Guess who's coming to lunch later?
When a vegan friend invites himself over to your place… it can quickly turn into a headache. Most of the time, the vegan person will offer to bring his own dish. But if you want to please him and concoct a vegan menu for him, you will see that it is not so difficult after all!
What is the vegan diet?
To answer this question, we must first remember that being vegan - much more than a simple diet - is a real way of life , very respectful of animals. A vegan goes even further than a vegetarian. Very sensitive to the condition of animals, the vegan excludes all products of animal origin from his diet. Exit fish, meat, cold cuts, but also eggs, milk, dairy products and derivatives (butter, cheese, etc.) as well as honey. Suddenly, all fruits, vegetables, legumes (lentils, chickpeas), cereals, plant-based substitutes for animal proteins (soy-based), seeds, etc. remain.
Vegan recipe ideas
To concoct a vegan menu, you can follow the hashtags #CuisineVegan, #CuisineVegane or #MangerVegan on Instagram or the accounts of @marielaforetvegan , @la.petite.okara , @eva_lespetitsplats . Another option is vegan cooking sites on the internet or dedicated accounts on Pinterest. You will find a wealth of recipes there to brighten up your menu. For example:
For the aperitif
Why not prepare an olive tapenade, eggplant caviar or some hummus instead of the more traditional vegetable sticks. If you don't have the time (or the desire), you can find ready-made recipes in organic stores. Other ideas to concoct: tarts with different variations (zucchini-tofu, leeks, etc.), vegetable verrines or even spinach omelette (with vegetable milk and chickpea flour, etc.). In fact, all traditional appetizers have their vegan version.
Flat side
- You can choose from a variety of salads: Thai quinoa salad, lentil and vegetable cheese salad, kale salad, seasonal potato salad, etc.
- Just as easy to make and very trendy, bowls , with semolina at the bottom and whatever you want on top (chickpeas, grated carrots, red cabbage, sweet potato, tomatoes, etc.). Take special care to place the food in a deep, round plate.
- You can offer vegetable curries with quinoa, gnocchi and sautéed vegetables or lentils with vegan sausages. If you want to travel on your plate, why not plan a vegetable tagine with preserved lemons or a meatless chili. Anything is possible!
Cheese
If you like cheese, you can easily find fake cheeses (like Camembert) that respect vegan values.
Dessert
For a sweet touch, you can do everything (or almost everything) without using milk, eggs, or butter. Yes, yes. For example: vegan cannelés (with tofu, rice flour, and soy milk), sticky rice with coconut milk, or even vegan chocolate cream with soy milk.
The mistake to avoid
There is nothing worse for a vegan than being stigmatized. In other words, preparing "a special plate" for them while the other guests enjoy a different menu.
Inviting a vegan friend will require a slight adaptation, but it's not that complicated! So, the easiest thing is probably to concoct a 100% vegan meal and avoid offering meat dishes at the table, even on the side.
