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I'll definately (I'm never sure of the spelling)try the quorn substitue idea as we do tandoori chicken, mexican beef etc and if I can just use quorn instead of meat that'll be easy and the vegetarians won't feel left out.The Waitrose things sound lovely - I might even try the Lebanese Pizza tomorrow for us - sound delish. Unfortunately we don't have Waitrose up here - not fair.
Thanks again everyone - I knew I'd get loads of good ideas here. I'll let you all know how it goes - its on the 20th Dec.

For vegetarian parmesan, try Twineham Grange - I think it's produced in West Sussex but is available in Sainsburys I think and poss other big stores. Good luck.

On the subject of vegetarian cheese, be aware that parmesan is not vegetarian. However, you can get a parmesan style cheese that is vegetarian. We've had this from Tesco before but other stores may sell it.

If you are looking for something a little more substantial rather than just 'nibbly bits' I have just picked up the Waitrose's free Christmas magazine. It has a section, albeit a little short, for vegetarian Christmas. One of the recipes, which I think would probably be OK cold, is called Lebanese Pizza and has aubergine, houmous, onions, herbs, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and feta cheese in it.

Something we've done in the past is a tart made with a puff pastry rectangle base with a 'border' scored around it. The middle is then filled by layering slices of tomato, roast pepper and/or other veg and mozzarella (although is this veggie, even the non-Buffallo type?). Bake in the oven until pastry cooked and then serve with basil leaves scattered on top. You could always bake the pastry 'case' first then finish with the layers to serve cold. It may be better to make this up as near to the time as possible so that the liquid from the mozzarella doesn't make the pastry go too soggy. Also, we have had the cooked tart cold as leftovers and it tasted perfectly fine.

You can also do something similar using caramelised onions and thyme.

You can use quorn in exactly the same way you would use meat so there are all kinds of tasty things you can make just adapt it as quorn soaks up lots of fluid. I whizz up quorn and make kebabs or burgers. Or fry the quorn pieces with some lime juice and put in pitta pockets with salad and mayo.

Thanks everyone - I'll give these a try. I already stick the green V thing on the veggie stuff - it means I don't have to be there pointing. I always feel that the vegetarians don't get as good a deal as the rest as non veggie folk eat the vegetarian meals as well as the meat ones. Maybe I should do the whole buffet meat free!

How about deep fried risotto balls to hand around with drinks or even just serve as a "mountain" (something like the way Ferrero Rocher are served?) - stuffed with mozarella, fried mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, olives or anything else that takes your fancy . . .

Tartlets filled with a mixture of red onion, red pepers finely diced and sauteed in a drop of olive oil, plenty of thyme or basil,pine nuts, sutanas and bound with a glaze of redcurrant or cranberry sauce. Yummy, christmassy, no cheese! I did this one year, also a batch of the same tartlet cases but filled with a mushroom, leek and chestnut mixture with madeira sauce. Good luck!

I found a lovely veggie dish on this site by Reza Mahammad. (sp?) It is here..[link]

Lovely dough balls with chilli filling which I served with sweet chilli sauce and they were lovely hot or cold and dead easy to make!

Veggie sausage plaits always go down well amd can be made and frozen beforehand. Just whizz up some veggie sausage quorn are good, in a processor with some apple maybe a bit of curry powder or onion, and make as for ordinary plait. A bit of chutney spread over the base is good too.Spanish Omelettes are a great stand-by too.Home made spring rolls are a great idea with nice little tasty dipping sauce.
The other thing is try and label the dishes if you can I went to a buffet once and the host had put a card with a "V" on the dishes that were veggie. Terrific idea. It saved all the hassle of having to ask what was in everything.

You'll get it in most big supermarkets. All Tesco's hard Cheddar cheese is supposed to be vegetarian. Asda's don't have a V on them so I don't risk it.

Thanks porridge and jaybee - I'll try the paneer and tofu ones - I've got loads of salad things its main course ideas I'm after. I've got Delia's Christmas book so I'll check it out - madeira pastries sound good. I've always taken it for granted Trudi that cheese was vegetarian (forgot about the rennet) that's another pile of recipes off the menu. How easy is it to get vegetarian cheese?

There is a whole section in Delia Smith's Christmas, of vegetarian recipes, including nibbles and such like. You might find them online on her website, or borrow the book from the library?

It includes: caramelised cheese and onion tarlets, Cheese choux pastries with mushrooms in madeira, vegetarian sausage rolls (I have made these they are very nice!), a terrine with 4 cheeses, Cheese and parsnip roulade with sage and onion stuffing (not sure if this can be eaten cold), and a couple of nice looking breads.

Hope that helps.

Jackie

cep, they all sound lovely, how about some Jamie Oliver salads, there are a couple in his book with peaches, I seem to remember he put pancetta in as well but you can leave them out and shaved parmesan on top. If you look on the BBc website there is a good recipe for nut and mushroom roast on there which I always make at Christmas and it is very nice cold on boxing day with bubble and squeak. You could also do vege quiches and rice salad or pasta salad. You could marinate some tofu in chinese spices and chop that up and put in the rice salad, that is very nice. Or paneer tikka is nice cold, just marinate slices of paneer like a meat tikka and cook. You are very brave doing a buffet for that many people at Christmas - good luck.