My 1st Vegan Dinner Party

Most of my friends are not vegan, but when my friend Amie suggested a dinner party, I knew I wanted to make some vegan food for my friends. I decided to make a salad, bread, soup and a dessert. Here is what I served...this menu is great for spring shindigs:

Strawberry Almond Green Salad 

Rosemary Bread

Minestrone Soup

Grapefruit Pound Cake

We had a blast preparing the food and it was super delicious! All the vegan recipes are below the photos!

Strawberry Almond Green Salad (4 servings)

1 bag Romaine lettuce
1 bag mixed greens
16 Strawberries
1 cup sliced almonds
3 Tbsp honey
8 Tbsp poppy seed dressing (I get mine from Arcadia Farms Marketplace in Old Town Scottsdale...such a cute market/cafe)

1. Slice the strawberries and set aside.
2. Pour honey over sliced almonds in a frying pan and heat on medium heat until the almonds start to stick together...don't overcook them. The almonds will soak up most of the honey when they are ready to take off the stove.
3. Plate salad with lettuce first, then strawberries, then almonds and finish with a drizzle of poppy seed dressing.

Rosemary Bread

1 pre-made bag of Fresh and Easy whole wheat pizza dough
Fresh rosemary
olive oil to spritz

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roll out pizza dough
3. Spritz a cookie sheet with olive oil
4. Shape pizza dough into a rectangle
5. Press rosemary into the top of the dough
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Perfect for dipping into soup or into flavored olive oils!

Minestrone Soup (from Spark People)

5 cups Organic Vegetable Broth 1/2 cup Elbows Pasta (I used bow tie pasta-cooked per package instructions) 1 cup Onions, raw, chopped 3 cloves Garlic 1 cup Carrots, raw, chopped 2.5 cups Swiss Chard chopped 2 cups Tomatoes (stewed) 1 cup Green Beans (snap) 1.5 cups Zucchini, sliced 1 cup Savoy or Napa cabbage, chopped 2 tbsp Olive Oil 3 tsp Thyme, fresh 1 tsp Pepper, black

1. Dice onions, carrots and chard stems. 15 oz can canned cannellini beans

2. Saute in olive oil for about 10 minutes until onions are translucent. 

3. Add minced garlic and thyme. Stir for another minute.
4. Add vegetable broth and pint of canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. 

5. Add chard that has been torn into bite sized pieces, chopped savoy cabbage leaves, green beans and zucchini. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add pasta and drained, rinsed beans.
7. Simmer until pasta is cooked through. 

8. Season with black pepper and salt if desired.

 

     Vegan Grapefruit Pound Cake (adapted from a Cooking Light magazine recipe)

Baking spray with flour  

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)  

1 teaspoon baking powder  

5/8 teaspoon salt, divided  

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar  

6 tablespoons butter, softened  (I used Earth Balance)

6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese  (I used Tofutti cream cheese)

2 large eggs  (to veganize use 1 'egg-replacer' and 1/2 cup applesauce)

1/4 cup canola oil  

2 tablespoons grated grapefruit rind  

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk  (I used vanilla almond milk)

 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice

 

  

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with baking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Place granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in oil, rind, and vanilla.

3. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon batter into pan; bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake. Cool on rack.

4. Place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 4 minutes). Cool slightly. Stir in powdered sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Drizzle over cake.

 

Thanks to Matt, Christie, Amie, Sam, Becky and Gary!