It’s Hockey Season and that means I’m feeding snacks to a bunch of hungry guys during our weekly game night.
Impressing the male species with vegan food is one of the biggest challenges of all. It’s not so much the taste of the food that I’m worried about; it’s more the stereotype of what vegan means to them. Often, the word vegan doesn’t evoke warm and fuzzy feelings like….beer or pizza….or nachos.
So I make nachos, spiced bar nuts, pizza, and beer fries.
Now they think vegan is just some weird code for really awesome food.
Score.
The other night I was trying to think of some “guy-friendly” snacks (oh, now I’m stereotyping!) and I came across some delicious looking snack recipes in The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon. The publisher sent me this cookbook to check out and I’ve been meaning to try it for a while now. There are all kinds of dips and appetizer recipes to choose from, in addition to breakfast, sides, entrees, appetizers, sauces/dressings, and dessert recipes. Most recipes also have a full colour photograph which is always a nice feature if you are a visual person like myself.
Lindsay specializes in fat-free and low-fat vegan recipes and you can find over 175 recipes in her cookbook. There are also a lot of tofu, tempeh, and seitan based recipes such as her Seitan Pot Roast and Fettuccine Alfredo. If you are a soy fan, you will find a lot of unique options.
For game night, I made Lindsay’s Spicy Mexican Dip (above) made up of cannellini & black beans, nutritional yeast, spices & seasonings, and a hint of lime. I was feeling feisty so I made the Nacho Cheese Sauce and swirled it into the dip before baking it for about 35-40 minutes. Amazing. The only thing I regret was not putting a layer of Daiya Cheese on top!
I served the dip with Lindsay’s Chili-Lime Corn Chips. They are very easy to make and the flavours went perfectly with the dip.
First things first, the boys thought it was actually a real cheese dip.
Secondly, the dip was gone in 10 minutes.
I forgot all about the fact that the Leafs were losing.
I also made the Fruity Cereal Bars (it’s a good thing because the dip didn’t last long) which are fat-free knock offs of those commercial cereal breakfast bars that we all know and love. I wasn’t expecting much from a fat-free cereal bar, but these were good. The oatmeal base is soft and light (a common outcome when using applesauce as a fat replacer) and the gooey jam topping made me want to eat the entire pan.
Sadly, I had to share.
I even thought about trying the the, ‘You don’t want this, trust me! It’s healthy, it’s VEGAN!’ line, but it didn’t work. My cover was already blown.
Vegan food is just a code for really awesome food, remember?
The Happy Herbivore Giveaway!
[Giveaway Finished]
If you’d like a chance to win The Happy Herbivore Cookbook leave a comment below. I’ll pick the winner on Monday and ship you a copy of this book. Open to anyone, anywhere.
These look awesome! I would definitely like a chance to win this =)
Skeptical of how good those recipes are.. guys love meat and beer!! BUT.. how can I trick them with vegetarian stuff? Maybe this book will show me how? I’m always looking for more vegetarian recipes that don’t “taste vegetarian”.. we’ll see!
Mmm those cereal bars look so good–I’d love to win the cookbook!
I’d love a copy please :))
my husband is incredibly difficult. I’m lucky i can get him to eat broccoli or cauliflower. But anything else. not so much. I’d love to have ways to come up with meals that he won’t be picking out the veggies!
I’d love to win the book and try out some new recipes! =)
my husband is incredibly difficult. I’m lucky i can get him to eat broccoli or cauliflower. But anything else. not so much. I’d love to have ways to come up with meals that he won’t be picking out the veggie
Okay, that Spicy Mexican Dip just sold me on this cookbook!! It looks wonderful!
I have made Happy Herbivore’s Whole Wheat, Fat Free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins on several occasions, and honestly, I don’t think anyone can tell they’re healthy and devoid of eggs, butter, or piles of sugar. They are absolutely mouth-watering-ly delicious. So I would imagine I would love the cookbook, too:-).
Just what I need to watch the Winnipeg Jet’s inaugural season–a cookbook to make special treats for my fellow Jet’s fans!
I was just looking at that cookbook the other day, so I would love a copy to experiment with for myself!
Anyway, I’m in Michigan, so GO WINGS!
This looks great!!!
Thank you so much for what you do and what you show us. Eating vegan (& nutritiously) has saved the lives of a few people I love dearly, and you posting these amazing recipes helps us all stay on track. You have no idea how much it has helped me to expand what and how I cook for my family by getting new and fresh ideas. There is a whole group of us that follow you very closely. Thank you so much for your passion and all that you do.
Chili lime corn chips – yum!!
definitely making the nachos!
Hi Angela! I also have that problem with my man. As soon as he hears vegan/healthy he thinks it is going to be gross. If I ever want to serve it, I have to pretend it isn’t and hide the evidence. I would love a copy of Happy Herbivore book so I can learn a few recipes that would help my dilema. Thanks!!! Metaxia
A nacho dip that really tastes like cheese?! I have to try this!!!
Oh, wow…I need that Spicy Mexican Dip and those Chili-Lime Corn Chips in my life…soon! :) Thanks for hosting the giveaway. And yes, vegan is code for awesomely delicious food!
Ooh, the nachos and beer fries look great! Please enter me into the competition :)
These recipes all look so tasty! I would love to have the book so I can attempt a few of them – especially the cereal bars!