Vegetarian cooking does not have to be dull and tasteless. It also does not have to send you into a tizzy. There are many dishes you can make that are vegetarian or even vegan without spending a ton of time and effort only to end up with something that looks and tastes like an old boot.

My friend recently gave a great dinner party with some fantastic recipes and told me they were from the book Festive Vegetarian Cookery by Evelyn Trimborn. I quickly downloaded a copy and got some great ideas for my own Christmas party.

Buffet style is fairly easy to cater for. What could be better than different pizzas with assorted toppings, and some salads, dips and desserts? If you have a lot of children coming, then boost the amount of pizza and dips and munchies you serve, and make sure there is plenty of salad and finely cut vegetables for everyone.   

This book gives you lots of different ideas for vegetarian treats you can enjoy all year round, not just at fall and winter holidays..  It includes complete menus for Thanksgiving and autumn festivals, Christmas, a romantic dinner for two, buffets and party food for all the family.  It even includes some festive cocktails to make your party go with a splash.  

So if you’re stressing over what to serve this Christmas dinner because you have non-meat eaters coming, pick up a copy of Festive Vegetarian Cookery

Image by LianaAn via Flickr

 and start trying a few of the recipes. At the very least you will get some great ideas for Meatless Monday meals and introduce your family to some new favorites.