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.