Your Christmas dinner plans are the same as every other year: a big, steaming ham for your friends and family – except this year, there’s a difference at your festive table.
There’s a vegan guest amongst the omnivores, and instead of just offering them a plate of roast vegetables that have been cooked beside the meat, why not try to make them something they’ll truly appreciate on this festive day?
We asked three plant-based Kiwi chefs to share their go-to, single-serve vegan meal that’s worthy of a spot on the Christmas menu.
‘Chicken’ Tacos
Plant-based Masterchef winner Aaron Brunet currently runs Keirkeri-based food stall Mexi Corner, and has provided a refreshing vegan taco recipe that will “make the omnivores at the table jealous.”
“This works well as an option to have on hand for vegan guests. You can keep a box of Sunfed Chicken in the freezer, and a packet of corn tortillas will keep for a couple of months in the pantry,” Brunet says.
“We brush our tortillas with flavoured oil and grill them straight on a gas flame to bring them to life.”
Brunet says your chicken substitute – his preferred brand is SunFed – should be shallow fried in rice bran oil (straight from frozen) for about 3 minutes each side till well browned and crunchy.
Chicken-style stock can be dissolved in hot water with lemon juice and pepper, and poured over the chicken and stir to coat evenly, breaking it up a little as you go. Cook another one to two minutes till liquid is fully absorbed.
To create the salsa, Brunet says you’ll need a finely chopped golden kiwifruit and half an orange to mix with corn kernels and line juice – if you’re worried about the mad rush between prepping plates on Christmas day, this salsa can be made a few days earlier and will keep well in the fridge.
If your guest is keen on spiciness, Brunet recommends finely chopping jalapenos to stir through some vegan aioli, and you can also add a teaspoon of the jalapeno juices to make it easier to spoon onto the taco.
Brush your tortillas with a thin coating of rice bran oil and a sprinkle of smoked paprika on one side and sear oiled side down in a very hot pan for about 30 seconds, or hold over a gas flame with tongs till lightly charred.
Spoon chicken and salsa onto the tortilla with aioli and chipotle sauce, then top with chopped coriander, basil and optional fresh chilli.
Moroccan baked aubergine
Flip Grater, who runs Christchurch’s plant-based bistro Grater Goods with her husband Youssef, recommends her Moroccan baked aubergine – the recipe serves two meals, in case your vegan wants to come back for seconds.
Grater says you can simply place 10 cherry tomatoes that have been sprinkled with salt and olive oil in an oven that has been preheated at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.
Next, remove tomatoes and cut a whole aubergine into two halves lengthwise and score diagonally with a sharp knife before spreading harissa across each surface.
In the lower half of your oven, roast the aubergine pieces for 40 minutes then remove and spread with a little extra harissa.
If wanting to add some more pizazz, mix salt and lemon juice to dairy-free yoghurt and drizzle over top with toasted pine nuts, cumin seeds, and fresh herbs to garnish.
Vegan chocolate mousse tart
Tart Bakery owner Phillipa Stephenson warns your vegan guest may be feeling uncomfortable with dining amongst a meaty centrepiece, and preparation is key.
“If I didn’t know [the guest], I would ask them ‘hey, I’m thinking of baking you something, and it’ll have some asparagus in it, or would you prefer something else?’,” Stephenson says.
She recommends chef Hetty Lui McKinnon’s cookbooks, like vegetable-focused Tenderheart, for meal ideas which can easily be made vegan – and after cooking, Stephenson jokes you can get rid of the book by giving it to the vegan guest as a Christmas present.
For desserts, however, her vegan chocolate mousse recipe is an easy delight to whip up to avoid your plant-based guests going hungry during dessert time.
Starting off with the base, Stephenson says you will need to mix 150g dried couscous, 450ml water, 40g cocoa powder, 180g caster sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla essence in a saucepan and bring to boil, before reducing heat and simmering for 10-15 minutes, then let cool press into 20cm cake tin, and chill.
She says the mousse can be made by melting 286g vegan dark chocolate in a microwave in small bursts, then add 600g silken tofu (firm tofu won’t work for this recipe), 45ml maple syrup, and 45ml dark espresso (or coffee liqueur) to a blender and “wizz it up.”
When the mixture is smooth, Stephenson says the chocolate can be added to blend together before pouring into the prepped base and, if you’re feeling fancy, top with strawberries and pomegranate seeds.