Gourmet the Vegan Way

You or your vegan pet aren't relegated to Meridellian Foods for their potato of eerie kind, nor do you have to stick only with the Health Food store. There is plenty of hearty food out there in Neopia that doesn't consist of blanched spinach and carrot sticks.

Below, I've given my recommendations for what to eat in Neopia's two most famous gourmet restaurants; Kelp and the Golden Dubloon. Both offer sumptuous vegan options, and you'll be able to dine on a three course meal for the first time in ages! Not only that, though - along with it, recipes that you can try out (with a parent or guardian supervising) at your home for the whole family! They are tried and tested, and guaranteed to be delicious!

KELP

Kelp is a refreshing place to visit as a vegan - you'll actually have a few options to choose from and everything is set out clearly, so you won't have to navigate the menu like it is booby trapped! Just let the maitre'd, the Shoyru at the door, know when he seats you that your table has dietary requirements, to ensure nothing gets in by accident!

Starting with the appetisers, you have two options. Either the refreshing Kelp Gazpacho, fresh and great for summer evenings when the water's warm. It's got just the hint of lime that sets it apart from your average bowl of cold soup! You have to ask for cheeseless pesto, though, so be warned. If you're feeling a little less adventurous, there is the Mixed Green Salad. It's a little boring yes, but the nuts add an extra crunch, and you'll find some unusual vegetables hiding behind the lettuce leaves!

Beware of the Pate A La Kelp... I found out the hard way that it is not suitable for us Snowbunny-food munching lot.

While there is only one option for the main course, Spicy Radish Salad, it is tangy and flavoursome, drizzled with so much balsamic vinegar that this reporter had trouble tasting for a week after! But it was worth it for that taste adventure.

Finally, we come to the ever delightful Peachpa and Strawberry Shell - a huge wafer, shaped like a conch, heavy with delicious, fruity sorbet that makes my mouth water even to think about. I mean, that's just irresistible, isn't it? The sharp peachpa and the soft and sweet strawberry flavours perfectly compliment each other is this gorgeous lay.

My personal favourite to wash this all down with is a tasty Funnydew Melon Delight or a Phear Tonic Juice, the latter of which you can make at home, easy! But all cocktails are, obviously, suitable for vegans.

RECIPES

"Kelp" Gazpacho

• 4 tomatoes, chopped and peeled
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 spring onions (or "scallions")
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 1 peeled cucumber
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, depending on preference
• 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
• 2 cups of water
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Pesto:

• 3 cups of basil
• 6 tablespoons of pine nuts
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic

First, prepare the pesto by added all the ingredients to a food processor, and whizzing until smooth! You may have to spoon the mixture back down into the bottom every 30 seconds or so. If your food processor is a bit dodgy, I recommend you soak the pine nuts in room temperature water for an hour or two beforehand, to soften them up!

Then, add it all to a blender with the gazpacho ingredients, and chill for two hours before slurping down! Simple as!

If you can't wait to eat it, try chilling all the ingredients before making it!

Phear Juice Tonic

• 3 parts pear juice
• 1/2 part tonic water
• 1/2 part lemonade

If you can't find pear juice, you can juice peeled pears! Just mix together, and enjoy with a pineapple to garnish the glass! Maybe add a blueberry on a cocktail stick if you're feeling fancy.

THE GOLDEN DUBLOON

Pirates are known for their hearty eating, and the Golden Dubloon is no different! Sometimes, from the kitchen, emerges oddities and fish stuffed fish the likes of which you will have never seen before! As a side note, this reporter recommends you make minimum eye contact with the other patrons. While pirates shouldn't be judged by their cover, after a few grogs have been guzzled... there is no guarantee there won't be a brawl, even in the most civilised of establishments on Krawk Island.

You will only be seated if you show them the gold - doubloons are the only currency the Golden Dubloon will take... hence the name. Don't forget to get your money exchange at the National Neopian before you get to the Island. There are many scam artists in this pirate haven, unsurprisingly, so this way you can be assured you are not being taken advantage of!

Once you have been seated, you only have one option per course, but they are all delicious! You'll have to begin with the Tomato Cannon Ball. These are chargrilled tomatoes, blackened on the outside, a sloppy mess on the inside - just the way I like it! It tastes smoky, and they add a few spices to liven up this starter that they cook on a grill outside on the bay.

Moving on to main course, you won't be disappointed with this fair! Their Famous Krawk Pie is choked full of - don't worry, not Krawks! - delicious vegetables! Some are native only to Krawk Island, some imported from Mystery Island. I doubt even the chef knows all of the wonders that this pie is overspilling with, but whatever they are, they are a joy for your tastebuds to behold. It's a salty affair, though, so be sure to order with a drink, like, perhaps Land Lubber or a traditional Grog.

To finish off, a palate cleansing Pinanna Paradise is the way to go! Okay, it's the only one you can have, but it's also one of the best! It's a smooth as soy butter sorbet, vibrant and alive with the flavours of the mysterious pinanna fruit, plus a hint of mango in there too. Feel like you're on a tropical island holiday instead of eating amongst the shady fellows of Krawk Island with this beaut!

This author's top tip is to ask about seating outside - sometimes you can watch the waves crash against the harbour from their outdoor seating on really sunny days.

RECIPES

Pinanna Paradise

• 4 cups of mango chunks
• 4 cups of pineapple chunks (fresh is best, but I use canned and it turns out fine!)
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, if you prefer it sweeter

Since the Pinanna is night impossible to find outside of Mystery Island except for at the Dubloon, this is my best attempt at replicating the flavours of such a tropical fruit!

Freeze the bananas, mango chunks and pineapple chunks. The bananas can be frozen in their skins and peeled/sliced after, the mango and pineapple, chunked and in a ziploc bag. Blend about half the mixture until smooth before added the rest - to make sure you don't miss any lumps! Perfect with some scattered blueberries on top!

Walk the Plank

• 2 parts cherryade
• 1 part limeade

Tangy and delicious! This cocktail is really simple to make and tastes like what walking the plank feels like. Perfect with your Krawk Pie!

So there we have it. The perfect set menu choices from Kelp and The Golden Dubloon, the two places any pet who is anybody will be seen dining out! Just because you or your pet is vegan, certainly doesn't mean you have to miss out on delicious gourmet fair, as I hope I've shown you!

Enjoy your fine dining, and never go hungry for posh nosh again!