The perfect recipe for a vegan Christmas in MallorcaDecember 16, 2020

In the past few years, we’ve become wonderfully spoilt for choice when it comes to eating vegan in Mallorca. But, if you’re contemplating a vegan Christmas in Mallorca, you’ll know that there’s a bit of a difference between eating vegan and cooking vegan.

To help you – and us – we invited some experts to share their recipes so we can all enjoy a delicious, healthy vegan Christmas in Mallorca.

Mukka Coffee Palma

A favourite of Patrick and Charlie Hill, cofounders of Charles Marlow and committed vegans, Mukka Coffee Palma is a charming, welcoming vegan and gluten free brunch and coffee shop.

Mukka was founded by Belgian Magali de Haes and her partner Ismael Pleguezuelos who moved to Mallorca from Barcelona two years ago.

For Magali, enjoying a vegan Christmas in Mallorca is easy. “Mallorca is a very vegan-friendly island,” she says. “We shop at the local farmers market on Tuesday and Saturday for veggies and fruit. For special things like vegan cheese and meat substitutes, I like to go to Nu Market or Mama Carmen’s Despensa.”

She loves how Christmas is especially cosy on Mallorca. “There are lights everywhere and plenty of Christmas markets. I spend the holidays with my family and plenty of good food and drink.”

A Mukka meat-free Christmas dinner

First course: No chicken croquettes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 packs of no chicken (Heura, bocados)
• 2 big onions
• 200ml soy cream for cooking (Alpro)
• Teaspoon nutmeg
• Teaspoon salt
• ½ cup gluten free flour (Schar)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Bread crumbs

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Cut the no chicken in fine pieces, you can also do it with your hands.
2. Grate the onion and sauté it in a pan until the liquid is gone. Once the onion is dry, you add ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and nutmeg.
3. Add ½ cup of gluten free flour and stir everything together.
4. Now add the no chicken and stir everything together.
5. Add the soy cream, stir, take off the stove and let it rest for a few minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to a plate and cover it with plastic foil but make sure the hot air can escape so the upper part doesn’t dry out). Let it cool down.
7. Once the mixture is at room temperature you can start rolling out the croquettes and rolling them in bread crumbs. You can now freeze and store them in the fridge for later or fry them now.
8. Fry for a few seconds on both sides and your no chicken croquettes are ready to eat.

Second course: Mushroom Wellington

INGREDIENTS

• Vegan puff pastry (you can find it in most supermarkets)
• 300g mushrooms
• 150g onion
• 10g fresh garlic
• Teaspoon of salt
• Teaspoon of pepper
• Olive oil to saute the mushrooms
• A little bit of soy milk

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Sauté garlic, onion and mushrooms with salt, pepper and olive oil in a pan.
2. Let the mixture cool down. When it’s almost dry, throw away the remaining water.
3. Put the mixture in a blender and mix just a little bit, leave some texture.
4. Take the puff pastry, put the mixture in the middle and fold in all 4 sides.
5. Cut a few lines on the top and put a little bit of soy milk on to make it shine.
6. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, 180°C.

Dessert: Arroz con leche

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups of round rice
• 6 cups of water (+-1,25l)
• 3 cups of soy milk
• 1 peel of an orange
• ½ cup sugar
• Cinnamon for the topping

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Wash the rice.
2. Put the water in a pot and let it boil.
3. Add the rice (check the packaging of the rice for the cooking time) and add the peel of an orange and the sugar.
4. When the rice is almost ready, add the soy milk and stir. Let it cook for a few more minutes and turn off the stove.
5. Take out the peel, and transfer the mixture into as many bowls as you like. Top with a little bit of cinnamon.

Mukka is at 12 Carrer del Carmen in the centre of Palma. Find out more about their holiday takeaway menu available on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December here.

Viva vegan Christmas in Mallorca with Villa Vegana

Opened in 2013 by German couple Miriam Spann and Jens Schmitt, Villa Vegana was one of the first 100% vegan hotels in Europe and a pioneer in Mallorca. Situated between Inca and Selva, Villa Vegana is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the Mallorcan countryside.

Miriam has lived in Mallorca since 1997 and Jens for 18 years. Miriam became vegetarian aged eight and Jens grew up in a yoga centre surrounded by vegetarians. They became vegan in 2012 when they found out about the cruelty in the milk and egg industries.

“We always had a huge passion for cooking so we decided to create a little guesthouse where we could accommodate vegans and serve them amazing food,” Miriam explains. “Also, we wanted to inspire and surprise people who aren’t vegan with food that’s flavourful and yummy. This is why we also wrote our own cookbook filled with mouthwatering recipes from around the world, available in English, German and Spanish.”

Enjoy these mouthwatering recipes from Villa Vegana this vegan Christmas in Mallorca.

Villa Vegana festive specials

Datiles al “Bacon”

Stuffed dates wrapped in aubergine.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 aubergine
• 18 dates (pitted)
• 18 almonds (blanched)*
• Sea salt
• Pimentón de la Vera
• Olive oil
• 18 small wooden skewers or toothpicks

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Preheat oven to 180º C (fan). Using a vegetable peeler, first peel the aubergine and then cut 18 thin strips, lengthwise. Lay the strips on baking paper, sprinkle them with salt, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stuff each date with an almond. Next, dust the aubergine strips with Pimentón de la Vera, brush with olive oil, and wrap a strip around every date, piercing and securing them with skewers.
3. Arrange on a tray lined with baking paper and bake on the middle rack for about 10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

(*You can also fill them with sobrasada, recipe below!)

Sobrasada

Tomato paprika spread.

INGREDIENTS

• 50 g sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 25 g pine nuts or almonds
• 1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
• 1-2 teaspoon anis seeds
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika (ground)
• 2 teaspoon agave syrup
• 20 ml olive oil
• Pinch nutmeg
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper, ground

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Cover sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl with boiling hot water. Soak 1 hour. Transfer to a sieve and drain thoroughly, discarding water.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth, spreadable paste. Adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve with bread, crackers or spiralized vegetables (e.g. zucchini noodles, etc.)

Estofado Mallorquin (serves 6)

Seitan stew with red wine and vegetables

INGREDIENTS

• 2 onions
• 3 carrots
• 250 g mushrooms
• 6 garlic cloves
• 800 g seitan
• 2 tablespoons vegan Zwiebelschmalz or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
• twig fresh thyme
• twig fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 500 ml Mallorcan red wine
• 250 ml vegetable broth
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 250 g smoked tofu
• 100 g silverskin onions (jar)
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Salt & pepper, ground

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Cut onions in wedges. Cut carrots in half lengthwise and then diagonally in slices. Clean the mushrooms. Peel the garlic. Chop seitan into chunks, season generously with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides in a pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Heat Zwiebelschmalz (or olive oil) in a large stewpot and sauté the onion wedges, carrots and mushrooms for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato concentrate and fry briefly. Bind the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves into a Bouquet Garni and add to the vegetables. Pour in half of the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the red wine and vegetable broth. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes. Add the seitan and silverskin onions and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the Bouquet Garni.
3. Chop smoked tofu into chunks. Fry until moderately scorched with 3 tablespoons olive oil and about 1 teaspoon salt, then add along with chopped parsley and horseradish to the stewpot. Stir in the margarine and flour to thicken the sauce. Mix well. Serve with mashed potatoes or tagliatelle.

Gató de Almendra

Mallorcan almond cake.

INGREDIENTS

• 100 g almonds, chopped
• 150 g almonds, ground
• 200 g spelt flour
• 100 g cane sugar
• Pinch salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 130 g vegan margarine
• 400 ml almond milk
• 80 g almond butter
• 1 lemon, zested
• Icing (powdered) sugar

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC (fan). Add almonds, spelt flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and combine well.
2. Melt margarine in a small pot. Stir in almond milk, almond butter and lemon zest. Add and mix into dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Pour and spread batter evenly into a greased springform pan. (Alternately, line pan with baking paper.) Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let completely cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Red Wine Truffles

Cocoa-dusted chocolate confections.

INGREDIENTS

Truffles

• 200 g vegan dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon vegan chocolate nut spread
• 80 ml Mallorcan red wine
• 1 tablespoon cognac (optional)

Garnish

• 25 g cocoa powder
• 20 x  mini paper candy cups

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Coarsely chop dark chocolate and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set bowl in hot water and melt chocolate. After it melts, stir in chocolate nut spread. Remove bowl from heat. Add red wine and cognac, if using. Whisk until mixture is even and smooth.
2. Cover bowl with cling film. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
3. The following day, form about 20 small balls from the chilled mixture with your hands. Roll balls in cocoa to coat all over and arrange in mini paper cups. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

The restaurant at Villa Vegana is open from 1300 to 1800 Friday to Sunday and food is being served on the terrace. Buy the Spanish version of the Villa Vegana Cookbook at the hotel and the English here or German here.

Enjoy a wonderful vegan Christmas in Mallorca. We will!