hostess with the mostess.

I am an enthusiastic carnivore. I love my meat grilled, broiled, poached and smoked. I will often go the extra mile to work it in to my menu. So, when asked to host my book club that has both vegetarian and vegan members, I had to take a step back and really think about the menu. Don't get me wrong, cooking a complete vegetarian meal can often leave me more satisfied than my meat-eating ways. But it did take some careful consideration and forethought to put my menu together and even more self-restraint to not subconsciously put a pat of butter in the pot.

Here was my all-vegan meal:

ciabatta bread with roasted garlic
lentil stew with kale and sweet potatoes
fresh spinach and baby romaine salad with orange pepper, organic avocado, shallots and a dijon vinigarette

I believe it was a success and I was happy to fill the stomachs of the animal-friendly.