This will be my first Christmas as a vegetarian. The questions I'm facing most seem to be "how will you cope, what will you eat?", folk seem genuinely worried that I'm about to starve or not enjoy myself this year (which is very considerate of them of course).
Well let's looks at what I used to eat.....a big plate of veggies and stuffing with a little portion of chicken with lots of lovely gravy. I have not eaten turkey for the last thirty or so years after seeing the way they were reared and slaughtered en masse for Christmas, once I'd seen this, turkey was banned from my house, my children and my husbands all understood and switched to chicken........thank you. At the time of this programme chickens were not quite treated as badly.....now they are and now I don't eat them!!
Now take a look at the plate and see what I won't eat....just the chicken, all the rest (with a modification on the gravy) is still the same.
I have bought one of these just to try it, but it's not an essential part of the meal, I thought I'd give it a go though, if it's tasty I can have it sliced on sandwiches too.
I can still eat chocolates, most are veggie friendly. I don't like marshmallow things so that's not a problem. I looooove liquorice which is fine.
I can still drink this.......there are lots of veggie friendly wines around. I'm not being too rigid at the moment, as some I've already got will still be drunk.
Cider is fine.....thank goodness.....hic hic :-)
My gift to myself this year is time......we have no large animals to look after due to circumstances this year and our imminent move, so we will have all Lovely Hubby's Christmas holidays from work (over two weeks) to have lie ins, to potter, to make plans for next year, to visit family, to relax....to just be, now THAT is my kind of Christmas
......and I don't have to murder a big bl**dy ugly bird to enjoy it!!
Sue xx
We've been veggie for four generations now. There is plenty you can do without imitating meat, as much of the quorn based meals do, in taste and texture, (bleugh!!) I'll often make a special loaf with darker lentils and walnuts or chestnuts, and onion gravy :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know why some people fret at the thought of cooking Vegans or vegetarians at Christmas. Ithink most Christmas dinner plates would be fine with the trimmings, there so much piled on them anyway, that who needs the meat. But saying that my husband will always puchase a mock meat, like the one you have and we use a gravy that is veg friendly. Although the Christmas tree is not up, we will be making an effort with food. He normally makes the trimmings. And I the PIE/loaf. I hope to make a Veggie Pie from Scratch - either one like this
ReplyDeletehttp://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/brussels-sprout-pie.html
or a traditional nutloa. Haven't decided yet.
Good to have Time to Enjoy! I do hope your first Christmas as a Vegetarian is a good one x
Fake meat doesn't sit well with me so I always make something else. We've been vegetarian since 1986, vegan since 2002 and Christmas is no more of a challenge than any other meal.
ReplyDeleteENJOY!!
Jane x
I'm not vegetarian but, don't eat much meat these days especially as I can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed a good nut roast though, they can be very tasty, especially with an onion and or mushroom gravy. I love sprouts and carrots and sweet potato. In fact, I think I might make myself a nut roast with all of the above and garlic in the sweet potato mash.
Washed down with a glass of good red wine or bottle of 'Old Speckled Hen' beer or even a glass of cider!
Sandie xx
have to say I love my turkey.......however when talking to Jane today, her menu sounds so good,
ReplyDeleteGill in Canada
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