Where can I find recipes to satisfy both a meat lover and a vegetarian?

Question

I am a vegetarian and boyfriend is a meat lover. I'm tired of cooking double meals just to feed the two of us. I want to find a website that has recipes that would be appetizing with no meat that he would like, as well as some recipes that could be cooked meatless.

Answer 1

You need to look for one dish meals - stuff that won't be so obvious the meat is "missing." Think about chili, vegetable soups and pasta dishes. Don't forget that you need protein, too. Beans are one ingredient that can help provide that, and they are a great filler for him. Pasta is especially good - spaghetti, veggie lasagna, macaroni and cheese... all things he's familiar with. If you live together, you'll need to accommodate his carnivorous habits occasionally. Plan a full vegetarian meal, then add a simply cooked meat dish, like chicken breasts, pork chops, fish, or steak. He can eat your vegetarian dishes as sides. How "vegetarian" are you - do you eat fish/seafood? If so, that's a great compromise.

Check out the Food Network website for recipes, both vegetarian and otherwise. You can search for recipes by ingredient.

Answer 2

If you're okay with dairy, learn everything you can about Italian food. Stuffed shells, ravioli, lasagne, tortellini, eggplant alla parmigiana, pizza margherita -- there's a TON of great Italian food that doesn't involve meat. You could have a different dish every night of the week. The recipe for three-cheese manicotti in the Sources field sounds fantastic; while I haven't made this specific recipe, it's almost identical to a recipe I've made that used large pasta shells instead of manicotti to hold the cheese and spinach filling.

My other favorite who-needs-meat cuisine is Indian, especially southern Indian (Andhra & Madras) cuisine. It may initially involve the acquisition of some unique spices if you're not already cooking Indian food, but it'll be worth it. And don't overlook chole puri, a rich curry of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) served with wonderful little fried bread called puri (or poori).

Good luck with him -- if he's really a meat lover, you may find it hard to convince him. I'd say to start with Italian food because he's probably used to spaghetti, ravioli and pizza; those three-cheese stuffed shells are so good he won't miss the meat. Then work up gradually to the Indian food. I went nuts the first time I ever had curry, so let's hope he has a similar experience.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I am not a vegetarian. Don't try to make a vegetarian dish and have your husband just love it to death. If you put lentils or something else in my food on the pretense of making it - meat like - I would freak. Make your favorite meal or his, just without meat. Spaghetti , lasagna, vegetable burritos, chile relanoes, vegetable lo-mein, vegetable chili, vegetarian sushi, and vegetable anti pasta. Just don't hide things in the food that will make your omnivore start thinking, gag vegetarian meal again.

Answer 4

After putting in my 2 cents about "why can't he cook his OWN meals" (well, why can't he?), Cook a BIG roast and let him gnaw on it like some 1950's throwback, while you slice off little pieces to flavor your tempura...etc.! HE will get clogged arteries, put on weight and his fat cells will fill up w/female hormones, while YOU, dear saint, will stay healthy. Then, when he gets a triple bypass, you can say: "Nyah-nyah-nyah-NYAH_nyah!".

Here's an excerpt from another veggie question w/my answer:
Q: Is milk and cheese a good source of protein for a vegetarian?

I need to take a high source of protein with my supplements 3 times a day, what is a high source of protein for a vegetarian?
You are:
nationofswine
Your Answer:
Yes! Also high in calcium and potassium (good for bone and heart health). But steer clear of high-fat dairy (esp cheese)! Stick w/mozzarella and other low-fat cheeses.

There are other tasty sources, like combining legumes w/grains (chili and rice, f'rinstance). Check out this guide to protein for newbie vegetarians, from about.com:

"Good sources of protein for vegetarians include nuts, seeds and nut butters (try almond or cashew butter as a change of pace from peanut butter), tofu, and "meat analogs" like veggie burgers, hotdogs and soy deli slices. As you've mentioned, legumes are an excellent protein source as well. Make sure to try lots of different types of legumes to keep things interesting - black beans, chickpeas, lentils, white beans, romano beans are just a few of the many varieties available. These foods are all good sources of minerals like iron and zinc as well.

Dairy and nondairy milks, yogurts and cheeses are also good protein sources but are not rich sources of minerals like the other foods above.

I would highly recommend reading _Becoming Vegetarian_ by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, which covers all aspects of vegetarian nutrition. This book should be available at your local library. The Vegetarian Resource Group at www.vrg.org is another good resource."

Here is the link to that article. These folks REALLY know what they're talking about, unlike some OTHER sites...!

http://en.allexperts.com/q/vegetarian-fo...

Answer 5

just google the words "meatless meals" and you will find lots of recipes and websites.

if you are a dairy and egg eating vegetarian, then this will be a much easier task.
good vegetarian substitutes for meat are: tofu, eggplant, zucchini, large mushrooms. these foods have a "meaty" texture and can be prepared in numerous ways, and tend to absorb flavors readily from other foods and spices. tofu has the added benefit of being rich in protein.
a favorite meatless recipe of mine: large pasta shells stuffed with shredded spinach, dry-curd cottage cheese (very high in protein), parmesan cheese, minced garlic, parsley,finely chopped green onion, creamy caesar salad dressing as a pasta sauce. if you object to the anchovy paste found in most caesar dressings, then you can substitute ranch for caesar. this meal, served with garlic toast, will satisfy anyones hunger and taste buds.
5-8 large pasta shells per person.
for 2-3 servings: 15 large pasta shells
1 1/2 cups dry-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded spinach (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic(adjust to taste)
1 tabsp parsley flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 cup creamy caesar dressing (or ranch)

combine all the ingredients and mix well till it forms a sticky paste. boil the pasta shells til al dente (approx. 10 min) . rinse the shells thouroughly under cold running water in a colander. when the shells have cooled, stuff them firmly with the mixture. put them in a lightly oiled, microwave safe casserole dish. cook on high(covered) for 4min. pour 2 teaspoons of caesar dressing over each shell. rotate dish. cook on high for 1 min. serve with garlic toasted french bread.

Answer 6

Visit foodnetwork.com and look at Rachel Ray's receipes. She is a wonderful cook and has a lot of vegetarian friendly meals. Remember you can always substitute meat for mushrooms.

Answer 7

hi caesi!

there's a ton of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food podcasts on iTunes... for FREE. just open iTunes to the iTunes Store, and click Podcasts > Arts > Food. Hundreds of FREE video and audio podcasts. u and ur boyfriend can watch them together and mix and match ideas/recipes from different shows. check out http://www.freshtopia.net (they r in comedy on iTunes).

i have a grilled spinach salad video on iTunes that u can check out... the recipe uses chicken, but a good solution for you is grilling extra mushrooms or tofu in place of the chicken.

also, consider this. when u make chicken, etc. for ur boyfriend , make some extra and store in the fridge. then, next time u prepare a meal for the two of u, make ur veg recipe then heat and add meat to ur boyfriend's serving.

the grilled salad video and others on my FREE Featured Food Video Podcast on iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=183309259

good luck and have fun cooking!

xo,
Betty
http://www.averagebetty.com

Answer 8

my husband eats mainly veg and i love my meat, so we compromise. a couple times of the week we eat our meet, but it is mainly veg, making to dishes can be very simple. for recipes go to google and type in veg dishes and so many good recipes come up with many different sites.

Answer 9

All vegetarian recipes are good for meat-eaters! Or, have pasta.

Answer 10

Uh, why can't he cook his own meals?