Nae burds; Vegetarians can feel overwhelmed by their meat-eating,

So it's a bit of a meatfest at this time of year, but not everyone wants to eat meat at every meal over Christmas and a few won't want to eat it at all. I'm not sure why we like to eat almost anything that once had feathers at this time of year, but it's not so in every country.

A few years ago I spent the festive season in northern Italy with a bunch of Italian friends and the main dish at Christmas was a huge artichoke and smoked cheese pie placed in the middle of the table for everyone to dig in. I was the only non-meat eater there but when I reached for seconds everyone had beaten me to it - a great meal and not a plucked bird in sight.

I've tried to give examples for a meal that will be enjoyed by all, not only strict vegetarians, bright and festive full of colour, texture and flavour, using some ingredients you might not use every day - and I assume that you don't want to spend the whole day in the kitchen. With these recipes you can do most of the preparation the day before.

Polenta is versatile, but this is my favourite way of cooking it; light and crisp yellow polenta with red and green flecked through it. Use the best quality stock you can find and try roasting the peppers in a very hot oven to blister the skin without over-cooking the flesh. In the parcel I suggest using Irish Gubeen as it has such a delicate flavour with a natural smokiness. Some smoked cheeses can taste a bit artificial but this one is lovingly created. You can, of course, use your own favourite cheese instead.

The savoy cabbage cooked with caraway is a fantastic combination and once you've tried it you'll see cabbage in a whole new light. The dessert tartlet is everything a special occasion demands - the light, crunchy pastry combining with the smooth chocolate ganache with that touch of brandy and the bittersweet caramelised fruit. You could make one larger tart and cut it, but I think the individual tartlets look stunning. What about making a couple of fruit coulis to decorate the plate, one mango and one raspberry? Simply heat the fruit in a pan with a little sugar, cool and blend and strain the raspberry for a brilliant combination of colours.

Grilled red pepper and basil polenta with olive tapenade Serves six to eight 200g polenta 1.2 litres stock - red peppers (roasted, peeled and de-seeded) 25g fresh basil (torn) 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper to taste For the tapenade:

300g black or green olives 30g sundried tomatoes 1 tablespoon capers 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil Black pepper to taste Bring the water and stock to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Slowly pour in and stir the polenta until smooth. If it seems too thick add a little more water, stir and simmer until all the graininess has gone (about half an hour). Chop two of the peppers and stir into the polenta along with the basil, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste (be careful with salty stock). While it is still warm spread the polenta out on a shallow oiled tray, to a thickness of about ten millimetres and allow to cool and set firm.

To make the tapenade, put all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a blender until roughly chopped, then add the oil and blend again. To serve slice the polenta into squares of around 80mm, then slice diagonally to make two triangles per portion. Place the triangles under a hot grill and toast until crisp on the outside. Cut the remaining two peppers into the required number of portions and warm under the grill. Place the two triangles overlapped, on the centre of the plate and top with the red pepper. Place three teaspoons of tapenade around the polenta. Drizzle with a little basil pesto.

Smoked gubeen, roasted butternut squash and spinach filo parcel with caraway savoy cabbage Serves six to eight 500g butternut squash (peeled, sliced and de-seeded) 250g spinach 200g smoked gubeen cheese 2 free range eggs 1 pack filo pastry 50ml whipping cream 1 savoy cabbage (shredded) Tablespoon soy sauce or stock Tablespoon olive oil Tablespoon caraway seeds Baby potatoes Vegetables of your choice Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste Pre-heat the oven to 200C/ 400F, place the squash on a baking tray and toss in olive oil, roast for about 15 minutes then roughly mash with a fork. Wash and cook the spinach until wilted; cool, squeeze out the water and chop. Mix the squash, spinach, eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste in a pan and heat gently over a low heat until the liquid is taken up. Allow to cool. Trim a sheet of filo pastry to a 200mm square, brush with melted butter and place another sheet on top, brush again with butter. Place a slice of gubeen, about 60mm square in the middle of the filo, a couple of spoons of the squash/spinach mix and another slice of cheese on top, but don't be tempted to overfill.

Pick up diagonally opposite corners and twist them together, do the same with the other two corners. Keep the wrap loose and it will be crisp and flaky. Place on a baking tray and bake at 190C/375F for 20 minutes or until golden. Pop the shredded savoy cabbage into a pan with the oil, soy sauce/stock and caraway seeds, stir until softened but with a little 'bite'. Cook the baby potatoes in boiling water and steam the veg, transfer to a pan and toss with a little butter and chopped parsley. Spoon the cabbage on to the centre of the plate and place the filo parcel on top, decorate round the parcel with the baby potatoes and vegetables.

Almond cognac ganache tartlet topped with caramelised fruit and mascarpone Serves Six to eight For the pastry:

200g plain flour 75g butter (diced) 2 egg yolks75g caster sugar 75g roasted almonds (chopped) 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp cold water Pinch of salt For the ganache:

300ml whipping cream 250g dark chocolate (chopped) Splash of brandy Pinch of cardamom For the caramelised fruit:

2 pears (quartered) 1 mango (sliced) 10 plums (quartered) 1 tub mascarpone 15g butter 75g caster sugar Sift the flour and salt into a bowl then add the other pastry ingredients, blend with your fingertips or in a blender, then knead to a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours, then divide into the required number of portions and roll as thin as you dare. Press each into a tartlet dish (about 80mm), trim and prick the base with a fork. Place in pre-heated oven 190C/375C for 15 minutes (blind bake if you like). Allow to cool. For the ganache, heat the cream with the cardamom to just below boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the brandy and chopped chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

For the caramelised fruit, gently heat a frying pan and melt the butter, then add the sugar and dissolve, turn the heat up and allow to brown and caramelise, add the prepared fruit and toss until coated. Fill the tartlets with the ganache, spoon on the fruit and top with the mascarpone.

David Bann Vegetarian Restaurant and Bar, 56-58 St Mary's St, Edinburgh, 0131 556 5888

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