Festive Meals for Vegetarians/Vegans

 VEGETARIAN/VEGAN FESTIVE MAIN COURSES

                    (Please check against current prices)

Many more people than you think will opt for vegetarian main courses for Christmas this year, and not just because they'll cost less but because they are fantastic meals

Coulibiac Pie: Extremely popular show-stopper with vegan option: stuffed with delicious layers of rice & veg; gives simple step-by-step instructions; make-ahead; carnivores love it!

Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome: 

Carnivores love this rich, warming scrumptious pie even though it's dense (in a good way!) filling has no meat!   It's lower-fat and wholesome, served with Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy and piquant Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce. 

Irresistible Nut Loaf: still a Blogger's favourite; makes you forget every boring nut loaf you've ever had; even carnivores love it.  If you're serving it alongside turkey, make it the day before Christmas and reheat; serve with lashings of vegetarian gravy and sharp Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce.  Makes great Boxing Day sandwiches. 

Avocado Pilaff (Warm): sublime, low salt/cholesterol 

Sensational Spinach Roulade: special occasion; lower-fat pillowy green roulade layered with cream cheese and taramasalata; vegan opt.

Moussaka, Marvellously Meatless: so delicious it stops conversation; sensational low-fat casserole which stuns diners; dairy-free option; takes a bit of time but much is prepped ahead.  It's so worth it and it makes a lot! 

FRUGAL

Vegan Wholemeal Pasta with Mushrooms, Peas & Chive Oil:  option for no-common-wheat: surprisingly delicious; nutty & multi-textured with layers of gorgeous flavour

Spiced Lentil & Vegetable Potage: Triple Duty, for when your tummy needs a rest from rich festive flavours 

DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.  

Turkey Free Festive and Family Meals:

 

Can't Afford Turkey This Year? Try these poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetarian/vegan and main courses.  Includes section on budget friendly family meals.

 

TURKEY FREE CHRISTMAS DINNERS (posted Sept '25)

    (Please check against current prices)

Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome with
Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

If your household is opting for something smaller than turkey this year but doesn't want to stint on the usual trimmings, these recipes from the archive offer scrumptious main courses.  They run the range from spectacular to frugal, some are quite healthy, most are easy and some are  prepped ahead.  Many budget friendly family meals are included, as are dairy free recipes.

Buy the best you can afford but common-all-garden supermarket meat, presented in an exciting new way, can provide a delicious, satisfying crowd-pleaser for the festive table. 

The usual alternative to the Big Bird is Chicken but other poultry include guinea fowl and capon. Pork is popular this year, but don't forget cuts of beef and lamb, slow-cooked for the budget wary.  Fish, vegetarian or vegan delights are a lighter - but no less worthy -alternative for the festive meal.  

 

POULTRY

Easy Christmas Chicken 

This is a perfect recipe for beginners.  It's a prep-ahead one-stop chicken that   virtually cooks itself.  Two rubs are available, one rich with paprika and orange, the other with orange, 5-spice and hoisin.  Either steeps the bird with rich flavour.  This festive season (1975)  M&S's Oakham Gold large Higher Welfare chickens (1.6k) are under a tenner at £9.50. 

Lightly spiced roast chicken; baked white & sweet potatoes; mixed veg  
 Extras: pineapple dessert & pull-apart fan rolls 
: 

Slow-cooked Shredded Asian Chicken Pittas

Easy-peasy buffet meal of shredded exotical slow-cooked chicken is different and fun, stuffed into fluffy round; goes further than you think

Chilli Con Turkey: frugal, low-cholesterol, low-salt, frugal

Roast Oriental Chicken: wallet-friendly, exotic, for the adventurous   

          

Armagnac Partridges with Apple:  

Boozy, fruity and fanciable; low fat/cholesterol; slow cooker; low cost if you stocked up on birds in August  

       

Pheasant with Mid-Eastern spices and Orange: order from your butcher 

Peking Duck for Pancakes: lower-fat, authentic flavour, wallet-friendly opt,  easy, guilt-free, easy

Selection of sassy Chicken Wings:  Chicken wings are a given in the Blog's Frugal  section; they're high in protein and take easily to different flavours.  Usually offered as footie snacks, they are also great with rice or chips and salad for lunch or supper  

BEEF

Brisket, Melt-in-the-Mouth with rich tomato sauce: wallet-friendly, low-fat, slow cooker

 

Beef & Black Beer Stew 

 One of 67goingon50's signature dishes; easy-peasy Skinnier indulgence; wallet-friendly 

Luxury Steak, Potato & Onion Pie:  

wholly indulgent guys' favourite, tender beef with potatoes in plenty of gravy, with alcohol

Hamburger Soup: thrifty, another multi-generational winner from across the pond; easy; makes lots of hearty bowlfuls of tender beefyness.

LAMB

Irish Stew: frugal, ambrosial peasant food

Lamb Shoulder with Savoury Gravy & Mint Sauce:  

gorgeous lower-fat roast for small households

Lamb Mongolian Style: fabulously low-fat; slow cooker; eat two ways - a stew or crispy meat lollipops  

PORK

       Exquisite Barbecued Pork: 

Wonderfully tender meat; nearly fat free; lower-sugar & salt, easy-peasy

 

Spiced Spare Ribs: almost no sugar, low-fat

FISH

Festive Fish Pie in White Wine Sauce: (dairy free option)

Creamy slightly boozy sauce and a crunchy top makes this pie so special.  Go indulgent with fresh mixed fish or go thrifty with frozen seafood; top with goldencroutons (pictured), mashed potato or puff/shortcrust pastry.  Lower fat.  

Spicy Oriental Salmon: 

Moist, succulent and subtly flavoured; sugar-free, sassily simple, prepare-ahead, healthy

 

Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon:  lower sugar, Healthy, 

DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.  

Easy-Peasy Festive Cookies 2025, includes freeze-ahead-and-bake

There is something very gratifying about baking festive cookies at this time of year and packaging them up for gifts.

If you have a store of frozen dough which can be sliced or rolled out as needed, life is even better.  

These recipes from the archive are simple, easy and produce spectacular results. Try one or all of these.  Even if the Christmas budget is tight, just one recipe will provide unforgettable delight.  None will disappoint.

Selection includes non-freezable dough and dairy-free options.

 Spiced Festive Crescents, 

Giant with half size option; oh so celestial: richly textured; melt-in-the-mouth

Pfeffernusse,
Delightful German Christmas cookies, elegant rich chocolate balls with nuts; make ahead, freezes well, makes 100

Christmas Swirl Freezer Biscuits: 

delightful to look at; wonderful to eat; easier to put together than you think

Dairy-free Date, Orange & Walnut Freezer Cookies
Unadorned, low-sugar moreish cookie stufffed with dates & nuts are an  alternative to super-sweet offerings. Made in advance, frozen and baked to order. (icing is an option)

4-ingredient shortbread: 
 Not the 'will-do' type of biscuit for tight budgets but rather scrumptious First Class melt-in-the-mouth treats.  Easy-peasy;  roll-em-into-balls-and-squash-them flat OR roll and cut out shapes.   

Grown-up Gingerbread Cookies

Adult-friendly, sophisticated but lower-fat & carb.  Man magnet. The ginger flavour is glorious; the proportion of sweet to spicy, perfect.  Easy, make-ahead.

Triple Chocolate Cointreau Bites

Irresistable darkly delicious biscuit for the sophisticated cookie-muncher. .  A cross between shortbread and sandy Viennese biscuits with a slight alcoholic kick.  Easy.  

 

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission. 

Take the Pressure Off Mum during the festive season 2025 ( many updated prices )

Fast, easy & make-ahead family dishes before Christmas 

A partner/parent/older kid who helps pick up the slack for Mum during the festive season will feel the glow of giving.  These recipes take stress out of mealtimes in Nov/Dec --  and the dishes  are so rewarding for the novice cook.  Includes advice for Festive Season storecupboard recommendations

updated 2025; first posted 2017 

Imaginative touches like these might be few and far between in the weeks before the festive season but these simple, tasty, fun recipes will make up for it.

Note: most prices have been updated to 11/25; a few are a 1-2 years out of date; others longer.  Calculate accordingly

ALMOST INSTANT

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup, classic & irresistible, vegan option

Peachy Fruit Sponge, ever-so-quick & tasty

Almost Instant Tomato Soup

Spinach & White Bean Soup, frugal but easy; half an hour from start to delicious finish, vegan

Almost Instant Intense Tomato Soup, stunningly delicious & so easy, vegan

Simple Chicken Wings: easy, kid-friendly, link to other popular wing recipes

7-minute Pork/Chicken & Pineapple Noodles, if the body's demanding carbs, this is the way to go

Cheat's Tortilla Espagnol, eggs, a trip to the chippie, Bob's your uncle and kids will be thrilled!!


PEPARE AHEAD

Creamy Tuna Casserole, kidults love the potato crisp topping; no one notices the wholemeal pasta

'Chicken' Gougons, vegan delight; they won't miss the meat

Bunless burgers with dark mushroom gravy: simple lower-fat North American classic

Spanish Roast Chicken: an unexpected glorious Mediterranean twist takes the chill off Arctic temperatures, make ahead

Tantalizing Make Your Own Pizzas, 3 Vegetarian Pizzas with carnivore options: Sausage & Grape, Mushroom & Cheese, plus Potato; dough made the day before

Chunky Lentil Soup 

EASY HEALTHY SOUPS

Puchero'. a high-nutrition wallet-friendly peasant Spanish Stew

Chunky Lentil Soup with Meatballs, kids love the meatballs

Egg-Flower Pea Soup

Kids adore this vegetarian soup with vegan option; low-fat/cholesterol/salt 

German Potato and French Bean Soup: carnivore or vegetarian frankfurters make it a whole meal; vegan option