Vegan choices for winter get-togethers  

We’re sharing a taste of A Very Vegan Christmas – The Complete Mini Cookbook for a Magical Festive Feast 

Get ready to make this holiday season unforgettable with A Very Vegan Christmas – The Complete Mini Cookbook for a Magical Festive Feast, available now, exclusively on the Viva! shop. Whether you’re hosting a family gathering or preparing an intimate dinner, this new mini cookbook is set to transform your Christmas spread into an event to remember. 

Packed with 30 mouthwatering recipes, A Very Vegan Christmas brings together showstopping starters, magnificent mains, essential sides and indulgent desserts, ensuring there’s something for everyone. 

You can buy the Viva! Xmas Bundle for a special discounted price of £16 at:  https://vivashop.org.uk/collections/books/products/bundle 

Chestnut, mushroom & red wine pithivier (serves two) 

This traditional French dish, with its sunbeam pastry, is a feast for the eyes, rich, tasty, easy to create and makes for the perfect Christmas centrepiece or any time you’re feeling fancy on a Sunday! Pithivier is named after the French town of Pithiviers, where the dish is commonly assumed to originate.. 

Ingredients:
Filling: 

One red onion, finely diced

Two leeks, ends removed and finely sliced

400g/14 oz button mushrooms, halved

Three cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp cayenne pepper

50g/¼ cup plain flour

2 tbsp tomato purée (or use harissa paste for a bit of spice)

200g/1½ cups vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped

Two tomatoes, roughly chopped

10 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp dried or fresh thyme, stalks removed and finely chopped

½ tbsp dried or fresh rosemary or oregano, stalks removed and finely chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

175ml/¾ cup vegan red wine (use alcohol-free if preferred or mix 1 tbsp red miso paste with 175ml boiling water)

250ml/1 cup vegan stock

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

250g/1½ cups pre-cooked quinoa or lentils

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pastry: 

640g/22.5 oz vegan ready-to-use puff pastry sheets

2 tbsp unsweetened plant milk mixed with 1 tbsp syrup (eg maple or agave) for brushing 

Method: 

Filling

1. Fry the onion on a medium heat in a little vegan butter or oil until golden.
2. Add the leeks and fry for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and the cayenne pepper and fry for 2 minutes.
5. Stir through the flour until all the vegetables have been covered.
6. Stir through the tomato purée and add all of the other ingredients apart from the pre-cooked quinoa/lentils.
7. Allow the mixture to simmer, stirring regularly, for around 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced down significantly (you don’t want the mixture to be too runny).
8. Add the quinoa or lentils to the mix and stir through. The consistency should be thick but not too thick. Add a little more stock if necessary (you don’t want it to be runny). Set aside until needed.

Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 (ensure it’s fully preheated).
2. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside.
3. On a floured surface, use a large dinner plate to cut one of the pastry sheets around the shape of the plate (this is your small pastry circle).
4. Place the smaller circle on the lined baking tray and set aside.
5. Take the next pastry sheet and again cut around the shape of the plate but this time leave 2cm of extra pastry around the edge (this is your large pastry circle).

Assembly

1. Transfer the mixture onto the small pastry circle and heap the mixture as high as possible, leaving at least 5cm of pastry free around the edge.
2. Cover the mixture with the large pastry circle and seal the edges with your fingers. Brush the edges with some oil.
3. To create the sun pattern, make a tiny hole in the top centre and then score wavy lines deeply (but not all the way through!) from the centre to the outer edge of the pastry using a sharp knife.
4. Brush the outside of the pastry with the plant milk/syrup mix until fully coated.
5. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serving suggestions: cauliflower cheese, creamy mushroom & white wine sauce, fresh herbs, gravy, mashed potato, roast potatoes, roasted vegetables, steamed vegetables, stuffing.