So I get a text from my sister (the non vegetarian one) asking if I want to attend a vegan protein cooking class at a restaurant in Halifax. Sure, why not?

No judging, but I am what you’d call a don’t-ask-don’t-tell-vegetarian, meaning, I don’t purposely eat meat. I do eat fish but I rarely cook fish. I will eat poutine unless you straight out tell me there is meat in the gravy (and I may still eat it). If you flip your meaty burger then flip my veggie burger with the same spatula I don’t really care. If we are out for breakfast, I will order the bacon and happily transfer it to your plate. I do my best to purchase only products not tested on animals but I wear leather because my thought is it lasts longer than pleather, which is good for the environment. Get it?

So, back to the class. It was on a Monday night and you are suppose to come with an empty stomach. No joke. It was over 2 hours long and they hammered out an appetizer, 3 main courses and a two tier dessert (and you get to eat it all!) plus showed us a few techniques and gave us the low down on vegan protein. No worries, it was not preachy. Yes, of course they promoted veganism but they also emphasized that you don’t need to be a full-time vegan, just consider it as a healthy option. And I must say, the food was delicious! I was a little nervous because I am not totally on board with ditching dairy. I can not imagine a life without cheese and milk chocolate. Say what you want, but dark chocolate is not the same. Plus, what about chocolate milk!

Anyway… the other cool thing about the class is we received a 16 page PDF the day before that had all of the recipes plus more and literature on vegan protein. The class however was not Junior High Home Economics in the way that we were doing it ourselves but there was a nifty ceiling mirror to see the action from above. We sat back, drank our purified chilled water and took notes. Ate a bit then ate a lot.

If you are looking for a nice night out in Halifax, I’d totally recommend this. My only suggestion was they’d serve a glass of wine … or allow you to bring your own (local organic of course). Maybe you can? I didn’t think about it.

I will tell you what we ate but first I MUST tell you about the spiralizer (Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Vegetable Slicer). I have not tried it at home, but I am convinced it will make a lover out of any vegetable hater. It basically turns raw veg into glorious spirals in seconds! It will look like a plate of pasta but healthier. I think we all need this.

As for being a vegan… I get it – I know the benefits. My only problem (besides the cheese and chocolate milk) is it seems complicated. There is a lot of prep and process. Whatching her make almond milk was exhausing. Cutting, chopping, squeezing, processing, baking, oh my! I feel like you’d need to commit a Sunday to cooking and maybe vegan or not, people do this. Maybe I should do this? I was told a great resource is Oh She Glows, a crazy-popular vegan blog. As respect to my fellow bloggers, I will follow her and attempt to try a few things. If not for myself, but for anyone who dares to come over for dinner.

How about you? Have you gone vegan and won’t look back? Any must try recipes? Would you eat a vegan donair? Would you eat a donair? Do you even know what a donair is?

And finally, here is what we ate… of course, I took some pics for my peeps but sorry, I forgot to snap a picture of the dessert. To be honest, it was my least favourite thing.

Appetizer:
Chipotle Black Bean Dip with Crostini (which contained the homemade salsa she made) 

Main Courses:
Seitan Donair (which contained the homemade donair spice and sauce… with a homemade almond aioli in it) 
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie 
Soba Noodle Salad (but spiralized veg instead of soba noodles) with Crispy Tofu and Sweet and Sour Plum Sauce 

Dessert:
Chocolate Protein Bar and Raspberry Chia Seed Layered Pudding 

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