http://www.vegsoc.org/news/1997/topten.html
Don�t panic a vegetarian Christmas needn�t be a
headache.
Our top tips will help your Christmas go off with a bang.
Go nuts! Christmas is a great time to get your nuts out.
Look out for vegetarian recipes such as Chestnut Bourguigonne Pie, Pine
Nut Risotto and Walnut Salads, all great over the festive period, as is
of course the vegetarian classic - the nut roast. Nuts are highly
nutritious and can provide you with calcium, zinc and essential fatty
acids.
Do unusual things to vegetables, they don�t mind.
Experiment with some seasonal winter veg. Parsnip, turnip, swede,
sprouts, leeks, cabbage - slice them, roast �em, boil �em, fry �em,
steam �em, bake �em. Show them who is boss.
Plonk! Christmas is the time to stock your cupboards
full of the juices of the vine. Whatever your poison red, white, or a
drop of bubbly, the festive period is the perfect occasion to indulge.
Vegetarian wine is free from finings such as gelatine and isinglass (the
swim bladder of tropical fish), frequently used to clarify wine. Look
out for the Vegetarian Society�s �V� symbol, guaranteeing a product is
100% vegetarian or ask in your supermarket or off-licence if they have a
list of vegetarian wines.
Plink plonk! You don�t need a bacon butty to sort your
hangover out, the best veggie hangover cure is a banana milkshake, made
from soya milk, honey and ground almonds and of course bananas. Throw it
in and whisk away.
Lardless. You can still eat mince pies at Christmas,
just make sure you get the vegetable suet variety. Traditional suet uses
animal fat, thankfully more and more companies are switching to veggie
suet. Check the labels before buying.
Looking for the perfect vegetarian Christmas present?
What about a vegetarian haggis (MacSweens, Edinburgh) or for your dog
some Wafcol vegetarian dog food, feeling porky, try a porkless pie
(health food stores), a vegetarian hamper, or membership to the
Vegetarian Society.
Misunderstandings. It�s a sad fact that lots of people
still don�t understand that a vegetarian diet not only provides you with
all the essential nutrients you get from eating meat but is also much
healthier. You could try explaining to your concerned relatives that
vegetarianism is not an eating disorder, failing that the best thing you
can do to prove yourself is to glow with good health - and that means
lots of scrummy vegetarian food!
Clich�s. Wherever you go there will always be some joker
who thinks veggies are sandal wearing hippies who live on bits of old
cabbage. If one of these bizarre individuals corners you over the yule
log and starts to make turkey noises or asking pointless questions about
whether carrots feel pain - just laugh at them, they are a lost cause!
Don�t let friends or family roast your vegetables next
to the Christmas bird. Cooking vegetarian dishes separately from the
meat is essential. The same goes for vegetarian stuffing, cook
separately and don�t allow it to go anywhere near the anatomy of a
turkey.
Don�t cry over spilt gravy, vegetarian gravy is great.
If you are living in a mixed meat and veggie household, offer to make up
the gravy they won�t be disappointed. Vegetarian gravy granules are
readily available or pick up a decent vegetarian recipe book.
Leave Santa a veggie mince pie on Christmas Eve, you
never know he may be a vegetarian!
Go on to How to Play
Santa Claws for your Cat
Return to 23 December 2001 Issue
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