At Christmas time, Schmalhan’s head chef usually has a break, which is when fat living is the order of the day. Then the goose is served and the chocolate fountain is turned on. At the end of the feast, everyone happily strokes their swollen stomachs and rolls towards the sofa, where a bowl full of nut wedges and vanilla crescents awaits. Splendid! Only vegans often look into the tube during the holidays and find nothing that has been prepared without animals. Vegan holiday cooking can be so easy. Katy Beskow, an award-winning chef and author, has developed 80 recipes that even rookies in the kitchen can enjoy.
Even experienced home cooks can get nervous under the pressure of cooking a feast for friends and family, writes Beskow in her cookbook “Easy Vegan Christmas.” Between all the cooking and hosting, it can be difficult to relax and get into the mood. It is precisely this dilemma that Beskow addresses in order to “take the pressure off with simple, sure-fire recipes that everyone will love.” The result is a guide that covers everything from menu planning to meal preparation and using up leftovers between the years.
Vegan Christmas menu – delicious and sure to be a success
“The magic of Christmas lies in being together and giving gifts, and nothing shows this more than a special meal prepared with love,” says Beskow. What a vegan Christmas menu can look like? The offerings include a meatless Wellington roast, shepherd’s pie or chestnut stew with sage dumplings (see recipe in the photo series). There is also a winter parsnip soup with beetroot chips or fig and walnut crostini. The icing on the cake: vegan “egg” punch. Beskow’s dishes are varied, international, traditional. All ingredients are available in the supermarket, the focus is on seasonal products.
We have put together a three-course holiday menu for you with recipes from Beskow’s book. You can find the cooking instructions in the photo gallery.
“Easy Vegan Christmas: 80 recipes for festive menus” by Katy Beskowpublished by ars vivendi, 192 pages, 28 euros.
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