'go veggie' and i think there are a lot more choices these days, its just i havent nailed down my preferences yet. i love asda jalapeno veggie burgers, dont like cauldron, so im starting to work out a few likes and dislikes.
but, i havent ventured into nut roasts yet hence the thread, so i can have a simple substitute in my wifes world-beating roasts 🙂
i was questioned on this the other day and realised i wasnt quite veggie (pescatarian i suppose), ive still been eating fish but im not far from binning that too for the same reasons.
i do know id never be able to go vegan tho, love my cheese eggs and milk too much, but hey, cant be perfect, just have to do your best.
i do worry about lack of protein tho and muscle loss, so any alternatives would need to be quite protein rich. i can see ive lost a bit of muscle over the last few months altho thats also coincided with a few months away from the gym, new years resolution and all that 😀
When I was veggie I used to use a pretty awesome roasted vegetable plat recipe. Awesome enough that meat eaters would insist on having a slice. It had 'presence' on the table too which is a large part of a winter festive meal. Not in my hitting zone now. I could dig out the recipe if you wanted it.
if its no hassle id be interested in seeing that please 🙂
i would say that if you are veggie in a meat eating house it harder than if the household is veggie.
this is my problem too. ive told my wife im happy to make my own meal, but she likes to cook us both something to eat together. when the fish goes thatll be another negative for her.
Good luck with your food choices and have a happy new year.
thank you, and you too.
wife and daughter are both pescatarian (don’t eat meat but do eat fish). For Christmas dinner neither of them fan the need to replace the turkey as there are lots of other things already on the plate.
neither of them like nut roast but both of them love veggie haggis and we eat loads of it.
Field mushroom filled with pesto, cranberry and goat's cheese and a Quorn fillet roasted in garlic oil plus all of the usual christmas veg and sauces.
Became veggie because my wife and kids are. Also, the mass production of meat isn't great for the environment and the mass consumption of meat isn't good for my guts. Never looked back. Never been tempted.
Did a turkey crown for the meat eating guests yesterday and it was grim, but they enjoyed it.
Partner had "This Isn't Roast Plant Based Chicken & Stuffing" https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/this-isnt-roast-chicken-stuffing-325g and plant based pigs in blankets.
It's fine in my view, partner really likes it.
been sorta vegan for nearly 2 years (will explain) and was lightly vegetarian for a while before that
so my logic is, i will endeavour not to eat anything animal based.. BUT... i also wont study the packaging, I'm not picking up a cheesecake.. but i might have a croissant, if i am cooking then it's all vegan
under the same logic, if there's anything going to waste around me, it's fair game, a couple of mouthfuls of my lads chicken curry, some let over pizza etc.
Last year, my OH and myself made an absolutely amazing mushroom wellington... it was truly incredible...big ole roasted mushrooms braised in a sauce, wrapped in a spinach pastry, then another pastry layer... there was no missing anything meat based.. there was only us however
this year, got a load of different Lidl centrepieces, vegan... to throw in the oven, doing it today, feeding my 2 kids and my daughter's OH, none of them are vegetarian.. but that's what they are getting
got a vegan sausage ring thing, no turkey parcels nut roasts.... some nice veges (i hope)
looking forward to it
Well, some of your disappointment might come from ‘Aldi …’. Homemade nut roast should contain ingredients you know and added love. 😉
This year I made vegan nut roast layered with fried chestnut mushrooms and wrapped in puff pastry. Mushroom and nut roast wellington? It was found acceptable
usually I make a hot shortcrust pie filled with layers of prune and onion, mushrooms, and chopped chestnuts. Figured this year would be a change. Folks missed it.
Yes, mushroom wellington is a good one. I think pastry based is the way to go with traditional roast sides. I made individual pithiviers filled with roasted mushrooms and barley. Made them last week and but in the freezer. Then they take about 30 mins from frozen stuffed in the corner of a full oven. With marsala and mushroom gravy.
We always make sure that our veggan (eats eggs) has veg dishes that fit with his lactose intolerance along with no meat/animal products. The Delia braised red cabbage needed a very small change to remove the butter and sub in vegan spread (the ingredients/constituents list on that is concerning compared to butter). The gravy was more like a veg soup, so much so that we thinned it out with more veg stock. We did have bought in faux pigs in blankets and main dish but these were both premium brands not supermarket specials. If I weren't full of cold from last weekends concert (thanks coughing lady in the row in front) there would have been more home-cooked stuff on his plate.
Christmas dinner is always vegetarian here - my partner's vegetarian, though I eat meat at other times. We both like a roast, so a completely different meal is out. Fortunately, most of a roast dinner is vegetables, and personally I could take or leave the turkey.
It seems like it needs a centerpiece though. Our tradition is a big hot water pastry pie with a vegetarian filling. This year was jackfruit bourguinon and I replaced the usual pastry lid with dauphinoise potatoes.
This isn't meant to be condescending, but a proper meal needs some effort... A pre-packed, probably ultra-processed meat replacement is always going to be disappointing IMO.
@llama that sounds great! I made sherry and miso gravy.
liking @thenorthwind menu. Mmm Dauphinoise potato topping. Agreed, some preparation and forethought helps. Also: practice. Doing a new dish on a high stakes/stress day only adds to the ‘excitement’.
Get back to Aldi and buy some of their no-pigs in blankets (if they have any left).
I also enjoyed their vege savoury yule log
We always make a mushroom wellington.
Loads of recipes out there but dead easy.
Cook up a load of diced onion, garlic,.mushrooms and herbs of your choice. Add some chestnuts as well and make sure you get it as dry as possible.
Get a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and roll it out. Smash some onion chutney down the middle, and the mushroom mix on top, down the middle, then plait or fold it as required.
Bang it in the oven for a bit at whatever the puff pastry instructions say and it comes out all nice and cooked.
Just double up on the roasties and yorkshire puds. Don’t worry about a meat substitute; it’s only one meal. That’s the approach i take anyway…
thanks for all the suggestions, i need to get a wiggle on and try some of these out, especially a decent mushroom wellington or a home-made nut-roast containing my choice of ingredients.
This isn't meant to be condescending, but a proper meal needs some effort...
yep, this is where i fall down, i havent got the vision to cook anything so just tend to buy veggie burgers/sausages etc from the supermarkets. i need a good old simple recipe where i can visualise the end product and make it a few times and ensure we have the ingredients to hand.
Just double up on the roasties and yorkshire puds. Don’t worry about a meat substitute; it’s only one meal.
that would certainly be enough to fill me up but you know, protein..... like i said, i need to get back in the gym and start trying to rebuild some of the muscle ive lost over the last few months.
thanks, keep them coming, especially any simple recipes that i can try out.
Halloumi wellington or a cranks nut roast with added cranberries and mushrooms for us
We’ve had cauliflower wellington this year and it’s been bloody good.
@sadexpunk If you're making the Delia braised cabbage you'll need a big casserole and lots of space in the freezer. It makes loads but you'll hae lots of meal accompaniment for the future.
Another top tip is par-boil all the spuds, roast enough for the meal and freeze the rest. Best roasties are forecast due to the freeze action on the potatoes.
it would have been so easy to just pick up a pig in blanket and dip it in a bit of mustard
Do that then?
You seem to have three questions here. Let's break it down.
1. What am I allowed to eat?
Whatever you like. This is your rodeo, your rules. Given your reasoning for going veggie, I see little difference between Peppa Pig going in the bin or going in your belly; indeed eating it is arguably the higher moral option, did it die for naught? alan1977's "sorta vegan" approach makes a lot of sense even if it'll make those preachy ones we keep hearing about explode. Ultimately only you can decide what you can/can't consume, there are plenty of non-smokers who choke down a sociable cigar at a wedding.
2. What about protein?
As a rash generalisation, a typical Western diet eats more protein than it needs for a typical Western lifestyle. It's freely available and rather than having to hunt down prey most people today need smart watches to remember to walk far enough. If you're a gym bunny, a runner, a cyclist etc then you'll need more of course. If you're genuinely concerned about your protein intake then maybe supplement your diet with a protein-fortified milkshake or snack bar?
3. Recipe/meal ideas.
Some vegetarian people like meat analogues (Quorn, TVP, soya etc); some prefer meat substitutes (mushroom wellington, lentil chilli); some choose already vegetarian options (falafel, many curries); some skip it entirely (probably not ideal long term); most probably do some combination of the above. For me personally my diet is largely Stuff In Sauce, I never really ate big lumps of meat to start with so eg. swapping out beef mince for veggie mince in a spag bol is a no-brainer.
This Christmas I had a Quorn roast which is pretty tasty as it goes but I don't really care, I could cheerfully have just had a plateful of potato and Yorkies so long as it hadn't been drowned in duck lard; left to my own devices I'd probably just have shoved a veggieburger under the grill. A weekend or two back we went out for Sunday lunch and I had some chestnut-and-something based roast thing, that was really good. At a house holiday with a large group of friends last summer we had (in addition to meat on the table) a vegetarian sausage 'crown' affair, like a big circular sausage roll in lattice pastry, that was amazing. I don't see the need for a "centrepiece" but there are options, stick a vase of flowers there if you must. 😁