Calling Vegetarians

Stuffed big mushrooms? Be warned, when I made these for the vegetarian in our midst, everyone else wanted one as well as the standard stuff. They went rather well with the turkey etc, and looked decorative too. What you stuff them with is up to you, and the stuffing is more piled on top than stuffed inside.

My son and I often make filo parcels for Christmas dinner - for the two of us, as the others are carnivores. You can use all sorts of veg and mushrooms for the filling and all supermarkets stock filo pastry.

Isn't she a bit young to be a vegetarian? Can she really have all the nutritional information needed for her health and development at her fingertips? Or is someone else willing to take on the careful menu planning that will be necessary during the next few years?

I take your point jings but have learned to keep the "lip-zip" closed when matters like this come to the fore. DD is a medical research scientist and her partner is a Consultant Dr so I presume they know what's what! DGD does eat cheese and eggs and some fish and lots of fruit, veg and salad so I presume she is getting the right nutrition. School lunch seems more of a problem and she has either pasta or jacket potato every day. DD is an excellent cook so I think it will be OK in the long run.

My problem is finding something a bit celebratory for her meal when they come to us. Starter and puds. will be fine plus cheese course but what can I do for her main?

Does she eat fish, or cheese?
When we were (partly) vegetarian I made sweet and sour prawns for xmas dinner.
Otherwise the old standby, veg. "meat" loaf, made with ground nuts and various vegetables added. Or a dish based on pulses.

One of the best roast dinners that I ever had was on a yoga retreat where they only served vegetarian food. We had a delicious nut roast.

We sometimes buy a frozen nut roast which contains chestnuts, mushrooms etc. from one of the major supermarkets. It is not expensive and is quite tasty.

Another good one is pineapple and chestnut stuffed cabbage.

Well, DD, DGD (18) and I are all vegetarian, and I could bore you rigid with suggestions. However:

We all agree, that if it is a roast dinner, what we love is to have Yorkshire pudding, and roast potatoes and vegetables - bung in cauliflower cheese and that is us sorted. But potatoes cooked in oil, please. I have a recipe for a "mushroom roast" which everyone loves, and which goes down well with chicken type roasts.

We also, sometimes, put lots of chopped and cooked mushrooms and garlic into the Yorkshire pudding mix, which serves us nicely as a main component. You can do similar things with Anna potatoes.

Spinach or parsnip roulade is good; blue cheese savoury cheesecake; homity pie (love that!) and, of course, the endless variations of vegetables in pastry that turn up on most vegetarian menus, anything from something akin to a Cornish pastie to mushroom Wellington.

If all else fails - go to M&S!

Sorry - said I wouldn't bore you...pm me for recipes if you like.

A fancy omelette with mushrooms, tomatoes, peas, and shrimps with a colourful salad?
We had some lovely salads in the US, different leaves mixed up with strawberries or mandarin oranges, with raisins and pecans thrown in too.

Or pasta with smoked salmon in a creamy sauce?

Well, my 13 year old grandson would be quite happy with a plateful of Yorkshire puds, with a tasty gravy! Come to think of it, he's practically vegetarian apart from ham and bacon, with the occasional sausage thrown in.

Thanks everyone - the creative ideas are now flowing. I really want to make a big effort for my eldest DGD so she feels special. She seems to live on pasta or jacket potato at school and I know there are lots of lovely veggie recipes which she would like. I just don't know them!

jings I had to smile at that! Very similar to DGD3 who decided to emulate her big cousin and go "veggie" until they all went out for the day and she decided to be part-time veggie and had a burger!!

Well as I said Gagagran - do pm me! DGD and DD are superb cooks and have many, many wonderful recipes.

Isn't she a bit young to be a vegetarian?

Our friends' daughter has been vegetarian from about the same age (and her mother became one too) and she seems very healthy. She has a toddler who doesn't eat meat or fish either and he seems fine.
DD's friend is vegetarian as are all her healthy, energetic under 10 year old children.

I don't think you need to worry too much about balancing her diet for one day - just ask her what she would like. The supermarkets will have some special Christmassy vegetarian dishes in - you could cheat!
It will be up to your DD to work out a long-term healthy diet for a growing teenager.

My three daughters grew up vegetarian from day one. They are all still vegetarian, they are slim and fit and between the three have only twice had antibiotics and they are rarely I'll.

For Christmas we always have nut roast with spicy tomato sauce and the usual accompaniments. Lots of recipes on the net but I'll put ours up if anyone wants it.

I can't believe vegetarianism is still viewed as odd, all the big chefs produce excellent recipes - Jamie Oliver, Sophie Grigson, Madhur Jeffery, Rose Elliot - it's a much healthier way to live and better for the planet too!

Nut roast every time for a traditional Christmas meal. Or some kind of veggie roast if your DGD is not keen on nuts. As others have said, there are dozens of recipes out there but my favourite is a layered nut roast using cashew and pine nuts with a chestnut stuffing as the middle layer. I did have a recipe for this years ago but lost it, so now I just kind of make it up and it comes out different every time, but always delicious!

My three children have also been brought up on a vegetarian diet from the beginning and although they have all tried fish and meat at various times, they have come back to vegetarianism. DGS is now being brought up without meat or fish as well. The is no reason to believe your DGD will suffer any deficiencies as a vegetarian and she will probably be even healthier for it.

Do not panic! we seem to have lots of ideas.
This is a slighted amended version of Sarah Browns Mushroom brioche recipe which is her Mushroom mixture in ready made puff or flaky pastry

Mushrooms en Croute.

I have just posted the recipe for this my usual vege Christmas main course in the Recipes part of the FOOD short cuts at the bottom of the page of the page.

I would suggest you might want to make half of the recipe but it is a very robustly flavoured dish and it is likely non vegetarians will want to try it as well. Enjoy!

Please can someone else check the Mushroom en croute recipe is visible in the recipe section of FOOD.

Thanks

Ask what she likes, very many children don't like mushrooms.
By the way, you're not vegetarian if you eat fish and nobody ever suffered nutritionally by being vegetarian. Many have never eaten meat or fish in their lives.
Shops and restraurants all offer a huge range of veggie food. The days of omelettes or quiche ended about 25 years ago.

Roasted beetroot and onions, with balsamic
Mushroom, spinach and chestnut pie
Fennel risotto with pernod ricard + rocket and dressing
Stuffed mackerel (apple and shallots + breadcrumbs) (or replace apple with gooseberries)
Roasted banana shallots in skins with grilled goats cheese
Chicory and blue cheese soup topped with crushed toasted walnuts and parsley
Orange, fennel and red onion salad as palate cleanser - a lovely inbetween course.
Sweet & Sour prawns with red and yellow peppers (Delia)
......
and I could go on.
Masses available on the internet, but all these are tried and tested in this household.

my eldest DD and I are veggie and her 5 yo DD has announced she is vegetarian so there will be 3 of us this year! ( vs 10 carnivores!) I always do Sarah Browns cashew and Brazil nut roast with mushroom and sherry sauce it's fabulous. You can make it a couple of days in advance and just shove it in the oven for 45 mins on the day. I can send you the recipe if you can't find it anywhere. The meat eaters also like it on the side of their turkey etc. it is always a hit and has become a bit of a tradition in our family

Darling daughter ds DGD are all veggies. I'm not but don't eat a lot of meat. Don't like fish or vegetables either.
Love prawns lobster oysters clams.
Very fond of caviar and smoked salmon and tinned salmon, but not fresh salmon.

Oh and tinned sardines in tomato sauce

As apricot says you're not vegetarian if you eat fish.

But I see the OP's DGD does eat fish so that opens up a lot more options.