To ask what you’d cook for a vegan dinner party?

[Fueoe]

Hosting a vegan dinner party for 6 people. One of them is allergic to all nuts.

I’m not a great cook and stressed. What should I make that seems impressive? Just a main and dessert

Thai or Indian food is very easy for vegans.

Is it? It took me years to make a good curry.

The curry sauces and pastes are too strong and recipes can have quite a harsh taste. I make my own from scratch now and it's good.

I would ignore the voices above saying “no one pot meals like chilli/curry because they probably eat them all the time”

Choose something you can do a good job of whether it’s a one pot or not. People are coming to see you not to admire your Michelin level cooking. The main thing is that the food tastes nice and ticks the vegan box (and that’s already hard enough tbh), not that it’s impressive.

Personally I’d do a veg or chickpea curry and a variety of sides including an Indian style salad or slaw, a dal, fancy rice and some parathas (the frozen parathas you can buy are amazing and they are vegan !)

Anna Jones modern moussaka, switch the almond milk to soya or rice with nice bread and salad. And a sort of build your own Eton mess, using chicken pea water meringues, that way it's all done in advance so you just need to assemble and heat https://gasmarkfive.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/anna-joness-modern-moussaka/

If you’re not a great cook, and stressed, why are you having a dinner party? Not being rude, but just wondering. I’m like you, but I’d never throw one for that reason!!

This sounds objectively delicious even as a devotee like me to meat and dairy. I'm going to try it!!!

Mushrooms cooked in red wine and polenta. Rice can get rather monotonous.

Yes! I made it with broccoli and it was very good!

freekeh is a good alternative to rice.

My DB is a lifelong veggie and would agree completely! He'd also add risotto to that list.

Who'd want a plateful of sloppy rice?

At least with vegan dishes there's no goat's cheese.

Vegetable curry - something like chickpeas or butternut squash - with rice
Dark chocolate mousse (made with coconut milk) with a raspberry coulis

If you’re not a great cook, and stressed, why are you having a dinner party? Not being rude, but just wondering. I’m like you, but I’d never throw one for that reason!!
If you keep things really simple and prep in advance it makes things much easier. For example I suggested dark chocolate and avocado mousse. This could be made the night before and just and bits of white chocolate and raspberries after.

If its just with a few friends they wont mind if things dont go 100% to plan.

The only thing that op needs ti get right is checking all the ingredients are vegan, as I said earlier, this includes any alcohol.

I make a sort of shepherd’s pie that goes down very well. A base of red onions fried, add mushrooms, carrots, peas, flavoured lentils in a pouch, tinned toms, passata etc. Make a really tasty and flavoursome mixture.
Make a large pan of mashed potatoes - use oat milk and plant based marg with salt and pepper.
Put the sauce into a lovely baking dish. Add the mashed potato on top (pipe if poss) and make a pretty pattern. Cook it for approx 25 mins in oven to go a bit crispy on top. You can make it well in advance so no stress on the day. Mix the Potato water with gravy granules ( many are vegan).
Offer lots of veg to go with it.
Fruit salad with vegan ice cream for pud.

Any veggie dish that doesn’t involve dairy or honey. I’ve cooked Christmas dinner for a vegan for years on that simple principle.

I would also add cauliflower steaks to it (😖)!

I currently really love a lunch of smoked tofu dusted in cornflour and shallow fried till crispy, mushrooms and add all that to some noodles with whatever other flavourings you want (I go heavy on the chilli, garlic, ginger, soy and fresh herbs).

veggie and chickpea tagine, lemon couscous, yogurt and mint sauce for those not vegan, lamb keema kebabs (available ready made in Lidl) again for meat eaters. Check allergies carefully as nut allergies can meat seeds, pulses, soya etc.

alternatively watch last nights Jamie’s bbq episode, last segment was vegan (until yogurt and halloumi on the side was added) and earlier in the episode was a leek and bean dish. Both looked yummy! ( I say as a carnivore). Where dairy is a side item just leave it off the vegan’s plate and if you want to offer vegan mayo as an alternative though some contain nuts.

Go Italian!
Make vegan pastry using margarine - the make a red onion tart with balsamic glaze
mushroom risotto as a side dish
Lasagne with aubergine, courgettes and peppers, use oat milk for the bechamel
focaccia with rosemary (unless they count yeast as an animal)

Use Chick pea juice (aqua faba) and make meringue serve with fruit (elmlea plant cream)

@Thetimeshop

i personally prefer to use natural products like dairy rather than those with a long list of ingredients. Fair enough if you don’t use substitutes but I find it odd personally to describe yourself as vegan or vegetarian then eat fake versions of the products you are shunning. We all are allowed choice, mine is to eat naturally and locally where possible, meat,veg, pulses and a little dairy (doesn’t actually agree with me)

I use organic oat milk. Plenish is the make.

I’d do a roast with a roasted cauliflower ‘steak’ or roasted aubergine in a miso sauce as the main, rosemary and garlic roast potatoes, swede and potato mash (cook ahead), vegan Yorkshire puds, make your own sage and onion stuffing with breadcrumbs.

Dark chocolate mousse can be made with silken tofu. Better consistency and nicer than coconut (I find it nauseating personally), and very easy.

Probably mushroom wellington with roast potatoes and veg, followed by the vegan pear and chocolate sponge on the BBC Food website.