Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [57]
This amount of work can be too much for one person to handle, no matter how much of a superwoman (or superman) the vegan at home may be. For a family that contains more than one eating style, making sure that nutritious ingredients are used and available takes planning — and the whole crew must get in on the act. Using a weekly menu planner, like the one in Chapter 9 can help you make sure that no one goes hungry. The last thing you need on a Wednesday night is for the vegan in your house to be left with brown rice and old carrots while the rest of the family chows down on frozen chicken wings.
Variety for vegans and nonvegans alike
If meat is on the menu (and hopefully the omnivore will be cooking it outside away from the open kitchen window), provide many vegan side dishes. Offering a variety of side dishes ensures that the nonvegan gets enough fiber, minerals, and vitamins. If you’re making mixed steamed vegetables, quinoa pilaf, and baked tofu, make extra of each to share with the meat eater (and anyone else who would like to partake of them).
Here are some vegan side dish ideas that everyone can rejoice over (especially because they take less than 5 minutes to prepare):
Artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, caper berries, and pickles
Baked tortilla chips, vegan refried beans, salsa, and guacamole
Brown rice tossed with a favorite salad dressing
Carrot sticks, celery sticks, and red pepper spears with Tofu Sour Cream for dipping (see Chapter 13 for the recipe)
Chickpeas tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt and then sprinkled with fresh parsley
Cucumber and radish slices sprinkled with sea salt
Fresh, whole-grain bread dipped in warm vegan spaghetti sauce
Hummus, rice crackers, and olives
Steamed broccoli and carrots drizzled with olive oil
Vegan meals everyone can love
Shopping for two separate meals for one family or group of people can get expensive. It’s usually much healthier for your bottom line to all go in on vegan ingredients together. If the nonvegans in your home will agree to it, you can all save money by eating vegan at home and focusing your food dollars on organic produce instead of the more expensive organically raised animal products. Choose the best quality ingredients no matter what your meals contain. Avoiding high-fructose corn syrup, genetically modified organisms, and antibiotic-laced dairy and meat products is the healthiest way to eat.
Plus, making several vegan meals for the whole family on a weekly basis can cut down on grumpy attitudes and extra cooking for the house chef. The vegans in the house will appreciate the effort, and it will introduce new foods to the rest of the family. If the normal chef isn’t vegan, perhaps the new herbivore can take responsibility for cooking these meals, giving the overworked kitchen slave a night off.
Use some of these ideas for your “vegan night” family meals that everyone can enjoy:
Greek garden picnic: steamed whole-wheat pitas, hummus, kalamata olives, stuffed grape leaves, carrot sticks, sliced avocado, and tofu cubes marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice (or try marinating Tofu Cheese cubes; find the recipe in Chapter 13)
Italian night: spinach lasagna with shredded vegan mozzarella, whole-wheat garlic bread, and green salad with oil and vinegar
Mexican burrito bar: steamed whole-wheat tortillas, vegan refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, brown rice, tofu sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced black olives, minced green onions, guacamole, and fresh salsa (or whip up the Seitan Burrito recipe in Chapter 14)
Moroccan night: blended carrot soup, couscous, and cucumber salad with marinated tofu cubes
Pizza party: premade frozen vegan pizza crusts (or homemade ones) topped with tomato sauce,