CHRISTMAS is the perfect time to indulge in tempting treats. Whether you are treating yourself or sharing with your friends or family, add a sprinkle of inspiration to your Christmas kitchen with some delicious dishes from the Vegetarian Society's festive flavours collection.

Set the scene with a pea and spinach soup or fill your plates with a cheesy lattice pie or classic nut roast.

Lynne Elliot, chief executive of the society, said: "We have created a host of brand new recipes for you this year. To make sure everyone can join in and try something tasty, these recipes cater for both vegetarians and vegans.

"Some are gluten free and there's also a delicious dessert that is vegan and raw."

The full festive collection of vegetarian recipes is free on the Vegetarian Society's website.

Cheesy Lattice Pie: an indulgent centrepiece, great served with fresh winter greens.

For the lattice top: 500g vegetarian or vegan puff pastry, in a block, flour, for rolling out For the filling: 500g leeks, finely sliced and washed, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 3 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 tsp plain flour, 200ml milk or soya milk, 100g vegetarian or vegan cheese, grated, 100g vegetarian or vegan cream cheese, 400g vegetarian or vegan Quorn pieces, 50g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced, 1 tsp fresh thyme or parsley, finely chopped, 50g frozen peas, salt and pepper

For the glaze: 1 egg, beaten, or 1 tsp flour and 3 tbsp soya milk, mixed

Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 40cm square, or large enough to cover a pie dish with a 10cm overhang on all sides. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into strips 3cm wide.

Make the lattice top. Lay two strips of pastry on the work surface at right angles, with the ends overlapping. Add new strips one by one, alternating vertical and horizontal strips and weaving them over and under each other to make a pastry lattice sheet. Don’t leave any gaps between the strips. Put the sheet on a baking tray, cover and refrigerate.

To make the filling, gently fry the leeks in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the paprika and garlic. Stir constantly while you add the flour, then the milk a little at a time. Add the grated cheese, cream cheese, Quorn, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and peas. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste.

Place the filling in a 25cm square pie dish and allow to cool. Carefully lift the pastry lattice onto the pie dish and press around the edges with a fork to seal. Trim off any excess pastry. Brush the pastry with the glaze and bake for 45 minutes or until golden.