Sunday Dinner Vegan Style

somerville orchids appeared at somerville kitchen for another fun-filled evening (you can order such a beautiful orchid at vancouverorchids.com).

The menu had to address guests' dietary restrictions and the host's lent restrictions.

After menu design and re-design, the final creation included lots of greens, dozen lemons, a full bag of brown medium grain rice and a full basket of fruit. Dinner turned out "*#&$@ A".

Dinner prep began at 2 p.m. with rolling greens to my favourite TV show - Heik Menghanni with the gorgeous Maya Diab.

First, grape vine leaves were rolled, stuffed with brown rice, pine nuts, parsley and onions and cooked in lemon juice.

(Read more on this at Cooking with Lebanese Pine Nuts).

Then large leaves of chard were blanched and stuffed with a mixture of brown rice, chick peas, tomatoes, onions and parsley (and also cooked in lemon juice).

(Read more on this at Sunday Chard).


The outcome was a beautiful platter of rolled greens that was pleasantly emptied. 

Not only that platter filled us up with iron and fibre but we also had our share of vitamin juice given that the meal included a dozen lemons (between the soup, rolled grape vines and rolled chards, the tahini sauce and the tabouleh).

The bookends of the meal included, on one end, my mom's delicious vegan lentil soup..

 ... and, on the other end, a healthy fruit salad soaked in natural no sugar added pineapple juice.

A pleasant evening indeed - thank you somerville orchids for the beautiful orchid that is enjoying its window view in the new somerville library.