Tuesday, September 14, 2010

What To Bring To A Party

Last week, we were invited to two different potluck dinner parties. Lucky us to have such festive friends! For Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats, these potlucks are simply a time of merry consumption and chatting. But, as many of you know, any vegan attending a potluck has a few things to consider... like "What else will be at the party that I can eat?" or "How hard do I want to work to spread the Good Word of Veganism through delicious flavors that everyone will love?" We all know that a potluck is an opportunity to help the rest of the non-vegan world learn about and enjoy vegan foods, but sometimes that feels like a bit of a burden.

Party #1 that we went to was at a good friend of Mr. VE&T, and it was going to be a big meaty BBQ deal, so I didn't think there would be much for me to eat. So, the first thing is that I needed to bring something that would sufficiently act as a dinner entree for me. Also, that particular day I didn't much feel like cooking. Left to my own devices, I probably would have just defrosted some kale from the freezer, and cooked it up with a little garlic and some beans. But, you know as well as I do, that I'm not about to bring some thing like that to a potluck. Partly because no one else would like it. But also because then everyone would just assume that sad vegans only eat kale and beans (what's wrong with that!?).

So, after a little consideration, I met both qualifications with a double batch of "Zesty Mojo Baked Tofu" from Viva Vegan. This totally delicious tofu has become my new favorite baked tofu of all time. It's very quick to throw together, and takes about an hour of no-fuss cooking time in the oven. It was a yummy and nutritious entree for me, and was very much enjoyed by all the other non-vegans at the dinner party. A perfect solution!! Also, I presented it on my special snail plate that I brought all the way home from Portugal.

The second party was a more vegan-friendly affair, a dinner of yoga buddies after our yoga class that we all take together. Even though I was the only official vegan in attendance, I knew in advance that my friend the hostess was planning on ordering a big batch of dhal and flat bread for everyone. This was great news, of course, because it meant that there would definitely be something yummy and nutritious for me to eat for dinner, regardless of what anyone else brought along. Also, this was doubly great news because it meant I could bake up some sweeties!! Mr. VE&T has been watching the calories very closely for about 9 months now, so my baking projects have been few and far between. It was so fun to get out the cupcake pan again! To go along with the flavor palate of the dhal, I decided to make "Chai Latte Cupcakes" from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

I hadn't ever made these before, but they were totally delicious and perfect! They are light and delicately spiced... almost more a muffin than a cupcake, which was just right after a big yoga class. They were a big hit with me and all my buddies too! I'll definitely make these little yummies again.

17 comments:

  1. mm i love that tofu, i've made it once before..i remember it was really tasty. I still need to buy that cupcake book..your cupcake turned out so pretty! oh and your banner is also really cute! i love the little kitty sleeping on the cloud : ]

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6:03 PM

    It can be such a pain trying to think of things to bring to a non-vegan potluck. I think the tofu you brought was a good idea. I am impressed that the non-vegans tried it too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Both dishes look fabulous. I hope you both had a wonderful time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really hate the burden of being 'the vegan' at the potluck. It is definitely stressful to make sure that your food makes a good impression. You seemed to do a great job of it though!!! That tofu looks divine!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Snail plate! Love it! That tofu looks super amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hallo Amey,
    I´ve been watching your blog for a while now and I musst say I really, really love your new headline pic! It´s really nice! And all your cooking and self making inspires me to try and do some things of my own...
    I´m going to start a blog of my own soon and I´d be very happy if you´d have a look at it sometime.
    Best regards and greetings from Germany
    Alexandry

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm not really into to tofu, but those cupcakes look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Alexandry,
    For sure! send me your blog link once you've got it up and running... I'd love to see it! Also, thanks for the feedback on my new header picture. :) Now my whole family is represented! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey Amey! Sorry it took so long for me to get back but it's so nice of you you invite me. Is there some sort of theme or something in particular I should bring? I'll probably only be able to stay a short time because I have a pretty busy schedule this weekend but I'm looking forward to it! I also love your blog, and the header picture is adorable.
    Hanna

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've been eyeing both of these recipes for so long.. must make them asap!

    ReplyDelete
  11. that tofu looks so nummy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perfect party treats! The tofu looks amazing! I bet it would make a killer sandwich. And those cupcakes are just too cute to be real.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous10:16 AM

    Love the new header, Amey!

    Those chai latte cupcakes are one of my favorites for the book because (as you mention) they are nice and light but delicious at the same time.

    Your comment about the calorie counting reminded me - have you ever checked out the Engine 2 Cookbook? All of the recipes are vegan, and have very little fat (focused on cholesterol and heart health). Most of the recipes are not at all fancy, but they definitely seem like they would appeal to those who like meat and/or hearty meals (they were originally designed for Texas firefighters). I seem to remember looking at it that there was at least one panino press recipe in there, too!

    :-) jen

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous10:20 AM

    Follow up to above, the Engine 2 recipes are actually online:

    http://www.intranetcomplete.com/engine2/recipe.aspx?category=Lunch&id=35

    And here's one for the panino (uh oh, has mushrooms, though :-)...):

    http://www.intranetcomplete.com/engine2/recipe.aspx?category=Lunch&id=35

    jen e.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rainbow! what a great idea. I could do a green savory (orange sesame green beans) or yellow sweet item (cornbread mini muffins) if either of those are still open. Or orange sweeties, if peanut butter cookies count as orange. I guess they're more light brown though.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm loving the new blog layout, and those darling cupcakes!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That tofu looks so freaking good! I am also a fan of kale and beans.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments, they really make my day! Thanks for reading my blog! I'm sorry I had to turn on word verification and comment moderation - I was getting so many spam comments!