Vegan NYE dinner

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Hosting NYE dinner for 6-8. I eat veggie/vegan 90% of the time but with my parents staying there's been a shit ton of meat around and I'm bored and sick of it.

Not telling family it's vegan because they'll make a cats bum face but they happily eat my vegan food normally if it's not "labelled". Friends coming know and love vegan food.

How does this sound and if not good any suggestions? Trying to avoid one pot stew style food, trying to make it a show stopper proper dinner party style nice meal!

starter: stacked vegan lasagna - individual stacks of aubergine, tomato, vegan ricotta

Main: stuffed individual mini pumpkins/squash, with quinoa and Mediterranean flavours (peppers, sweet corn, basil) with tatin of thinly sliced roasted veg (aubergine, courgette, tomato) in the side. Will do green salad as well I guess

Is it boring?! Have found a fun squashed stuffing receipe of pomegranate, pine nuts and sunflower seeds with more cumin/Ginger flavours, but then need more middle eastern style starter and side dish....maybe toasted mustard seed green beans as side and a soup or falafel and houmous as starter?

Mum is insisting on doing pudding which will def not be vegan

[Chewbecca]

I really like your menu. I do have a reservation that the starter and main might taste pretty much the same - not sure repeating the aubergine/tomato flavours should be repeated. Your alternate menu with soup or falafel as a starter doesn't suffer that problem.
I often like to put a platter of bits out for a starter, could include falafel and hummus, olives, guacamole but also add something in for meat-eaters too - slices of posh cold meat, fish pâté for e.g.
Is there pasta in the lasagne?

Would you make a second dessert to give an option?

I like this Jamie chocolate parfait which is easy and vegan, though I'd recommend buying the honeycomb!

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Yeah my worry is repetition of aubergine and tomato, but I suppose I can rectify it with a different side dish.

Everyone is omnivore so I won't do an alternative pud as mum really wants to do it. No pasta in the lasagne....

[whois]

Sounds seriously yum but I wouldn't repeat the aubergine tomatoe thing as PP said.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Yeah agreed

So either a different starter or different side. Tatin is quite an easy pre-prep and chuck in the oven dish which I think I'd prefer. So maybe I need to rethink starter. Soup? Not very impressive though

[JamNan]

I think the aubergine/tom is a bit repetitious. What about a spinach tartlet for a starter or a bean soup. Or what about falafel and some dips as a starter.

There are some show stopping recipes on My Persian Kitchen (mypersiankitchen.com) like this one for pomegranate, olive and walnut dip

[happypotamus]

Out of interest, where do you get vegan ricotta from? I am dairy-free for my cows milk protein intolerant breastfed baby and really miss cheese. DH is vegetarian so family meals are now vegan and quite limited.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

That sounds so nice. I think I want that over the beef stew I'm cooking today.

so fed up of meat and heavy food too

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

I live in LA so vegan alternatives are pretty easy to come by - I did find a recipe for vegan ricotta but ended buying the toffuti brand from wholefoodss