Stuff the turkey: Vegan alternatives to the traditional Christmas dinner
Bish Bash Bosh!Christmas Criss-Cross credit: Lizzie Mayson
CALL them what you will – the Ant and Dec of the vegan world, the vegan Jamie Oliver or the vegan kings – but Henry Firth and Ian Theasby have a very simple philosophy: “We’re all about getting more plants on plates.”
It’s a message that has struck a deep chord. Their debut cookbook, , was Britain's bestselling vegan cookbook of all time. Now, their latest book (published by HQ) taps into a growing demand for environmentally friendly meat-free options.
“We first launched BOSH! in 2016 and the shift in attitude towards veganism since then has been incredible, Henry Firth tells 'Feelgood'.
Ian Theasby takes up the story: “Back then, you’d be lucky to have one vegan option in a restaurant. Now you can walk into nearly any chain on the high street and find a range of tasty plant-based options. And that’s because the demand is huge. We’re really proud to have helped make vegan food more mainstream and accessible.”
And that applies to Christmas too, a holiday traditionally laden with meat-heavy fare.
Firth and Theasby will both be spending time with family in Sheffield where Christmas Criss-Cross from their second cookbook, , will be on the menu.
“It’s a delicious puff-pastry parcel packed with a mixture of mushrooms, chestnuts, herbs, cranberry sauce and red wine – an absolute crowd pleaser.
For those embarking on their first turkey-free Christmas, the duo advises newbie vegans to do their research and have fun.
“Inject some fun into it and challenge your family to make the meatiest vegan dish they can – think bangers in blankets!” says Theasby, directing tentative cooks to free recipes on their social channels and website.
Try to go big on flavour too – you can make dishes that are on a par with meaty flavours, if not better. But, they stress, don’t be too hard on yourself.
Theasby again: “As two Northern lads, we’ll be the first to tell you that we loved meat and dairy! It wasn’t until 2015 that we went vegan, in our thirties. So if you find yourself a few glasses down and reaching for the Quality Streets, don’t beat yourself up. It’s all about finding the balance that’s best for you.”
It took Holly White, author of (Gill Books), a little while to find that balance. “For a few years, I stuck to vegetables but I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on something a bit more special.”
She started developing recipes with an epic Christmas dinner in mind and created a vegan Christmas recipe ebook last year. “I was amazed how much demand there was for it,” she says.
“I’ve included everything, for example, mini quiches made with silken tofu instead of eggs, which are perfect for both breakfast and party canapés. I think all boxes are ticked. I’m a fan of bulk cooking to tide you over for a few days and everything included here is equally delicious for brunch or one of those lazy days where movies are high on the agenda.”
For the main event on Christmas Day, she will be eating a mushroom and chestnut tart, with all the veg, and served with a super-creamy onion, leek and potato gratin topped off with vegan gravy.
She foresees an increase in meat-free options in the year ahead as more people become aware of the environmental benefit of reducing meat and dairy intake.
Dr Hazel Wallace, doctor, nutritionist and founder of The Food Medic, agrees. “Year on year, we are seeing more people move towards a more plant-focused diet. The reason for opting to go vegan could be one of many, such as ethical or environmental issues, cultural or religious beliefs, or for the perceived health benefits.
If you’re a planning a meat-free Christmas, she says there is no need to worry that you will miss out on any important nutrients.
“However, if you do decide to continue with a vegan diet beyond Christmas, there are a few nutrients that you may need to be more mindful of getting, including iron, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids and iodine,” she says.
If you are looking for inspiration for your vegan Christmas, check out the recipes from the Bosh team and Holly White below.
Serves 4 as a side
500g carrots
4 medium beetroot
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water tsp sea salt, plus a little extra for seasoning
clementines
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
100g walnuts
black pepper
Preheat oven to 190C
– Foil
- 2 baking trays
- Roasting tin
Trim the carrots, peel them if the skins are tough and cut any large ones in half lengthways.
Trim the beetroot peel if desired and cut them in half Lay a large sheet of foil on a baking tray
Place the beetroot in the middle and drizzle over L tablespoon of the olive oil, the water and a little salt and pepper.
Turn the beetroot to coat.
Scrunch up the foil to make a package, making sure there are no gaps to let out any steam.
Put the tray in the oven to steam for hour.
Meanwhile, put the carrots in the roasting tin
Zest one of the clementines over the carrots, then cut it in half horizontally and squeeze over the juicer catching any pips in your other hand.
Pour over the balsamic vinegar' pomegranate molasses and the rest of the olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat the carrots.
Cut the remaining clementine in half horizontally and put it In the tin along with the thyme and bay leaf.
When the beetroot has been in the oven for 30 minutes, put the carrots in and roast them for 25 minutes.
Check if they are cooked and if they're still hard return the tin to the oven for up to 10 minutes more.
Put the walnuts on the second baking tray 10 minutes before the beetroot are ready to come out of the oven, put the walnuts in and bake, checking after 8 minutes to make sure they're not burning.
Take the tray out of the oven, transfer the nuts to a chopping board leave to cool slightly and then roughly chop.
Take the beetroot out of the oven and put the tray on a heatproof surface. Open the foil leave to cool a little then cut the beetroot into wedges.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Tip in the beetroot wedges and toasted walnuts and stir them around in the caramelised carrot juices.
Decorate with the roasted clementine and serve immediately.
Serves 4
200g mixed mushrooms
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp smoked salt
1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
1⁄2 tsp black pepper, plus a little extra for seasoning
25g flaked almonds
500g Brussels sprouts
2 eschalion (banana) shallots
2 fresh bay leaves
Salt
Preheat oven to 180°C
- Line 2 baking trays
- Large saucepan of boiling salted water on a high heat
- Frying pan
Chop the mushrooms into 5mm-thick slices and spread over one of the baking trays.
Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the maple syrup.
Sprinkle over the smoked salt, smoked paprika and pepper.
Toss well to coat.
Put the tray in the oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway.
Meanwhile, spread the flaked almonds over the second baking tray.
Put the tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Trim off any old outer leaves from the sprouts. Put in the pan of boiling salted water and cook for 5–6 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Peel and thinly slice the shallots.
Put the frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the shallots with a pinch of salt and fry for 2–3 minutes, until soft.
Add the bay leaves and drained sprouts.
Take the mushroom lardons out of the oven and transfer to the frying pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes.
Tip the cooked sprouts and mushrooms into a bowl.
Sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds.
Season to perfection and serve.
There are whole books written on roast potatoes and countless theories, methods and ideas on what makes the perfect roast potato.
Perfection is a hard thing to strive for, but personally I think these come very close.
Adding the roasted garlic sauce and some crushed sea salt makes this one of those side dishes that disappears within the first round.
Serves 4-6.
1000g of white potatoes- go with what is in season but Maris Piper is a safe bet.
Olive oil 1 head of garlic and 1 extra clove.
Garlic dressing 100g of cashews (soaked for a minimum of 8 hours and rinsed) 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 1 head of roasted garlic - 120ml filtered water 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon of olive oil Personally I like potato skins and it makes for much quicker preparation time but do whatever suits you.
Chop the potatoes into a semi uniform size to ensure even cooking. About the size of a golf ball is a good guide.
Boil them with the clove of garlic in the pot for twenty minutes.
In the meantime prepare your garlic head for roasting by removing the papery outer layer leaving the head itself intact with all the cloves connected. Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to exposing the tops of the garlic cloves.
Wrap the garlic in tinfoil and drizzle about 2 teaspoons of oil over it before sealing the top of the tinfoil.
After twenty minutes your potatoes will be ready. Strain them in a colander and allow them to drain for at least 2 minutes. The more moisture that’s removed the crispier they will get.
Add the drained potatoes to a large oven tray, pour over about a tablespoon of olive oil and shake them in the tray to bash them up a bit and also coat them with oil. This creates lots of little crispy clusters.
Put the roasted garlic in tinfoil in the corner of the tray and place in a hot 200* oven for 40 minutes.
Halfway thorough take the tray out and agitate and turn the potatoes ensuring they get crispy on all sides.
When they look crispy remove them from the oven.
Open up the garlic. The roasted garlic easily presses out easily.
Blend the cashews till they are silky smooth. Add in all the other ingredients and blend well.
If you want a lighter taste only use half the garlic and add more to taste. It quickly and easily blends in.
Serve this on the side or pour over your roasted potatoes.
For more see: www.holly.ie/recipe-guides/veganchristmasrecipebook
