Vegan is Not Boring

My husband and daughter are vegetarians.  It seems thatwhenever we are invited to a party, I am asked to bring a dish for them to eat otherwise, they would be stuck with steamed broccoli and crackers.  When we request vegetarian meals while traveling, we find ourselves looking at a plate of dry mixed vegetables and beans covered with some  mysterious sauce. Last week I conducted a cooking class for parishioners of a Seven Day Adventist church, teaching them how to cook  tasty, easy,and  inexpensive and vegan dishes.  Vegan food can be exciting and appealing to everyone, vegan or not.Here are several recipes that everyone in your family can enjoy and can easily make your vegan recipe the most popular dish at a party. Potato Saladserves 42      boiled potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch thick cubes1      4-ounce jar capers, drained1       cup chopped scallions1        cup chopped Italian parsley1/2   cup diced red bell pepper1/2   cup lemon juice4      tablespoons olive oilsalt to taste-Mix all ingredients together. Serve.Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onionserves 62       onions, sliced into slivers1/2  cup olive oil1      pound lentils, washed1     cup basmati rice or short grain ricesalt to taste-Heat the olive oil and cook the onions until crispy brown.  Remove the onions, and set aside.-Add the lentils and 8 cups of water to the oil.  Bring to a boil and cook until the lentil are soft but not mushy.-Add the salt and the rice-make sure you have at least 2 cups of the cooking liquid before you add the rice--.  Bring back to a boil.  Stir, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving.-Spoon the rice lentil pilaf into a shallow serving platter, sprinkle with the caramelized onions and serve.