Perhaps guests are coming to share a festive Christmas meal, but among them is someone who follows a purely vegan diet. That means no animal products, including meat, eggs, dairy, fish or chicken. Being the gracious host that you are, what steps do you need take to accommodate this strictest kind of vegetarian?
“Providing something that your guests can eat is a requirement of hospitality,” Miss Manners columnist Judith Martin told Q. And clearly, Martin explained, goading vegans to eat against their beliefs “mistakes force-feeding with hospitality.”
In fact, the season of feasts and party spreads may make handling this social situation less challenging.
“It’s probably not too disruptive [to offer appropriate food] because there are so many side dishes,” Martin said. “Serving vegetables to guests does not violate your principles, nor does it make you a vegetarian. As a matter of fact, you are just serving more of what you would have served anyway.”
A host is not expected to take special orders like a restaurant, and vegans may choose to eat before they arrive at a social event. But offering readers some vegan-friendly and filling dishes may just be the win-win solution.
The following recipes, adapted from recipes of two area restaurants, will leave everyone, vegan or not, with a warm feeling inside.
Warm eggplant masala
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
This Indian-inspired recipe, adapted from a recipe from Spring restaurant, can be made in advance and warmed in a low oven. The restaurant fries the eggplant first, but we’ve simplified the recipe to use less oil. The restaurant also tops each serving with a tempura-fried shiitake mushroom. Serve with brown rice, if you like.
2 large eggplants, peeled (optional), cubed in large chunks
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon saffron
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Place eggplant on baking sheets; sprinkle with salt. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add tomatoes, carrots and onion; cook until onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and saffron. Cover; cook over low heat 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in white wine. Cook, uncovered, until wine evaporates, about 8 minutes.
2. Place mixture in the container of a food processor; puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse eggplant; pat dry. Stir eggplant and curry paste together in a medium bowl; transfer to a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake until eggplant is tender, about 1 hour. Cool briefly; serve warm.
Nutrition information per serving:
102 calories, 24% of calories from fat,
3 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 219 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
Tony’s beans and rice with yellow pepper salsa
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Cook these vegetables in batches over a grill or in a grill pan, or cook under a broiler 3 minutes per side. Adapted from a recipe from Jane’s restaurant. You also could save time by purchasing prepared roasted or grilled vegetables.
Yellow pepper salsa:
2 yellow peppers, roasted, peeled, diced
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Beans and rice:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice, prepared according to package instructions
1 small zucchini, sliced, grilled
1 yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick, grilled
1 ear sweet corn, grilled
1/2 red pepper, roasted, peeled, diced
6 crimini mushrooms, grilled, diced
1 tomato, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon minced each: fresh oregano, cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. For salsa, combine peppers, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Heat vegetable stock, red onion and cumin to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in beans, rice and grilled and roasted vegetables. Increase heat to high. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, cilantro, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Serve topped with salsa.
Nutrition information per serving:
444 calories, 8% of calories from fat, 4 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 86 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein, 1,803 mg sodium, 20 g fiber
Butternut squash and fuji apple soup
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from a recipe from Spring restaurant.
1 large butternut squash, split lengthwise, seeded
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 apples (Braeburn, Fuji or Gala), peeled, cored, sliced
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) vegetable stock or 5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash, flesh side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Pour 1 cup of the apple cider over. Roast until very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, garlic and celery; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sliced apples; cook 3-4 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of the apple cider; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Scoop out cooked squash into apple mixture. Add vegetable broth; reduce heat to low. Simmer 25 minutes.
3. Puree soup in batches into a blender until very smooth. Transfer pureed soup to another pot. Cook over low heat 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle hot soup into bowls; garnish with chives.
Nutrition information per serving:
116 calories, 17% of calories from fat, 2.5 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 960 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
