not really, just wishful thinking. but the Post’s Sunday Source did have a nice little feature testing out some recipes to see whether they could pass muster with both vegans and omnivores.

my personal favorite dish to please both vegans and omnivores is vegan lasagne. it carries a seal of approval from many omnivores. in honor of National Invite a Vegan to Dinner Month, i shall generously share the recipe with you all after the jump…

keep in mind that i made up the “recipe” myself, and i’m really not into measurements and following instructions when i cook, so you’ll have to use a little of your own discretion on some of the details:

jen’s totally awesome vegan lasagne

ingredients:
9 oven ready lasagne noodles
one package veganrella
one package garlic onion firm tofu
one small onion
2-3 jars of pasta sauce
basil
oregano
salt
tahini or nutritional yeast (optional)
fillings such as mushrooms, spinach, italian style veggie “ground round”

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. make ricotta style filling by blending the following in a food processor: tofu, onion, salt, spices, and optional tahini or nutritional yeast. blend until it has the consistency of ricotta and put aside. use food processor or cheese grater to grate veganrella and put aside.

construct lasagne by pouring a thin layer of sauce into a 9×13 pan. place three noodles on top so that they are not touching. follow with layer of tofu ricotta, layer of fillings, layer of sauce. then again, noodles/tofu ricotta/fillings/sauce. on the last layer, place the three remaining noodles, cover with a thin layer of sauce (you want to make sure that the sauce is deep enough to cover all the noodles, so that they’ll cook), and top with grated veganrella. cover and bake for 30-45 minutes, then remove cover and bake 15 more minutes or until veganrella is melted and the lasagne looks delicious. freeze any leftovers for an easy worknight meal.

since that pretty much exhausts my cooking skills, i generally end up going out rather than cooking. i can vouch for 5 of the 6 “local hot spots for vegan eats” recommended in the companion piece. Asylum, Java Green, Sticky Fingers, Sunflower, and Vegetable Garden are all the bees knees. i’ve never been to Great Sage. i’ve been meaning to go, but it’s so far out in the ‘burbs that labeling it “local” is debatable.

i’d add that in addition to their great weekend brunch, Asylum in Adams Morgan is one of the few places to get vegan “bar food” in DC. during the week they have a happy hour from 5 until 8. if i remember correctly, they have yuengling and several other beers for $3 a pint and soft veggie tacos for .75 each. Food for Thought at the Black Cat is another great spot for vegan bar food. and of course, Amsterdam Falafel (also in Adams Morgan) is the vegan’s alternative to the jumbo slice after last call.

while we are on the subject, an update on Vegetate — Vegetate has obtained temporary licenses for beer and wine for each weekend in March and is offering a wine pairing each Friday and Saturday evening. they hope to do this each month as they continue to seek a permanent license.