Are nightshades and dairy in your diet?

I make a casserole with grilled eggplant (slice and roast or saute first if you don't have a grill), roasted red bell peppers, caramelized onions sauteed in tons of pasture butter, whole-milk mozzarella, and a tomato sauce made with fire-roasted tomatoes (seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, herbs, etc). To me, it's a side dish, and my veggie friends go nuts for it!

I usually eat some protein right before I go out, since most of the time there isn't any at parties I go to - even when they're not vegetarians!

Wine! Or, I guess you could make a thai coconut soup with sweet potatoes. It's tasty if you're into coconut milk and starch.

I know you're trying to be compatible but I still don't know how strictly paleo you are...such as if you do dairy since vegetarians (and not vegans) are often okay with it. So this list is assuming that you're okay with dairy. I'm also still not sure if you're okay with starches from tubers or rice (some here are on board, some aren't). So I just came up with a list assuming that you're fine with it all.

Homemade yogurt with fruit

Curry soup with coconut milk and vegetables

Stuffed peppers with vegetables cooked in coconut oil or pastured butter

Souflees with vegetables

Fruit salad

Rice stir-fried thai style with spices, vegetables, eggs and coconut milk

Kale chips

Sweet potatoes with butter and/or coconut oil

Gelatin dessert with coconut milk and fruit

Spring rolls with rice paper and nori, eggs, avocado and cucumber

Eggplant dipped in eggs and fried

Fried green tomatoes

Chop up some parsnips into little cubes and steam them. Sautee some onions/mushrooms/garlic/shallots/rosemary in coconut oil/butter and mash them all together. Use a bit more parsnips than other ingredients so it mashes up into creamy goodness properly. You can add a little coconut milk to smooth it out if you need. When you make it for yourself at home, I recommend adding in some bacon for flavor. You can also mash up some spinach in there.

I just made this coconut and green beans..it was yummy! http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/03/14/coconut-almond-green-beans/

Okay, since you changed it to vegan dishes, I hope this helps!

Some suggestions... 1. Plantains in coconut milk http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Plantains-In-Coconut-Milk-Recipezaar

1. Pumpkin coconut soup http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupsstewsandchili/r/pumpcoconutsoup.htm

2. Coconut milk braised green vegetables http://www.naturepacific.com/contents/en-us/d106_coconut-milk-greeens.html

Chocolate Coconut mousse with Coconut milk. It sets in the fridge and is super easy:

1 Can Coconut Milk

A FULL 2 TBS High quality Cocoa (Nothing else in the ingredient list)

1 tsp Vanilla (YES, that much)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 c or a big scoop of Almond or Hazelnut butter

2 Stevia packets or 2 tsp maple syrup

Blend and poor into fancy small glasses to let set overnight then top with freshly whipped cream.

Calabacitas (if you do cheese) here (you can leave the cheese out if you desire)

Baba Ganoush here

You said you do eat rice at social functions you could make risotto. You could make Tibs (an Ethiopian dish) and use mushrooms instead of beef. here

the world is your oyster

Ratatouille, gets better reheated.