Four Paws
September 2017
When guests hear ‘vegan’, ‘animal-friendly’ or ‘meatless’, they might think of tasteless, boring salads; carrot sticks and nothing else! But in reality, this is not the case. With so many ideas for delicious, animal-free recipes, your celebration can be festive in more ways than one.
Whether it’s a birthday party, a baby shower or a wedding, planning events can be a challenge because there are so many details to keep track of and wishes to fulfill.
One of the things to consider is which food to serve. Catering to everyone’s dietary preferences might seem daunting, but having an event with no animal-based food products served can extend your celebration to the animals as well. Sadly, there is still a stigma attached to vegan food. When guests hear ‘vegan’, ‘animal-friendly’ or ‘meatless’, they might think of tasteless, boring salads; carrot sticks and nothing else! But in reality, this is not the case. With so many ideas for delicious, animal-free recipes, your celebration can be festive in more ways than one.
Whether it’s finger food, a buffet or a sitdown meal, planning in advance
is key. It might help to collect your friends’ and family’s ideas and
suggestions on which food they enjoy, and then you can make the vegan
equivalent. There is almost no dish, food or snack which doesn’t come in the
vegan variety, but it does take a little creativity in creating the flavor
and textures. With appetisers, there are many simple, mouth-watering
suggestions like zucchini rolls, caramelized onion focaccia, polenta bites
with marinated cherry tomatoes and basil, or veggie couscous with lemon zest
flavoring. There’s no shortage of inspiration out there! For the main
dishes, a plant-based alternative of a popular meat dish can go down a
treat. Creamy pasta made with almond milk, veggie lasagna or BBQ-ed
plant-based fillets with mushroom or pepper sauce can also look and taste
like their animal-derived counterparts. The key is to make sure the
ingredients are as fresh as possible, and with so many different food
options from supermarkets and farmers markets, it can be a simple and
straightforward task to cook up tasty dishes.
Desserts are some of the easiest things you can make – yes, even without
using eggs, butter or milk! With many quick and simple recipes online,
desserts can be whipped up in no time and presented on either small plates
or in colorful glasses. Your guests wouldn’t know the difference whether it
was cow’s milk or almond milk in your thick fudgy chocolate cake. The
opportunities are endless!
What about drinks?
Some alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and juices are made using animal
products. The substances used are often from slaughtered animals, such as
gelatin, fish bladders and blood, and are commonly found in more drinks than
one would think. Some brands clearly label their drinks, but not all do.
Usually, spirits are most likely to be vegan-friendly and so are many beers
and wines, but it’s worth asking and also checking online which are
vegan-friendly and which ones aren’t.
At the end of the day, what we remember about celebrations has very little
to do with the food, however, tasty food can make a lasting impression! It’s
about spending time with family and friends, and enjoying being together,
and what better way than doing that with animal-cruelty free celebrations.
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