People have been playing with their food forever and we’re not about to stop now. There’s something about taking a thing that’s familiar and turning it into a double take situation. That’s often how food evolves, vegan or not, and also it’s just really really fun. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for turning heads and hearts. Oh, and also, they’re all super delicious.
Delicious Vegan Recipes To Fool Your Friends, Fam & Strangers
Vegan Fried Tofu Eggs A white and a yolk, in a pan, looking exactly like an egg! This one will actually fool people. Great with hashbrowns (duh), on a bagel with cream cheese, or over ramen or pasta. The yolk isn’t runny but it has that medium cooked yolkiness that makes your brain go “wait.”
Parsnip Lobster Rolls This one came out by accident and became one of the most stunning things on the site. Roasted parsnips tossed in a creamy briny dressing with capers and a hint of the sea, piled into a buttered toasted bun with paprika and chives. Nobody is going to mistake this for lobster, that’s not the point. The point is it’s gorgeous and everyone wants one.
Everyday Pull-Apart Chick’n Seitan This one actually might fool people. Layery, flaky, shreddy seitan that pulls apart exactly like chicken. Make it on a Sunday and use it all week in stir fries, sandwiches, tacos, soups, or anything that calls for chicken. People will not ask questions because they will be too busy eating. You can even make fried chicken with it, like what!
Homemade Grapeseed Mayonnaise Turns out you don’t need eggs for mayo. A-mayo-zing! This is better than anything you’ll find at the store — vegan or otherwise. Thick, creamy, tangy, and completely indistinguishable. Make a jar and tell nobody.
Cast Iron Seitan Steak & Onions One vegan steak, medium rare please. Beet powder gives this seitan that deep red color that makes people do a genuine double take. Vegans stop scrolling in their feed to block me!
Seared hard in cast iron, then braised in a red wine au jus with onions and garlic. The crust, the color, the sauce…it’s all there. One commenter’s partner said it was the best fake meat they’d ever had. We believe them.
Bee’s Knees Vegan Honey This gets ’em every time. It pours like honey, looks like honey, tastes like honey. The secret is licorice and echinacea tea. They give it that deep floral quality that makes your brain go “yes, honey.” The bees had nothing to do with it. Drizzle it on everything you would normally drizzle honey on and watch people have no idea.
