Vegan Turkey Loaf

Vegetarian Stuffing Recipe - Vegan/Vegetarian Christmas Recipes On Video

Recipe: http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/video/vegetarian-stuffing-recipe
This vegetarian stuffing recipe is the perfect alternative to a traditional bread-based stuffing, and is made with healthy brown rice. It is still full of flavor though, thanks to some apple cider, cranberries and thyme. A few vegan Christmas recipes like this one add up to a wonderful holiday meal, leaving you satisfied and nourished without falling asleep with an overstuffed belly.

Bejewelled Puddings

Ingredients

Ingredients for sponges
100g butter
70g brown sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten (for vegan*use 2 tbsp soya flour with 4 tbsp water)
100g ground almonds
40g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch nutmeg and cinnamon
450g fruit - cherries, apricots, raspberries, blue berries or your choice
3 tbsp caster sugar
200ml of flavoured brandy or liqueur to match fruit e.g. crème de cassis for raspberries, apricot brandy for apricots, cherry brandy for cherries etc.

Ingredients for brandy sauce
Cooking and preparation time 10 minutes
30g butter or vegan margarine*
30g plain flour
350ml milk or soya milk*
350ml milk or soya milk*
20g caster sugar
100ml single cream or soya cream*
2 tbsp brandy
2 drops of vanilla or almond extract

Method for the sponges

01

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

 

02

To make the sponge base, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Now add the eggs, almonds, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and mix in thoroughly. Set aside.

 

03

Make the fruit layer next. Add the fruit, sugar and brandy or liqueur to a small saucepan and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. This should take around 15 minutes.

 

04

Grease four ramekins and line with baking parchment. Place the fruit mixture into each of the ramekins then add the sponge mixture. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the sponge has risen and is crisp.

 

05

When done, let the puddings cool slightly before turning them out onto a plate each. You may need to go around the puddings with a sharp knife if they have stuck to the sides, carefully remove baking parchment.

 

Method for the brandy sauce

01

Gently melt the butter (or margarine) then add the flour, stirring with a whisk. Allow to cook for two minutes, keep stirring.

 

02

Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time. As the milk is added the sauce will start to thicken.

 

03

Add the sugar and allow the sauce to cook for 5 minutes on a low heat, stirring from time to time.

 

04

Add the cream and brandy plus either vanilla or almond extract. Bring slowly back to a higher temperature stirring all the time then serve immediately.

Leeks and Walnuts

 

Ingredients

15g butter or vegan margarine
3 leeks, washed and finely sliced
30g broken walnuts
20g lemon thyme, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

01

In a large frying pan, gently heat the butter or margarine and add the leeks.

 

02

Gently sauté the leeks for five minutes then add the walnuts and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

 

03

Finally add the lemon thyme, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve .

 

 

Layered Loaf

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
300g Quorn mince or *frozen vegan mince
2 tbsp mild curry paste
30g breadcrumbs
3 drops of almond essence
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
50g toasted chopped hazelnuts
250g ready to eat prunes, finely chopped
4 free range eggs, beaten or *1 tbsp gram flour mixed with 4 tbsp water
1 orange, skin removed and finely sliced
1 jar roasted red peppers or 1 red pepper roasted and skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

01

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Line a loaf tin (20 cm x 12cm x 6cm) with greaseproof paper.

 

02

Gently fry onions in olive oil for 5 minutes then add the garlic and mince and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

 

03

Add the curry paste, breadcrumbs, almond essence, water, rosemary, half the prunes and hazelnuts, stir and remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then add the beaten eggs or gram flour mixture, stir and season with salt and pepper.

 

04

Line the base of the loaf tin with sliced orange.

 

05

Put half of the mixture into the tin then a layer of red peppers. Top up the tin with the remaining mince mixture.

 

06

Then place a layer of the remaining prunes on top of the mixture. Cover the loaf with greaseproof paper and bake for 30-40 minutes.

 

07

Carefully lift out the loaf, invert so that the orange slices are at the top and serve as a festive centre-piece.

 

© Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2011

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Layered squash, barley & spinach pie

Prep 40 mins
Cook 2 hrs 40 mins

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1kg/2lb 4oz), peeled and cubed
• 3 tbsp olive oil , plus a little extra for brushing
• 3 onions , finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves , crushed
• 100g mushrooms , sliced
• 85g whole cooked chestnuts , quartered
• 100g pearl barley
• 1.2l vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• zest 1 lemon
• 250g/9oz tub ricotta
• 200g full-fat soft cheese
• ½ x 20g/1oz pack sage , leaves picked and chopped
• 400g baby spinach
• 20g pack parsley , leaves chopped

FOR THE PASTRY

• 700g plain flour
• 140g butter
• 85g/3oz white vegetable shortening                                   
• 100ml milk
• 1 egg , lightly beaten
• few bay leaves (optional)

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and roast the butternut squash with 1 tbsp oil for 25-30 mins until tender, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large pan and cook the onions and garlic for 10 mins until soft. Remove two-thirds, then add the mushrooms, chestnuts and pearl barley to the pan. Sizzle for a few mins, pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Bubble fiercely for 30 mins until the barley is tender and sticky and there is no liquid left. Stir in the soy sauce, season and set aside.
3. While the barley layer is cooking, make the other layers. Stir the zest, ricotta, soft cheese and a good amount of seasoning into the reserved onions until smooth. Take a third of the mixture and gently fold with the sage and roasted squash. For the final layer, boil the kettle, then tip half the spinach into a large colander. Pour over the boiling water to wilt, then repeat with the rest of the spinach. Tip the spinach onto a clean tea towel and squeeze out all the moisture you can. Roughly chop, then mix into the remaining ricotta mixture with the parsley.
4. To make the pie, brush a 900g loaf tin with a little oil. Make 3 long triplelayer strips of foil and lay these across the width of the tin to help you lift out the pie to serve. Tip flour and 3 tsp salt into the largest bowl you have and gently melt the butter, shortening and milk with 200ml water in a pan. Once melted, increase heat until bubbling fiercely, tip onto the flour, then quickly beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Don't worry if some powdery bits remain. Once cool enough to handle, knead until it comes together, then tip onto your work surface. Set aside a third and roll the rest into a large rectangle - big enough to line the tin with a little overhanging.
5. Ease into the tin, pressing evenly into the corners and sides - you can be rough with it. Spoon in the spinach layer, smooth the surface, then repeat with the barley and finally the squash layer. Dome the squash mix slightly to give a rounded top. Roll out the remaining pastry to fit, brush the edges with some egg, then press the lid over the top. Trim the excess and crimp or pinch to seal, then decorate with pastry trimmings cut into leaves (add bay leaves, if using, when the pie has 30 mins left in the oven). Can be covered and chilled overnight.
6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put a large baking sheet inside. Brush the surface of the pie with egg, lift onto the heated baking tray and bake for 30 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake for a further 1 hr 30 mins until the pastry is golden brown and feels hard. Stand for 15-20 mins while you get the rest of the meal ready - the pie will stay warm. Gently tip out the pie, or use the foil strips to lift out carefully. Carry to the table and slice thickly to serve.

Christmas biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

10 to 30 mins cooking time

Makes 24

Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 275g/10oz plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• To decorate
• 400g/14oz icing sugar
• 3-4 tbsp water
• 2-3 drops food colourings
• Edible glitter

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
   
   Technique: Creaming butter by hand
   Watch technique0:50 mins
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.
4. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.
6. Using biscuit cutters or a glass, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. To make into Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole in the top of the biscuit using a straw.
7. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
8. For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring.
9. Carefully spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and sprinkle over the glitter. Set aside until the icing hardens.

Stained glass window biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

10 to 30 mins cooking time

Makes 25

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• packet wrapped fruit-flavoured boiled sweets in different colours

To decorate

• tube ready-made white icing (available in the baking sections of most supermarkets) (optional)
• narrow ribbon

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the biscuits, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger together in a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
   
   Technique: Rubbing in
   Watch technique0:46 mins
4. In another bowl, beat together the egg and golden syrup, then pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix to make a smooth dough, kneading lightly with your hands.
   
   Technique: Kneading bread
   Watch technique2:35 mins
5. Crush the sweets in their wrappers using a rolling pin.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to about 0.5cm/¼in thick, then cut into shapes using a selection of Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Transfer the biscuits to baking sheets lined with baking paper.
7. Cut out shapes in the centre of each biscuit, making sure you leave a good edge all around the biscuit. Completely fill the hole in each biscuit with crushed boiled sweets.
8. Make a hole at the top of each biscuit using a drinking straw so that you will be able to thread a ribbon through it later. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown.
9. Remove the biscuits from the oven. While they're still warm, check that the holes are still there - if not, push a straw through again. Do not remove the biscuits from the baking tray until they have cooled because the boiled sweets need to harden. Once the sweets have hardened, gently lift the biscuits onto a wire rack with a palette knife to finish cooling.
10. If you like, you can decorate the biscuits with piped white icing. Thread ribbons through the holes in the biscuits to make loops for hanging from the tree.