ARE you cooking for a vegetarian this Christmas or do you need a survival guide to help navigate around the festive season’s meat feasts?

Well fear not because the Vegetarian Society (VS) has teamed up withWeekend for all those who would rather ditch the turkey from their Christmas dinner.

From a traditional nut roast with all the trimmings to festive dishes from around the world, you can search more than 100 meat-free recipes on the VS website.

New for 2013 are apple and rosemary crowns with wild mushrooms and puy lentils and juniper croquettes with a sherry and tomato sauce.

All the recipes are created by the VS’s cookery school, Cordon Vert in Altrincham.

Alex Connell, principal tutor at the school, shared his tips for anyone having a veggie guest over for dinner.

  • Have a chat in advance to find out if they’re vegetarian or vegan. Like anybody else they may also have food allergies or things they just don’t like, so remember to check.
  • Read the labels – there are a few things to look out for if you’re not used to shopping for veggies. Look out for the Vegetarian Society Approved symbol.
  • Make plenty. Food that is suitable for vegetarians isn’t just for vegetarians and the meat-eaters will definitely want a taste when they see the delicious food you’ve prepared.
  • Keep the roast potatoes, veg and gravy separate from the meat and don’t cook them in goose fat so everyone can share them.
  • Cook potatoes in vegetable oil and look out for veggie-friendly gravy.
  • Buy a ready-made option such as nut roast or a meat substitute ‘roast’ or ‘fillet’ if you don’t want to prepare a separate dish for your veggie guest.
  • Check the cheese you’re buying is suitable for vegetarians as a few cheeses still use rennet.

Karin Ridgers, presenter of web TV station VeggieVision, has also published a 70-page online veggie guide to Christmas.

It provides festive advice from experts, celebrities and vegetarians from all over the UK.

She said: “The free guide is ideal for worried readers who have a vegetarian relative coming for Christmas dinner or veggies who need inspiration and fresh ideas.”

For Vegetarian Society Christmas recipes, visit veggiechristmas.org To read Karin’s guide, visit veggiechristmas.com