Vegan yule: plant-based Christmas recipes from Zacchary Bird – The Guardian
Christmas time for vegans has long been a day of heaping up your plate with any side dishes they can find that aren’t directly touching the poultry roast, but that’s no longer the case. It’s easier than ever to create a spectacular plant-based addition to your holiday table for your non-meat-eating guests, who deserve more than just the potatoes.
Whether you need an umami packed hors d’oeuvre (like plant-based bacon-wrapped maple brussels sprouts or mushroom-based faux gras); a much-less-fussy-than-the-original beet wellington, or seek to impress with realism in the form of a whole lamb chop formed from store-bought meat alternatives, moving plants from sides to the spotlight doesn’t take much extra effort.
Those looking to find out just how impressive plant-based meat can really be are invited to tackle the centrepièce de résistance – The Bird Roast – neither a mock-turkey, chicken nor duck, but a roast shaped like the author himself, to appease those sick of vegans making all their food look like traditional animal products.
Beet wellington
Rare creation: Bird’s beet wellington. Photograph: The Vegan Butcher
Boot the beef for some beet!
Serves 6
5–6 small beetroots
3 tbsp olive oil
2 frozen dairy-free puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 tsp soy milk
2 tsp aquafaba
For the filling
4 French shallots, diced
200g mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp thyme, chopped
2 tbsp white wine or sherry
200g tempeh
150g brown lentils, cooked
2 tbsp psyllium husk
1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp nutmeg, ground
½ tsp liquid smoke
Sea salt and black pepper
For the gravy
80g dairy-free butter
40g plain flour
1 tbsp beef-style stock powder
3 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Vegemite or Marmite
1 tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven to 225C. Place the beetroot in a casserole dish. Coat in 1 tablespoon of the oil, then roast for 1 …….