Question: I’m vegan and he’s not. Is there hope for our relationship?
Answer: Love is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it’s a case of “birds of a feather flocking together”; other times it’s the “opposites attract” phenomena. If love and respect are present in the relationship, there is usually space to accept each other’s differences. On the other hand, if you are cringing every time you eat a meal together, it’s important to discuss your feelings.
A lot of it depends on why you are going vegan. If you are vegan for health reasons, it may be relatively easy for you to accept your partner’s eating habits. If you are vegan for animal rights issues, or even environmental reasons, it will likely be more of a struggle.
If your partner is open to learning about why you eat the way you do, there are many resources available online for educating him. Try the Vegetarian Resource Group for starters. The best way, however, to introduce your partner to your lifestyle choice is to prepare delicious vegan food if he is open to trying it. It is an amazing way to demonstrate that going vegan can be a fulfilling and exciting way to live, without any sense of deprivation.
Here are some ideas for a special vegan romantic dinner.
- Cilantro Stuffed Mushrooms
- Organic Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Macadamia Blue Corn Crusted Tofu with Creamy Pesto Sauce over Saffron Herb Basmati Pilaf
- Da Kine No Bake Chocolate Cookies
- After-Dinner Aphrodisiac Elixir
Cilantro Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy Jennifer Murray and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw
Yield: 4 mushrooms
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Dehydrate Time: 20 minutes (optional)
Ingredients
4 large crimini or button mushrooms*
1 tablespoon nama shoyu
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced red onion
Pinch of salt or to taste
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped small celery
Directions
1. Remove stems from mushroom caps and set aside.
2. Pour shoyu into a bowl and roll mushroom caps around to coat. Arrange caps on a plate and either set aside or, if dehydrating, put plate in a dehydrator at 105°F for twenty minutes.
3. Pour remaining shoyu into the bowl of a food processor with mushroom stems, broccoli, cilantro, olive oil, nutritional yeast, walnuts, pine nuts, onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using). Process on high speed for forty to sixty seconds or until a uniform pate forms (some chunks are okay). Transfer mixture to a bowl.
4. Add celery to pate and stir well.
5. Scoop pate into mushroom caps, forming a rounded top. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a glass or plastic container with a tightly closed lid. Mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for one or two days.
*Use crimini mushrooms if you like the earthy flavor of mushrooms and can find them in a large size. If you prefer a milder mushroom, get button mushrooms. Small mushrooms work great, too, but you’ll need twice as many.
Uma’s Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yield: 2 cups
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups
2/3 cup filtered water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
11/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.
Saffron Herb Basmati Pilaf
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups filtered water or vegetable stock
3/4 cup brown basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water
1/4 cup fresh minced herbs
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring rice and liquid to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, approximately forty minutes. Add saffron and soak water to rice with remaining ingredients and gently stir well.
