There are many stereotypes associated with vegan food. The most common is that vegan food is tasteless and boring. But nowadays, items such as chillies rellenos, mushroom quesadillas and white bean chili verde prove those ideas blatantly untrue.
Those culinary dishes are on the menu of Clairly Vegan, a business owned by single mother of three, Claire Steiner, who started her vegan catering and delivery business last June in her own kitchen. Her mother, Anna Cannizzaro Steiner, helped out. The business now sells 75 to 100 orders per week out of Carrollton Commissary, a rented kitchen space on Willow Street.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Steiner has more than a decade in the restaurant business and a dietetics degree.
“I began eating a vegan diet a little over four years ago,” says Steiner. “I was so intrigued by the new and interesting ingredients that I was able to use in my recipes at home. It was a fun challenge. However, after a few weeks I immediately felt a change. My energy had increased. My metabolism and digestion were faster. I had lost several pounds. I just felt great.”
Steiner started her business in the middle of the pandemic because she needed a new form of income but says she’s found a welcoming clientele.
“I think that during this Covid-era, people have become more aware of their general health and have wanted to eat and live a healthier lifestyle,” she says. “This has been a positive effect for Clairly Vegan. I have been able to provide people with healthy meals at home, especially when they were tired of cooking three meals a day.”
She says she loves that her business is creating healthy and delicious plant-based meals for busy families and individuals to enjoy.
“A customer recently told me, ‘I always dig into something the first night. I can’t tell you how happy I am knowing I have something healthy in the fridge.’ “I love being able to bring those healthy options to our customers. I also love getting to safely visit with all of my clients and sharing my passion for plant-based meals and fitness. From moms and parents to athletes and professionals, vegans and non-vegans, I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone and look forward to even more connections.”
So far, Clairly Vegan’s most popular dishes are the soups and the Mexican-inspired menus. Steiner’s goal is to create delicious, savory and healthy meals for everyone to enjoy.
“There is a large misconception that vegan food has to be raw or bland,” she says. “Even though there is no meat or dairy, there is no shortage of flavor. All of the meals that we create are curated with the utmost flavor in mind. We want to take your favorite family recipes, New Orleans recipes, and make hearty and savory plant-based versions.”