LONDON, Ont. - When diverse groups of people gather around the holidays, conscientious -- and responsible -- hosts should be prepared to meet a variety of dietary requirements.

Most cooks can handle vegetarian, but what if some of the guests are vegan, a less familiar but growing dietary and lifestyle choice?

It's not that difficult, says Sarah Kramer of Victoria, who has been committed to veganism for more than 20 years.

She is the author of four vegan cookbooks, including her first, "How It All Vegan!" (co-authored with Tanya Barnard; Arsenal Pulp Press, 1999), which has sold a quarter of a million copies worldwide and is considered by some to be the "vegan Bible." In July, she and her husband, Gerry, opened Sarah's Place, a Victoria curio shop that sells only vegan products. For almost 10 years they also have owned Tattoo Zoo, a vegan-friendly tattoo shop in Victoria. And she has just launched a new vegan recipe app for iPhone and iPad.

"The way I define it is that a vegan is someone who doesn't use or consume any animal products," says Kramer. "So it's not just about food for vegans. It's also about not wearing leather shoes, no silk, no wool, not buying products that are tested on animals or contain animal ingredients.

"In terms of food, we consume nothing that's an animal product. That includes no honey, no meat or fish, no dairy, no eggs, nothing that is a product or byproduct of an animal." But "the list of what I don't eat is very small compared to the list of what I do eat."

Even 10 years ago, she says, people would look at you as if you were crazy if you said you were vegan. Now most restaurants either have vegan dishes or vegetarian dishes that can easily be made vegan-friendly. Except for the occasional specialty item, Kramer does all her grocery shopping at the local supermarket.

Vegan alternatives -- plant-based milk such as soy, rice or almond milk and vegan margarine (oil-based, rather than milk-based), for example -- have become more mainstream and this makes it much easier for non-vegan cooks to create vegan dishes. As a butter substitute, Kramer recommends a product called Earth Balance. "I think it's better than butter."

But it's essential to read the ingredients lists on products to know what is acceptable, she says. Most breads in Canada can be classed as vegan but not those that contain eggs, cheese or whey powder. Some sugars are vegan but not others because of how they are processed using bone material. Some wines are unacceptable because they're filtered through fish scales or have lard added to prevent foaming. Milk chocolate is out, but not all dark chocolate contains animal products so it is OK. All herbs and spices are fine.

It may take a little research for non-vegan cooks, but there's a wealth of information online and in cookbooks, and if necessary, a call to the manufacturer of a specific product will get you the information you need about processing.

Overall, she says, it's pretty easy to "veganize" conventional family recipes.

"If you look at traditional holiday dinners, all the sides and everything, really it's only one dish that isn't vegan," Kramer says. "Usually all the other stuff, the vegetables, the cranberry sauce, is vegan or could easily be made vegan."

As an alternative to turkey or ham, she suggests a vegan shepherd's pie (made with potatoes and vegetables) or a tomato-walnut crusted fried "chicken." The mock chicken is made with wheat gluten, flour and a little water, formed into a ball and boiled in mushroom or vegetable stock with spices. "Then you just treat it the way you would a chicken breast," says Kramer.

When she's a guest at a non-vegan party, she likes to take something like vegan nuts and bolts or her favourite, "not pigs in a blanket," made with veggie dogs and vegan puff pastry. "Everybody scarfs them down" without even realizing they're vegan.

Heather Thomas, a public health dietitian with the Middlesex-London Health Unit, says the hardest part of cooking for vegan guests may be the intimidation factor.

"Making it simple is the best approach," she says. "Otherwise you get paralyzed and think 'Oh my God, what am I going to serve?' But there are so many things that we already consume ourselves that would be considered vegan."

For overnight vegan guests, she says, there are two main basics non-vegan hosts should consider: dairy alternatives such as vegan milk and margarine and meat/protein alternatives such as dishes with beans, peas, lentils and tofu. She also suggests cooking with grains such as quinoa or couscous, which are a little richer in protein and aren't any harder to cook than pasta.

The final word comes from Kramer.

"Your vegan guests need more than just a salad. We like to eat. We love food. The thing is, when you're cooking for a group of people, if you make just a meat dish, only the meat eaters can eat it. If you make a vegetarian dish, only the meat-eater and the vegetarian can eat it. If you make a vegan meal, everyone can eat it. It makes everybody happy and they don't miss what they think they're going to."

Inspired? Here are two of Sarah Kramer's recipes incorporating vegan principles and ingredients to serve family and guests this holiday season.

Nana Marg's Nuts and Bolts

This traditional snack will give both vegan and non-vegan guests holiday-sized smiles. Tamari is similar to soy sauce but thicker.

Ingredients:

  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
  • 20 ml (4 tsp) lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) tamari
  • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
  • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) onion powder
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
  • 250 ml (about 120 g/1 cup) nuts: your choice of almonds, cashews, etc.
  • 250 ml (1 cup) pretzels
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) raw pumpkin seeds
  • 250 ml (1 cup) sesame sticks
  • 750 ml (3 cups) Chex-style square rice cereal
  • 750 ml (3 cups) toasted oats cereal

Heat oven to 120 C (250 F).

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, tamari, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

In a large bowl, combine nuts, pretzels, pumpkin seeds, sesame sticks and cereals. Stir in sauce and toss well.

Pour onto a large baking sheet or lasagna pan. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Apricot "Cheesecake"

This vegan dessert is a "day before" recipe, meaning you have to make it the day before you want to serve it. Vegan "cream cheese" is made with an oil base rather than dairy; it may also include tofu. One brand name is Tofutti.

Crust

  • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) vegan graham cracker crumbs (made without honey) or ground digestive cookies
  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) vegan margarine, melted
  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) sugar

Filling

  • 2 pkgs (each 300 g/10 oz) soft or silken tofu
  • 500 ml (2 cups) vegan "cream cheese"
  • 175 ml (3/4 cup) sugar
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) vanilla extract
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) finely grated lemon rind
  • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) flour

Glaze

  • 250 ml (1 cup) apricot fruit spread (preserves)
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) cornstarch
  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) water

Heat oven to 150 C (300 F). Lightly oil a 23-cm (9-inch) springform pan and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together vegan graham cracker crumbs, melted vegan margarine and sugar. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

In a food processor, process tofu, vegan cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon rind, salt and flour until smooth.

Pour evenly into prepared pan and bake for 75 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Glaze: In a small saucepan, stir together apricot fruit spread, cornstarch and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and let cool completely before pouring over cheesecake.

Remove sides of pan from cake and spread glaze evenly over top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes 1 cake.

Finally, what if your guests call ahead with a request for a special diet you've never heard of?

Here are a few dietary "isms":

Veganism: The practice of eliminating the use of animal products. "Ethical" vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while "dietary" vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only.

Vegetarianism: The practice of not eating the flesh of any animals (mammals, birds or fish). Lacto-ovo-vegetarians include dairy products and eggs as part of their diet. This is the diet most commonly thought of as vegetarian.

Fruitarianism: The practice of eating only nuts, fruits and flowers that can be harvested without causing damage to the plant. Avocados, tomatoes and eggplants are considered to be fruits.

Flexitarianism: A term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat.

Source: Toronto Vegetarian Association