Want to invite a non vegan over for a quick lunch that takes about 20 minutes to prep?

Give them some fresh organic greens in a salad bowl and serve additions separately so they can customize.  Use whatever you have already prepared, chop up some produce (even fruit), open a can of beans or a jar of artichokes, whip up a fresh vegan salad dressing and you are in business.

We had mixed baby spring greens (my favorite) as our foundation.  From the far left bottom around clockwise: chopped Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts with a quick toss in a pan with garlic and onions, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, avocado dressing (1/4 avocado whipped up with lemon juice and salt- no oil), raw pistachios, chopped celery, chopped red cabbage, Parma brand vegan parmesan (garlicky green) and a vegan potato salad made with chopped peppers, capers, vegan mayo and white sweet potatoes.

You could add a soup or homemade bread and you are ready for a lunch date.

Usually, we just toss all this into a bowl but placing the ingredients into various small bowls and plates makes it more inviting for guests or a loved one.

Easy Dinner for one vegan – Cauliflower with ‘Cheez” sauce and Grilled Seitan

Using a non-stick wide heavy pan, I ‘sautéed’ @ 1/4 cup of diced onions in @ 1/2 cup veggie broth and after about one minute, added chopped cauliflower (one whole small head) and another 1/2 cup of broth.

I covered the pan and allowed it to steam, stirring and checking, adding broth as needed to keep it from sticking.

Meanwhile, I used a food processor but you could also use a blender to whir the meat of 4-5 roasted garlic cloves (always a good thing to have on hand in a glass reusable jar in the fridge), 3/4 cup of raw cashews, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp. (I used pink Himalayan) salt and 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast ( I was up in the mountains and only had Brewer’s yeast but that worked).

Once blended, add as much water as you desire to make it more or less thick – anywhere from another 1/4 cup and as much as 1 more cup.

When the cauliflower was tender (prick the largest piece with a fork), I added half the sauce and stirred and heated it through. I used a grinder to sprinkle fresh pepper over my entire portion. I saved the other half of the sauce in the fridge for a future dish that may call for a creamy, cheesy taste with no dairy.

You may think that cashews are rich in fat but actually this recipe calls for no butter, no cream, no flour, no milk and especially -no cheese – so you are actually consuming ‘good’ fats found in nuts, in a sensible, non-harming way.

The seitan was prepared and purchased from Mother’s Market.  I just had to heat it up and add a few drops of lemon and a dash of salt.  With over 32 grams of protein, 225 calories and only 2.5 grams of fat, this portion more than satisfied.  Knowing no animals were harmed was just a bonus to this easy, one pot, 20-30 minute meal.