What are some good vegetarian dishes that meat-eaters would love?

Question

Hi!

I'm getting married in November and the place that we have chosen to have our ceremony and reception specifies that they have to provide the food. They have a strictly Vegetarian selection and will serve no meat. However, they are willing to fix any vegetarian selections that I would like.

I would be fine with this as I love vegetarian dishes. However, none of the attendees will be vegetarians and there will be a few people who are die-hard meat and potato lovers (specifically, my husband-to-be).

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a couple of vegetarian dishes that even those die-hard people would love. Something so darn yummy it will make them forget they are eating vegetarian :)

Any suggestions?

To answer the question that many have asked. I chose this place because it was inexpensive (a summer tourist location during the winter means they are looking for people to come), it was a beautiful ceremony location, it comes with a wedding planner, it's out of the ordinary, and I could get a package deal. Frankly, I'm happy with the food and so will most of my guests. It's just my grumpy-gus groom who is grumbling :)

And thank you thank you thank you... there are so many great ideas, I will definitely talk to the chef there to give them some ideas of what I'm looking for. I may even try some of these myself before the wedding to show my hubby-to-be that it's going to be okay.

Answer 1

Congratulation!

There are some faked ham, sausages, shrimps sold in vegetarian food store that the textures are so similar to meat and you can ask the chef of your chosen place, he/she should be familiar with. Try some dishes that have tofu, nuts, cheese, pumpkins, chestnuts as ingredients with colourful presentations + good wine + fresh fruits smoothies, surprise your guests by how wonderful vegetrian food could be.

Just give you a quick glance, see how you feel about the menu & recipes below?

Appetizer platter
baked mushroom with ricotta & herb filling + vegetarian sausages
mint, dill & Lebanese yogurt dip with crispy baked pitta bread
Vegetable spring rolls

Soup
Tomato and brown lentil soup or
Cream of mushroom soup (see below photo)
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcream%2Bof%2Bmushroom%2Bsoup%2Bphoto%26ei%3DUTF-8%26qp_p%3Dcream%2Bmushroom%2Bsoup%26imgsz%3Dall%26fr%3DFP-pull-web-t%26b%3D1&w=479&h=337&imgurl=www.kalyx.com%2Fstore%2Fimages%2Fsoup12.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.locateproduct.com%2Fproducts%2FKalyx-com-87%2FCream-of-Mushroom-Meatless-Soup-Mix-1-lb-K.htm&size=47.5kB&name=soup12.jpg&p=cream+of+mushroom+soup+photo&type=jpeg&no=10&tt=639&oid=91c05cb148848a4a&ei=UTF-8

Entree
pumpkin agnolotii with rocket pesto (boiledpumpkin wanton wraps) + char-grilled vegetable slices

Homemade lime & mint sobert

Oakleaf, pear and walnut salad - red wine per dressing

Vegetarian burger (see below photo) with spicy onion blackpepper sauce top on a bed of creamy mash potatoes / french fries or
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DVegetarian%2Bfood%2Bphoto%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3DFP-pull-web-t%26x%3Dwrt&w=150&h=100&imgurl=metcn8.com%2F017-chinese-food%2Fvegetarian%2Ft15-vegetarian-food-burger.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmetcn8.com%2F017-chinese-food%2Fvegetarian&size=4.9kB&name=t15-vegetarian-food-burger.jpg&p=Vegetarian+food+photo&type=jpeg&no=20&tt=83,287&oid=b98841acef71d95e&ei=UTF-8
Baked ratatouille and penne (casserole dish) or
Vegetarian Lasagna (see below photo)
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DVegetarian%2BRecipes%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3DFP-pull-web-t%26b%3D41&w=151&h=197&imgurl=www.bestveg.com%2Fimages%2Fvegetarianlasagna.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestveg.com%2F&size=11.4kB&name=vegetarianlasagna.jpg&p=Vegetarian+Recipes&type=jpeg&no=52&tt=37,737&oid=80107febeb190cb0&ei=UTF-8


Your choice of 4 kinds of cheese platter serve with biscuits

Dessert
Freshly baked French apple tart with vanilla ice-cream or
mix berries mousse serve with silky smooth chocolate cream or
Velvet chocolate torte

Here are some recipes

<< Baked Ricotta Mushrooms >>>>>>

10 large mushroom (stems removed)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs (whole wheat bread or oat bread)
Ricotta and herbs filling
1/2 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water until soft, chopped
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 180 degree C / 360 degree F/ Gas 4. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Set aside.
2) To make filling, place ricotta cheese, tomatoes, onion, basil, chives, lemon juice and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Mix to combine.
3) Spoon filling into mushrooms. Place on prepared baking tray. Combine Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over mushrooms. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set and top golden.

<<<<<<< Vegetables Spring Rolls >>>>>>>

150 g cabbage, cut into thin slices
1/2 carrot, cut into thin strips
4 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in water till soft, sliced
150 g bean sprouts
2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inches thin strips
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 slice of ginger, crushed
1.5 tablespoon peanut oil or cooking oil
1 tablespoon cooking wine, sherry
2 tablespoon of mushroom water (the soaking water)
salt to taste
a few drops of sesame oil
1 pack of frozen spring roll wrappers
1 egg, beat slightly
3 cups of cooking oil for frying (depends on the size of your fryer / wok)

1) Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, stir fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, turn heat to high, remove garlic and ginger.
2) Add cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, mushroom into the wok, stir fry for 1 minute, sprinkle cooking wine & the mushroom water, stir fry for 1 minute or till vegetables are wilted yet still crunchy, add celery into the wok, toss well.
3) Add a few drop of sesame oil and salt to taste. Remove from heat, drain well and set aside
4) Place spring roll sheet with one point toward you, moisten upper edges with egg.
5) Spoon filling in center of wrapper and fold bottom up to cover the filling, fold over left and right corners so they meet in the center.
6) Roll up, seal the final corner with egg. Repeat with remaining spring roll wrappers.
7) Heat the oil in wok (or fryer) to 160 degree C, test the heat with bamboo chopstick, when you see bubbles around the chopstick, it means the oil is hot enough, carefully put 2 or 3 rolls in the oil, deep fry for 3 minutes or till golden brown on all sides.
8) Remove and drain on paper towels. Cut rolls into 2. Serve with balsamic vinegar.

<<<<<<< Oak leaf, Pear and Walnut Salad >>>>>>
2 ripe firm pears, cored
lemon juice
1 red oak leaf lettuce or other red lettuce (coral or mignonette), leaves separated
1/3 cup unsalted walnut halves
2 tablespoons crumbled low-fat ricotta cheese

Red Wine Pear Dressing
1 canned or blanched fresh pear, with 1 tablespoon liquid reserved
2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1) To make dressing, place pear and liquid vinegar and black pepper in a blender. Puree.
2) Cut each pear into eight segments. Place in a bowl and add lemon juice. Toss to coat (this helps prevent the pears from browning).
3) Arrange lettuce on a serving platter. Top with pears. Drizzle with dressing. Scatter with walnuts and cheese.

<<<<<<< Baked ratatouille and penne >>>>>>>

3 cups cooked penne or other short pasta of your choice
1 medium eggplant, cut into 3 cm in cubes
1 large zucchini, cut into 3 cm in cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 3 cm in cubes
1 green pepper, cut into 3 cm in cubes
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil (fresh)
salt

1) Preheat oven to 180 degree C/ 360 degree F / Gas 4. Lightly spray or brush a deep casserole dish with unsaturated oil. Place penne in the base of dish.
2) Place eggplant and zucchini in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Stand fro 15-20 minutes, rinse under cold running water. Drain, pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
3) Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and eggplant stir fry for 2 minutes, then, add red and green pepper and zucchini and stir fry for 2 more minutes or till vegetable start to soften. Remove vegetable mixture from pan. Set aside.
4) Add tomatoes, garlic and thyme to pan, cook until tomatoes start to collapse, return vegetable mixture to pan. Mix to combine (stir quick).
5) Spoon vegetable mixture over penne in casserole dish, pushing the first few spoonfuls into the pasta. Top vegetable mixture with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, scatter with basil. Bake for 5 -10 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Answer 2

I think the key is variety and texture. Since this is your wedding, you want something that will feel special, rather than a standard vege staple - even if the caterers CAN pull it off well (I am thinking foods primarily based on tomato, cheese, lentils, roasts, bakes in general).

The Gate Vegetarian restaurant in London does very good vege food, and my friends and I (all die-hard meat eaters) always view going there as a special treat.

Example starter:
mustard-seed potato cake filled with indian-spiced vegetables, pan-fried & served with a sweet & sour tamarind sauce & a coconut & coriander chutney.

Example Main:
char-grilled aubergine rolled with coriander pesto, roasted red peppers, & a shitake mushroom duxelle, coated with crispy breadcrumbs & served on stir-fried noodles.

their website:
http://www.gateveg.co.uk/menu.asp

For inspiration, go to the websites of some posh restaurants and see what they serve as the vegetarian option.

Good luck with the wedding!

Answer 3

I would have to say Stuffed Peppers. I made some for my boss and she is not a meat eater. She just fell in love with the peppers you can add a lot of veggies rice and whatever you prefer. They Taste so good, they will be wondering where's the meat.

Answer 4

Parmesan-Crusted Vegetarian Sandwiches:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 thick slices of firm white or oatmeal bread
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 thin tomato slices
4 thin red onion slices
2 cups alfalfa sprouts

1. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 side of each bread slice with the Parmesan butter. In another small bowl, blend the mayonnaise with the mustard. Halve and pit the avocados and thinly slice them lengthwise. Sprinkle the slices with the lime juice.

2. Put 2 to 3 slices of bread, buttered side down, in a large skillet set over moderate heat. Cook until the bottoms are crisp and deep brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining bread.

3. Put 4 of the cheese toasts on a work surface, browned side down. Arrange an avocado half and 3 tomato slices on each toast and season with salt and pepper. Top each with 1 onion slice, 1 tablespoon of the mustard-mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of alfalfa sprouts. Top with the remaining cheese toasts, browned side up.

Yield: MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

Answer 5

Vegetable curry since you can use alot of root vegetables which give a meaty texture and you can vary the "heat" easily.

Rice and lentil based salads work well and you can always make meat-free mexican stuff.

My very favorite are pesto and simple tomato, basil and cheese salads.

Answer 6

Veggie Sausages I served them in a bread rolls for my boyfriend (meat eater) he didn't even no they were vegetarian He he.

Could do any dish add sausage to pasta with mushrooms and onions grilled Delicious!

Answer 7

Don't beat yourself up over one meal. These people will certainly survive a meal without meat.

Some ideas:

Stuffed squash
An elegant pasta dish with italian veggies

Answer 8

Individual cheese souflles are very elegant and tasty. Serve with a roasted tomato half, sprinkled with fresh herbs and a baby green salad.

Answer 9

my suggestion change the place. the biggest consideration should be the food at the place. and by the way justbetweenus_us you are a moron. vegans dont even touch anything that has been made with animal products or so they claim.

Answer 10

take any vegetarian dish your going to serve and drop a nice t-bone steak on top of it for the non vegetarians. By the way what kind of cracked out place are you getting married at where they don't serve meat!

Answer 11

Have some veggie pizzas or even some tuna casseroles. I know some vegans they will at least eat some seafood or chicken. Something to think about. Contrats on your wedding to be!!