Forget stuffed peppers
According to Tesco’s annual Christmas report, a fifth of hosts are planning to cater for vegan or vegetarian guests this year, marking a significant step away from the traditional turkey dinner. Kenny Leary, executive chef at the Tinto Hotel in Biggar, was named as the vegan chef of the year at the Scottish Food Awards, and admits even professional chefs can be intimidated when it comes to cooking for a plant-based diet.
He said: “I think even a lot of professional chefs don’t understand vegan food. But it can be just as exciting as meat-based dishes – sometimes even more so because you have to put some thought into it.
“There are so many great products out there, so you don’t have to settle for couscous or stuffed peppers!” If you’re cooking a vegan dish for the first time this year, Kenny’s advice is to take a little bit of time to plan, and use your imagination if you want to serve up a tempting treat.
He said: “My advice is always the same, regardless if you’re cooking vegan food or a roast turkey – plan in advance, and don’t do everything all in the one day. Even the professionals don’t try to do it all at once.
“Vegan food needs a bit of imagination but the end result can be fantastic. For example, on our Christmas menu, we are serving four courses; festive eggnog, parsnip and coconut soup, a wild mushroom, chestnut and tofu pithivier, which is like a puff pastry pie, and spiced gingerbread sticky toffee pudding.
“At home, it’s the perfect time for squash, which can be a great main course. Take a two-inch slice from the fat end of the butternut squash, scrape out the seeds and then roast it for about an hour in some olive oil.
“With the thinner end, dice it up and sauté it with another veg like Brussels sprouts, and serve that within the roasted round fresh from the oven as a lovely squash bowl.”