Every year, in the months leading up to Christmas, I have big plans to do lots of baking and cooking for the holidays. And then I don’t make a plan and I end up running to the grocery store an hour before dinner to find something vegetarian to prepare. This year I finally got my SH*T together and made a plan.
This was the final plan:
Veggie tourtière (meat pie) for christmas day*
Veggie sausage rolls for christmas eve dinner
Vegan/gluten free gingerbread cookies
Baked cranberry orange (panettone) french toast for christmas morning
* along with some definitely not vegan scalloped potatoes with caramelized onions and gruyere (Mmmmm cheese) for christmas day.
The sausage rolls were a BIG hit. The grocery store was out of puff pastry so I bought a tube of pillsbury croissant pastry. The filling was so creamy and deliciously flavoured, I may be salivating as I write this.. The tourtiere was good and I loved that the ‘meat’ filling was a head of cauliflower (you never would guess!) However when I make this ‘meat’ again, I will cut the soy sauce (Braggs) in half because it was so overpowering. The gingerbread cookies were delicious but by day 2, they took on a chalky texture that I was not a fan of. They were great when they were out of the oven and still warm. And the baked french toast is a new tradition that is a great way to use up the panettone in the gift basket that we never get around to eating. Soaking it overnight really makes a big difference, and while the family opened presents, I popped it in the oven so it would be ready after we worked up an appetite tearing up wrapping paper.
I had planned to take lots of photos of the food but in the whirlwind that is christmas (and the fact that the sun sets at 4pm) I only have my iphone shots to share! But I do feel they do the dishes justice. I love snapping quick shots with my phone – especially with food because you don’t always have those few extra minutes it takes to set up a proper shot. And I can only make my family wait so long before they start stealing food off the table.
Sounds like a lovely holiday meal! Thanks so much for trying out the tortiere (and sorry you found the Bragg’s a bit overpowering!). It’s one of my favorite recipes. And that french toast bake sounds incredible! Happy 2015! :)
Thank you Ricki! And thank you for sharing your recipe for the ‘meat’ – it’s a much better alternative to the pre-packaged supermarket type. Happy new year!
Very nice write-up of the meals you cooked for xmas Em. xox
Emily, your pictures are beyond beautiful!!
I’m bookmarking those sausage rolls too.
xo
Thank you Vanessa! You will love them, I guarantee it :)
sounds delicious! beautiful photos. happy new year, friend!