"We are not strange, we are simply from the future," this is how vegans say about themselves - people who believe that this world can still be made better, and prove their beliefs with actions, refusing animal products in their diet - meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey, their products and products for ethical reasons.

Although often the first reaction from the ignorant is - then there is nothing left to eat! – we made sure that a vegan wedding table does not necessarily mean that the guests will be offered to nibble on carrots with lettuce leaves. Not at all! As Līgavām.lv told Līgavām.lv, the vegan couple Baiba and Raitis, who said yes to each other at the beginning of this summer and treated their guests with only vegan dishes, as they did every day at the celebration, their guests were really surprised that vegan dishes can be not only as diverse, but also as filling as meat and cheese dishes, and many of them do not look at all different from traditionally prepared dishes.

WHY PUT VEGAN FOOD ON THE TABLE IF YOU ARE NOT VEGAN YOURSELF:

1. TO SURPRISE MY GUESTS! Many vegan dishes successfully disguise themselves as ordinary dishes - without using animal products, they serve legume meatballs (including falafel - deep-fried Turkish pea balls), which are very similar to meat meatballs in appearance (and also in taste), cheese (tofu cheese) and really delicious, creamy cakes, which do not contain dairy products, eggs, or gelatin. For a greater surprise effect, it can be hidden in the beginning that the dishes are not quite as usual, and only be revealed when the guests have already tasted them. It can be safely predicted that the unusual wedding table will also become a source of good conversation and certainly also a source of jokes in the first moments of the celebration, when conversations tend not to flow so smoothly.
2. VEGAN, VEGETARIAN AND FOOD ALLERGY FRIENDLY
   The circle of both vegans and vegetarians is expanding nowadays, probably there will be at least a couple of vegetarians among your guests. Vegan dishes are an opportunity to kill even three rabbits with one shot - they will suit both vegans and vegetarians (in addition, they will make the work of the cooks easier if there are both among the guests), but by putting non-vegan additions to the dishes, such as anchovies or cheese sauce, other guests will also be able to enjoy the dishes.
3. ORIGINAL THEMATIC FOOD TABLE – the latest fashion statement If a completely vegan wedding table still seems crazy to you, vegan dishes can be included in one of the so-called food stations – small Swedish-style tables with dishes matched to one theme. Food and drink stations are gradually taking the place of the previously beloved sweets tables, becoming one of the most current wedding table trends.

Here are some easy-to-prepare and understandable vegan dishes offered by the blog Ādamzāle.lv Maruta Rampāne:

oven-baked vegetables with herbs, grilled vegetables and mushrooms,

legume meatballs, including falafel (deep-fried Turkish pea balls),

salad with hearty toppings - crispy breadcrumbs, seeds and nuts, fried or pickled mushrooms, olives, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.,

mushrooms, especially local, in various salads, on snack rolls, pasta dishes, risotto, pies or tarts,

aubergines, specially grilled or baked,

grilled or oven-baked vegetables and mushrooms in olive oil-vinegar marinade /antipasti/,

various vegetable or legume sauces, pâtés, dips, hummus, pesto, salsa, etc.

SINLESS PASTRY

Cake baker and vegan food enthusiast Liene Zaķe talks about the nuances of making vegan cakes:

"Desserts prepared without plant products can be as filling, delicious and attractive as traditional desserts. It is possible to prepare already known things - pies, layered cakes, cupcakes, creams, etc., and to use the fact that the products do not necessarily need to be heat-treated (as is the case, for example, with eggs) and to prepare fresh cakes based on, for example, nuts."

Vegan cakes can be prepared in two ways - using recipes that do not use animal ingredients (and there are many of them!), or by making small changes to traditional recipes and replacing animal ingredients with plant ingredients.

"Cheese" cake with blueberry layer from "Raw Garden" (Ingredients: cashews, agave, oranges, coconut oil, vanilla, oranges, dates, almonds, strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds. Decoration: strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds).

WHAT ARE TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS REPLACED WITH?

Eggs

When baking a biscuit, eggs tend to have one or both of the following tasks:

– to work as a kind of yeast, which promotes airiness in the dough;
– to work as a binder that holds the dough together.

The most common egg substitutes in biscuits are applesauce, mashed banana, ground flaxseed mixed with water, turkey pea, soybean meal or cornstarch mixed with water, tofu (soybean product), plant-based yogurt (soybean, lupine, oat), baking powder with vinegar, legume decoction water.

MILK

Milk can be replaced with various plant-based drinks that can be prepared at home or bought in a store. You can find a wide range of nut (e.g. almonds), oatmeal, soy, wheat and rice drinks. Sweet cream and boiled creams

SWEET CREAM can be replaced with coconut milk or industrially produced creams, mostly based on the already mentioned plant-based drinks.

Various boiled creams can be made using fruit purees or jams mixed with coconut milk and starch. Corn or tapioca starch is best because they have the most neutral taste. So that there is no starchy taste in the final product, the liquid (cream) to be prepared must be boiled for several minutes.

Animal margarine, tofu or soaked and blended cashew, macadamia or almond nuts can be used as a basis for various creams. Delicious summer creams can be created by using nut mass and supplementing it with fruit purees. By putting such masses in the freezer for a short time, you can also get a cake! Both baked biscuits and blended nuts mixed with dried fruits can be used as a basis.

Avocado cake with strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds from Raw Garden. Ingredients: avocado, agave syrup, coconut oil, lime juice, almonds, dates.

If you are making chocolate cream, you can use steamed sweet potato as a base. By adding plant-based cream or milk (nut drink), melted chocolate or cocoa, as well as sweetener, it will be a great filling for chocolate cakes or sweet baskets.

GELATIN

For desserts that traditionally use gelatin, their vegan version uses agar powder. Agar is a vegetable thickener that is obtained from various seaweeds. Its activation and amount of use is different from gelatin, so it is recommended to familiarize yourself with this product before use.

100% natural, vegan cakes, besides sugar and gluten free, can be ordered at the healthy eating restaurant "Raw Garden"

http://www.rawgarden.lv/bezgreka-konditorejas-pasutijumi/

"Cheese" cake from "Raw Garden". Ingredients: cashews, agave, oranges, coconut oil, vanilla, dates, almonds, strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds.

EXPERIENCE

Although today vegetarians and now also vegans are no longer considered aliens and more and more restaurants include dishes without animal products in their menu, the evaluation of vegans in the eyes of the public is not clear-cut. Therefore, we asked Baiba and Raitis what their guests' reaction was to a 100% vegan wedding table.

Thank you Zoja girls for the great wedding table and especially for the cake! It was made to our taste - a chocolate-nut sponge cake with cashew-berry cream and chocolate coating, decorated with colorful berries, slivered almonds and mint. Especially sophisticated cake lovers were amazed that such a delicious cake can be baked without eggs. The smoked tofu also drew attention, as did the fact that the salad contained vegan "mayonnaise" and the heartiness of the dishes. In general, it was a kind of discovery for several guests that you can still eat tasty and filling without the usual meat dishes, cheeses, etc..

In any case, vegan dishes should be considered as an opportunity to supplement your wedding table with an original and very modern firewood, which will remain in the memory of the guests, and will also be a friendly gesture for the vegan and vegetarian guests, who will definitely appreciate that special thought was given to their well-being during the celebration.