Royals Going Vegan?

Ok so I have the Royals on my mind.... Prince Charles and the Duchess Camilla are in Canada this week and I had the opportunity to meet them both last Wednesday night at a reception. They were warm and gracious and surprisingly 'less stuffy' than I thought they would be. The Duchess even said to my friend and I that she was jet-lagged and tired. Darn! I should have told her I'm a naturopathic doctor and offered her melatonin!!!

So today I find out that Prince Philip, hosted 200 people in Windsor Castle, for a "Celebration of Faiths and the Environment" and did a vegan feast! Yes meat-less and dairy-free! For a gathering that included Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus among others it was almost necessary because of all the dietary restrictions - Halal, Kosher, vegetarian etc. How do you make vegan glamourous? You can't just give the Prince tempeh and quinoa and some butternut squash and call it a day right? Apparently one of the dishes was a pearl barley risotto with a portobello mushroom stuffed weith artichokes with a sprinkle of lemon zest and parsley on top!

If anyone wants an 'elegant' vegan cookbook one of my favourites is called Voluptous Vegan. It is entertaining based in that there are meals put together with 3 or 4 dishes that are thoughtfully combined. The recipes do have many steps and aren't ideal for a quick meal but can easily be made on a weekend to be enjoyed later in the week! The shepherds pie is delicious - it was one of my first vegan dishes 8 years ago!!