h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Be imaginative - don't always produce a Nut Loaf for any vegetarians in your party, yes it also requires carving but there are plenty of other options that you can use.

An nice i,ndividual cranberry and chestnut pie with various winter spices like cinnamon, ginger etc is very seasonal for example.
(yeah ok so it included nuts but it isn't a loaf)

But you can be imaginative, it is a special day so create a special vegatian feast just as you meat lover tuck into their Turkey and all the trimmings. Most of the trimmings will go well with whatever you are creating I'm sure, even ask the vegetarian guest if they have any ideas for side dishes it may well enhance you christmas fayre.

Also be careful with deserts.

If making trifle don't use gelatine as a strict Vegetarian will not eat this as it is a meat by-product.

Also check out their status on milk and eggs as there are different degrees even of vegetarians towards veganism. So be careful to check thoroughly what they can eat. So custard topping on the trifle may be problem as will be pouring cream on the plum pudding.

I have done two vegetarian Christmas lunches in my time.

The first was a chestnut mould with loads of sherry in it (probably breadcrumbs, onions, galic and herbs as well but I cant remember now!). It was delicious and went on for quite as long as a turkey would have. Incidentally are chestnuts really nuts? Not sure, technically that they are but even if I'm wrong about that they're very different from other nuts.

The other was a pie with lots of pasta in it. Also peppers and other vegetables. Dont remember what else. Oniions and garlic certainly. I got the recipe from the BBC Food & Drink programme so maybe it's in an archive somewhere. About 1990ish it would have been.

Both offerings were well received but the chestnut thing was the winner!

I'm a big fan of giant vol au vents with a rich filling. You can buy ready made puff pastry and make up the shells in advance. Then make a up mixture of shallots, mushrooms, red peppers and tarragon in a white wine & cream sause (again this can be done in advance). Then all you have to do is heat through & put the filling in the case. It looks pretty & is quite rich.

I think it is important to make your vegetarian guests as rich a first course as the meat eaters - if you only feed them the veg you're serving to accompany the goose / turkey / etc. then they will be able to eat more of the pudding than the rest of you & I think this isn't on.