At this time of year, it is very hard to stay focussed on eating well and weight loss when there are so many tempting treats around. Whether you are vegetarian or not, vegetarian recipes can help to keep a little more on track and are far less fattening than traditional chocolate, high sugar and high fat foods. Here are some great recipes for the festive period.
Some of these recipes are American, but you can convert the measures here.
VEGAN GINGERBREAD MEN
With this tasty gingerbread recipe you can make tasty vegan gingerbread houses, gingerbread men and even gingerbread tree decorations, and they taste amazing!
1 cup vegan margarine
1 cup caster sugar
Egg replacement, equivalent to an egg
1 cup molasses
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
5 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. groundginger
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
For the Frosting:
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. vanilla almond milk
Food colouring of your choice
Method: In a large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar. Mix in the egg replacement, molasses and vinegar before setting to one side. In a smaller bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and then add in the wet ingredients. Chill the dough mixture in the refrigerator for 3 hours, but for best results chill overnight. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a baking sheet. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface. Cut into whatever shapes you like. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the edges brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray and then move to a wire rack for further cooling.
While the cookies are cooling, you can make the frosting/icing. Cream the vegan margarine with a hand mixer and then add the shortening and continue to mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. The frosting should be stiff. Use a piping bag and nozzle to decorate the cookies.
CHRISTMAS ROAST
For vegetarians it can be hard to come up with a good alternative for your Christmas day roast, but this recipe is a fantastic choice. This simple vegetarian dish for Christmas roast is free from nuts. It contains plenty of finely diced vegetables and mushroom baked in a loaf tin with a cheesy breadcrumb topping, to make a moist veggie roast with a crunchy topping for those who would rather not have turkey.
GLAZED CARROT, HAZELNUT AND MUSHROOM TART
This beautiful recipe not only tastes amazing but it looks really lovely too making it a great option for a Christmas menu – plus it’s really easy to make.
