We all know we should be incorporating more plants into our diets, but the idea of a plant-based Christmas can be quite daunting! Or maybe you have a family member who is vegan and you’d like to cook something incredible that not only they will enjoy, but so will your meat eating guests! These recipes are just that. Delicious and satisfying but with no animal products or dairy in sight. I have utilized Califia Farms almond milks throughout these recipes, which has allowed me to create amazing creamy sauces and dressings as well as a vegan custard that tastes like the real deal! I hope you love these recipes and give them a go this Christmas!

MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Every Christmas meal needs a standout main course, and this mushroom wellington is just that! With the earthy mushrooms and delicious pastry even the meat eaters won’t feel like they are missing out. I have created a vegan gravy to go alongside it using Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond milk which helps to add a richness that pairs perfectly with the wellington. I like to keep my gravy chunky, but you can absolutely blend it using a stick blender if you prefer it smooth! Note that if you aren’t serving the gravy immediately it may thicken slightly as it cools, simply add some extra veg stock to thin when re heating if needed.

Filling

2 brown onions diced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves

350g diced mushrooms

1 tbsp tamari

1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot mustard

½ cup cooked lentils

½ cup chopped kale or spinach roughly chopped

‘egg wash’

2 tbsp Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond milk

1 tbsp maple syrup

Sesame seeds for sprinkling

2 sheets vegan puff pastry *most store-bought puff pastries are vegan, just look for ones made with oil rather than butter

1. Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with paper
2. In a frying pan add the onion, olive oil and garlic and cook over a low to medium heat stirring often until the onions soften, around 5-10 minutes
3. Add in the mushrooms, tamari, Worcestershire sauce and mustard and allow to cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the mushrooms soften
4. Add in the lentils and kale towards the end and stir to wilt the greens, remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly
5. To make your egg wash simply combine the almond milk and maple syrup in a small bowl, set aside.
6. Place one sheet of pastry out on the tray lined with paper, spoon the mushroom mixture into the centre of the pastry. Place the second sheet on top and then fold the sides in together to seal, gently pressing down each side with a fork.
7. Gently prick the top a few times with a knife to allow any steam to escape, brush the top with your ‘egg wash’ and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds
8. Bake the wellington for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through

GRAVY

55g vegan butter

1 onion finely diced

1 garlic clove crushed

¼ cup white flour

½ cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond milk

1 tsp chopped rosemary or thyme

½ cup vegetable stock

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp kecap manis *sweet soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened
2. Place the flour and ¼ cup of the almond milk into a small bowl and whisk until combined and few lumps remain.
3. Add the flour mixture along with the remaining ingredients into the saucepan and cook until thickened. At this stage you can blend the gravy with a stick blender if you want it smooth, or leave it as is.

Serve immediately alongside the mushroom wellington.

POTATO BAKE

You can’t have a Christmas feast without a good ol’ potato bake! This plant-based version will certainly hit the spot. A cheesy sauce made using cashews and Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk makes this bake taste just as rich but without the dairy so everyone in the family can enjoy! Feel free to add a sprinkling of vegan cheese on top, totally delicious either way!

1 cup raw cashews

6-7 medium potatoes thinly sliced

1 cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond milk

½ tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper

1 tbsp corn starch

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 onion thinly sliced

Vegan cheese grated * optional

1. Place the cashews in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water, set aside for 15 minutes
2. Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius
3. Drain the cashews and place them into a blender with the Unsweetened Almond Milk, onion powder, salt, pepper, corn starch, vinegar and mustard and blend until smooth
4. Place the sliced potatoes into a bowl and pour over ¼ of the sauce mixture, stir to coat each potato slice
5. Place the potato slices in a baking tray alternating sizes and adding in a slice of onion every so often
6. Once the tray is full, pour over the remaining sauce to fill the tray, if using cheese add that on top now
7. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until browned and the potatoes are soft
8. Sprinkle some fresh rosemary or chives on top and serve immediately

QUINOA, KALE & ROASTED WALNUT SALAD with a creamy chive dressing

This salad just looks like Christmas in a bowl! It combines red cranberries, massaged kale and some sweet crunchy honey roasted walnuts so make the perfect side salad. I just love the mixture of textures too. I also created a delicious creamy chive dressing using Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk keeping it vegan whilst also rich and creamy. It should be drizzled on top of the salad just before serving.

2 cups raw walnuts

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp turmeric

Salt and pepper

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 large bunch of kale

1 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt

½ tsp apple cider vinegar

2-3 radish thinly sliced

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ of a red onion diced

1. Pre heat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper
2. Mix together the honey, oil, turmeric and salt + pepper and pour this over the walnuts, stir well to ensure each nut is coated
3. Spread the walnuts out over the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure the edges don’t burn, set aside to cool
4. Place the chopped kale in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and salt and use your hands to massage the kale until is has softened
5. Add the rest of the salad ingredients including the cooled walnuts, when ready to serve drizzle over some of the creamy cashew dressing

DRESSING

½ cup raw cashews

½ – ¾ cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk

Juice of half a lemon

1 garlic clove

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

½ tsp onion powder

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp roughly chopped chives

1. Place all ingredients apart from the chives into a blender, starting with ½ cup almond milk, and blend until smooth
2. If the dressing is too thick add some additional almond milk to thin, once ready stir through the chopped chives and serve alongside the salad

SUMMER FRUIT CRUMBLE WITH VEGAN VANILLA CUSTARD

This dessert is the perfect ending to your plant-based Christmas feast, or any meal really! The combination of blueberries and stone fruit works brilliantly with the crunchy crumble topping, and the custard! It is hard to believe it’s made with only 4 ingredient and is totally vegan. The  Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk has the most delicious flavour and with no added sugar it makes it possible to control the sweetness of the custard which I love! You can make both the crumble and the custard the day before and simply re heat on the day as well, making life a little easier! Store the custard covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Crumble

¾ cup rolled oats

¾ cup whole spelt flour

¼ cup shredded coconut

¼ cup almond meal

½ cup coconut sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp cinnamon and ginger

90g vegan butter or coconut oil

Filling

2 cups frozen blueberries

2 sliced peaches or nectarines

½ tbsp corn flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp water

Vanilla Custard

3 tbsp corn flour

3 tbsp Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

500ml Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

2 tbsp raw sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp turmeric powder *optional but gives the lovely yellow colour

1. In a large bowl combine all of the crumble ingredients apart from the butter, mix well
2. Using your fingers, add the butter and rub the mixture together until it is fully combined and feels like wet sand, set aside
3. In another bowl mix together the fruit with the corn flour, vanilla and water. Pour this mixture into your baking dish and sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
4.  Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top
5. While the crumble is baking make your custard. Combine the corn flour with 3 tbsp almond milk in a small bowl and mix until combined and lump free. Place this mixture along with all of the other ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium to low heat. Whisk this mixture regularly until it begins to thick. This make take up to 10 minutes or so
6. Serve the crumble with a generous amount of the vanilla custard

Thankyou to Califia Farms Australia for sponsoring this post. Merry Christmas!