A meat potatoe kinda gal needing to find a meal for a vegetarian guest?

Question

My boyfriend and I have been together for a year, I would love to entertain his family for a dinner. Nothing fancy just welcoming and homey. His cousin is a vegetarian, but he does not eat eggs. I am trying to have things that satisy his pallet.I have very little budget for some of those recipes I looked up. Plus I have no idea how to substitute things for real milk, cheese eggs and such. I need a appetizer, en tree and dessert that can be offered to everyone, without making him feel i had to make something just for him. I love to have things personal, but simple and cheap and not too complicated. Any ideas, also if anyone would like to enlighten me on why some of the recipes I found under vegetarian still contained cheese, eggs or fish one even contained chicken. The other recipes I found involved products I have never heard of or seen before. I need something I can easily obtain and also offer to the other guests. Thanks ahead of time V

Answer 1

Pasta is always an easy and delicious choice. However, it sounds like you are talking about vegan vs vegetarian if he doesn't eat cheese. Vegans don't eat eggs or cheese so a meal with egg or cheese could still be vegetarian but not vegan.
As far as some of the vegetarian recipes still containing fish/chicken...that is because some people and in some other countries, vegetarian means no beef. Generally speaking, vegetarians don't eat any meat...meaning nothing that has "a face" as they say.
You can make a simple pasta dish really delicious by adding lots of veggies, garlic, etc. It something everyone can eat without feeling like it is a "special" meal just for him. Plus, If he eats cheese, you can also add different kinds of yummy cheese on top too. If not, you can always add cheese to your plate and not his without it being "weird".
For appetizers...you can always do a simple green salad with veggies.For dessert, you could try a fruit salad or cocktail.

Answer 2

First of all, congratulations! It will be really nice when you just walk right on passed the meats and see how low your bill comes to! Veggie meals are more healthful, so you may try to find recipes on many of the websites. Just make sure that you start out slowly so that you feel confident about how to prepare the meals. You don't have to go overboard all at once. You may make some meals throughout the week that are "meat free" nights/lunches, etc. Introducing a meat-eater this way is easier. Before you do too much 'ranting' about no meats, back up what you say to inspire him. He may not know that eating a cup of beans [yum! mexican food ] is pretty much all that's required for protein vs. meats, an sooo much cheaper! Find some interesting facts such as a nice 'nutritional' list of the fruits/veggies showing how much vitamins/minerals there are in the foods. Just do a search on the web! I was suprised myself to find how much vit. C is in red bellpeppers compared to oranges! He can still be a "meat' and potatoes" man on a vegetarian diet! Good Luck!

Answer 3

Hi, first of all, V, where are you based? I'm logging in from Yahoo Singapore, so if you're based in Singapore, it's super easy to get ingredients for vegetarians.

Pre-dinner/cocktail time - dips are my choice - hummus (made from chickpeas) or salsas (made from tomatos) will look great next to Brie cheese or any other types of cheese. All the invited guests can simply take bread or crackers & choose their dips. You can buy the dips ready-made, which frees you up to do other stuff.

Appetizers - think Asian - Chinese vegetable spring rolls or Indian vegetarian samosas. Most supermarkets sell frozen ones, so it's a cinch to pop into e deep fryer or oven. And they can stay warm while you prepare other food. Most Indians have a strict vegetarian diet, so you may be able to pick from other Indian items in the supermarket.

Or for a Western twist, I would make roasted baby potatoes with garlic (partially cook 1 kg of baby potatoes by boiling at hi speed for 15 mins, cut them into halves or quarters with their skins still on when they're cool, drain the water away, toss cut potatoes into a big bowl, pour about 3 tbsp of olive oil with a lot of minced garlic into the bowl, make sure the oil is evenly mixed around. Pop the entire mixture on a metal plate into the oven - blast for abt 20 mins at abt 180 deg C - to make the potatoes have that nice slightly brown base plus to bring out the garlicky smell. Scoop the minced garlic away before serving potatoes on a nice plate.

Maybe serve a fresh garden salad with any meat in another bowl besides it. That way, everybody can have the salad and for those who prefer a little meat, they can take the ham/chicken and mix it themselves on their plate.

For desert, try Asian old-skool desserts. You'll be able to find flavoured soy 'dou hua' at the toufu section of most supermarkets. They come in flavours like mango, green-tea, almond, etc. Take them out of their packaging, cut them into more attractive shapes e.g. circles, garnish with 1 single piece of fruit e.g. longan/strawberry etc, serve in nice bowls, and you're done. You can also find receipes on Asian old-skool desserts like cheng tng, which is basically white fungus in a syrupy base. Most vegetarians would also be ok with eating yoghurt since it doesn't have any milk product inside.

There are different types of vegetarians - some are very strict and they don't touch any animal meat or product at all (milk, cheese, eggs are out). Some eat vegetables and also white meat like chicken & fish. Some eat only vegetables but don't eat leeks or onions. If you're not sure which type your bf's cousin is, I would suggest you ask your bf or have him ask his aunt or his mom.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Italian-bruschetta appetizer, yummy pasta with pesto and sauteed veg-fruit sorbet and cookies for dessert.

Mexican-chips and salsa, black beans and rice, exotic (mango,papaya,coconut,etc.) fruit salad for dessert.

Country-veggies and dips like hummus, guacamole, beans and cornbread, apple pie.

You'll have even more latitude if he eats dairy-more dip choices, cheese, custards-but this is a place to start. It's nice of you to be considerate of his preferences

Answer 5

First, I would pick a theme. How about Mexican? (just for example) Below are some recipes for a stew, a Mexican lasagna, and a vegan Mexican chocolate cake for desert.

Chipotle, Corn, and Black Bean Stew
35 min 15 min prep

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
2 chipotle peppers, drained and chopped (canned)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
4 russet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 cup corn
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh cilantro, lightly packed, torn into pieces
1 lime, juice and zest of
salt and pepper


1. In a stockpot, saute the onions in the oil over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute 1 minute more. Add the chipotles, tomatoes, and water, stir. Add the potatoes and carrots, bring to a low boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Uncover, add the corn and beans. Thin with more water if needed. Cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Add the cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Serve.

Mexican Lasagna (or Enchilada Casserole)

1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
corn tortillas--at least 12
3 cups (28 ounces) fatfree refried beans
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. chili powder, divided
1/2 tsp. cumin, divided
3 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
1 can enchilada sauce (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)
sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a non-stick pan with a little water (1 tbsp.), sauté the peppers, garlic, and onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Set aside.

Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with a layer of tortillas (you may cut some of them to fit). Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Stir the refried beans and spread half of them evenly over the tortillas. Cover the refried beans with half of the pepper-onion mixture and half of the tomatoes; sprinkle with half of the seasonings and half of the black beans.

Add another layer of tortillas and repeat the layers of the other ingredients. Spread the cup of salsa over the final layer of black beans. Cover with a final layer of tortillas, pour the enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with black olives. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot throughout. It will be easier to cut if you allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Fresh corn is a great addition to this. I use about 2 cups of uncooked (or frozen) corn and add it as one more layer. You may need a deeper pan, though.

Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cocoa
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 tbsp white vinegar
* 5 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 cup cold water
* 2 tbsp powdered (Confectioner's) sugar

PREPARATION:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and cayenne. Add the vanilla, vinegar, oil and water and stir until just combined.

Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the powdered sugar.


I hope a menu like this helps you with finding the ideas that you are looking for. Happy cooking!