fondue date night

This past weekend, I traveled to DC to visit my best friend Amy, who is dairy-free but every bit as much of a culinary epicurean as I am. After delighting in some amazing vegan food, we were struck with the brilliant idea of a guest post. Amy is a great blogger in her own right,  and today she is here to tell you about the first of our adventures dabbling in vegan recipes.

There’s nothing like having a nice evening date at home, with your three best friends.

Cheese…

chocolate…

and, oh yeah, your human best friend.

But when one of the actual best friends can’t eat dairy, what is one to do to include the first two at the dinner table?

 Make vegan fondue!

When I first started using Pinterest, I repinned an excessive amount of vegan and dairy-free recipes. When I came across one for fondue, all I could think about was how I was the only member of my family who had to sit out on the cheese and chocolate courses at our Christmas Eve dinner at The Melting Pot.

Sure, I got to eat the dip-ins plain.

 But c’mon, they’re called dip-ins for a reason.

So Bianca and I set off on our own fondue experience one Sunday night.

Daiya cheese was sent from the heavens.

The “cheese” did take quite some time to melt and blend and we freaked out a few too many times thinking we screwed it up. But things always have a way of coming together in the end, and when this did, we may or may not have eaten it by the spoonful. We could not believe our taste buds.

Nor could we believe that these Gardein crispy tenders do not contain meat. Neither of us are actually vegan and we could’ve bought traditional chicken fingers, but when going vegan for a night why not go tofu or go home? Plus, we like to eat healthily and these definitely fit the bill nutrition-wise as well as taste-wise. They have become my new favorite five minute college meal.

A word to the wise: you will use all the dip-ins to get out every last drop of that ooey-gooey, smooth, and chewy cheese.

And just when you think you can’t fit anything else in your stomach…

the chocolate course is ready.

But nothing is better than fruit and chocolate.

Except my best friend.

VEGAN CHEESE FONDUE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mimiccreme
• 3 tbsp earth balance
• 1 bag vegan shredded Daiya cheese
• 1 tsp tahini
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash salt and pepper (to taste)

In a fondue pot (or enamel pot) over medium-low heat, melt the earth balance and diaya cheese. Add tahini and stir until combined. Add remaining ingredients. You may need to add a bit more cheese or mimiccreme to get the consistency that you want.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Ingredients:  

• 1/4 cup earth balance
• 8 ounces vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tbsp vanilla soy milk

Melt earth balance, vegan chocolate and soy milk together in saucepan over very low heat, or, use a double-boiler to ensure chocolate doesn’t burn. Once melted, remove from heat, add the rest of the ingredients, combine well and transfer to fondue pot to keep warm.