Cooking dinner for a family is hard enough, given the various likes/dislikes of each person. But when your formerly vegetarian daughter comes home from college and announces that she has become a vegan, things get a little tricky.
In case you don't know, a vegan does not eat anything that comes from an animal. No meat. No chicken. No fish. No eggs. No dairy. For many vegans, not even honey.
What's a mom to do? Friends and relatives have a simple solution. If she doesn't want to eat what I cook, they say, I should just let her fend for herself.
No way. I am a mother. I feed my children. Even when one is vegan and the other hates beans and lentils. (OK, I didn't say this would be easy.) My husband, bless his heart, will eat just about anything.
Fortunately, I like to cook, and I like to read cookbooks (more than I like to actually cook). And since you're trying to avoid complete rebellion by the rest of the family, every single thing on the table doesn't have to be vegan. You can serve chicken, for example, and make the other dishes vegan-friendly. That might be something as simple as using non-dairy margarine on the vegetables instead of butter. Just be sure that there is another protein source, even if it's served on the side (such as nuts or beans to add to the salad).
There's more to come in future posts .Looking forward to hearing from you -
Mom J
Good start, Mom J! I think a lot of folks will be able to identify with you... Even as a person who has friends who are vegans, and I want to invite them for dinner - but I need to have some 'hard' protein or my blood sugar flops down and I'm asleep before we get to dessert. (And who knows that that is? Dairy-free ice cream? Doesn't sound right, does it?).. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteActually, Mom J. has an amazing repertoire of vegan desserts! With a little trial and error and a lot of love, she has successfully adapted many vegan-friendly versions of familiar recipes... many of which are great topped with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to many more great posts.
Love, your favorite vegan daughter
Dear "Lakes Region",
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing! At a family dinner, you can have vegan and non-vegan foods. However, when inviting vegan friends to dinner, the whole meal should be vegan. This isn't hard though, especially dessert. How about cheesecake? Peanut butter pie? Fruit pies and cobblers? There are so many possibilities, and all are delicious.
I understand your concern about protein. A dinner without it would leave me a little empty, too. But there are alternatives to what you call "hard protein" (I assume you mean some kind of meat/chicken fish/cheese etc.) You can make great chili or pasta sauce by using "soy crumbles", a yummy. high-protein substitute for ground beef. It can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets. Also, dishes with lots of beans and grains are high in protein and are very satisfying. There is so much more to vegan food than what some people call "rabbit food".
A good cookbook is essential. My favorite is Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. (This isn't a paid advertisement - I just really like this cookbook and use it all the time.) It was a gift from my daughter. Hmmm...wonder if there was an ulterior motive there?
Go ahead and plan a dinner party!
Mom J
Thanks, Karen! Now if I could just figure out how to make these desserts zero-calorie, I'd be all set!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mom J
As someone who makes great efforts to feed my family healthy, local, unprocessed, homemade-from-scratch, yummy food, I would like to say a few things soy substitutes. As my son likes to say, we are meat eaters, but Lent and other fasting seasons of our church turn us into virtual vegans for periods of time throughout the year. Now, I know at least one vegan in particular who will disagree with me, but there is a lot of research out there about soy not being the wonder food it is often touted to be. In fact, some families (mine included) do their best to stay far away from soy. Why use processed soy when unprocessed (sprouted is even better) beans, lentils, grains, and nuts can be creatively and deliciously prepared to add protein to any meal? And what about desserts? Sorbet, chocolate cake (made without any egg substitutes), and fruit dipped in chocolate is just the beginning of a long list of delectable, natural, non-soy, vegan desserts. So, instead of reaching for those soy-crumbles, fake bacon, and other "tastes like the real thing" substitutes, try some recipes that use food that isn't trying to be something it is not. And if you are vegan, why do you want to eat something that attempts to mimic the taste of bacon anyway?
ReplyDeleteDear Kjendals,
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point. There is a real controversy about soy and whether or not it is good for you. As I responded to "Lakes Region", there are many alternatives - whole grains and beans/lentils/chickpeas etc. are healthy and delicious. Soy is not my first choice but I have to admit that I use it from time to time so that my favorite vegan can have the yummy creamy desserts that she (and I) like. I'd love to have your recipe for chocolate cake.