Hosting a variety of folks for Christmas. Two are technically not vegetarian (they eat fish) but they don’t eat dairy. So I’m looking for a vegan entree for them, preferably make ahead and one dish, and preferably something others will enjoy. The other folks are big meat eaters, and I’m making a German meal: sauerbraten, red cabbage, maybe spaetzle, etc. Please share any vegan entree recipes you’ve made/had (or any recipes without meat or dairy really) that are fancy enough for Christmas. Eggs are okay. Thanks in advance!
These can be made ahead of time, as a small bowl (like a dessert sized bowl), and are delish - I make these a lot, and you can switch out the jerk for curry and the pineapple for a mild sweet chutney…
https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/jamaican-jerk-tofu-bowls/
Had these at our company holiday party - not one was left over -
https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Quinoa-Stuffed-Portobello-Mushroom-1622520
We’re heading to Kauai for a 55th birthday and the host is vegan, we (the guests) are hosting a birthday dinner party. We have each taken a course, will prepare and present to the table. It will be more like an 8 course tasting menu. So I’m jazzed to see what others come up with.
I’ve been making this for Thanksgiving every year the past several years as 3 of us are vegetarian. We all really enjoy it and it is actually totally vegan. https://relish.com/recipes/vegan-festive-chickpea-tart/
Oh @CAtransplant - that looks good, alas, we have walnut allergies - I might see if it works without them and prepare them in cupcake tins.
@JustaMom I’m sure you can do it without the walnuts - I don’t know if another nut that folks are not allergic to could be substituted? I’m not sure how putting them in cupcake tins would affect cooking time and also, are there little mini cupcake-sized pie crusts you could put them into? That would be really cute if so! I use the whole wheat pie shell from this company https://www.whollywholesome.com/ourproducts-pie-shells.php - used to get it at Whole Foods but this year they were out but Sprouts had it. I forget if either of those stores is on Kauai but hopefully you can find something like this there or mini-versions - or make your own if you’re ambitious!
I would substitute toasted pumpkin seeds if someone had a nut allergy.
@CAtransplant - I was actually thinking to repurpose the recipe and make it without the crust - I’d try it at home first (I can always travel with the premade crust if need be - although the website shows they do sell them in Kauai) - and @mathmom - toasted pumpkin seeds would be an amazing substitute!
@mathmom yes toasted pumpkin seeds do sound good! @JustaMom those crusts are frozen so it would defrost on the trip over but that’s probably ok because it’s supposed to be defrosted before use anyway. You could then just put it in the fridge when you arrive. I don’t know how it would be crustless - it tends to be crumbly and fall apart - but it would still taste good.
My H makes samosa pie that is really good. https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/indian-samosa-casserole
This recipe for quinoa cakes has become a favorite in my house:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015995-crisp-quinoa-cakes-with-almonds-rosemary-and-dijon
I like to serve them with a lime, cilantro, cardamom sauce that comes out of the Plenty cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi
I love a good soup recipe, so here’s mine.
Two tbsp olive oil in a large pot, dice onions and fry them for a couple minutes, then put in 4 cups veggie broth or water, one cup of marinara sauce, put in one small can of chickpeas. Boil 10 minutes. Then add one cup dry pasta and boil for however long the pasta needs to be done. Add cumin, oregano, paprika, and turmeric.
I love it and so does my family, and it’s completely vegan!
Google Honey Lentils-that’s a nice homey cropckpot dish that would go with your menu. You can make it with vegetable broth instead of chicken. I think there is some debate on whether honey is vegan or not-but it sounds like your guests are more trying to avoid dairy than strictly vegan…
My daughter’s boyfriend is a vegan and this is something he brings for special dinners. It’s very good.
Wow, lots of great suggestions here. I’m going to put some of these into my own rotation because we eat a lot of meatless meals. I have the lentil recipe. I think they are delish, but my family doesn’t like them sadly.
@JustaMom do you now if those portobellos can be made ahead of time? Or maybe I could make the filling and then fill and bake that evening. @cellomom2 that cookbook is on my wishlist! @Bromfield2 thanks for a dessert recipe! The site also has muffins and such (my group will be staying overnight). Good suggestions.
@taverngirl - we did make the mushrooms in advance and heated them for service.
If the guests are ok with eggs, Quiche may be nice and festive.
My son just let me know DIL is now eating vegan. Had planned ground beef hard shelled tacos for birthday dinner Friday night. Will still make the beef but will need to have an alternative filling. My S suggested a soy chorizo but my D who will also be coming for dinner is allergic to soy! It’s never easy.
@mom60 That’s an easy menu to work with. Black or refried beans (vegetarian kind), rice. You could do some oven baked veggies. Avocado.
I do taco/fajita bars for big groups a lot with lots of choices. Makes it easy for folks to pick what they want. Many will just go for a bowl of stuff over tortillas or hard shells.
What about fajitas? You can do one with the ground beef filling and then make a veggie only version. We love mushrooms, bell peppers, onions (with guac, greek yogurt, and hot sauce.) Yum.
Ina Garten’s baked faro and butternut squash. I have made leaving out the bacon, and using vegetable broth. Top with a vegan cheese–cashew? or serve cheese on the side. Super hit even with meat eaters. I use the 10 minute faro from Trader Joe’s. Make ahead.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/baked-farro-and-butternut-squash-3363756