Vegan Talk Forums

BigBecka · Animal defender Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 415

I have a dilemma this weekend! I am visiting my mother and her 'boyfriend' (well, 60-year-old-man-friend

) My mother has invited me to cook for us all.

The problem is that they eat old-fashioned 'northern' food - meat (usually offal or fish steaks) and potatoes, and maybe some over-boiled veg

I know they won't like anything too "foreign" or spicey - I doubt they will eat lentils, and they will want something more substantial than a salad.

The 'boyfriend' in particular is very concerned that I don't get enough nutrients, so I want to show him that vegan food can be very healthy - I think he will be quite critical if I serve soysausages or nutroast again!

Has anyone else been in this sort of position? Can anyone suggest any suitable dishes?

Sergio · Vegan Talk Veteran Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 224

Yesterday was my birthday, what I served to majority of my guests who are not vegetarians:

Cooked soy meat (TVP is soaked in spiced water and then fried)
Salad (boiled frozen mix (broccoli, baby corn, green beans, carrots) mixed with vegan mayonnaise)
laminaria salad (ready bought from market)
Some vegetables cut in separated dishes (salad, tomatoes and pepper)
Black olives
Vegan Sarmale - local dish representing rice wrapped in cabbage leafs and peppers stuffed with rice. (my mother prepared them)

And for dessert a lot of fruits and vegan cookies (ready made from market)

Everybody was happy.

I suggest you just make fried soy meat, here is the recipe: http://vegtalk.org/viewtopic.php?p=4505
for omnivores it should be more spicy than for vegans (vegans usually have more refined tastes

)

BigBecka · Animal defender Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 415

Happy Birthday, Sergio! occasion6

Thank you

The salad sounds like something my mother will like. The Sarmale sounds good too - I have never heard of it before. I love dolomades (similar, I think, with vine leaves instead of cabbage), but you can't buy the vine leaves here

I will let you know how I get on

Right now I have to get on the motorway before everyone else

BigBecka · Animal defender Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 415

I was so angry at Mum's boyfriend: he decided to cook last minute, so that he could eat meat! He bought me some microwave meal from an expensive shop to try to placate me!

He really didn't understand though: he kept asking "can you eat melon?", "can you eat salt?", "can you eat potatoes?"

The weird thing is, he is practically vegan: he only ate the tiniest little piece of fish with his potatoes and vegetables!

I'm really proud of my Mum though

She never used to cook, except at Christmas (we always celebrated Christmas for some reason!) and she only eats processed foods and salads (with lots of meat and egg)

She never really agreed with Dad or me being vegetarian

But, last weekend, she had specially bought some brown rice and fresh vegetables, and she made stuffed vegetables and stir-fried veg

I am so spoilt!

Well, she says she wants to eat like this a little more. Maybe it's because I am no longer overweight?! cheers

I shall have to change my name on here to Slim_Becka sunny

Anyway, I looked up the sarmale: how do you make them? Wikipedia has lots of different versions: stuffed with rice or minced meat (soy mince?). Apparently they are made with Sauerkraut in some areas, and in Bosnia they are deep fried tongue7