Cabin Eatin': Veggie Burgers, BBQ Corn Succotash, & Grilled Veggies

One of the hardest things to adjust to when you change your diet, whether it be gluten free, vegan, or just trying to watch your weight, is being around friends and family. I'm very lucky to have a family that's understanding and accommodating to my diet. Between the snarky comments and jokes, they always make a point of having vegan sides and main course alternatives for us. Coming from a meat and potatoes background, it's pretty surprising and wonderful. Even my mom, who detests soy, tofu, and carbs (which tends to be the crux of my diet), will stalk the grocery clerks at Trader Joe's and make them find all the best vegan products for when Andrew and I are in town. Our friends will take it as an opportunity to have an interesting vegan dinner party or experiment in their own kitchens.

But it does take time for people to adjust. I remember once when I first tried to go vegan in high school, my family was frustrated at the thought and refused to help. After a week of living off of canned green beans, my first foray into veganism was an abysmal failure.

However, fear not if you are in that same boat now. After a recent trip to my in-laws' lake cabin for the weekend, I bring you 2 sure-fire, meat-and-potato-approved side dishes that my in-laws love to make and eat. They're incredibly easy and use products your family is likely to have on-hand.




The first thing I would highly recommend for your first family get-together as a vegan is to make burgers. They're easy, you can bring your own, and most of the condiments are vegan. Here, we had a spread of avocado, tomato,  pickles, lettuce, and onion. If you want to bring other sides, to the left of the Hellman's is our vegenaise. To the right of the cheddar slices, is our daiya cheese. Don't be afraid to bring your own stuff to increase your own enjoyment. It's not insulting. And it takes some of the pressure off your family to accommodate you.

If they forget to get you vegan buns, make it a lettuce wrapped burger. Or, bring your own next time. Bread can be tricky. Especially if you don't eat honey.



These are two tried-and-true sides that my in-laws love. To the left, you have a delicious BBQ Corn Succotash. The recipe is a highly modified version of Rachel Ray's (my mother-in-law's favorite).  Sub veggie stock for the meat stock, remove the bacon, and double check that your Worcestershire sauce doesn't have anchovies in it, and you have vegan BBQ Corn Succotash!

To the right, we cut up fresh squash, green beans, and onions, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked at 400 degree with canola oil for 20 minutes. Super delicious, easy, and healthy.

What do you guys bring to your family gatherings? Do you find it difficult to eat with those who don't accept you diet?

An Ode to Avocado - Authentic Guacamole

My older sister used to do this weird thing when we were growing up. She'd slice open an avocado, salt it, and eat it with a spoon. She loved them so much, in their pure and simple form, that she could just bust it open and eat it. I don't think people do that enough with their food, or realize what the component parts of their meals taste like. Sometimes I watch reality shows (ok a lot of times I watch them), and Gordon Ramsey will blindfold chefs, feed them something, and be like - "What are you eating?" And it's something really common, like pineapple, and they'll say something ridiculous like "Mahi-mahi?" And Chef Ramsey will look super disappointed and make them feel bad. And he SHOULD! Pineapple doesn't taste anything like mahi-mahi.

But I digress. Point being - avocado is freaking delicious. You should eat it by itself sometimes. My sister was onto something.

And if not, here's a sweet guacamole recipe to make at home. Because at the very least, you should know what goes into a good guac and for the love of god, know how to slice one properly (hint: you do not peel the avocado!).

My first essential ingredient is cilantro. A lot of people hate cilantro, and I think that's really weird. Avocado and cilantro are like a PB&J to me. It's such a necessary combination. If you make guacamole and don't include the cilantro, it just tastes off. If you're one of those weirdos - 1, I'm sorry and 2, don't include them in your guacamole recipe. From there my essential list is, going for most to least essential, lime juice, salt, jalapeños, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices. 

My "Keepin' It Fresh Tips":

1. KEEP THE PIT! If you put the pits in the container you store your guacamole, it keeps your guac from browning.
2. Get as much air out of your contain as possible. Sometimes I store them in ziplock bags, zip it shut until there's just a little hole, and suck the air out like a little vacuum sealer. It's weird but it works.
3. Cover in a layer of lime juice to seal out air and keep from browning.
4. If you're making a lot, after putting it in your Tupperware, drop it on the counter a few times, or heck, even hit it. That gets those pesky air bubbles out and prevents sneaky brown spots.