Vegan menu ideas?

Hi all.
I'm planning on having some friends over for a dinner party.
They are both vegan. DH and I are not.
Our friends don't care if we have meat/fish/cheese/dairy at the meal, as long as it's not in the ingredients (side dishes are okay)...they just won't/don't eat it. Last time these friends came over, we made sushi rolls, so some rolls had fish (well, surimi) in them, some did not and everone worked. It was a participation dinner event.
I'd like to not have the meal as entertainment this time, and let them relax and have a "normal" meal. But other than pasta and beans, or a vegetarian chili with a side salad (so we could put some feta on the side for us for zip), I'm a little stuck with what to make.
Any ideas for crowd-pleasing vegan fare that is easy to make and satisfies vegans and non-vegans alike?
Thanks!

You might find something here: http://www.fatfreevegan.com/

Stir fry with tempeh or seitan. I make "fajitas" with tempeh, onions, bell peppers, fresh salsa, avocado...yum. I love the texture of tempeh.

A hearty soup with good bread. Thick tomato base, lots of veggies, cheese on the side for the non-vegans. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Baked pasta is always a nice alternative to plain-ol-regular-ol pasta. I make one that has winter squash and other stuff all mixed together and then baked with homemade bread crumbs on top (moistened with a little soymilk and/or soy margarine).

NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, not all vegetarians/vegans like portabella mushrooms. Ick!

(I used to be vegan but am no longer...though I still eat that way alot since I don't have dairy and don't really like meat all that much.)

I used to be a repeat-borrower of a book called "How It All Vegan" that had some good vegan recipes in it. My favorite rice pudding is from that book.

oooh ummmm lots of things come to mind
soups are always great with a salad and some good bread
lentil soup - lots of kind out there - curried ones are my favorite
pasta fagoli - an italian bean and pasta soup yum yum
gazpacho (goes great with boiled yukon gold potatoes dressed with good olive oil, salt and green onions - also a dish I learned in Spain)

veggie curries - I particularly like okra

love stir fry with tofu - in fact I'm about to make some pad thai (though be careful some asian condiments have fish products in them)

man - now I'm getting hungry, better go cook

What about tacos? It is very easy to accomodate both vegans and non-vegetarians. Serve all ingredients in seperate bowls so everyone makes their own tacos. You can make meat for the meat eaters and serve black beans for the vegans (I personally like black beans mixed with corn....yum!). Also, you could serve shredded soy cheese for the vegans and regular cheese for everyone else.

It's fun, simple, and delicious. Not a fancy meal though if that is what you are looking for.

Thanks all!
Some of those recipes sound great.
I'm leaning towards curry - always popular in our household and very adaptable. But tempeh fajitas sounds interesting (I've eaten tempeh, but never purchased it...any recommendations on what to look for?)
Hmmm......
Thanks again!

Do you live near a Whole Foods store? The WFs in my area have delis, where they make a fantastic vegan tofu/curry salad (a spinoff of their popular Chicken Curry Salad), as well as many other vegan dishes. I'm not sure if the deli choices vary in different regions, but you might want to drop by for some tastings and get some ideas!

Yup, we have a Whole Foods nearby (we love their chicken curry salad - but never honestly noted a tofu-curry), as well as a Trader Joe's and a Korean Korner - an Asian specialty grocery with great produce and lots of soy-related options. Thanks!

There are some great bottled Indian curries (I'm pretty sure Trader Joes has some). It's typically about a 12 oz bottle with various styes (Tikka Masala etc) to choose from. I stir fry veggies, add chick peas or tofu, then the sauce (serve over rice). It's really easy and tasty.

Regina, first let me thank you for offering to go to the trouble of feeding your vegan friends. Many people are not willing to do that.

I have a delicious recipe for stuffed shells--a bit labor-intensive, but it can be made ahead so you don't have to cook at the last minute, and you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce or one of the bottled ones (Barilla sauces are very tasty). I'll try to post the recipe tonight when I get home. I also have a recipe for a delicious mushroom/caper/tomato pasta dish that I really like. Make some garlic bread with vegan margarine (I like the trans fat free Earth Balance margarine) and a salad from a bag, and there you are! Also, I have some good cake recipes if you want to make dessert, too, or soy ice cream is always good (maybe over a vegan brownie, for which I have a recipe, too). I don't want to post a million recipes, but if anything strikes your fancy, just say so.

Having been a vegan for 16 years as of February 10, I've collected lots of cookbooks and recipes that I'd be happy to share!


Janice

Vegan Stuffed Shells

Filling
2 lb tofu (press water out and crumble)
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 T sugar or honey
1 t salt
4 T oil
3 t basil
1 t garlic powder

Mix everything together in a food processor until it is smooth.

Sauce (or use your own favorite)
1/2 c olive oil (or less)
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, diced

Saute the veggies in oil until tender.

6 c tomato sauce (or 3 c sauce and some canned tomatoes)
1 t basil
1/2 c fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T wine vinegar
1 t salt

Add to veggies and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Boil 25-30 shells, stuff them with the filling and put them in a 9x13 pan, and pour sauce over them, then heat in a 350 oven till warm.

Thanks, Janice! Those sound great.
I, of course, will have to try any of these out ahead of time. I have a habit of trying brand-new recipes out on unsuspecting guests, with very mixed results! :eek:
I've promised to my DH that I would use him as my official taste-tester before trying out anything new!
For dessert...my friend actually makes Goya Flan with vanilla soy milk that comes out really good. No egg in the flan mix, so that may be what I do. But PM me the brownie recipe, if you can. That sounds like a good option, too.

I use this recipe: http://www.ivu.org/recipes/northam/the-best.html

Just be sure not to bake them too long, or they turn into cake.

I'd love the vegan flan recipe, if you don't mind sharing. It's been so long, I think I've forgotten how wonderful flan is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by divingbiker

I use this recipe: http://www.ivu.org/recipes/northam/the-best.html

Just be sure not to bake them too long, or they turn into cake.

I'd love the vegan flan recipe, if you don't mind sharing. It's been so long, I think I've forgotten how wonderful flan is.

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Thanks for the link! My SO and I are trying our darnedest to eat vegan but we keep stumbling. Next thing on our list is to buy a food processor since so many of the recipes call for one (BTW - I tried a blender instead and it wasn't pretty :D ).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Queen

Thanks for the link! My SO and I are trying our darnedest to eat vegan but we keep stumbling. Next thing on our list is to buy a food processor since so many of the recipes call for one (BTW - I tried a blender instead and it wasn't pretty :D ).

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That's good to know, Queen. I don't have a food processor, either (well, we have this ancient screech-y thing called an "Oscar" - I think - that might be one, but I dread pulling it out of the pantry. It's awful.), and was plotting to pull out the blender - which is also awful in its own right.

RE: Flan, Janice - it's just the Goya box brand...available at any Giant or Safeway (maybe Whole Foods, I don't know). Goya is the same company that makes beans and other Greek or Mediterranean (sp?) foods. It's probably in the "ethnic" section of the store where the pudding/pie filling boxes would be. My vegan friend served it at a recent party of hers, and it was quite a hit - partially for the "You're serving flan?" "But it's vegan! No eggs!" aspect, and also cuz it was good!

I might be too late but did you see the posting for "African Sweet Potato Stew"?
It was super delicious and vegan. Yum!

Since I'm home for a snow day, I just made a chickpea/onion/broccoli/carrot casserole...it smells amazing!