The vegan diet is gaining more and more followers. Maybe you are one of them, or maybe you are among the guests at your Christmas dinner table. So that everyone can enjoy themselves without restrictions on either one or the other, here are some ideas for vegan and festive dishes.
It is not always easy to adapt to each other’s eating habits when it is time to gather around the Christmas table, especially if you are the cook. To preserve the spirit of harmony specific to the closing party, there are several solutions: specific dishes for followers of this or that diet (whether chosen or forced, in the case of diabetes for example), or… same menu for all.
Adopted by a growing part of the population for mostly ethical and environmental reasons, the vegan lifestyle (of which the vegan diet is a part) is gaining momentum in all aspects of society… starting therefore through the kitchen. Here are some suggestions for dishes to make for New Year’s Eve, for a few guests or for the whole table, without meat or eggs, cheese or milk, but with taste and inventiveness.
“Faux gras” as a starter
Taken from the blog specializing in vegetable cuisine La Petite Okara, here is a recipe for “fake fat” which would almost make you forget the dish it is inspired by, foie gras. In this vegetarian version, no duck, but cashew nuts, dried mushrooms, tomato concentrate, spices, herbs, agar agar…
Mix it all in a blender, thicken in a pan, let it cool in the fridge for at least 12 hours and pour the “fake fat” into small glasses. To spread on blinis accompanied by fig jam, so that the illusion is perfect.
Seitan for cooking in a dish
Seitan is ideal for putting together a hearty dish. What is it about ? From a food originating in Asia, rich in protein, made from wheat or spelled gluten. The Vegan Pratique website was designed by the L214 association and offers a number of recipes where it is the main ingredient, such as stuffed seitan in a crust, seitan rolls and red wine sauce or fried seitan stuffed with chanterelle mushrooms and with chestnuts.
Please note that these recipes are not suitable for gluten intolerant people. In this case, you can choose a gluten-free seitan, or 100% vegetable recipes such as tagine of forgotten vegetables with Christmas spices, chestnuts and agave syrup or pumpkin stuffed with mushrooms and chestnuts.
The vegan log
Who says Christmas meal says Yule log! Go to the Perle en sucre blog, which specializes in plant-based pastry, which is full of variations of Yule logs made around a sponge cake that meets vegan criteria. No milk or eggs in this recipe, but plain soy yogurt, soy milk, neutral oil, cider vinegar…
After this preparation (quite technical), you have to choose from the many possible toppings, for a log rolled in chocolate, another Black Forest way or a raspberry nougat version.