A Vegan Birthday

Can vegans have a tasty food filled birthday?After all nothing beats a pepperoni pizza or cheeseburger followed by an egg and butter laden  cake. Yet - suppose you're a hardcore animal lover who eschews any animal products or you have allergies that prevent you from eating dairy and meat? Can you still have a fun party? Of course you can! It's easy with a wide variety of choices.

Barbecues aren't  limited to just meat lovers. Vegans can celebrate their special day , thanks to companies like Morningstar Farms who make a variety of burgers and dogs . They have twelve (!) different kinds of patties to choose from, like a spicy black bean to a quinoa and mushroom one. They also have added soy turkey burgers and there are yummy chicken patties. Their hot dogs are just as tasty and even meaty as the real thing and they are delicious roasted over a fire. If you're looking to have a meat free party then buy their soy crumbles to turn into a hearty pot of chili or taco stuffings.If you're throwing a birthday brunch, you can easily use Morningstar's soy bacon strips for the base of Eggs Benedict. As for the Hollandaise sauce that goes over it. you can make it without the eggs, using avocado and lemon pureed to make a creamy sauce. Pepperoni pizza is a snap to make too , especially when you just add soy pepperoni on top. Also everyone loves a build your own pizza bar too.There are also soy meatballs and sausages for a tasty, and healthier marinara sauce.

Birthday desserts can be tricky.Most do have egg and butter in them as binders.Melissa Clark had a recipe for dairy free ice cream in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.It's taken from the Van Leeuwen Brothers cookbook on ice cream. The brothers have a small chain of ice cream shops featuring both dairy and non dairy cold treats. To create a milk free scoop sub in  cocoa butter and coconut oil  to replace the necessary dairy and egg. It creates a smooth, creamy texture that is exactly the same as milk and cream based kinds.Cakes are another vegan conundrum. How do you get a perfectly light creation without the use of vital ingredients? You can use substitutes  for the eggs and milk such as Ener-G - Egg replacer  along with soy, almond or cashew milk. Trying to make a vegan frosting has always been the hardest but now you can , thanks to using coconut oil in place of butter.  Arrowroot powder can be used to make it thicker but it does result in a  fluffy topping that can be dyed pretty colors for variety and fun. Of course if there's a vegan bakery nearby, take advantage of it because they can create some awesome treats and even favors.

Yes , vegans can have a tasty, treat filled birthday. Use soy products along with stand ins for creating a no cruelty party .It's not only healthy but kind too!