Virtual Lunch Club – Tuesday 13 December

Join us via Zoom, for V for Life's next virtual lunch club, Tuesday 13 December at 1pm. Dig out your Santa hat and tinsel and join us to celebrate the festive season with a tasty Christmas meal and lots of festive fun!

*Please note one-off change of date because of Christmas holidays.

Check out the recipes below, buy your ingredients and cook the dishes on the day ready for the lunch club at 1pm.

Mushroom and ‘Steak’ Steamed Pudding

Rich Fruit Cake

Christmas Syllabub

For the mushroom pudding:

Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 200g/7oz mushrooms, sliced and chopped into a variety of shapes
• 150g/5oz Quorn vegan pieces
• 1 tbsp red wine (optional)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp tamari soya sauce
• ½ tsp mixed herbs
• 200ml/8fl oz vegan gravy

You will also need four pudding moulds, approximately 5cm deep x 8cm across

Pastry

• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz vegetable suet
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100ml warm water
• Vegan margarine, for greasing

For the fruit cake:

• 300g/10½oz mixed dried fruit
• 110g/generous 3¾oz candied peel
• 100g/3½oz glace cherries, sliced in half
• 50g/1¾oz dried cranberries
• 100ml brandy (or use orange juice instead)
• 160g/generous 5½oz dark brown sugar 30g/1oz black treacle
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 175g/generous 6oz vegan margarine
• Zest of an orange and lemon
• 120ml soya milk
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• 60g/generous 2oz ground almonds
• 340g/12oz plain flour
• ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the syllabub:

• 300ml (½ pint) vegan double cream
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• Finely-grated rind and juice of 4 clementines
• 2 tablespoons cointreau or other orange liqueur

To serve

1 clementine, cut into very thin slices, to decorate

Talk cookery, recipes and more, and meet likeminded people from across the UK.

If you'll struggle to cook on the day, feel free to join with a cup of tea or whatever you're having for lunch that day. Or just pick one of the quicker recipes and prepare that.

Open to vegetarians, vegans and meat reducers aged 65 and over.

Email ellie@vegetarianforlife.org.uk to find out more, or to book your place and get the Zoom link and password. Or call the VfL office on 0161 257 0887.

If you're on Facebook don't forget to join the virtual lunch club group here.

If technology and Zoom in particular are new to you, and you need technical advice visit https://www.abilitynet.org.uk/ call 0800 048 7642. (Please note that this number is in no way related to V for Life, and AbilityNet will have no knowledge of the lunch club). You could also email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk for help.

If you're already tech savvy, all you'll need to do is open the Zoom link in your internet browser and join the meeting. Make sure that your audio and video are switched on. We'll be happy to talk you through all of this on the day or in advance.