Festive Recipes

[Kamagrian]

Yes, I know it's only November, and I'm already SICK of hearing Christmas music in the shops! However, it now looks like Matt and I are going to be having a quiet Christmas in Edinburgh together rather than visiting his mum in Bedfordshire (due to GNER's unforgivable 'keep families apart for Christmas' seasonal price rises), so I thought I'd get going early with my plans.

Basically, I want to make the time as special as possible, and as we're both foodies this means lots of goodies to nibble on.

I thought I'd start this thread for people to post their favourite party/Christmas/celebration food ideas with a non-dairy slant. :)

I'm already thinking about getting a free-range, organic guinea fowl from a local farm for our actual celebration dinner - and maybe cooking it with garlic and bacon. I love guinea fowl and it's an awful lot more sensible than cooking a whole turkey for two! However, I'd love to hear other people's ideas for buffet foods, Christmas dinner, boxing day parties, ways to use up turkey, etc. Turkey sponge pudding with turkey custard, anyone? :lol2:

Booja Booja choccies are going high on my gift wishlist....

Gill x

[matt]

this months good food mag has a couple of receipes for dairy free and wheat free stuff, i can post them if there is a need? let me know.

what to do with leftover turkey? sorry not a turkey fan, too dry and bland for my liking. go for something traditional, either goose or beef.

leftover beef if there is such a thing....easy. and goose much nicer than turkey.:)

[Pam]

We have a turkey and use all the left overs for various pies, casseroles, sandwiches etc. Just a word of warning though - don't get a butter basted turkey, I know it sounds obvious now but at the time I didn't think about it.

I must try to find the thick cream this year so that I can make a trifle, that is what I really miss at christmas. Can anyone remind me of the name (comes in squirty cans or cartons to whip).

[Nic]

The thick cream (squirty and for whipping) is Soyatoo. Here's the website:
http://soyatoo.de/en/produkte/schlagcreme/

You can order it from veganstore (though I haven't tried, as the Tooting health food shop stocks it).

Nic

PS It went down a storm with guests last weekend. They were *very* unsure, but tried a tiny bit on a teaspoon, and then proceeded to finish off the can.:)

[cnc]

Christmas for us normally involves, lots of meat- duck, pork and a small bit of turkey. (There are 8 of us, with me being the youngest) Christmas dinner isn't the meal I'm concerned about as mum makes it, so I will know everything is safe for me. Sausages wrapped in bacon, are always good!!Boxing day may be more of an issue as we go to my aunts house, so things will be more difficult as there will be a limited choice of food :(

Are you intending to hold a buffet or are these just snacks for you two??

I got a stamp collection santa in Tescos- expensive, but will be about the only chocolate I get as a present this year I think!!
Pam, if the health food shop in Cleckheaton has the booja booja truffles in, will you let me know, so I can get some please?

[linny]

Thought I'd let you know about some Christmas bits I've managed to find. They were all from Asda.

Baker's Delight Iced Christmas Cake is wheat, gluten and milk free. It was £3.98. It's 454g.

:thumbsup:
Asda classic Christmas pudding seems to be dairy free. It's a small 100g size and 75p.


Asda Smart Price mince pies are delicious! and dairy free. They are only 44p for 6 pies. Lovely when warmed in the microwave for 10 secs. I can't see them lasting for Christmas! :eat:

[Kamagrian]

Are you intending to hold a buffet or are these just snacks for you two??At the moment we're not sure. Christmas day itself will probably be a fairly cosy affair with just the two of us, but if the crowd's still in Edinburgh on Boxing Day or some other time, I'd quite like to have a buffet party.

I already make a mean 'cheese and herb' dip (based on Tofutti Creamy Smooth) and I have a few other ideas, but usually I'd make a humungous quiche and I'm really going to miss having that if I can't figure out a reasonable substitute recipe.

[Kamagrian]

Asda Smart Price mince pies are delicious! and dairy free. They are only 44p for 6 pies. Lovely when warmed in the microwave for 10 secs. I can't see them lasting for Christmas! :eat:Ooh! Thanks for the heads-up about the mince pies. I'm already starting to crave them and all the varieties I've seen so far are full of dairy products. :D

[Pam]

Nic, thanks for the info about Soyatoo, I will ask at the health food shop to see if they can get me some.

Claire, The lady at the Green health shop told me that they only get Booja Booja in for Christmas. I want some myself so I will be asking her to get some in (must go there in the next couple of weeks) do you have any preference for flavours and when will you be able to collect them? I want champagne this time but I might be greedy and ask for ginger wine too.

[cnc]

Claire, The lady at the Green health shop told me that they only get Booja Booja in for Christmas. I want some myself so I will be asking her to get some in (must go there in the next couple of weeks) do you have any preference for flavours and when will you be able to collect them? I want champagne this time but I might be greedy and ask for ginger wine too.
No, no preference for flavour. Have never tried them before and just fancied giving them ago.

I will be back home the first week of December, but if they need collecting before then, I could probably send my mum to get them.

Thanks

[Nic]

Gill - if its quiche you're craving, I can probably dig out a couple of recipes. I'm sure I've got some vegan ones in my various cookbooks. I haven't tried any of them, because it would require a) making pastry and b) owning a dish the right size and shape.:)

As far as I remember, you just replace eggs and milk with silken tofu, and then ingredients as normal.

Let me know if you'd like some recipes.

Nic

PS Claire - get the mixed Booja Booja box - its about £12 but worth it!

[Kamagrian]

Gill - if its quiche you're craving, I can probably dig out a couple of recipes. I'm sure I've got some vegan ones in my various cookbooks.Ooh, yes please! I can have eggs without a problem, but obviously the cream and cheese are an issue as I can't have dairy! Problem is I really love CHEESY quiches. Might have to experiment with nutritional yeast, Parmezano, Free and Easy mix and Cheezly...

I'm grateful for any and all ideas. :)

[Kamagrian]

PS Claire - get the mixed Booja Booja box - its about £12 but worth it!I love Booja Booja ANYTHING...I've had a love affair with them since well before I went dairy free. I'm already hinting to my bf that I'd REALLY RATHER APPRECIATE one of the variety boxes as a stocking filler. :lol2: In fact, the only alcohol I've had since the pancreas thing started is about 4 ginger wine Booja Booja truffles I just couldn't resist. I figured that amount of alcohol probably wouldn't even register in my system...

[Pam]

The thick cream (squirty and for whipping) is Soyatoo. Here's the website:
http://soyatoo.de/en/produkte/schlagcreme/


What sort of shelf life does it have? I suppose it will be long life stuff that will last a couple of months unopened?

[Nic]

Pam - I'm probably going to the health food shop that sells the whipping cream today, so I can check about shelf life. But I do know that the squirty version sat happily in my (rather warm - no window) kitchen for a good couple of months without going off. So I would expect it to be fine.

Gill - I'll dig out some recipes (probably this evening). I think that making it cheesy might be tricky (though lots of nutritional yeast might work) and perhaps it might be better to start with another strong flavour (bacon?) and see how that goes.

Nic

[Pam]

I asked at the green health shop today and they can't get any Soyatoo as they don't deal with The Health Store who are the only wholesaler selling it at the moment. Veganstore seems to be the only place I can find online that is selling it and their postage is quite expensive (were they the company who did all the substitutions when they didn't have the right stuff?)

Looks like I won't get my trifle this christmas after all.

Claire, I'm really sorry but I forgot to ask for some Booja Booja for you, the kids were into everything so I couldn't get out of the shop fast enough. If you give her a ring I'm sure she will get you some, she usually gets them in within a week. Let me know if you need the number but you will probably find it on www.yell.com

[matt]

i haven't bought any but after a quick look it would appear you can buy from this site
http://www.rootsofcompassion.org/newshop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=448

and would appear that the shipping costs aren't that bad...not gone all the way to checkout. so i might be wrong.

[Pam]

That company is based in Germany and everything is in Euros so I'd be a bit reluctant to use it. I imagine that postage costs would be high for something as heavy as liquid products.

[Nic]

Pam - I checked about the whipping cream, and it seems to have about a year's shelf life, though only a week once its opened.

Gill - here's a basic quiche recipe which you can adapt to add lots of flavours by using less onion and adding other stuff instead at the stage where the recipe has you adding the second half of the fried onions.

1 8-9inch / 20-23cm baked pastry case
olive oil for frying
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1 pack tofu (I would use firm silken Mori-nu, which is about 240g)
2 tbspn fresh herbs
1 tbspn soya sauce / tamari
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Preheat oven to 180 centigrade. Fry onions gently for ten minutes. Put half in blender with garlic and tofu. Add herbs, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in the rest of the fried onions. Spoon mix into case and bake for 20-25 minutes until set.

[matt]

they seem to be ok to deliver to uk so i've emailled them to ask how much to post 4 packs.
can pay by paypal so is very secure.

i'll let you know what they say.:)

[Kamagrian]

Thanks for the quiche recipe, Nic - I'll definitely try that out sometime soon! I'm already altering it in my head by adding some Parmezano and Cheezly, bits of pancetta and so on! :drool:

[matt]

got a reply from the firm. it will cost euro 8.60 for delivery about £5.79 for four packs of that cream and take about 4 days to get delivered so not too bad.

like i said via paypal safe money wise.:D