This is a belated entry in the Morsels and Musings Festive Food Fair. The lovely Anna has invited bloggers around the world to share the food they use to celebrate their respective end of the year holiday in a global food event. Cheers to that!

I don’t have any special Christmas traditions to share, but I thought that I would post some ideas for people who need to cater for vegetarians at Christmas. Both of the recipes below are from ‘Vegie Food’ by Murdoch Books.

In my family, Christmas lunch can be anything from a formal affair with a hot English roast lunch, to a relaxed BBQ in the backyard (or on the verandah overlooking the sea).

I think both of these approaches lend themselves to vegetarian food. However, one of the most important things is to find out what kind of vegetarian you’re having around for lunch. Check whether they eat seafood (most vegetarians don’t), and whether they eat dairy food and eggs (vegans don’t). If someone is vegetarian for religious reasons, there may be other types of food, or food combinations, that they don’t eat.

Whether you’re traditional roast lunch, or relaxed BBQ, make sure to include plenty of vegetable side dishes or salads.

Here’s a recipe for a lovely side dish that is quick and easy to make just before you want to serve it. The nice thing about this dish is that it works with a cold or hot lunch, because the lemon and mint add a fresh, zesty taste, but the hot zucchini and feta cheese give the dish a bit more formality than a cold salad.

Zucchini with mint and feta

Ingredients

6 zucchinis
1 lemon
olive oil
70g feta cheese
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsps shredded fresh mint
2 tbsps shredded fresh parsely
fresh ground pepper
sea salt

Method

Cut the zucchinis in half and then cut into long strips. Fry the zucchini strips in olive oil for a few minutes, until they turn a golden brown. Crumble the feta into the zucchini strips.

Mix the juice of the lemon, a tbsp of olive oil, the garlic and 1/2 tsp of lemon zest. Pour the dressing over the zucchini. Scatter the mint and parsley over the zucchini and toss. Add pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot.

Personally, my Christmas is not complete without cauliflower cheese. If you’re having a vegan for lunch, make roast vegetables, a green bean dish, chilli and coconut carrots, or braised red cabbage.

If you’re feeling guilty about your vegetarian guest picking at side dishes while the other guests chow down on roast lamb or turkey, a more substantial vegetarian option is a stuffed vegetable dish. Eggplants and capsicum are the best, as they bake well and have a substantial, strong flesh that hold their structure.

A delicious stuffed eggplant recipe is imam biyildi. It’s also known as ’swooning imam’, because legend has it that it was first made for an imam and caused him to soon with delight. This would be my first choice, because the dish is good for vegans, doesn’t take that long to make and has a lovely rich flavour.

Another option for vegetarians is eggplant moussaka. It involves a bit of preparation but is a tasty and filling option that will leave any vegetarian feeling well catered for.

Eggplant moussaka

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tsps tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine or verjuice
325g (one tin) cannelloni beans
3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
30g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
pinch ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup grated cheddar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Spoon out the flesh leaving a 1.5 cm border (this feels wasteful to me - another reason why I like the imam biyildi recipe). Lightly spray a baking tray with olive oil, then place the eggplants on the tray cut side up. Prop them up with aluminium foil so that they are sitting flat (important when you come to stuff them).

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the onion and garlic for about three minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and white wine or verjuice (I used verjuice which gave the sauce a slightly sweeter flavour). Bring to the boil and cook for three minutes, or until the liquid is reduced and the tomatoes are soft. Stir in the cannellini beans and parsley.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Gradually add the milk and nutmeg, again stirring constantly. Pour one third of the white sauce into the tomato mixture and stir well.

Spoon the tomato mixture into the eggplant cases. It should almost fill the eggplant. Spoon the remaining white sauce on top of the tomato mixture, then cover with grated cheese. Bake for 50 minutes and serve hot.

Merry holiday season!

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