Winter Warmer Recipes Part II: #MeatFreeMonday Edition

Ask anyone what their favourite part of Christmas is and you’re likely to receive this answer… the food! It’s traditional to eat, drink and be merry; stockings are stuffed with gift-wrapped chocolates, tables groan under the weight of decadent delights and drinks cabinets can barely contain the spirits that’ll be used for toasting.

While this is obviously lovely, it can be stressful for whoever is in charge of arranging the festivities. If you’re cooking for all your friends and family, the pressure is on to get everything just right. That’s where we come in!

We’ve collected some of the best vegetarian winter warmer recipes to whip up this festive season. While some may take a little longer to prepare, they’re certified showstoppers and will undeniably be the cherry on top of the Christmas cake!

Pumpkin Agnolotti, Chestnut, Cavalo Nero, Brown Butter, Pickled Trompette from Bird of Smithfield

A hangover from Halloween, this recipe is bursting with hearty autumnal flavours. From the smokiness of the scorched onion to the rich buttery sauce, it’s reminiscent of toasty nights tucked up in front of the fire.

Makes 4 | Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 10 minutes

Pasta Dough

325g OO flour | 3 egg yolks | 2 eggs

Blend the eggs and yolks together with the mixer. With the flour moving in the food processor add 2/3rds of the egg. Slowly add the remaining egg to achieve a sandy texture. Bring together by hand. Divide into two pieces and vacuum pack individually.

Pumpkin Base

Cut the pumpkin into wedges, season and wrap in foil. Cook in the oven on wire racks to prevent it from browning on the bottom, until tender. When cooked, allow to cool and scoop the flesh from the skin. Hang well in the fridge overnight before use. Reserve juices from the hanging process.

Agnolotti Mix

330g pumpkin base | 50g brown butter | 3g sage | salt

Combine it in the kitchen aid, add the warm noisette, season and bag. Chill before use.

Scorched Onions

Leaving the skins on the onions, cut through the centre to reveal the rings. Char with veg oil on the plancha/grill until very dark. Transfer to a tray and add chicken stock, salt and thyme and cook gently covered with foil until the onions are soft. Leave the stock to cool.

Chestnuts

In a sauté pan, gently caramelise the chestnuts in butter until lightly golden. Add a splash of Madeira and cookout. Season well and strain.

Pickled Trompettes

Prepare and wash your Trompette mushrooms. In a large pan add vegetable oil and when hot, add the mushrooms, season and sauté for one minute. Deglaze generously with sherry vinegar. Transfer to a container and cover with a lid and leave until cold before vacuum packing in small bags.

Pumpkin Veloute

1 onion | 500g butternut squash | 50g butter | 500ml milk | 250ml double cream

Peel and chop the butternut squash. In a large pan, add oil and cook the onions with salt until soft and translucent but with no colour. Add the pumpkin and continue to cook. When soft, add the stock, milk and cream and bring to the boil. When almost ready, add the butter and blend until velvety smooth.

Beurre Noisette

250g butter | 10g Maldon salt | 4g sage (leaves and stalks) | 4ml lemon juice

Take the butter to golden brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to cool. When cold, pass through a muslin cloth.

The recipe may take a little more time and effort than normal, but we hope you will agree the results are well worth it. We can personally vouch for the deliciousness of this very fine dish!

BLOGGER FAVOURITES

With the colder weather stoking our appetites, rounding up our favourite blogger recipes has been an absolute treat (we’d choose desserts over data any day!). Varied, vibrant and 100% vegetarian, you’re certain to want to recreate these at home.

We all want a bit of stodge to stave off the bitter November chill and Jacqueline Meldrum pre-empted this with her delicious Chip Shop Battered Tofu posted on Tinned Tomatoes. Conjuring up memories of summer at the seaside, this dish not only warms the body but warms the heart!

For people who love a little fire in their food, how about a Bean Chilli with Avocado Salsa courtesy of Dannii from Hungry Healthy Happy? This hearty one-pot wonder is low in fat, overflowing with flavour and bursting with vegetables, spices and beans. When cooking vegetarian food, Dannii recommends…

Make use of lentils as they are so versatile, packed with plenty of vegetarian protein and are budget-friendly too.

Christmas is all about putting on an impressive feast and no spread would be truly complete without a sparkling starter and dazzling dessert. To whet your guest’s appetites, serve up a light yet comforting Celeriac and Hazelnut Soup created by Kate from The Veg Space. For added festive cheer, why not follow her top tip and serve it in teacups instead of bowls? As for a decadent dessert, that’s sure to be the pièce de résistance of any meal, check out Luci’s gooey Vegan Oreo Brownies at Made by Luci. They’re rich, chocolatey and, wait for it… 100% vegan! What more could you want?

We hope you have enjoyed our two-part recipe blogs promoting #MeatFreeMonday. For summer options our veggie salads are pretty tasty too. And we also know the top countries to visit for vegetarian cuisine.

Image credits: Bird of Smithfield, Tinned Tomatoes, Hungry Healthy Happy, The Veg Space and Made by Luci.