Guests are coming. Any vegetarian menu ideas?!

Question:

Guests are coming. Any vegetarian menu ideas?

Do I need to buy separate pots and pans to cook in?
They dispise eating meat or any meat products.

Answers:

The first course...soup!Potato and Chile Soup
Potato and Chilli soup!
* 4 medium potatoes scrubbed, unpeeled and cut into
small chunks.
* 3 C. water
* 1 T. olive oil
* 1 1/2 C. Chopped onions
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 C. Diced bell peppers ( I used red ones)
* 1 1/2 C. Diced Anheim Chiles (the pale green ones that
are about the size of jalepenos)
* 1 C. soymilk
* 1 t. ground cumin
* 1 t. dried basil
* 1/2 t. salt (or to taste)
* pepper to taste

1. Place potatoes and water in a soup pan and cook until potatoes are tender.
Set the potatoes AND cooking water off to the side and allow to cool.
2. In the mean time heat olive oil in a skillet or saucepan.
Add onions and saute until they become transparent.
3. Add both peppers, garlic and spices.
Saute for about 8-10 minutes, or until veggie are tender.
Remove from heat.
4. Puree potatoes WITH cooking water in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to soup pan add veggies and milk.
Whisk until blended.
5. Turn heat on stove top to low and heat soup slowly on low heat until throughly warmed.
6. Serve stopped with chopped scallions, or chopped cilatnro.
(I used the scallions).
This goes great with a subtly sweet cornbread......Yumm.....

Next....the main course!

Broccoli Chow Mein
serves 3
* 3 stalks broccoli, chopped
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 pound mung bean sprouts
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds or sunflower seeds (optional)
* 1 tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Stir-fry broccoli in oil and 1/2 cup water for 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add bean sprouts and almonds or seeds.
Stir-fry for 2 more minutes.
Dissolve starch in 1/2 cup water.
Add to broccoli and sprout mixture along with tamari or soy sauce and sesame oil if desired.
Stir, then heat covered for 1 minute longer.
Serve hot.

Finally...what you have been waiting for...Dessert!!

The five minute eggless/ dairyless cake!
* 1 c. Maple sugar, sucanat, or crystalline fructose (corn sugar )
* 1 1/2 c. unsifted flour
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 c. cocoa
* 1 t. baking soda
* 1 T. lemon juice
* 1/3 c. oil
* 1 t. vanilla
* 1 c. cold water

Mix ingredients in the order given.
Pour into ungreased square cake pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
Frost or serve plain.
Various dairyfree dessert confections can be found to moisten this up a bit.

Enjoy! oh wait..i forgot snacks!

Chocolate chip cookies with a hint of Expresso!
* 2-1/4 cup whole wheat pasty flour
* 1/3 cup cocoa or carob powder
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 1 cup margarine (spectrum spread is good--non-hydrogenated)
* 3/4 cup raw sugar
* 3/4 cup Sucanat (or raw sugar with molasses)
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 eggs worth Egg Replacer (I use ground flax seeds--no chemical additives--I'll explain below, but you can use any)
* 1/2 - 1 package vegan chocolate or carob chips
* Some espresso--cooled

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Stir flour, cocoa/carob powder, baking powder, and salt.
Add margarine, sugar, Sucanat, and vanilla.
Mix well.
Grind up until ultra-fine, 1 tbsp. flax seeds--the easiest way to do this is in a coffee grinder.
Transfer ground seeds to blender or food processor and add around 1-1/2 tbsp. coffee (if you don't like coffee add water).
Process until you get a pasty, thick substance.
Add to mix.
Stir.
It will appear a bit dry--that's good.
It allows you to add more coffee rendering it perfect and moist.
Add chips. Mix AGAIN.
Dollop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for around 15 minutes.
Let cool.

okay! now enjoy!

oh and the question about new pots and pans....just make sure you wash them before use with a lot of soap and hot water!

How about a spinach lasagna? You can always line the pan with Reynolds wrap(makes for easy clean up). Since they are vegetarians and not Vegans, you won't have to worry too much. Have a big pasta salad. Have a baked potato bar. How about pizza with all kinds of veggies on top?

Bean burritos are fairly easy. Make some rice along with it.

http://vegweb.com is a great website for finding vegetarian/vegan recipes.

I think you could get by with lining a baking pan with aluminum foil. I wouldnt expect someone to buy new pans. Or, you can use the disposable foil pans. How about a nice roasted veggie casserole, artichoke lasagna, cauliflower and cheese, or potato gratin. Easy to fix, and no need for a pot. Just serve with a nice salad, and some fresh bread. If you already have a recipe in mind, you should just come right out and ask them before they come-I prefer when someone asks me directly about my preferences, rather than making assumptions. Enjoy your guest. Its clear that you respect their values-thanks for doing that, so few do.

you can skip the cooking by buying fruits and vegetables that
don't need cooking like apples and oranges and bananas
and pineapples. There's walnuts, peanuts, lettuce, carrots
melons, grapes, raisins, etc.

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Guests are coming. Any vegetarian menu ideas?!

Guests are coming. Any vegetarian menu ideas?

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