A toast to the Fourth
The annual July 4 cookout is right around the corner; and vegetarians need not fear. Cookouts can be suitable for vegetarians of all tastes, from those interested in creating fabulous feasts like the spread described by Vegetarians in Paradise to the lazy veggies like me, who go the veggie-dog and chips-n-dip route.
The most labor-intensive part of my contributions to the cookout will be the onion dip, which will involve making a double-batch of Jo Stepaniak’s vegan sour cream and stirring in an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix. Stepaniak’s recipes in such books as Vegan Vittles and The Uncheese Cookbook include many outstandingly satisfying replacements for dairy products, such as:
VEGAN SOUR CREAM (recipe from Vegan Vittles)
1. 10.5 oz box firm silken tofu
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sweetener
1/2 tsp salt
Blend in a blender till very smooth.
This July 4 will bring a nifty new taste to test: vegan marshmallows to toast over the grill. They’re called Dandies, from the Chicago Soy Dairy. The French Broad Co-op in Asheville was my source for these, and so far is the only store I’ve found that carries them. They are tasty little morsels straight from the bag, so it’ll be nice to see how they do toasted. I’ll let you know—
What kind of veggie treats are you planning for the Fourth?
