Vego Xmas Lunch, suggestions please

I really feel bad for DH this time of year. His family always get together & make a big deal out of xmas day. Were as my family...... well I pretty much have forced some kind of get together this year. We will be going to my mums for Lunch. Going to do the usual baked veggies & Chicken. But DH is a vego. I would like to make the extra effort for him to have some sort of "main" along with his roast veggies. I'm scratching my head as to what I could do that is christmasie. I seen the post on the roast veg salad, but I am doing normal roast veggies anyway.

I am not much of a wiz in the kitchen so as simple as possible, but doesn't have to be toooo simple. Please include recipes with suggestions THANKS.

Fiona - does he eat dairy products or seafood? Just so I know what to include ;)

Hey Fiona, My sis and i are both vegetarians, so we have the usual Roast meat and roast vegies, and then I make Cauliflower and broccoli with cheese sauce, scalloped potatoes, grilled capsicum, zuchhini, eggplant etc. Add to that the garlic bread or hot rolls, its just beautiful

Having said that, we don't eat seafood, or meat substitutes, we are very much just vege eaters, all just cooked in different ways :)

Fiona,

How about a roast veg lasange or even a spinach/cheese/mushroom lasagne that you can serve with the vegies and salad? I know its not xmassy but its yum to eat, or mayne you could do some falfafels, with tabouleh salad and vegies, the tabouleh is green and red so it looks like xmas?

Lisa

No seafood, eats dairy, just not animals.

LOL @ not animals ;)

What about a caramelised onion and goats cheese tart? Some pastry triangles? Nutmeat meatballs?

*hugs*
Cailin

Ok Fiona, here are some possibilities for you (with receipes);

Blue Cheese Penne and Tomatoes; (serves 4)
(This receipe can be made several hours ahead and then reheated covered with foil and bake at 180-190 degrees for about 20 minutes or until hot)

6 sml egg tomatoes (roma), halved
1 tblspn olive oil
i tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
300g penne
125g blue cheese
125g light cream cheese softened
200g baby spinach leaves
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan cheese

1. Place tomatoes cut-side up on baking tray. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook tomatoes in batches, on heated lightly oiled grill plate (or grill of BBQ) about 10min or until soft and lightly browned. Cover to keep warm.

2. Meaniwhile, cook pasta in large saucepan on boiling water uncovered until just tender. Drain. Return pasta to saucepan with blue cheese, cream cheese, spinach and half the parmesan. toss gently until well combined.

3. Place pasta mix in oiled shallow 2.5 litre (10cups) ovenproof dish. sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Cook uncovered under hot grill until top browns lightly.

4. Serve blue cheese pasta with tomatoes.

Ricotta and Spinach stuffed pasta shells: (serves 4)
32 large pasta shells (280g)
500g spinach
250g low-fat ricotta cheese
500g low-fat cottage cheese
600ml bottled tomato pasta sauce
1 cup (250ml) veg stock
1 tblspn finely grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, 3 minutes, drain. Cool slightly.

2. Preheat oven to 180-190 degrees

3. boil, steam, or icrowave spinach until just wilted; drain. Chop spinach finely, squeeze out excess liquid.

4. Combine spinach in large bowl with ricotta and cottage cheese; spoon spinach mix into pasta shells.

5. Combine sauce and stock in oiled shallow 2L (8 cup) ovenproof dish. Place pasta shells in dish, sprinkle with parmesan. Bake, covered, in oven about 1 hour or until pasta is tender.

Rice and fetta filled roasted capsicums: (serves 4)
2 large red capsicums (700g)
2 tspn olive oil
1 small brown onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
3/4 cups (150g) medium-grain white rice
1 cup (250ml) veg stock
1 cup (250ml) water
1 tblspn lemon juice
300g spinach chopped coarsely
2 tblspn coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 tblspn pine nuts toasted
1 tblspn dried currants
50g fetta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 220-230 degrees

2. Halve and seed capsicums; place in large baking dish. Roast uncovered in hot oven, 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in medium saucepan; cook onion and garlic stirring, until onion softens. Add rice, stock, the water and juice; bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, stiring ocassionally, about 15 minutes or until rice is just tender. Add spinach, mint, nuts and currants; stir until well combined.

4. Spoon rice mix into capsicum halves; sprinkle tops with cheese. Roast uncovered, i hot oven, about 15 min or until fetta browns lightly.

Goat cheese stuffed roast capsicum with tapenade: (serves 8)
4 med red capsicums (800g)
300g firm goat cheese
200g fresh ricotta cheese
2 tblspn sour cream
2 tblspns extra virgin olive oil
1 tblspn basil leaves
cracked black pepper

Tapenade:
1 tblspn drained capers
3 anchovy fillets, drained
1/2 cup seeded black olives (60g)
1 tblspn lemon juice
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

1. Roast whole capcisums under grill or in very hot oven (240-250 degrees) until skin blisters and blackens. Cover capsicum with plastic or paper for 5 min. Peel away skin. Slice off and discard top and bottom of capsicums. carefully remove and discard seeds and membrane from inside remaining capsicum pieces. Trip capsicum pieces to 8cm in depth; cut each in half to make two 4cm "rings".

2. Blend or process cheeses and sour cream until smooth. Fit one capsicum ring inside a 5.5cm round cutter, place on serving plate; spoon cheese mix inside capsicum ring. carefully remove cutter. Repeat with remaining capcisums and mixture.

3. Serve capsicum with tapenade, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with basil leaves and cracked pepper.

Tapenade: Blend or process ingredients until smooth.

HTH and have a great Christmas!

MG

Ohhh yum...these are great ideas! We are veg...ie not eating animals either and these are some great ideas. We do use and love meat substitutes. We do a vege lasagne and its always popular as a main with roast vegies at one do that we have..where we are all veg...and then for the other lighter lunch...its more salads and cold foods.

Jo

From my recipe collection - it is in pounds/quarts coz they're from america

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH GRUYERE & HAZELNUTS

1 medium cauliflower (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds)
Salt
1/2 cup creme fraiche (see note)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry, unflavored bread crumbs
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (see note)
2 tablespoons chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Butter 2-quart oven-to-table baking dish or gratin pan. Set aside.

Cut off and discard base of cauliflower, then cut head into small, individual florets.

Bring large pot of water to boil and salt generously. Add cauliflower florets to pot and cook until tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a sharp knife, about 5 minutes. Drain florets and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Place cauliflower in prepared dish and toss with crème fraiche and half of the cheese.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over cauliflower, then top with bread crumbs and hazelnuts.

Bake on center rack of preheated 375-degree oven until cheese has melted and bread crumbs and nuts are golden, 20 to 25 minutes or more.

Garnish with chives or parsley.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Notes: Creme fraiche is available in most supermarkets. If you can't find it, this recipe works well; it needs to be made at least 6 hours in advance.

Whisk 1 cup whipping cream and 1/3 cup sour cream together in medium non-reactive bowl.

Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer. Cover and refrigerate.

Store up to 1 week, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes 1 1/3 cups.

To toast hazelnuts: Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350º F oven until browned and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, place nuts in a kitchen towel and rub together to remove as much of the skins as possible.

RUSSIAN POTATO CASSEROLE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

6 large sweet onions, diced or sliced thinly
5 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sugar
About 4 lbs. of russet potatoes
chicken stock (Note from Schaz: can use vegetable stock - I make up a stock with vegeta powder)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, not margarine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs, beaten to blend
1 tsp. dried dill
2 cups sour cream

Melt the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the oil and heat. Add the onions, stir to coat and reduce the heat to low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep brown color. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for a few more minutes, stirring. The onions will take about an hour.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in enough stock to cover. (Cook until slightly overdone for the best effect.) Drain the potatoes completely, reserving the stock. Mash the potatoes. Add the butter, cut into pieces to melt.

Stir the beaten eggs into the 1 cup of sour cream. Add this to the hot potatoes, stirring in quickly to distribute the egg evenly as it cooks in the hot potatoes. Stir in the cream and the dill. Add enough of the reserved stock to make a very loose mashed potato consistency. You do not want them to be stiff because they will dry out in the oven.

Grease a casserole dish with butter and add half the potatoes. Spread the caramelized onions in an even layer over the potatoes. Carefully cover the onions with the rest of the potatoes, sealing them in. Finally, cover the top with a layer of the 2 cups of sour cream.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

I am not going to be much help my pg brain has sent me blank so I cant think of anything atm LOL but this all sounds so yummo, we usually have either heaps of different salads with snackie type food or roast with all the veggies you can think of I love the cauliflour and cheese, potato bake etc... and all that sort of stuff its just so yummyand aslong as I am able to load my plate up too I dont feel left out its when everyone else has 4 types of roast meat and salad that has bacon in it then all I can have is potato crisps and garden salad and trust me it happened to me last year and well every year I have spent with the IL's so these days I take my own LOL

MMMM there are some yummo looking dishes there! Will have to have a look over when I have more time to see whats needed etc. Thanks for the idea's!

or just google recipe sites :)