Help with a vegan menu

[burleydee]

DH and I have invited work pals for dinner on Monday, and one guy is vegan.

I figure I can make a double batch of the smoky almond mole, and mix half with chicken and half with something else ... tofu or tempeh or seitan. I've had tofu, but not tempeh or seitan. Can someone give me an idea what would work best?

I can do chips with salsa and guacamole for starters, and serve broccoli with the mole. I'll probably wimp out and make a cherry pie for dessert, unless someone out there has a better suggestion ... I'm easy! (But not cheap) :-)

TIA!

Kim

[emptyspool]

If this is casual and you have some Mexican starters, you might enjoy this chili recipe from cooking light. Even my teenagers like this. We serve it on top of the big fritos as a taco salad and have sides of cheddar, sour cream, black olives, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, green onions, etc. It is so simple but I promise you the taste will surprise you.....it is quite good.

Hominy Chili with Beans

Hominy is made of dried corn kernels from which the hulls and germs have been removed. You can find it in the canned-vegetable section of the supermarket near the corn.


2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (chili powder through stewed tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Spoon 1 1/4 cups chili into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 teaspoon cilantro.
Note: If hominy is not available, you can substitute 1 (11-ounce) can vacuum-packed white corn or 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained. Hominy imparts a distinctive flavor remarkabley different from that of corn, so if you use corn, know that the dish will be more like a basic chili with beans.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 271 (23% from fat); FAT 6.8g (satfat 2.6g, monofat 2g, polyfat 1.8g); PROTEIN 11.7g; CARBOHYDRATE 42.9g; FIBER 5.5g; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; IRON 4.1mg; SODIUM 452mg; CALCIUM 202mg;
Cooking Light, MARCH 2000

[kristalsnow7]

Of the three meat substitutes, I would probably opt for seitan, as I think it tastes the most like chicken. I also like seasoned tofu, though. Tempeh has a more fermented taste which isn't as appealing, but if he is vegan, he's probably had it before.

I just purchased a few vegan cookbooks last month, and will be happy to look for some recipes for you a little later today.

[tholbrook]

Originally posted by kristalsnow7
Of the three meat substitutes, I would probably opt for seitan, as I think it tastes the most like chicken. I also like seasoned tofu, though. Tempeh has a more fermented taste which isn't as appealing, but if he is vegan, he's probably had it before. I agree - seitan would probably be the best option since tofu can often fall apart (at least in my experience...unless it's the baked kind) and tempeh's flavor isn't for everyone.

[Kayaksoup]

And if you do the pie, remember not to use butter or honey (if he is strict vegan). I only recently learned that technical vegans don't do honey...

[tbb113]

Originally posted by Kayaksoup
And if you do the pie, remember not to use butter or honey (if he is strict vegan). I only recently learned that technical vegans don't do honey...

Depending on how strict of a vegan he is, he may not do sugar either because of the processing method.

[burleydee]

OK, seitan it is, then. Thanks!

And also thanks for the honey tip ... I wouldn't use butter (he is very strict), but I wouldn't have thought about honey! I'll have to ask him about that one. I am aware of the sugar processing issue, though, and when I'm baking for him I'm very careful.

And that chili recipe looks really good. It won't make it this week, but definitely in the future.

Thanks so much, all!

[kristalsnow7]

Yes, it is true most vegans do not eat honey. Maple syrup can be substitued, and there is also this product called agave nectar (it's sold at places like Whole Foods) which looks and tastes almost exactly like honey.

I checked my vegan cookbooks for some dessert ideas, and they have a bunch of recipes, but they call for ingredients like agave nectar, which you might not have on hand. But one idea they had was to poach some pears with some lemon juice or apple juice and a little bit of maple syrup. There was another recipe that had fruit (apples or pears) wrapped up in filo dough and baked. You can spray the filo dough with canola oil cooking spray instead of brushing it with butter. Season it with cinnamon and a little maple syrup, and you're all set. :)

[Clover]

You guys are really nice. :) My solution would be not to invite him to dinner.

[rbbaker]

Please post the recipe for the almond mole. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aubergine]

Christina Pirolli (who has a public tv show) has a lot of vegan sweets. she uses a rice syrup in place of honey. i'm sure a local health food store could advise you.

i hope this fellow is an enjoyable dinner guest and recognizes your efforts on his behalf.