Hi there, Flo and Eileen here from The Gourmet Offensive in Galway City. Together we established The Gourmet Offensive (hence TGO) as one of Ireland’s first completely plant-based takeaways. At this time of year, we are always asked for tips on hosting vegan guests at Christmas and what our favourite recipes are. It feels so good to be able to host gatherings with loved ones again, so here you go….
The holiday season is on its way and the inevitable question of what to prepare for Christmas dinner arises. It can be tough finding vegan recipes that are traditional enough for our families, but good enough that we enjoy them too! We’ve solved that problem for you this year with our amazing Christmas vegan dinner, lovingly prepared and ready for you to just pick up and enjoy.
But first of all, let’s talk about what being vegan actually is. If you are the host this year and you have friends or family that are vegan, what exactly does this mean?
Vegans eat plant-based foods only so here are our top 5 tips to having a wonderful vegan Christmas.
Read all packaging
Read all the labels if you are in doubt. Some products may surprise you so double-check if it’s food or drink that isn’t super obvious. And remember, vegan wine is also available so no one has to miss out on that Christmas Day toast!
Sharing is caring
Try some of our vegan dips and snacks, you may even discover some tasty alternatives to the usual cheese and crackers option. From starters, main course, desserts and nibbles, there will be lots of opportunities to taste test a vegan Christmas. You never know, you may even include it more often in your menus……..Just remember to use a different fork from the one on your turkey and ham plate!!!
Don’t overspend
We sometimes assume that an alternative diet will cost a fortune. This doesn’t have to be the case. Keep things nice and simple, I’m sure your guests will thank you for it as they won’t feel that they have inconvenienced you this Christmas.
Talk about it
Don’t be afraid to ask your vegan guests for ideas on food and drink for your Christmas celebration. Having a good open conversation about the do’s and don’t will make both parties feel really relaxed about the festivities. Prior communication will take some guesswork out of it for the host, while also making the guest feel welcomed and included.
Gifts
Let’s not forget the tradition of giving gifts during the Christmas holidays. This is a really important area to remember when it comes to a loved one who is living a vegan lifestyle. There are some beautiful vegan-friendly gifts on offer so make sure to choose these when looking for cosmetics, bathroom gift sets, food hampers etc.
We hope this has helped take some of the mystery out of a vegan-friendly Christmas. A good honest discussion about their favourite foods is always a great idea to make everyone’s Christmas run smoothly. Coming together to celebrate the holidays is a fantastic time to learn about each other’s lifestyles so embrace this opportunity to discover new things!
Flo’s Fave Recipe
Here’s a recipe everyone will love, not just your vegan guests. After all who doesn’t love crispy roast potatoes. So here is Flo’s favourite Roast Potatoe recipe which will be used many times in our home over the Christmas season.
The Perfect Roast Potatoes
The best type of potatoes for roasties are Pipers or Marquis, but Roosters are a reliable option too.
You’ll also need olive oil, or your preferred oil for roasting, a roasting tray and sea salt.
Set the oven to 180 (fan). Peel and parboil your spuds (around 10 minutes after the water starts to boil)
Drain them really well. This step is important so it’s a good idea to leave them in the colander for a few minutes to make sure they’re nice and dry. Put them back in the pot (make sure it’s dry!), put the lid on and shake. Sprinkle a small amount of plain flour into the pot and shake again. This makes a lovely golden crust on the outside of your roasties. Meanwhile, put 150mls of olive oil into the roasting tray and put it in the oven for 5 mins to heat the oil. Place the potatoes in the roasting tray, taking care not to get splashed with the hot oil, and turn them once so they’re coated in oil.
Put the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes, remove and turn them over, and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. At this stage, you should have beautiful golden potatoes, but you may want to leave them in for a further few minutes if you think they need more colour.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt. Enjoy!
Do you know what is the perfect accompaniment to our Perfect Roast Potatoes? Our yummy vegan Christmas roasts with a selection of tasty sauces and sides. So if you fancy getting something in that you can just bung into the oven so you can mingle and connect with your family and friends, we are here to help with our new Christmas Shop here where you can pre-order your vegan yummies and simply pick them up just before Christmas!
Pre-order now to avoid disappointment … when they are gone… they’re gone!
