New to Vegan

[bmenear]

I am going to a family dinner Sunday and I am in charge of providing the veggie side dish. I am new to being a Vegan and I didn't want to ask my family to forgo the ham and macaroni and cheese they wanted. Can anyone give me an idea of a vegan veggie dish that can serve as my main meal and a side for everyone else?

[Mona Williams]

Here is a recipe for chickpeas that I just love. I would happily eat it as a main course, but I think it could pass for a side dish too.

1 lb dried chickpeas

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 t dried rosemary, crumbled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 t coarsely ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

2 t salt

Wash the chickpeas and soak in a pot in water to cover by about 1” for about 8 hours. Add the other ingredients, except the salt, cover and cook on low heat until the beans are tender, about 1-2 hours, adding water if necessary. Add the salt when the beans are tender, then uncover, raise heat and cook until liquid is reduced. Serve hot or cold.

Makes about 6 cups.

[DougRisk]

Ratatouille
Mushroom Risotto (or, some other non-Dairy, non-Meat Risotto)
Coconut Rice, or Pineapple Fried Rice or Pineapple Rice (Fried or not)
Fried Eggplant

* It is assumed that none of these would be made with butter, but with Coconut Oil, Palm Oil or Olive oil (or something like that)

[TropiChef]

Vegan Chilli with corn tortillas, black-eyes peas and rice (Hopp'in John), baked beans and corn bread , bean and pasta soup, pasta tossed with mixed veggies, kidney beans and a vinigrette... vegetarian paella, risotto with veggies and nuts- that's what first comes to mind.

[piccola]

Chili or some kind of bean salad would be great with mac and cheese, if that's actually what they're having. I'd skip the pasta or risotto though, they don't really work as a side with that menu -- too much starch.