Vegan 'Cheese' course

[petitdonkey]

Hi all, looking for some ideas please. I have friends coming for dinner on Saturday. One is Vegan and I think I have covered everything but not sure what to give her when I serve the cheese. I was thinking I could just do her a small board with fresh fruit, nuts, chutney and some oatcakes. Would that be okay or would you recommend a vegan cheese alternative?

Nutcrafter Creamery or Tyne Chease. Either mail order or check their website for stockists.

Shamelessly following as DH is dairy intolerant and wondering the same about Xmas day. We have violife cheese sometimes which is fine sprinkled on pasta or something but I don't think you'd want it with crackers!

Tyne Chease is delicious and the reason I can see myself staying vegan for good. Don’t go for violife or any other coconut oil substitute - it’s just grim.

If you can’t get those get a jar of a fancy nut butter, like macadamia or white almond or cashew. It’ll go well with crackers and fruit.

What about dips? Houmous, red pepper dip etc etc...
Or a pâté?

Thank you retinol - have just looked them up. No stockists near me.. debating ordering some but its blimmin expensive!! Do you think non-vegans would eat it too? (I appreciate that is hard to answer if you're vegan but you may have experience of dishing it up!)

I hate food waste so don't want to buy it for one person and chuck it in the bin... We have a waitrose nearby so can see if they have any.

Would you be offended if a host served up fruit and nuts as an alternative??

Everything else I am cooking is Vegan with the exception of the meat (obvs!!) so that she doesn't feel like she's eating differently to anyone else.

I’d ask her what she likes. I find most vegan cheeses pretty horrible. Tesco does a nice coconut based soft cheese with pepper on top.

The suggestion of houmous (maybe a fancy one with stuff on top), or some other dips like baba ganoush, fava, homemade guacamole is a good one.

Would you be offended if a host served up fruit and nuts as an alternative??

Not offended but it would be nicer to have something to put on crackers.

I had wondered about a mushroom pate! Or nut butter is a good idea and we already have that in the house!
Good tip to avoid violate as I probably would've started there!!
Thank you all.

Thanks purple - I agree and there are some great suggestions here. I am avoiding asking her as I know she will just say 'oh don't go to any trouble, I can just eat the vegetables'!! I want to make an effort though as she's a dear friend.

It's made me realise also how often I turn to animal fats... I trialled pudding last week using a non-dairy alternative and couldn't tell the difference!!

You sound like a lovely friend!

I think vegan cheeses are quite a personal taste thing. Definitely safer to go for an alternative.

What are you cooking?

Stuffed dates as a nibble - filled with dried cranberries, pecan breadcrumb mix

butternut squash and chilli soup - has coconut milk in it and is lovely. topped with toasted seeds

(duck for carnivores)

Baked aubergine with a Tamarind sauce
served with roast potatoes and peas and baby gem

Baked peaches stuffed with ameretti biscuits and ice cream (halo top dairy free)

Cheese!

That sounds absolutely delicious. Can I have your aubergine recipe? I love tamarind.

A posh hummus is always nice.

I love Violife tzatziki soft cheese. The others I don’t but that’s lovely. I’d go with houmous or pate. Or all of them 😁

How about some chocolates as an alternative.

@petitdonkey non-vegans have happily eaten nutcrafter at my house. Also vegusto.

I think the dips are a good suggestion - would go well with cracker type stuff.

purple - here you go - Roasted Aubergine. Haven't tried it yet but it looks lovely!

Great suggestions everyone - especially chocolate Coven! Will look for vegan ones!

I love the voilife Garlic and herb soft cheese, almost like a Philadelphia style. Great on crackers but obv each to their own!

A lot of vegan food is absolutely disgusting, inedible and super expensive. What you said sounds lovely

Vegan cheese sorru not vegan food

Thanks for the recipe. It looks lovely.

Asda have some great vegan cheese. They do an onion and chive (I think those are the flavours) that is my favourite. If I buy it I eat it within days! They also do a nice cheesly red Leicester.

I'd not be upset if you didn't provide me with vegan cheese, but I'd love you forever if you did!