In this post I am going to address potlucks because there always tends to be an explosion of them this time of year when they air gets crisp and the leaves start falling - comfort food! Potlucks can be a big problem for vegans because the vegan population is a minority and folks don't think of (nor should they have to) accommodating such restricted diets. But not all potluck food needs to be casserole style & covered in gooey cheese. There are tons of vegan dishes that will please all appetites!
Since moving to Knoxville, I have joined a meetup group through meetup.com and this particular group is for vegans living in the Knoxville area. I immediately jumped on board, as I thought that this would be a great way to see what other vegans were eating, get to try these dishes, and pick up some new favorite recipes. My first (and only, thus far) meeting was an end-of-summer potluck picnic. The group brought an array of fabulous items! Doing my best to remember what we had, I recall we had a lot of salads as we were all enjoying the last of the fresh greens and local veggies we could. We had quinoa tabbouleh, potato salad, fruit salad, a layered taco-like dish, a summer squash medley, pies, cake, and tons of items which I can't remember. It was great to be at a potluck where there were no limits in my selection.
My contribution to the event was an heirloom tomato salad because it was the end of tomatoes for the season and I couldn't pass them up. I found the recipe here:
http://www.swellvegan.com/?p=799
The balsamic reduction gave it an amazing flavor and & everyone was impressed and enjoyed. It was divine!
My next potluck event, happening earlier this month, was one for the employees of my new job. I have picked up the most fantastic part-time work at Knoxville's local food co-op. The people are great, the business is something I truly believe in, and you can't find a better selection of local & organic food in one spot. Because so many of my co-workers are vegetarian (and some vegan as well) there were lots of options for me here too. A vegan mac & cheese was made and was insanely good! I have yet to get my hands on this recipe but I certainly will!
I brought a dish of Spicy Peanut Noodles which are easy to throw together, absolute comfort food & delicious! I also snagged this recipe from online, but can no longer find it. So, here it is (with my adaptations) & I've also doubled it because it was to serve a lot of people.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients:
- Pasta (I used one package of whole wheat shells)
- 1 C frozen peas
- 2 Tbsp oil (I used canola)
- 1 C water
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped finely
- 1/2 C smooth Peanut Butter (you will need to use a good quality PB for this. My favorite PB of all time, Woodstock Farms, Smooth/Salted, works wonderfully for all recipes & especially this one because the peanut flavor is so important)
- 2 Tbsp Tamari (Tamari is essentially soy sauce but it is made with more soybeans than reg. soy sauce which give sit a smoother, more balanced & complex flavor. Of course, you could easily use soy.
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (this is not the same as pancake syrup!!!)
- Juice of 1/2 of a lime
- Hot Sauce (to taste) (The recipe calls for Sriracha, but I don't have this so I just used Louisiana Hot Sauce and it worked well)
Boil water for pasta in a large pot. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to directions. 1-2 min. before the pasta is done, add the frozen peas and allow them to cook with the pasta. When pasta is done, drain in a colander and leave the pasta & peas in colander while you make the sauce.
Dry out the pot and put it on the stove over medium heat. Add oil to the pan & once it is hot, add garlic. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds (DO NOT LET IT BURN). Add peanut butter to pot and allow it to melt down into the oil. Watch the garlic carefully and don't allow it to burn, if it does, turn your heat down. Once PB is mostly melted, add the water and allow the sauce to come to a bil, stirring constantly and briskly to emulsify the PB and water together.
Add the tamari/soy, hot sauce, and maple syrup. You can choose to add more of any to adjust for your taste. Once you are satisfied, add the lime juice and mix well. Add the past and peas back into the pot, stir up & you're done!
Yum!!
I also baked some soft ginger cookies which were a huge hit! These are also easy and pulled from online:
Soft Ginger Cookies
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp sugar (for rolling)
- 2 C flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 t ground cloves
- 1/2 C oil
- 1/4 C molasses
- 1/4 C soy milk (I use almond)
- 1 C sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
In a different bowl, mix: oil, molasses, milk, 1 C sugar, vanilla
Pour dry into wet & mix well
Roll into 1" ball & flatten into 1 1/2" disks. (I generally roll into a ball, roll this in sugar and flatten into a disk-like shape in my palm)
Bake 6-8 min.
Let coll 5 min before putting on a cooling rack.
And the last potluck event was a wine & finger food sort of thing. I had come across this recipe the other day & thought it quite apropos for the season. It was also a favorite of the group:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1425
I altered the recipe by using almonds instead of pecans, I omitted the pineapple rings, and I made the balls 1" so that they were more finger food like. I simply used a cookie scoop, dumped it into a bowl of chopped almonds and rolled around. Also, used cooking spray on baking sheet and on top of balls - a lot healthier and less messy. SO good!!!
Lesson learned for you folks - being vegan can be yummy too!
