SmarterFitter

I had some friends over this weekend for food and fun at our new abode in the country. I was a little intimidated by the prospect of preparing a vegan meal for a group of omnivores. The thing was: I didn't want the meal to stand out as A Vegan Meal. I wanted it to stand out as A Delicious Meal. Let me explain...

When having guests over for dinner, I don't want to make them feel like they're missing out on anything. For example, why would I serve a Tofurkey to a bunch of meat eaters when all that would o do is remind them how much they'd prefer to just eat turkey? Instead, I try to stick to foods that are vegan in their own right: middle eastern, asian and indian cuisines all come to mind.

This weekend, I went with one of my new favorite dishes as the centerpiece - Tofu Kebabs with Muhamarra Slather - and a bunch of side dishes to go with it. Here's my menu:

• Tofu kebabs with muhamarra slather


• Tabbouleh


• Spiced couscous with raisins (thank you, Tim!)


• Slow roasted red peppers with chickpeas


• Hummus


• Green salad


• Fresh bread

Everything came out well (even the peppers that I forgot about in the oven until halfway through the meal) and everyone was particularly impressed with the muhamarra. The tabbouleh is an old favorite of mine and the roasted red peppers are now a new favorite. I did go way overboard with the food and I have enough leftovers to last me for weeks. But that's the beauty of dinner parties, right?

So how do you feed a group of hungry omnivores? What are your favorite party foods? Our next big gathering is this Thanksgiving (Turkey Day in the UK, huzzah!) and I'm in search of some new tricks. Any ideas?