Vegan dinner party... for non-vegans!

[PARunnerGirl]

I started my vegan diet on 1st Jan after a few months of scaling down from eating meat, then chicken and fish only, then a vegetarian diet and eventually eliminating dairy. Enjoying it a lot and feeling good!

My first social challenge is having another couple over for dinner quite soon. They enjoy food/ eating out/ cooking and aren’t fussy,so this helps massively, but they aren’t vegetarian or vegan.

I’m not worried about them not liking what I make, but I want them to love it! I want them to see you can still have a fun, delicious, dinner party without meat or dairy products.

Would anyone like to share their showstopping vegan dinner party recipes? For this couple, I would usually do something like a few sharing mezzes/ tapas, a main dish with sides like a nice/ unusual salad and then something small and sweet like affogato or chocolate mousse pots.

I don't have a recipe but sure you could find one (bosh maybe) but a really delicious mushroom and ale pie with ready made puff pastry would be quite easy and delicious. Serve with some fancy potatoes and veg.

Definitely check out BOSH

I feel like “BOSH” is something I should know about! But I am new to this game I will take a look this evening!

Is there such s thing as vegan puff pastry?

I posted that accidentally, as I have just googled it, and the answer is YES

Yeah the jus rol ready made is vegan I used it recently for a leek and mushroom pie.

Xpost!

There’s a ratatouille lasagne on BOSH that looks really good. That, some nice bread and a fresh green salad would be good I think. Thank you so much for the BOSH tip; I’ll definitely be having a good look through the site.

You can still do tapas/ mezze; olives, patatas bravas, humous and flatbread, non-meat balls in tomato sauce, roasted veg.
You could do a nice wow factor salad with a pasta dish, like a meatfree homemade putanesca or arrabiata sauce. Not sure about pudding. Something fruity I suppose. Lemon meringue made with chickpea juice like on bake off?

You can still do the mezze style starter with aubergine dip, humous, while bean dip, caponata etc.

For pudding you could do lemon sorbet with poached orange slices or winter berries and serve with little biscuits.
If you drink wine, and you can find a sparkling wine you like, you could serve the sorbet in a glass of sparkling wine.

I made this for my vegan sister and non vegan father. Even he loved it. (Obviously she didn't have the yoghurt but that is optional.)

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/fragrant-aubergine-curry-5a7449a9ae08b55447644eb2%3famp=true

Do your guests know it's going to be a vegan night?

Is it extending to wine/beer choices and after dinner coffees with(out) milk?

I used to be vegetarian (for decades) but I tended to have fairly mixed dinner parties as my guests enjoyment was paramount.

I can give you an Ottolenghi recipe for butternut squash curry (I did half and half with potato).

My non vegan friends liked it so much that when I was going to Chuck the final 2 tablespoons, she asked if she could take it away for breakfast the following day!!

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chocolate-recipes/vegan-chocolate-cherry-honeycomb-parfait/

This is bloody fantastic. It's my go to vegan dessert (not a vegan though). You would never know it's vegan and is a very firm favourite with us!

I'd be tempted to go Middle Eastern, so a big mezze sharer, then possibly spiced roast aubergines with sides for main.

Or vegan fajitas would be delicious too!

Vegan wine is just as nice as non vegan. I always chose it now I am aware.

Almond milk or other milks can be used for coffee although IMO it's nicer black.

Hi @WardrobeInCrisis - yes they know and are fine. They love food and aren’t fussy. I just want them to really love it! There are a lot of vegan wines I bought before and really enjoy so I’m not too worried about drinks (agree @MoonGeek, Morrison’s Fleurie is an example!) . I think I’ll do @canihaveacoffeeplease ‘s Jamie suggestion with coffee as it kind of doubles up as dessert/ after chocs.

Yes please @Aridane!

I have just starting experimenting with vegan food. Some of these recipes sound amazing!

@PARunnerGirl

It’s the second recipe down on the link below (Saturday Supplement in the Guardian)

www.theguardian.com/food/2018/nov/10/yotam-ottolenghis-curry-recipes

Make sure go use the prepared butternut squash cubes available in the supermarket fyeSe of preparation!

3 of my favs;

1. fahitas; roast chopped peppers, onions and a tin of chickpeas with some fahita seasoning mix until cooked. serve with chopped avocado/coconut yogurt/siracha
2. stuffed butternut squash - roast half a butternut squash per person, having removed the seeds. make up 50g of Quinoa per person, and add olives and sun dried tomatoes. Put the quinoa in the roasted squashes.
3. Nori bowl; put cooked bulgar wheat, roasted tofu, a finely chopped green salad (with mint/basil/parsley/ect), avacado and whatever else into a bowl/bowls. Add toppings - eg. siracha, guacamole, hummous, that yeast flakey stuff, salsa

I made a recipe from BBCGoodfood for my vegan parents on Christmas Day. It was a butternut squash and kale pesto wellington. They loved it and DH (who is very much a carnivore) was caught munching on one and said it was very tasty.