Cooking for a home divided

These days, it's very common for families to be comprised of a variety of dietary preferences, from meat eaters to vegetarians, vegans to flexitarians. Which is great in theory -- everyone should be able to eat what they want -- but it's not so great for the person in charge of planning and cooking the meals. That's where the new book, Vegan in the House, comes in.

Instead of planning a separate meal for different dietary preferences in your home, this book offers a wide selection of recipes that are vegan as is, but that can be "flexed" to accommodate vegetarians, flexitarians, and meat-eaters alike.

Confused? Let me give you an example. For the Baked Falafel with Pickled Red Onions and Sambal Oelek (page 81) the recipe, as written, is completely vegan. However, the "Flex It" option suggests added ground lamb into the falafel mix to turn it into something more like a meatball for those who might prefer that. Or, the Mexican Quinoa Salad with Beans and Avocado, which can be changed up with the addition of shrimp. Another great example is the Grilled Zucchini Wraps with Sun-dried Tomatoes, which suggests the addition of roasted chicken.

The swaps recommended in this book aren't just about making a vegan meal meat-eater-friendly, however. there are other suggestions as well for going from vegan to vegetarian and back again, such as the use of dairy cheese instead of soy cheese, or the inclusion of yogurt-based tzatziki sauce.

Vegan in the House is ideal for families with a variety of preferences, as I mentioned, allowing the cook to make one meal with a few change-ups to suit everyone's tastes. No more making multiple meals!