Plant-based Recipes for the Festive Season

Rather than always buying ready-made Christmas food, why not have a go at making your own, to taste nicer and save money?  Vegan Christmas Cake (The Veg Space) is simple to make and bake (no-soak method). It’s packed with dried fruits, cherries, nuts, black treacle and brandy.

Read up on food safety for people and pets (dried fruits, nutmeg, citrus, chocolate and fresh dough are toxic to pets). Read more on keeping pets safe at Christmas (keep holly and mistletoe away). 

Also bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) and tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps (acids may harm compost creatures).

Fully remove tinned lids (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Easy Vegan Christmas is a book of around 80 simple recipes, by Katy Beskow, packed with festive recipes including mushroom thyme Wellington, sage and onion chestnut rolls, roasted pears with red onion, mulled wine and mince pie Danish pastries.

Homemade Vegan Mince Pies

These vegan mince pies (Madeleine Olivia) are simple to make. Most mince pies on sale contain palm oil (the term ‘sustainable palm oil’ is just self-policed by industry, and has no legal guarantee that the forest homes of orangutans and other endangered creatures are being destroyed).

Recently one supermarket had to pull its own mince pie brand from the shelves, after it was found the pies contained dried glue, that had accidentally made its way into the pies from the packaging.

These use a simple homemade mincemeat (grated apple and orange rind, dried fruit, brown sugar and mixed spice). Homemade mincemeat must be poured into sterilised jars.

Homemade Vegan Christmas Pudding 

Christmas pudding is one of England’s favourite desserts, and is also enjoyed throughout the year, not just during the festive season. This Christmas pudding (My Goodness Kitchen) contains medjool dates, golden sultanas, dried cranberries and brandy.