The Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

Christmas is only a few weeks away. This is one of my favourite festive celebrations. I like the lights, the music and the food, oh yes, the food.

Christmas does not have to be a time of excessive consumption nor was it ever meant to be.

People often go way overboard in their desire to celebrate and show the world or at least their neighbours they know how to keep Christmas.

I find the best way to do that is to treat people with kindness and consideration but we all walk our own paths.

I was a vegetarian for nearly 15 years and went back to eating meat, organic and free range when I could find it about three years ago.

The past two Christmases we cooked a turkey for the Christmas table and while it was enjoyable, it was not as satisfying as the vegetarian Christmas dinners we used to enjoy.

In fact, it was really only the white meat that we both liked. Neither of us enjoyed the legs, wings and dark meat and I preferred the white meat in a sandwich the next day on whole wheat bread with cranberries.

I make a mean turkey soup but I do not enjoy eating it all that much. The taste of turkey is a taste that I can do without.

Ham is another meat option but while I can devour a ham and cheese on rye bread or fry some up with eggs as a main course I’ll pass.

I tried goose once but liked that less than turkey so this year the Christmas Eve Dinner and the Christmas day Dinner will be vegetarian.

Our meals ranged from tofu lasagna to a baked squash with vegan stuffing. All the other trimmings were there, sweet potatoes, turnips, cranberries, cookies, Christmas cake, nuts, candies, punch and wine. There was simply no turkey involved.

This year we are planning a return to those meals, not a return to vegetarianism but to a vegetarian Christmas dinner. We eat vegetarian meals about three times a week so this is not a big stretch.

I will likely make a turnip and onion pie for the main course served with brussel sprouts which I love and my wife can tolerate, broccoli, which she loves and so do I and a vegan stuffing simply because it is a traditional part of the meal.

Food and celebration are a natural combination. The only ingredients that are necessary are good company, some seasonal music and the meal, no matter what that may be.