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You know how some people scatter like bowling pins if you say you made something veg*n for Thanksgiving, as if that meant it contained rubber boots and rat poison.
If you say you made the dessert or the salad or a side dish, they eat it cheerfully even though it is -- gasp! -- vegetarian or even vegan.
So do you ever just refuse to comment and bring a rice dish, or a bean dish, or a something-else dish and consider it a stealth operation to get more plants into their diets?
I serve food. All of it is edible to people who do not suffer from an allergy. No one seriously has an ethical issue with kale,barley, quinoa, lentils or spinach etc. If there is gluten in the food, I let people know. Same with peanuts or other allergens.
If there is no meat in my chili, soup, stuffed squash, cabbage, peppers, or casserole or lasagna, why is it incumbent on me to announce what is NOT in the dish? Why label it?
I make a vegan version of Green Bean Casserole - the one that usually has canned soup with dairy in it. I make mine from scratch. I use a variety of fresh mushrooms and fresh green beans. It's still a Green Bean Casserole. If I say anything, I say "It was made from scratch". I see no need to say it's "Vegan". When some people hear that word, they think "weird".
I do not do this. I made a soup for a church potluck last month and did not label it "vegetarian" or "vegan". Why should I?
People had bowl after bowl. More than anyone's soup.
Then they asked me for the recipe. When I gave it to them, not one asked "Where's the beef?' .
Is that being a "stealth vegan cook"? If so, I do it all the time.
I'm serving more plant based dinners. They are healthier and there is no need to go on about 'vegan'. Tonight I made a tasty vegetable Moroccan stew, the spices made the kitchen smell wonderful. No meat, but served over rice with some Naan, it was filling and very good.
You are right Cliffie and sheena, that vegan word is trouble and I stay away from using it whenever possible! Some people (vegans) can get militant about their choice of food and it can put other people off. Seen this many times.
I'm serving more plant based dinners. They are healthier and there is no need to go on about 'vegan'. Tonight I made a tasty vegetable Moroccan stew, the spices made the kitchen smell wonderful. No meat, but served over rice with some Naan, it was filling and very good.
You are right Cliffie and sheena, that vegan word is trouble and I stay away from using it whenever possible! Some people (vegans) can get militant about their choice of food and it can put other people off. Seen this many times.
I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, since I occasionally eat wild caught fish. I do eat a plant based diet. And, I really don't like labeling food that is devoid of animal fresh or dairy "vegan". It's a weird new word. It is helpful when looking for restaurants that offer vegan options. It's also helpful in institutional settings such as schools or hospitals. So is the label "G-Free", or disclosing that peanuts or another potential allergen is present in the food.
Vegan is a lifestyle that transcends diet. And, I happen to respect that. When I serve vegetable soup to guests, I call it "vegetable soup" - not "vegan vegetable soup".
Some meat eaters are equally militant about eating meat. Some stigmatize any meal that does not include meat. Some preach to you that your children will suffer on July 4th if they don't have a hot dog. A relative did this when I had my kids.
Many people today just stay away from hot dogs because it is well known that they are just "slaughter house scrap".
My family and I like hot dogs, once in a while. But, we eat meat free hot dogs.
I have served them at children's parties along with "chik'n nuggets". No one knew the difference until I told them. More than a few of these then young mothers felt uncomfortable about serving hot dogs and chicken nuggets to their kids, and switched over to the plant based variety.
Yes. I am aware that these are "processed foods". They should not be eaten every day - or three or four times per week.
However, if someone has a craving for those foods, the plant based variety is far more wholesome and compassionate.
Meat eaters - especially those with a personal agenda, or those who abhor any kind of change, can be quite obnoxious. Not all, but some.
The Moroccan stew must be delicious!! Recipe please?
No need, my whole family (both sides) are well accustom to eating fresh veg from their gardens. It's simply part of a well balanced diet that we all try to eat.
But you know how some families have "mexican night" and "pasta night", well I have "vegetarian night" and try to make it weekly, sometimes ends up being once every 10 days. No reason other than trying to push myself to cook new things.
How odd that one would have to think about "stealth" to get someone to eat plants, I simply can't wrap my mind around people who wouldn't gladly eat rice pilaf, or a sweet potato, green beans, collards (if you're accustom to them), etc...
I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, since I occasionally eat wild caught fish. I do eat a plant based diet. And, I really don't like labeling food that is devoid of animal fresh or dairy "vegan". It's a weird new word. It is helpful when looking for restaurants that offer vegan options. It's also helpful in institutional settings such as schools or hospitals. So is the label "G-Free", or disclosing that peanuts or another potential allergen is present in the food.
Vegan is a lifestyle that transcends diet. And, I happen to respect that. When I serve vegetable soup to guests, I call it "vegetable soup" - not "vegan vegetable soup".
Some meat eaters are equally militant about eating meat. Some stigmatize any meal that does not include meat. Some preach to you that your children will suffer on July 4th if they don't have a hot dog. A relative did this when I had my kids.
Many people today just stay away from hot dogs because it is well known that they are just "slaughter house scrap".
My family and I like hot dogs, once in a while. But, we eat meat free hot dogs.
I have served them at children's parties along with "chik'n nuggets". No one knew the difference until I told them. More than a few of these then young mothers felt uncomfortable about serving hot dogs and chicken nuggets to their kids, and switched over to the plant based variety.
Yes. I am aware that these are "processed foods". They should not be eaten every day - or three or four times per week.
However, if someone has a craving for those foods, the plant based variety is far more wholesome and compassionate.
Meat eaters - especially those with a personal agenda, or those who abhor any kind of change, can be quite obnoxious. Not all, but some.
The Moroccan stew must be delicious!! Recipe please?
Yes, there is no sense in putting out a word like vegan, when vegetable works much better! I've been on both sides of the issue and not currently a vegan or vegetarian, but trying to get back into it.
You are right that meat eaters can be just as militant. What is it about this issue that makes so many want to fight? Your relative sounds brainwashed about eating meat with every meal, although we have a barrage of adds on tv and online about 'beef, it's what's for dinner' and so on. Nice, slick advertising, there was one recently about these happy, perfect looking couples fixing pork in different ways. Lots of people must fall into that trap.
I agree with you about the meat free hot dogs and like them too. It's great that you serve vegan foods and let people's taste buds decide if they want to continue or not! If only everyone tried to convert your way. I've seen too many snarky comments going back and forth.
Here is the recipe for the stew. It's really good served with basmati rice and naan. You can also do quite a bit of tweaking the ingredients. For instance, I didn't use canned tomatoes, chopped some up instead, added turmeric, didn't have a cinnamon stick, but a sprinkle of powered was fine, added a dash of cayenne, used a couple of zucchini instead of potatoes and omitted the butter, yogurt and olives. Still turned out great.
No need, my whole family (both sides) are well accustom to eating fresh veg from their gardens. It's simply part of a well balanced diet that we all try to eat.
But you know how some families have "mexican night" and "pasta night", well I have "vegetarian night" and try to make it weekly, sometimes ends up being once every 10 days. No reason other than trying to push myself to cook new things.
How odd that one would have to think about "stealth" to get someone to eat plants, I simply can't wrap my mind around people who wouldn't gladly eat rice pilaf, or a sweet potato, green beans, collards (if you're accustom to them), etc...
'Vegetarian night' that's great! Everyone should enjoy fresh veggies, but lots of people would trade the green beans for an order of fries. Still veggie though.
Yes, there is no sense in putting out a word like vegan, when vegetable works much better! I've been on both sides of the issue and not currently a vegan or vegetarian, but trying to get back into it.
You are right that meat eaters can be just as militant. What is it about this issue that makes so many want to fight? Your relative sounds brainwashed about eating meat with every meal, although we have a barrage of adds on tv and online about 'beef, it's what's for dinner' and so on. Nice, slick advertising, there was one recently about these happy, perfect looking couples fixing pork in different ways. Lots of people must fall into that trap.
I agree with you about the meat free hot dogs and like them too. It's great that you serve vegan foods and let people's taste buds decide if they want to continue or not! If only everyone tried to convert your way. I've seen too many snarky comments going back and forth.
Here is the recipe for the stew. It's really good served with basmati rice and naan. You can also do quite a bit of tweaking the ingredients. For instance, I didn't use canned tomatoes, chopped some up instead, added turmeric, didn't have a cinnamon stick, but a sprinkle of powered was fine, added a dash of cayenne, used a couple of zucchini instead of potatoes and omitted the butter, yogurt and olives. Still turned out great.
Back when I still went to church and was vegan, I used to bring vegan treats to church. No one there knew I was vegan and they had no idea my treats were vegan, and my treats were very popular lol. I would make donuts, mini muffins, raw vegan date/nut bars, banana bread, even cake. There was nothing "weird" in the ingredients, except maybe the occasional vegan butter (Earth Balance) which isn't that much different than margarine. I really didn't even use egg replacers as most of what I made didn't need it.
At work everyone knows I am vegetarian (and when I was vegan they knew that too) and they all know I am a health freak too. I used to make gluten free vegan dishes for the department I worked in before because several people were gluten intolerant and people were actually amazed at how good my food still was. Yes I would mention it was gluten free so my coworkers could partake. They were very adventurous and open minded about food and it was never an issue. The department I currently work in however, are very traditional about food and have not taken well to my "healthier" dishes. Even when I make total junk they still perceive it is "too healthy" because I am vegetarian/vegan, so it's not tried as much. I never planned to even tell anyone in this new department I was vegan but a coworker I had confided to blurted it out. Grr. And eventually it had to come out anyway because we have a lot of long conferences where food is provided and I don't eat that food as it is always some sort of meat dish or something else I don't eat.
I never and still don't feel the need to label my food I serve others as "vegan" or "vegetarian" unless there is someone in the group who has food sensitivities or is also veg*n. But occasionally I might mention the food is vegan after someone tries it and loves it, to demonstrate that vegan food isn't so far out there and not too "weird". But yes there are a lot of preconceived notions about the word "vegan" when people already know you are that. They think I put soy in everything but in reality I rarely but once in a while eat soy due to health issues (thyroid). I've never been a fan of commercial vegan cheese/meat either so rarely use those. Very rarely I have made a tofu based dish for my omni husband and never told him there was tofu in there as he thinks he hates that stuff, but he never let on he knew there was tofu in it and he devoured it lol. Still didn't tell him afterwords. So in that regard, yes I use stealth lol.
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