Having friends and family over for dinner who follow a vegan lifestyle can seem a bit daunting at first, but really it is super simple once you learn these few tricks.

You really can do things the easy way as there are plenty of vegan food ingredients in every household. The key is to use them in a way that you don’t need to include any animal products in making the dishes.

Here are a few ideas to keep your vegan guests satisfied and impressed with your efforts to include them as sometimes vegans can be left feeling deprived of food options and restricted to choosing bits from the salad bar or simple portions of vegetables!

Starters

When serving cream cheese and crisps as a starter, why not grab a tub of humus from your local grocery for your vegan guests to enjoy as well. For those of you that don’t know, hummus is a spread made from chic peas and tahini. This delicious spread originated in the Middle East and is enjoyed by people all over the world. You can even make homemade hummus with a few simple ingredients using the hundreds of hummus recipes out there. Here's a simple one for you to try.

There’s plenty of other starter ideas that are "accidentally" vegan or super simple to make vegan so here’s a few ideas:

Hummus with thyme and smoked paprika:

You will need a blender or food processor

Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Tin of chic peas drained and rinsed

• 150ml Ice cold water

• 1 Teaspoon crushed garlic

• 1 Tablespoon of tahini

• 1-2 Teaspoons of smoked paprika

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 75ml Olive oil or more water if you want it oil free

• 1 Teaspoon of cumin

• ½ Handful of thyme

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine in a blender the chic peas, water, garlic, tahini, cumin, lemon juice and soaked paprika and blend until smooth or to the consistency you desire

2. Add the olive oil once the mixture is smooth or to the desired texture

3. Mix in the thyme and season to taste.

4. Spoon the hummus into a serving dish and garnish with some thyme and cracked black pepper.

Bruschetta:

are a great tasty starter the really requires minimal effort and time.Bruschetta's

All you will need is

• 1 Cup of tomatoes

• ½ Onion finely chopped

• 1 Teaspoon of crushed garlic

• 2 Tablespoons of fresh basil or 1 tablespoon of dried basil

• 3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 Crusty French Baguette or Ciabatta loaf

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and gently mix in the onion, garlic and basil

2. Add the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Allow the tomatoes to soak in all the spices and the balsamic for about 20 minutes while you start toasting your bread.

5. Slice your bread diagonally and lightly toast.

6. Top off the toast while its still warm with the tomatoes and serve.

Mains:

For a main meal for your vegan guests there is so much you can do, but it can be kept so simple. Have a look at what you are making for the rest of your family and friends that you are entertaining and see if there is a vegan option out there. For example if you are making a pasta, save a portion of the pasta and just substitute the normal dairy cream for a tin of coconut cream and instead of meat just fry up some onions, lentils/beans, peppers or even grab a box of Fry's Family 'chicken' strips and add those to as a great vegan meat alternative.

Heres a few ideas for some main meals for your vegan guests.

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a great lunch/dinner recipe as its super quick to make taking only 20 minutes. This is a simple and budget yet tasty classic meal that all your friends and family can enjoy. What’s great about this recipe is that you can easily substitute the regular spaghetti for a gluten free spaghetti or zoodles of your choice. This recipe has simple ingredients that you can find at any supermarket.

Time: 20 Minutes

Severs: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion.

• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil.

• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic.

• A pinch of salt and pepper.

• 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs.

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.

• 1-2 teaspoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce.

• 1 tin of chopped and pealed tomatoes.

• 1 tin of lentils.

• 1 pack (250g) of spaghetti or Zucchini Noodles.

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and gently fry the chopped onion until it has softened.

2. Add the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, Italian herbs and smoked paprika and cook for about 1 minute.

3. Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the drained and rinsed lentils and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile in a large pot bring water to boil and cook the spaghetti following the instructions on the packet.

6. Once the spaghetti has cooked, dish up and serve the Bolognese sauce on a bed of spaghetti. Top with some more Italian herbs and enjoy.

Vegan Shepherds Pie

This is a great recipe for when having family and friends. No complicated ingredients, everything that you don't already have at home can be found at your nearest grocery. With the colder months approaching this is a delicious wholesome warm meal that the whole family will enjoy. Its a great meal to use for a "Meatless Monday" or while entertaining loved ones for an evening at your home.

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 5 Large potatoes

• 1 large onion

• 1 and ½ cups of frozen mix veg

• 1 tin of lentils

• 4 teaspoon coconut oil

• 1 teaspoon of fresh or dry parsley

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• Splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon of garlic

• 1 teaspoon of vegetable stock

• ½ cup of boiling water

• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes on the stove to boil until soft and preheat the oven to 180°C

2. In the mean time sauté the onions in the coconut oil until soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes

3. Add the frozen veg with the vegetable stock mixed in the boiling water

4. Rinse the lentils thoroughly and all to the pan

5. Add the splash of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste

6. Simmer for about 10 minutes

7. Once the potatoes are cooked drain and pace them back into the pot. Add the coconut oil and salt and pepper to taste and mash the potatoes to your desired consistency

8. Place the lentil mixture into an oven dish and top with the mashed potatos

9. Pierce a few holed in the top of the mash using a fork

10. Place in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes until the mash turns a slight golden colour on top.

11. Serve while hot.

Dessert:

Baking vegan really is not that complicated. It's all just down to substituting. If you have a recipe you love but it isn't vegan here's a few ways of replacing the animal products in your recipe.

Milk

Instead of using dairy milk just pick up a box of soy, almond, rice, oat, hemp milk that can all be found at your local grocery.

Eggs

In baking you can substitute eggs using ingredients that almost every house hold has such as bananas, peanut butter, apple sauce or apple cider vinegar as egg substitute to bind your baking. Ground flax seeds or chai seeds also work great as egg substitutes.

Butter

Butter is an easy one, just substitute for oil of your choice just slightly less quantity.

Here's a few ideas for you to try.

The Best Brownies (Refined Sugar and Gluten Free Option)

Time: 1 Hour including prep

Makes: 12-16 brownies

For this you are going to need:

• Baking tray

• Mixing bowl

• Mixing spoon

• Measuring cup/cup

• Measuring spoons/teaspoon and tablespoon

Ingredients:

Brownies:

• 500 grams cooked sweet potato

• 100 grams ground rolled oats

• 100 grams’ almond flour

• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 9 tablespoons date syrup*(100g dates with ½ cup water)

• 5 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice like agave, syrup, stevia

• 2 x tablespoons coconut oil

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder/extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

*If you don't have date syrup just substitute for more sweetener of your choice like maple syrup.

Icing: (Contains Nuts)

• 100 grams cooked sweet potato

• 3 tablespoons date syrup

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (sugar and salt free)

• 1 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice

• 2 tablespoon coco powder

Nut Free Icing:

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 3 tablespoons coco powder

• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Brownies:

• Place the sweet potatoes on the stove or in a steamer until nice and soft

• Blend 500 grams of the cooked sweet potatoes with the date syrup.

• Mix the dry ingredients together

• 100 grams ground rolled oats

• 100 grams’ almond flour

• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Add the 5 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice like agave, syrup, stevia,

• Add 2 x tablespoons coconut oil to the sweet potato and date mix and 1 teaspoon vanilla powder/extract and mix together

• Add the dry ingredient mix and the sweet potato mixture together and stir until all the ingredients are well combined

• Spoon the batter into a well oiled tray and place in pre-heated oven at 180°C and bake for about 40-50minutes

• Allow the brownies to cool completely before icing.

Icing One: (Contains Nuts)

• Blend the reaming 100 grams of sweet potato with the 3 tablespoons date syrup.

• In a pan add the 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons peanut butter (sugar and salt free) and 1 tablespoons of sweetener of your choice.

• Add the sweet potato and date mix and stir together until well blended on a low to medium heat.

• Remove from stove and place in fridge to cool don for about 20-30 minutes

• Place the icing in a piping bag and decorate your brownies just the way you like them. If you don’t have a piping bag no stress, just use a knife to spread this delicious icing all over your moist brownies.

Nut Free Icing:

• Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and spread onto brownies.

The Best Carrot Cake

Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 1 Carrot cake

For this you are going to need:

• Cake tin/muffin tray

• Mixing bowl

• Mixing spoon

• Measuring cup/cup

• Measuring spoons/teaspoon and tablespoon

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup grated carrot.

• 1 Grated green apple.

• 1/2 Cup xylitol or brown sugar

• 1 and 1/2 Cup ground oats.

• 1 Teaspoon mixed spice.

• Pinch of salt.

• 2 Teaspoon vanilla essence/extract.

• 1/3 Cup coconut oil melted (if you want this completely oil free just replace with more apple sauce but the texture of the cake will be more dense).

• 1/2 Cup apple sauce or apple purity.

• 1 Teaspoon baking soda.

Icing:

• 1 Cup chilled coconut cream

• 1 Teaspoon lemon juice

• 4 Tablespoons maple syrup

• Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients (oats, xylitol, baking soda,mixed spice)

3. Add the rest of the ingredients

4. Greece your tin with some coconut oil

5. Place the mixture into your muffin tin or cake/bread tin.

6. Bake 30-40 minutes at 180°C

For the icing:

Mix the chilled cup of coconut cream, lemon juice and maple syrup together and leave to chill further in the fridge while

the carrot cake is cooling.

Frost the cake once it is completely cool and sprinkle the lemon zest on, enjoy! :)

I hope this post helped you in preparing for an evening with loved ones at home! If you enjoyed this post please let us know and don't forget to subscribe for more exciting recipes as well as tips and tricks.