Veggie Christmas Dinner
Incl. my German family Christmas tradition
To no one’s surprise Christmas is coming up soon. What’s on probably most people’s mind right now isn’t only gifts, it’s What am I going to make for Christmas?
Right, it’s about the food we will eat. In Germany and in my family this starts on Christmas Eve already. Since I don’t have my own family, yet, I’m celebrating the holidays with my parents and my sister and her family. None of them is Vegetarian.
So for the past 7 Christmas’ that I spent with my family I had to come up with a Vegetarian alternative to the traditional Christmas dinners my family usually makes, duck, goose, venison.
Plus the Christmas Eve dinner, which in many families usually consists of potato salad and Wiener sausages. My family is a little bit different, some years we would have that and last Christmas I just got some veggie sausages for me, so that was easy.
Other Christmas Eve’s we’d have Soljanka (solyanka in English), a very rich, hearty and savory soup with lots of bell peppers and, again, sausage. It’s a soup that I grew up with. It’s originally from Eastern Europe, but growing up in the GDR (German Democratic Republic) we’ve had it a lot.
Some years, we’d have Ragout Fin or Wuerzfleisch, another traditional dish from the GDR times. My family usually made it with chicken, melted cheese and lots of Worcestershire sauce. I loved both dishes, but becoming Vegetarian in 2015 they’re not an option for me anymore.
An easy alternative for everyone, meat lovers and Veggies alike, is Raclette (not the cheese, but the dish in that case). My family owns one of those sets to make your own Raclette at home and some years this is our go-to for Christmas Eve. But you can’t make that every year, can you?
So what am I doing as the only Vegetarian in my family to not rely on sides only?
I’m making my own food.
I’ve tried several recipes in the past 9 years. A Wellington style vegan roast (that means wrapped in a puff pastry). Several different types of Christmas roasts or nut loafs with lots of nuts, lentils, chestnuts, mushrooms, and lots of seasonal spices. Some were really great, some not so much. Especially the ones that fell apart when cutting the roast.
I remember a year, when I made a 3-course Christmas dinner for my parents and my aunt and uncle and I had made oven roasted and stuffed butternut squash as the main dish. Which was delicious. Just recently I made another oven roasted butternut squash with a Miso glaze (which was insanely delightful) that I’m honestly tempted to make this year for Christmas.
But then again, I’d love to make another Christmas roast or a vegan Wellington again (that was a good one!). And cranberry sauce (home made, of course) - OMG, I love it!
Maybe I’ll go back to one of the recipes that I had made in the past, like this glutenfree holiday roast or this Vegan Mushroom Wellington.
Now that I’m thinking about it, I usually make recipes from two of my favorite Chefs and Food Bloggers, Nisha Vora, (@rainbowplantlife on Instagram) and Richa Hingle (@veganricha on Instagram). Many of their recipes are pinned to my Pinterest board for years ever since I discovered them in 2015. It must be hundreds of them.
So, I’m not quite sure yet, what’s gonna end up next to the obligatory potato dumplings and the red cabbage. Sometimes my family would have other veggies, just for a change, such as Brussels sprouts or black salsify. Another delectable food that I grew up with. I wasn’t a big fan of Brussels sprouts, though, but love it today.
What I hope someone in my family will make this year - usually it’s the women - is another local (and connected to lots of fond childhood memories) side, Wickelkloesse.
It’s also a type of potato dumpling, but rolled. It’s made by using potatoes, flour, eggs to make the dough. Which is then rolled thin (about 0.5 cm) onto a surface and then brushed or better filled with a mix of in butter toasted bread crumbs and usually finely chopped and fried bacon. But my sister has made it without the bacon in the past, because of her sister (me) not eating meat anymore. It is delightful, yet quite filling. Haha!
What about you? What are edible traditions for Christmas where you are? Any Veggies or Vegans around here? I am still open for suggestions for this year’s veggie Christmas dinner. Send them to me!
And now I’m hungry! :-D
Happy Christmas prepping wherever you are!
Treat yourself, you deserve it!
Yours truly
Mel
My husband is 100% vegan, and I am about 95%, owing a bit of indulgence to a little meat, fish or cheese on rare occasions. I always host Christmas and lately I've made up multiple hearty appetizers and snack options and we just graze the afternoon away- hummus, black bean dip, crackers, pita, vegan spinach dip, a bowl of Chex Mix, a few select cheeses for those not lactose intolerant. Last year my son grilled a few pork tenderloins that were well received. At other family gatherings, it's just expected that i will bring an option for my husband and I.