How many times did your omnivore friend tell you that he or she couldn’t imagine a day without eating something animal-related? Even if it was just a buttered toast chowed upon before work or a cup of milk with honey before bed while he scrolls through the news and stops to play Kiwi pokies from time to time? This is nonsense, of course – but most omnivores fail to understand this. Imagining a meal without any ingredients coming from a non-vegan source may be hard for many – this until they actually try them. Of course, it’s not easy to ease someone into the vegan lifestyle but the recipes below will likely help a lot.
These Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos with Avocado-Pepita Dip from Cookie + Kate will likely leave them licking their fingers and craving for more. They rely on the meaty texture and sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes, the variety of veggies and spices that turn black beans into a tasty and protein-rich filler, corn tortillas to give it the extra chewiness they need, and crumbled vegan feta cheese to take the edge off the heat of the pickled jalapenos that give the dish a true Mexican feeling.
Hasselback potatoes are another dish pretty much every meat-eater will love – they probably have them pretty often because they are a truly great way to turn the boring potato into an amazing dish. And, convincingly enough, you can load them with melty tofu gouda and loads of spices, along with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to bring out their best features. You can find a super simple yet amazingly tasty version over at the Simple Vegan Blog, and another one involving chives, smoked paprika, and vegan “parmesan” over at Koko’s Kitchen.
And if they still don’t let themselves be convinced of accepting that vegan dishes can be just as tasty as meat-based ones, show them the Vegan Gutbuster, a great sandwich presented by Lori Lynn over at the Taste with the Eyes blog. It is a recipe involving the creation of the vegan version of the traditional Italian sausage that will be just as meaty and spicy as the original. Then, the “meat” is fried and placed inside a halved baguette loaded with bell pepper, onions, sliced mushrooms, and tomatoes, and topped with tomato sauce, fresh green spices, and shredded vegan Mozzarella cheese. This amazing combination of tastes and textures will surely convince even the most devoted omnivore in your friends circle that vegan dishes can be just as tasty – perhaps even tastier – than their traditional ones.
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