Christmas is a time of indulgence. For some, this seems to be about consuming as much meat as possible. Whenever I read Christmas cookbooks, I notice an inordinate amount of recipes that seem to include cooking every animal under the sun. So if you are a vegetarian, this time of year can be tricky for you. You may feel pressured to eat meat, or people may give you a hard time when they realize you’re not eating meat. Or maybe you are worried about what to cook or if you will go hungry, especially if you are going to be a guest in someone else’s house. These issues can be particularly tricky if you’ve recently become a vegetarian. Hopefully the following will make your Vegetarian Christmas a happy time for everyone.
Dealing with the pressure
When friends and family gather around Christmas, there’s a chance you might be a vegetarian. Either in a conversation or when they see you without eating meat. So it is very possible that you start to feel the pressure to eat meat. It may be worth reminding yourself that what you eat has nothing to do with anyone else. Do these people pay as much attention to every other aspect of your life? What I’m saying is that being a vegetarian is just one of the hundreds of choices you’ve made in your life. It’s a small part of who you are, but it’s an important part. Don’t let the pressure of others derail you.
Sometimes you may also feel pressure to eat meat when you feel like you don’t have good food options. There are so many options out there and it’s a great opportunity to go in the kitchen and create something amazing. It may help if you think about why you became a vegetarian in the first place. I remember arriving in Australia and there were hardly any options for vegetarians. It was a stark contrast to the UK, where vegetarians were much more catered for. However, it never occurred to me to eat meat again. Instead, I got stuck cooking from scratch and was soon able to easily turn many meat recipes into something vegetarian.
what to eat
If you’re cooking for yourself this Christmas, there are a number of directions you can take, and your personality can come into play. Are you a traditionalist or are you happy to stray from the norm?
I personally love tradition. Or rather, the tradition of roast potatoes since they are the best and the rest are just accompaniments! If you prefer a traditional dinner, think about how a traditional dinner can be modified to be vegetarian. Mock meats are widely available and can easily be substituted for meat eaten by other people. It might be worth trying different brands before Christmas and seeing what you like. If you’re not into meat alternatives, there are plenty of other tasty options that go well with all the trimmings. Nut roasts and puff pastry wrapped yummy things can be fantastic (I’m thinking pies, Wellingtons, en croute and strudel). Just remember to make a vegetarian dip, and make sure your stuffing balls are vegetarian if you have them. I often make pigs in blankets, just wrap veggie bacon around veggie sausages.
If tradition doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to ignore it entirely. It’s always good to create new traditions when you find something that works for you. My traditional Christmas breakfast is Nigella Lawson’s Christmas Muffins. I’ve made them for so long that I can’t remember what I used to make or even what a traditional Christmas breakfast would look like. One thing you could do is look at the different dishes people eat around the world at Christmas and get inspired by them. Or you could just eat your favorite food. Maybe spruce it up a bit by using the best ingredients or adding some festive flavors or garnishes. When I first moved to Australia I had to get used to Christmas in the summer and spent a few years trying different things, until I found something that worked for me, the weather and made it feel like Christmas. So, in addition to my traditional dinner, I enjoy things like mango salads and the abundance of fresh fruit available, especially cherries.
If you’re looking for recipe ideas, the Internet is a fantastic source. The Vegetarian Society always offers a Christmas menu and I look forward to checking it out every year. If you like cookbooks, I love Rose Eliot’s ‘Vegetarian Christmas’ and have used it for years. There are some good magazines that feature seasonal food for vegetarians – Good Food magazine is excellent and there are also some good vegetarian cooking magazines.
cook for others
I know that some vegetarians will cook meat for other people. However, I have never been one of them. When I left home I became a vegetarian and moved into an apartment with my vegetarian boyfriend. So my kitchen has always been vegetarian. I had family over for Christmas last year and let them know in advance that the food would be vegetarian. They were happy with this and they loved the food. On Christmas day I made a delicious encroute filled with delicious things like Stilton and chestnuts. With all the trimmings, of course. On New Year’s Day I made a traditional roast dinner: Yorkshire puddings and all, but instead of beef I used mock meat. Knowing that my carnivorous guests probably wouldn’t like the mock meat, I told them to bring a few slices of cooked meat to add to their meal. This worked well and everyone was happy. Some people will be more willing than others to try mock meat; you probably have a fair idea of who they are.
Being a vegetarian guest
Some people are more than happy to accommodate the vegetarian, while others panic and draw a blank. So try to make it easy for your host. If your host is worried about what to do, an easy solution is to make and eat your own main course that can be served with the sides. Depending on what you are eating, you can also prepare a gravity to take with you. This doesn’t have to be a strange thing: tell them it will lighten their load and keep them from having to worry about you. I have made this before and made a pecan roast and took it with us.
I have found being a guest over the years to be quite easy. I’m not the activist type: being a vegetarian is personal to me. Although it would be great if everyone was a vegetarian, it’s not my role to preach to them. However, if you like to talk a lot, maybe Christmas (which can be stressful enough anyway) is not the time to talk about your beliefs. This way you can enjoy your food and your family and feel good about yourself.
Finally, you may be afraid of digging about being a vegetarian, which can get tedious. A quick solution to this is to smile politely and then change the subject. If you want a winning topic, make the conversation about them. Most people are happy to talk about themselves and will soon forget about you.
Now happy eating and Merry Christmas!