Recipes for a Community Inspired Christmas Feast

Still sorting your Christmas Day menu and looking for inspiration? If like us, you’re looking for recipes that can be enjoyed by meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike, one of the joys and pains of feeding the masses is making sure there is something on the menu for everyone. And all the better if it is something utterly delicious. We’ve pulled together some recipes from some of our favourite veggie cooks and communities, Anna Jones,  Green Kitchen Stories, Food Cycle, and School Night Vegan to help you create a veggie Christmas feast that will have everyone coming back for seconds, thirds and most likely fourths!

Celebratory Celeriac + Sweet Garlic Pie

Total Time: 1 h 60 m I Prep: 30 m I Cook: 1 h 30 m I Difficulty: Hard

Anna Jones brings a definite centre piece for any veg-based feast and one that you can easily adapt (as per the recipe for those who don’t eat dairy). Add an extra pinch of chilli if you like your greens with even more of a kick.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 250g plain spelt flour, plus a little extra for dusting
• 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• a few sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and sage, leaves picked and finely chopped
• the zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 25g good Cheddar, grated
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 50–70ml cold water

For the filling

• 3 heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and sage, leaves picked and finely
• chopped, plus extra to finish
• 1kg celeriac
• 220g Lancashire or good Cheddar cheese, crumbled
• 150g crème fraîche
• the juice of 1⁄2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
• a small bunch of parsley, chopped
• Worcestershire sauce
• 2 organic eggs, beaten

Method

• Put the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and salt. Rub gently with your fingertips until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Stir through the herbs, lemon zest and Cheddar.
• Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add to the flour and mix until it forms a dough. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until it comes together into a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
• For the filling, put the cloves of garlic into a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then drain.
• Wipe the saucepan dry. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry on a high heat for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and 100ml water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Add the honey, most of the rosemary and thyme (reserving the rest, with the sage) and a good pinch of salt. Continue to cook on a medium heat for a further 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the garlic cloves are coated in a dark syrup.
• Meanwhile, peel the celeriac and cut it into quarters. Set aside 300g and slice the rest into 2cm-thick pieces. Put them into a saucepan, cover with hot water and boil for 7–10 minutes, until they are soft and have turned slightly translucent.
• Drain and tip into a big mixing bowl. Add the cheese, crème fraîche, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and eggs. Add a good pinch of salt and grind of pepper and gently fold in the garlic cloves.
• Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/gas 4. Sprinkle flour onto a work surface and roll out the pastry to 3–4mm thick. Line a 20cm-diameter cake tin with the pastry, ensuring a little spills over the edges.
• Pour the filling into the pastry case. Coarsely grate the reserved celeriac and pile it on top. Finish with the reserved rosemary and thyme, all the sage, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until the tart filling has set and the top is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool a little, then take it out of the tin. Lay a few herbs on top and serve warm.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smokey Shiitake

Total Time: 1 h 15 m I Prep: 30 m I Cook: 45 m I Difficulty: Easy

This one from School Night Vegan is for the sprout haters, after these they will be converts.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the shiitake

• 6 large shiitake (if dried be sure to rehydrate in boiling water for 30 minutes before using)
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

For the Brussels Sprouts

• 250g brussels sprouts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp vegan butter to serve

Method

To make the shiitake

• Pre-heat the oven to 170c.
• Slice the shiitake nice and thinly (around 3mm thick if you can). If using dried mushrooms which you’ve rehydrated, make sure you squeeze out most of the moisture.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the soy sauce, agave, liquid smoke and smoked paprika. Add the shiitake slices and stir until they’ve soaked up all the marinade. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and place in the oven for around 20 minutes. If you like, you can put them in the oven at the same time as the brussels sprouts. They should be tender and succulent (not too dry) but with a nice meaty bite.

For the Brussels Sprouts

• Peel off any damaged outer leaves and give the brussels sprouts a good wash in some cold water. Slice any large sprouts in half and leave the small guys whole. Put the sprouts in a large bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss the sprouts or massage them with your hands, making sure they’re all good and covered with oil.
• Spread the sprouts out on a baking tray and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, removing half way through to give them a stir and then returning to the oven.
• Serve the sprouts topped with the shiitake with a good blob of vegan butter on top. Oh and don’t forget the gravy!

Smashed Balsamic Roasted Potatoes

Total Time: 1 h 15 m I Prep: 15 m I Cook: 1 h  I Difficulty: Easy

Green Kitchen Stories' rustic potato recipe combine three different potato methods into one – boiled, mashed and roasted. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside with a sweet tanginess added from balsamic vinegar.

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 kg / 2 lb small potatoes
•  2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Method

• Set the oven to 225°C / 450°F.
• Wash the potatoes (keep the skin on) and place in a large saucepan.
• Cover with water and add 1 tsp salt. Cook for about 20 minutes (longer if you use bigger potatoes) or until easily pierced with a fork.
• Drain the water and leave to cool for a bit.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the potatoes on it.
• Smash the potatoes by pressing down on them using the backside of a glass.
• Whisk together oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic.
• Drizzle generously over the potatoes, making sure that you get it into all the nooks and crannies. You can use a brush for this as well.
• Sprinkle with salt and thyme leaves.
• Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.

Tip

• This is perfect as a side for 4 persons but you can easily double the recipe if you are cooking for a crowd. Just use two baking sheets and set the oven to fan mode and lower the temp slightly for more evenly distributed heat.

Mustard Roasted Roots

Total Time: 1 h 20 m I Prep: 20 m I Cook: 1 h I Difficulty: Easy

Now we need a good tray of roasted roots. Green Kitchen Stories' recipe seasons the roots in cinnamon, grainy mustard, a little vinegar and maple syrup and roasts them until they start to caramelize. They reccommend a turmeric tahini sauce to accompany this dish but a simple yogurt based sauce can be good as well.

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 kg / 2 lb mixed roots (parsnip, carrots, swede, sweet potato)

Dressing

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp sea salt

To serve

• 2 tbsp hemp seeds or finely chopped almonds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 375°F.
• Peel the roots and chop into batons (roughly 10 cm long and 1,5 cm thick).
• Stir together the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the roots and toss until all are covered.
• Tip out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and spread out in an even layer.
• Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Give the sheet a toss, then crank up the heat to 225°C / 450°F and bake for 20 minutes more or until golden and slightly charred.
• Transfer the roots to a serving platter and sprinkle with hemp seeds.

Tip

• This is perfect as a side for 4 persons but you can easily double the recipe if you are cooking for a crowd. Just use two baking sheets and set the oven to fan mode for more evenly distributed heat.
• You can use any root for this but swede, carrots, sweet potato and parsnips are our favorites

Crispy Red Cabbage and Grape Salad

Total Time: 20 m I Prep: 20 m I Cook: No Cooking I Difficulty: Easy

Green Kitchen recommends a lighter, crispier version of a traditional braised red cabbage for a bit of freshness. This crunchy salad works well with the other richer dishes, looks colourful and most importantly is very quick and easy to prepare. Grapes add sweetness to the dish just as we like it.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 small or ½ large red cabbage (1 lb / 450 g)
• 20 red grapes
• ¼ red onion
• 1 large handful parsley

Dressing

• juice from ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and pepper

Method

• Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice red cabbage and onion thinly. Cut the grapes in half and remove the seeds. Chop the parsley coarsely. Toss everything in a bowl. Mix the dressing and pour over the salad. Serve in a bowl or in a wide jar.

Strawberry Crumble Cake

Total Time: 1 h 15 m I Prep: 15 m I Cook: 1 h I Difficulty: Moderate

Our final number is from the charity we are proud to support, Food Cycle. They have recently launched a Recipes for Community e-book which features a number of great recipes. We need community more than anything and our environment needs us more than ever. There are many ways to get involved with FoodCycle and you might find their volunteering opportunities very rewarding.

Serves At least 12

Ingredients

• 260 g plain flour
• 260g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 175ml sunflower oil
• 2 tsps vanilla essence
• 170ml coconut milk
• 225g fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 1/2 mashed bananas

For the crumble topping

• 90g plain flour • 30g oats • 50g caster sugar • 30g demerara sugar • 1 tsp cinnamon • 70ml sunflower oil

To serve

• 500 g fresh strawberries • 1/2 tbsp icing sugar • 1/2 large lemon

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C and grease two loaf tins or a deep baking tray.
• Measure the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the sunflower oil, vanilla, coconut milk and mashed bananas and stir until completely combined. Finally, mix in the strawberries so they’re evenly distributed, and pour the mix into the prepared tin.
• Now mix together all the crumble ingredients in one bowl by hand, rubbing between your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle it evenly on top of the cake mix in the tin, covering the whole surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes.
• While the cake is cooking, wash and chop the strawberries and mix with the icing sugar and lemon. Set aside to allow the flavours to combine.
• When it’s ready the crumble should look golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with the macerated strawberries and a generous drizzle of cream (or a vegan alternative).