Christmas is the prime time for traditions. In all families, we have basically our own traditions about how to, for example, Christmas Eve should be celebrated and what to eat – of course. It might be tartlets as a starter and then roasted pork, duck or turkey with brown and white potatoes, brown sauce and red cabbage. Then there might be a detour with a sugar-boiled apple or pear with jelly. Risalamande with an almond and cherry sauce is of course a sure dessert in all families.
But what do you do if you think Christmas food is too fatty and heavy and want to an alternative around Christmas? If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you can take a look at what I do. If you’ve invited a vegan or vegetarian in your family around the Christmas table, then you can get inspiration here for what you can do next.
Meatless Christmas for vegans
If the menu is vegetarian or vegan, only small adjustments are needed if you’re the only plant based eater among meat eaters.
For the brown potato, just replace the butter just with vegetable margarine. There are several that can be used, for example, spreadable margarine from Naturlig. It’s obviously important that the stock from the roast shouldn’t be used for the sauce, but it’s easy to take a portion before it’s put in. Be aware that in some pre-cut red cabbage can contain frying fat. The best thing is of course to make your own homemade red cabbage.
For many vegetarians and vegans, the nut paté is a regular occurance. It’s also a super delicious dish, and there are many different versions, so all you have to do is to just choose recipe.
Alternative ideas for for a meat free Christmas could be a mushroom or lentil pate, sei duck (use mock dock from a can – buy it from an Asian super market). These courses are those traditionally associated with a vegetarian or vegan Christmas.
Glazed butternut squash
You can also choose to do something completely different, like hazelnut baked and glazed butternut squash.
Simply peel a butternut and cut it in half. Take out the seeds and bake it for about 15 minutes. Now it is so soft that you can cut slices in it, just like a hazelnut baked potatoes. While the squash is in the oven boiling, cut two chilli into fine slices after you’ve removed all seeds.
- 2 dl maple syrup
- 100g vegetable margarine
- 0.75 dl apple vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt and any pepper.
Cook well so that it becomes syrupy. Bake the squash on a baking sheet for about 10 min., Take it out and brushes on the butternut again. This makes you about 3-4 times and it’s ready to eat. It goes well with brown potatoes and red cabbage and plenty of green salad.
Risalamande in vegan version
Risalamande is also available as a vegan version. Rice pudding cooked in plant milk, for example, soy milk with vanilla gives the creamiest porridge. There are more plant-based creams as well – like soy and coconut. These are both whippable and the coconut cream can be found organic. The soy cream provides the most neutral flavor, however. Coconut cream tastes pretty much like coconut.
Vegan lunches 1st and 2nd Christmas Day
Then there is the 1st and 2nd Christmas party on 1st and 2nd Christmas Day. There are many different vegan lunches a all common dishes such as eggless egg salad, mushroom (liver) pâtés, oyster mushrooms (chicken) salad, fishless fish fillets, jackfruit (mackerel) salad. As a vegan, it is possible to get a lunch similar to the others, and it can be liberating not to have to explain all the time.
An idea may also be to invite the family of vegan lunch. Of course it requires time and planning from the host side, but it can give a good eye-opener for those who have not tried it before.
7 tips to help you avoid overeating
As a vegetarian or vegan, we have the advantage that we do not get all the animal fat. But it is still possible to eat, drink too little and moving too little. So for all the same is, listen to your body and be balanced in its food intake. To assist the body is completely individual things you can do:
- Drink more water than usual
- Avoid overeating
- Listen to your body when it says stop, although the desire is nothing wrong
- Eat more vegetables – ha ‘a delicious green salad on the table
- Make for many, long walks, running or other movement
- Eat nuts and fruit in between marzipan, candies and cakes
- Grab a day of fasting with water, freshly squeezed vegetable juice or vegetable smoothies.
I wish you a Christmas with great flavors, a pleasant time and lots of coziness togetherness.
Merry Christmas
