A vegan Christmas dinner featuring rosemary roasted potatoes, roasted garlicky spouts, maple and sea salt parsnips, garlic and pepper tofu and a cranberry and red onion relish.
Here is a chance to practice the festive offerings you’ll be offering at Christmas. I call it a mini Christmas roast; there isn’t all the trimmings that will leave you feeling uncomfortably full, but there is just enough to keep you satisfied. Pick and choose the following recipes depending on what takes your fancy, or cook all of them for a real festive feast. I know which I would do!
Rosemary roast potatoes
Prep time 10 minutes / Cook time 55 minutes / Total 1hr 5 minutes
This method of roasting potatoes has been adapted from a recipe by the queen of traditional home-cooking, Delia Smith. Par boil the potatoes, drain and then give a good shake in the pot to roughen up the edges. Carefully spoon onto a tray of very hot oil; you want to hear them sizzle! Baste with the fat and then generously scatter over the rosemary, salt and pepper to give you gorgeous flavourful roasties. These potatoes are perfectly crisp on the outside with a fluffy interior. Everyone around the table will be wanting a second helping, and let’s be honest, probably a third.
Roasted garlic brussels sprouts and maple parsnips
Prep time 5 minutes / Cook time 30 minutes / Total 35 minutes
Brussels sprouts – the contentious Christmas veggie. I will always fight their corner. They have a distinct, almost earthy taste which is a much needed addition to the mostly ‘meaty’ and sweeter flavourings that make up a typical Christmas dinner.
Prep time 5 minutes / Cook time 30 minutes / Total 35 minutes
As for parsnips, I have yet to meet a non believer. I’ve drizzled them in maple syrup and seasoned with sea salt for a deeply flavoured, salty-sweet twist on the traditional.
Garlic and pepper tofu
Prep time 15 minutes / Cook time 20 minutes / Total 35 minutes
This is a simple recipe for garlic and black pepper tofu. Cooking a vegan Christmas dinner can be an arduous task. As much as I love cooking, there are so many components to the festive feast that it can be a tad overwhelming. So I’ve made life easier and used garlic granules to keep prep easy.
Cranberry and red onion relish
Prep time 5 minutes / Cook time 15 minutes / Total 20 minutes
This cranberry and red onion relish is the star of this festive feast. The warm wintry cinnamon, zesty orange and treacle like brown sugar create a delicious relish that is deceptively easy to make. Simply sauté the onion until tender, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thick and sticky and smelling of all things wonderful and festive.
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on making this vegan Christmas dinner. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
More festive recipes:
Roasted beetroot and red onion salad
Vegan Christmas Dinner
Ingredients
Rosemary roast potatoes
- 1 kg maris piper potatoes
- 100 mls olive oil
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves removed and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Roasted garlicky brussels sprouts
- 500 g brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- Sea salt and black pepper
Roasted maple parsnips
- 550 g parsnips approximately 5 large parsnips
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Cranberry and red onion relish
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp dairy free margarine
- 125 g fresh cranberries rinsed and dried
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 75 g soft brown sugar
- Zest from a whole orange
- 1/2 orange juiced
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp water
Garlic and pepper tofu
- 400 g firm tofu
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic granules
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- For the potatoes:
- Pre heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Add 100mls of olive oil to a sturdy baking tray. Place on the top shelf of the oven to allow the fat to get really hot.
- Peel the potatoes and depending on the size, chop into half or quarters. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the potatoes and cook the potatoes just under the boil for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return to the saucepan and cover with the lid. Vigorously shake the pot to roughen up the potatoes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and carefully add the potatoes. Baste each potato with the hot oil. Then evenly scatter over the rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Place the tray back on the top shelf for 45 minutes.
- For the Roasted Garlicky Sprouts:
- Rinse and dry the sprouts, trim the ends and remove the rough outer leaves.
- Add to a bowl along with the minced garlic and olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir the sprouts well to ensure they are well coated.
- Spread onto a baking tray and roast for 30mins at 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6, turning the sprouts half way through.
- For the Roasted Maple Parsnips:
- Rinse and dry the parsnips. Trim the ends and leaving the peel on, halve the parsnips lengthways. If the parsnips are large, halve again.
- Mix the parsnips, maple syrup and oil in a bowl. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
- Place the parsnips on a baking tray, cut side down. Brush over the remaining maple syrup mixture. Roast for 30mins at 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6.
- For the Cranberry and Red Onion Relish:
- Heat the oil and margarine in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes until the relish has reduced and is a thick, sticky mixture.
- For the Garlic and Pepper Tofu:
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Drain the tofu, wrap in a tea towel and press with something heavy for 15 minutes.
- Then cut into slices and add to a bowl along with the cornflour, oil, garlic granules, salt and pepper. Gently combine the ingredients, being careful not to break apart the tofu.
- Place the tofu on the baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
I need those potatoes in my mouth right this second!