BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Upon hearing the phrase ‘vegan meal,’ it’s easy to conjure up images of uncooked carrot sticks stuffed between bread that are meant to pass as hot dogs or salads that consist of anemic shards of iceberg lettuce sprinkled with uncooked tofu.
Few people would be satisfied with dishes like the ones described above.
But capital area residents who frequent restaurants like Ava Street Cafe, Cocha, Bay Leaf Indian Cusine, Zoe’s Kitchen, JINYA Ramen Bar, and Vegan Friendly Foods know that most vegan meals are hearty and delicious.
If you’d like to treat meat-eating friends or family to a nice vegan meal without spending your cash at a restaurant, one of the five recipe options below just may be a hit with your favorite omnivores.
Spicy Vegan Sloppy Joes
These can be made using a typical sloppy joe recipe, but substituting the meat with either mushrooms or red beans. Click here for a recipe.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Though Daiya’s Vegan Mac and Cheese is vegan and gluten free, it still has a rich and creamy texture that hits all the right notes. If you’d rather not use the boxed version, you can make your own vegan mac and cheese with this recipe.
Vegan Lasagna
This warm and hearty comfort food includes spinach and replaces meat with a combination of mushrooms and fennel seeds. Click here to view a recipe.
Sweet Potato Burgers
If you want to go the extra mile, you might want to try your hand at creating a delicious, fully dressed burger that substitutes a typical beef patty with a homemade black bean and sweet potato patty. It’s a burger that’s both healthy and filling. Click here for a recipe.
Vegan Jambalaya
Though it may seem like well-seasoned meat is a crucial aspect of jambalaya, plant proteins such as red kidney beans, mushrooms, or vegan sausage can be seasoned just as well and added to the one-pot dish. It may not be exactly like grandma’s jambalaya, but it’s still a tasty and filling Creole-Cajun inspired meal. Click here for a recipe.
There are an endless number of vegan recipes that appeal to meat-eaters, and if you’d like to check out more vegan recipes that are easy to make, visit: 31 Easy Vegan Recipes (today.com)