Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Dinner Party Ideas?
Created on: 10/13/10 09:50 AM Views: 2554 Replies: 11
soon2BVeg Joined: 08/24/10 Posts: 225	Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 9:50 AM We are having friends over for dinner Saturday night. I would like to have a "harvest" type of theme, in keeping with all of the pumpkins and things I have decorated with. I have some butternut squash we harvested from my garden, so I would like to roast them with a bunch of other harvest type veggies. I need ideas for dishes to go along. These friends are not vegan or vegetarian and are used to the "meat + starch + vegetable" type of dinner. I had tempeh once and they didn't like it. I bought some Granny Smith apples and will probably make a fruit crisp or something along those lines for dessert. Suggestions? Don't make a New Year's Resolution...make a Decision!
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1188	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:00 AM I love cranberries. Every year starting soon, I consistently make batches to eat as side dishes with all of these other autumn foods. It's so easy. I follow the instructions on a bag of fresh berries, but instead of using sugar, I use maple syrup (not an equal amount of syrup to sugar because I really like the bitter more than the sweet). I also add some orange zest and squeeze in a little orange juice and pulp. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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cats Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 6	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:06 AM We just had Thanksgiving dinner and had 2 turkey eaters, I stuffed a hubbard squash with a traditional bread, onion, celery, sage dressing and roasted it in the oven. I also served roasted veggies - carrots, turnip, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions. A mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. They loved it and even thought the squash in the middle of the table kind of looked like a turkey.
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tinabean Joined: 09/08/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 113	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:39 AM Roast vegetables does sound good. I don't know what meat & potatos folks would think about veggie patties, I like the chickpea cutlets from the Veganomicon. If you don't have that cookbook, almost every vegan blog has something similar with either chickpeas or black eyed pea pattie + gravy recipes.
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2068	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 11:01 AM Three sisters soup is the ultimate harvest time starter - corn, beans, squash in a rich, thick stew like consistency (we used a bit of plain almond milk instead of milk or cream). A harvest salad - favorite greens, diced apples, crumbled pecans with a nice herby vinegarette (cider vinegar) a good hearty pumpernickel bread or rolls Roasted veggies are nice. Maybe make stuffed portabella mushrooms for the 'meaty' aspect. Oh, and we make a warm apple compote (chopped apples, raisins, dried cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, hmm, not sure of the rest of it, but basically a stove top recipe - I'm sure you can find a comparable recipe online or somewhere) that gets requested for family events. --Deb
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JuJu Joined: 09/08/10 Posts: 5	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 3:15 PM I've had good luck with a mashed potato bar. I got a bunch of martini glasses at the Dollar Store, made mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes, then set out toppings, the glasses and the 2 bowls of potatoes and let people make their own to suit their tastes. Toppings included chives, green onions, mushrooms cooked in lots of Earth Balance or Smart Balance, brown gravy (in a small warmer), cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup (for the sweet potatoes), butter, sour cream, and various cheeses (and vegan cheeses). People were walking around eating potato martini's, it was cool, then we had dinner and instead of mashed potatoes, I had roasted redskins for something different. "The true measure of success in life isn't money, fame or power, it's laugh lines."
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Wild4Stars Joined: 12/27/09 Location: Florida Posts: 832	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 3:20 PM JuJu - How fun that sounds! Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com
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dollgirl Joined: 12/28/09 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 131	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 3:53 PM This thread has made me so hungry! And actually very excited for Thanksgiving. www
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Wild4Stars Joined: 12/27/09 Location: Florida Posts: 832	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 4:08 PM I haven't tried this, but have heard from others that have. Everyone says it's wonderful. Thought I would share here. This was shared on SparkPeople.com - a great place for recipes, food tracking and making friends. Awesome Rockstar Tofurky Recipe 1 defrosted Tofurky. (Seriously, defrost it. It takes like a BILLION hours if you forget and have to cook it frozen.) About 4-6 cups of good veggie broth. (I've used just regular veggie, miso, soy ginger, etc. The miso was very distinct and different. I prefer the veggie. Though the soy ginger added a nice sweetness.) Spices! Lots of them. You can use Herbs de Provence for a truly special flavor. Did that last night and it's my favorite so far. Alternatively, a mix of sage/thyme/marjoram/basil is nice. Use about 3 TBS total spices. Carrots and Parsnips. Cut them into thick long matchsticks. I did two huge parsnips and one absolutely enormous carrot. Suit the veggie amounts to your needs. = = = = = = = = = = = = * Pour your broth into a glass baking dish. * Cut Tofurky in half down the middle so you have two half circles. * Put those circles cut side down into the broth. * Add the veggies around the roast. * Crush the dried spices over the whole lot. Make sure you crush them between your palms to release the oils and the full flavor of your spices! * Baste the Tofurky by ladling broth over the tops of the roast halves about a dozen times. * Cover pan in foil. * Bake at 350 for an hour and fifteen minutes, as directed. No need to baste again, this method keeps the Tofurky very tender. If you want, you can baste. Some of us just really like to do it and I won't stop you. If anything, It'll just make the outside a bit softer. Let sit covered on top of the stove for a few after the cooking time is done. The tops/sides of the roast should be a bit drier and a light golden color. The inside should be moist and flavorful from soaking up the spices and broth. Eat with your favorite vegan gravy, garlic mashed spuds and those delicious root vegetables that cooked in the broth, too. Happy Tofurkyday! Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com
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craftycat70 Joined: 01/08/10 Location: Southern California Posts: 139	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 12:03 AM What about a wild rice dish to go with your baked squash.....(which sounds yummy BTW ) And......maybe a medley of more oven roasted veggies/potatoes? Just saw a recipe for a Pear Apple crisp with an rolled oat topping with would be a yummy dessert. (Whole Foods website) A crockpot brewing with some hot spiced apple cider......would also make the house smell really good when they arrive. Sounds like a fun party......hope it turns out well! Craftycat - Southern, CA ~Isaiah 43: 18 & 19 - "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!"
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craftycat70 Joined: 01/08/10 Location: Southern California Posts: 139	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 12:38 AM Here are a few websites for some "Harvest Soups" http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/fall-harvest-soups.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msPit-Wb9Jg Mmmmm after watching this next video....I want to try this one! (can leave out the olive oil)It's a Harvest Lentil Soup http://vimeo.com/3939233 Got me in the mood to try some new soups Here are a few Vegan Harvest Casseroles to check out too:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1153488/how_to_make_a_vegan_harvest_casserole.html?cat=22 http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=761.0 http://www.doliferight.com/blog/2008/10/14/vegan-recipe-harvest-casserole-aka-new-butternut-squash-casserole/ Some great Thanksgiving Recipes on these sites: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes-recipe.html http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/MapleVeggies.htm http://www.mercyforanimals.org/thanksgiving_recipes.asp Well......that will keep you busy for awhile! Craftycat - Southern, CA ~Isaiah 43: 18 & 19 - "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!"
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 999	RE: Dinner Party Ideas? Posted Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 7:53 AM Somewhere i saw they cooked a harvest soup and served it in a hollowed out pumpkin... it looked like an appealing party dish to me..
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