Help for a Vegetarian Dinner!?!
Help for a Vegetarian Dinner!?
I'm cooking dinner for four. It has to be vegetarian (No beef lamb or chicken) and one of them is 5 months pregnant so she doesn't eat soft cheese or raw eggs (in addition to being vegetarian).. They all eat fish or seafood! I don't know what to do, though? I wanted to have two main courses and a salad only.. Salad's easy but what proper vegetarian or fish main dishes are there? And one dish which is also "pregnant friendly"??? Please help me!
Additional Details7 months ago
I forgot to add that these guys and myself don't like tofu.. so that's pretty much the hardest meal to cook of all as I have no clue how to satisfy pregnant tofu-hating vegetarians :( :( Please help me
7 months ago
Thanks janellyy for the clarification!
Answers:
7 months ago
I forgot to add that these guys and myself don't like tofu.. so that's pretty much the hardest meal to cook of all as I have no clue how to satisfy pregnant tofu-hating vegetarians :( :( Please help me
7 months ago
Thanks janellyy for the clarification!
Why not try a vegetarian lasagne?
You can make lasagne with a white sauce instead of the mozzarella and use sauteed egg plant and mushrooms instead of the ground beef. Top with Parmesan cheese
Avoid any shellfish for the pregnant lady's sake - they can be a source of listeria which can cause miscarriage.
Baked fish is nice too (use fillets) - just wrap it in individual foil parcels sprinkled with a little white wine and salt and pepper and a bit of sliced onion and bake it (capers and lemon slices optional). Saves wasting the heat while you have the oven on and you can spend time with guests while the mains are cooking.
Prepare the lasagne first, then while its underway, do the salad and pop it in the fridge, then last thing the prepare fish as it won't take long to cook.
Quiche is always good. You can do a mushroom & swiss, or an italian (tomatoes, onions, garlic & Basil). I've also done one with shrimp that's not too bad. Just make sure your cook it thoroughly.
French Potato Salad
water
3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed well
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 T. white wine
3 T. olive oil
3 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
3/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 T. freshly chopped dill
2 T. freshly chopped tarragon
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced
In a large pot, cook the whole potatoes in boiling water for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Carefully drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool for 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Pour the vegetable stock and white wine over the potatoes, toss gently to thoroughly coat, and then set them aside to cool. In a small bowl, place the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the herbs and whisk well to thoroughly incorporate them into the mixture. Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes, add the green onions, and toss gently to thoroughly coat the potatoes with the dressing. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or more to allow the flavors to blend. Gently toss the potato salad again and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Yield: 1 1/2 Quarts
make fresh salad (all the greens and whatever else) serve some tuna/cheese macaroni bake or pasta salad with vegetables, another alternative is cuscus or rice salads. you can add whatever vegetables you like into any of the pasta or rice or cuscus dishes and it makes a wonderful meal
How about vegetarian chili with cornbread and salad.
By the way, a vegetarian does not eat ANIMALS. Fish are animals.
Cornucopia squash is delicious and looks pretty too. It goes well with fresh cranberry relish and a salad of mixed greens.
Cornucopia Squash
photo: http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n306/...
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tart apples (Granny Smiths are perfect), cored and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, snipped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup port, brandy, dry white wine, or red wine
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly-round black pepper, to taste
8 small acorn squashes (about 1 pound each), with top third cut off and reserved for lids, seeds removed
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
1. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add onions, sautéing until
medium-brown (about 10 minutes). Add chickpeas, kidney beans, apples, dried fruits, port and [agave nectar],
and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
2. Add thyme leaves, salt, and freshly-ground pepper to taste. (This filling may be kept covered and refrigerated
for up to 3 days.)
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Stuff squash halves with filling and place on a baking tray. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
Then cover with squash-top lids and bake 20 to 30 more minutes, until squashes are tender.
4. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve.
Serves 8.
Cranberry relish
1 12 oz package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 whole orange
3/4 cup sugar
Slice unpeeled orange and remove seeds. rinse cranberries and remove stems. Put orange (including peel) and berries through a food processor a little bit at a time until they are all chopped. Mix in sugar. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Stuffed Yellow Peppers with Pilau Rice, Currants and Toasted Pine Nuts
The beauty of these peppers is that they can be made well in advance, then warmed through and filled with the pilau rice just before serving.
For the roasted peppers:
6 large yellow peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 tablespoons olive oil, including a little for greasing
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the pilau rice:
1 pint (570 ml) basmati rice (use a measuring jug)
4 oz (110 g) currants
4 oz (110 g) pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cinnamon sticks, halved
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 pints (1.2 l) of hot stock made with Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder
12 sprigs fresh mint, to garnish
salt
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
You will also need a baking tray measuring 11 x 16 inches (28 x 40 cm), greased, and a large, lidded frying pan.
All you do is cut the peppers in half lengthways through the stalk, then scrape out the seeds and place the halves on the baking tray. Now sprinkle a little of the garlic into each one and follow that with a teaspoon of oil. Brush a little more oil around the edges of the peppers, add a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper, then bake them on a high shelf in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until they are well browned at the edges.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Heat the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and pine nuts and fry for 10 minutes, or until everything is golden. Then add the currants, cinnamon and garlic. When you are ready to cook the rice, stir it into the pan and turn the grains over until they are thoroughly coated in the oil. Then pour in the hot stock and season with salt. Stir once only, then put the lid on, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the rice cook for exactly 15 minutes. After that, take the pan off the heat, remove the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea cloth until the rice is needed.
When the peppers are cooked, transfer them to a warmed dish and fill each one with the rice, adding the mint at the last moment. Serve the remaining rice in a warmed bowl to accompany the peppers.
Your other main dish can be a fish based one.
mushroom lasagne