Fun and easy vegan cocktail party

April 17, 11:00 AMSeattle Vegan ExaminerVirginia Messina, MPH, RD

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It’s Friday and time to think about weekend merrymaking—vegan style, of course.

A cocktail party—just drinks and finger food—is simple and fun. No table to set or utensils to wash, and the food is easy to prepare. Make enough of it, and it can easily stand in for dinner.

Here in the northwest, the drinks are always microbrewery beer and local wines. As the weather warms up, it’s fun to make margaritas or daiquiris, too.

Here are some ideas for super easy and yummy foods to serve that will satisfy vegan and non-vegan friends.

• Artichoke dip in phyllo cups. To keep things simple, you can use premade phyllo cups, found in the freezer section of the store. For the filling, finely chop 8 ounces of water-packed artichoke hearts and blend in 8 ounces of vegan cream cheese (Follow Your Heart brand or Tofutti) and about ¼ cup of chopped scallions. Fill the cups and bake just to heat through—about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Hummus and pita chips. Make your own hummus or try Sabra brand—the best premade hummus on the market.
• Guacamole and tortilla chips.
• Little Vegan Spring Rolls. I found mine at Grocery Outlet of all places.
• Curried “Cheese” Dip and crackers: Stir together 8 ounces of vegan cream cheese, 5 tbsp mango chutney, 4 chopped green onions, 1 ½ tsp curry powder. Easy!
• Toby’s Tofu Paté with vegetable crudités.
• Stuffed mushrooms. Finely chop the mushroom stems and sauté with chopped onion in olive oil. Add some seasoned breadcrumbs—enough to make everything hold together. Stuff the mushroom caps and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft.
• Squares of vegan chocolate (chocolate is wonderful with red wine—a classic combination.)

Do you have favorite vegan party foods--either storebought or homemade? I'd love to hear about them!