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.
I want in on the code for my husband!!!!
if vegan is code for “really awesome food”, i guess i have to try it!
I’m sipping a pumpkin gingerbread smoothie as I type this! Your recipes have really impacted my life and inspired my cooking habits. I can’t wait to try these nachos (and possibly win the cookbook!)
I am going to make the nachos for a party I have this weekend, looks great!
The recipes all sound so delicious. I’ve had this cookbook on my wish list for a while.
That cheese dip is just what my husband has been missing!! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much for all your recipes, we became Vegan in July and you have fed us almost every night. Your recipes are kid-proof too, my 5-year-old loves most of them!
Thank you so much
deb silver
Looks great! I would love to make that dip!
Love your website! I am currently trying a vegetarian/vegan diet. The recipes you have look lovely. I have a list that I would like to try…I may do the burritos tonight :)
The cookbook would be a great help for me to gain more knowledge about the veg/vegan lifestyle. The nachos look amazing!
Thanks so much for all your hard work! I am definitely benefiting from it all.
Denise
That dip looks AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!!
The nacho dip looks soooo yummmmmmmie ….. That book looks amazing…would love to win a copy xx
OMG those chips look soooo good!! I would love this cookbook…I’m a new veggie-convert and I would love great recipes to help entice my husband as well!!
OMG, the cereal bars look amazing! Fingers crossed :)
Yum! Thanks for being an inspiration to get off the couch and sign up for my first 5k and 8k! Not to mention in the kitchen! :)
Great ideas for potlucks! Thanks for sharing – I’d love to check out a new vegan cookbook.
I hope there’s still time to get in on the cookbook giveaway. Your snacks look so delicious!
Oh those all look so tasty! Would love this cookbook as we are slowly (but steadily!) moving our family over to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle!
Oh, Oh, Pick me!! See me?? I’m waving my hands in the air…PICK ME! I’m so very new to this lifestyle and need all the help I can get to get my husband on the same bus with me. I’m a good choice, I’m energetic and commited to a healthier lifestyle, exercise every day, kind to people and animals….PICK ME! :) Even if you dont pick me for the cookbook prize, I’ll still read your blog daily and continue printing recipes from it!
I wonder if i could fool my husband with that recipe? Looks amazing!
My friend is cooking his way through this book right now! I would love to have a copy!
I would love this cookbook. everything looks so great.
Ohhh, I hope I’m not too late to enter! I would love to win this book. :)
I love a good dip for Sunday Football!
Oh its football and hockey season in my house too!! I just made the taco dip from “The Kind Diet” cookbook for the sports fans in my house this Saturday :)
Drooling over the dip. Might have to try it for football season!
I’m a vegetarian and am trying to lose 30 more lbs. (I already lost 30). I’d like to go vegan in the process and am looking for EASY, quick, low-calorie recipes. I am lost in the kitchen and am intimidated by cooking. This cookbook sounds perfect!
omg that dip looks incredible!
LOL! I love what you said, “they think vegan means really really good food now” which is true in many ways! lol but I’d love to be a part of the give away if it’s not too late…? I’ve contemplated buying this very cookbook, but I’m currently still in my broke college student days… :(
I might be too late to enter but I would LOVE to try these recipes!!!
looks delicious! i would love to take this cookbook for a spin!
Ooh, yes please!
Found you through the Green Monster Movement. Your blog is just what I was looking for to support my semi-vegetarian, spinach smoothie ways. Thank you! Can’t wait to add some new recipes to my binder.
HOLY MOLEY!!! PICK ME!!! This book is on my list of must haves!! I just bought The China study and am dying to get my hands on a new cookbook!! (/) (\) (/) (\) That’s the best dance I could do. ;)
mmm everything looks so good!
Oh my gosh does that ever look delicious!!!!!
Looks so good!!!
These look so yummy! I am going to have to give them a try and OH! will husband love them too! Thanks
Those bars look delish… I would LOVE to be able to make them as a yummy afternoon snack =)
I’m a new vegan and oh my goodness you have some delicious food! Even my chef room mate loves it all!
Wow this looks amazing!!!
looks awesome!! why are all of your food creations so photogenic?!? and appetizing ….that cookbook is right up my alley!
This is awesome!! Since going Vegan over a year ago, I have moments when I really miss nachos. I am so glad I found your blog. Thank you for posting this!!
This looks sooo delicious! I’ve been wanting to make my little brothers some truly delicious meat-free dishes because they’re not the biggest veggie lovers. Hopefully if I win, this will change their view of vegetarian dishes!
You take such gorgeous pictures. You even make nachos look like art!
My cookbook shelf always has room for one more. ;)
I’d love to be entered for the cookbook!
I would love love to win this! I am really trying to go vegan and my major issue is figuring out recipes full of flavor. I am in pharmacy school and I need to stay healthy when I am stressed also! Love the blog…I spread all the word to my friends!
I have this book checked out of the library and I love it! I would love my own copy!
I’m always look for new recipes and some of these look lovely!
xx
Made the pumpkin gingerbread with spiced buttercream frosting. AMAZING! I am happy because it was my first truly “vegan” recipe- I am in college learning to be a Family and Consumer Science teacher so I can teach food classes in high schools! Hopefully I get to share some yummy vegan recipes with students!
My dear bf has allergies to dairy, so this dip looks awesome! He is very stubborn, and although I do have a laugh saying “I told you so”, this cookbook (along with the recipes Ive already tried from your website) will give me a lot more ideas and hopefully convince him that he can eat pretty much anything without sacrificing flavor!
Come ooonnn cookbook! :) haha
I would love to make those nachos and would love to win this cookbook!!