With more people opting for a veggie or vegan diet, these clever meat-free dishes provide festive inspiration.
Triple-cheese stuffed mushrooms
SERVES 4 AS A STARTER, 2 AS A MAIN COURSE V GF
HANDS-ON TIME 30 MINS
TOTAL TIME 50 MINS, PLUS COOLING
Irresistibly cheesy and topped with sticky caramelised onions, these stuffed mushrooms can be a starter or a main.
4 large flat mushrooms (1 x 250g pack), stalks removed and chopped
15g butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100g baby spinach
75g full-fat soft cheese
75g vegetarian blue cheese* (we used Castello), diced
4 thyme sprigs, leaves chopped
20g vegetarian alternative to Parmesan, grated
15g dried breadcrumbs*
salad leaves, to serve
For the caramelised onions
25g butter
2 red onions, sliced
1 tsp light brown sugar
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. To caramelise the onions, melt 25g butter in a large pan. Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, place the mushrooms on a lined baking tray and divide 15g butter between the caps. Season and bake for 10 minutes then set aside.
3 Once the onions are soft and beginning to caramelise, add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook uncovered for a further 5 minutes until completely caramelised and sticky. Set aside in a bowl.
4 Wipe out the same pan and heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Mix in the chopped mushroom stalks and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften then add the spinach, cover with a lid and leave for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove the lid and cook off any excess liquid. Tip into a medium bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes then mix with the soft cheese, blue cheese and thyme.
5 Spoon the cheese mixture into the baked mushrooms. Combine the Parmesan alternative and breadcrumbs in a bowl and scatter the mixture over the stuffed mushrooms.
6 Return to the oven for 12-14 minutes until golden and bubbling. Gently reheat the onions if you like. Spoon the caramelised onions over the mushrooms and serve with salad leaves. *Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, if required.
■ Per mushroom: 284cals; 21g fat (13g sat fat); 11g protein; 3g fibre; 12g carbs; 7g total sugars; 0.8g salt
Honey-roasted veg with lemon ricotta
SERVES 6 V GF
HANDS-ON TIME 30 MINS
TOTAL TIME 1 HR 20 M
