Dear Jenny,
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Last winter, my 10-year-old, who is a voracious and wonderfully appreciative eater, started making noises about becoming a vegetarian. We engaged the conversation, of course, which then piqued the interest of my 8-year-old. They both decided that, because of their feelings about animals, they wanted to become vegetarians. My husband and I totally supported this, but told her that we wouldn’t have the family go full vegetarian because a) our 4-year-old loves meat and b) we like meat. But we agreed that all meals would have a vegetarian base and possibly some meat on the side, which they could choose to eat or not. They both felt comfortable with this.
So, here’s my question. I have really tried to expand my beans and lentils repertoire but I feel like I’m running out of new and exciting ideas for vegetarian meals. I feel slightly overwhelmed by tofu and frankly grossed out by tempeh. So, any good dishes that we could all eat would be a life saver.
Love,
Kate
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Dear Kate,
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten some version of this letter. A few weeks ago, at one of my talks, a mom raised her hand and outlined a very similar story then asked for advice. Frankly, I’m stymied, too, and I have a hard time coming up with anything beyond my usual one-word answer: Pizza. (I was grateful when another mother in the audience took over and started giving advice; her recommendation to visit Oh She Glows was validated by many head nods around the room.) I’m not going to leave you totally high and dry, though. I recommend picking up a few cookbooks that will be key in the inspiration department. Start with these:
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- Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (The Classic) by Deborah Madison
- Super Natural Everyday (The Modern Classic) by Heidi Swanson
- How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (The Tome) by Mark Bittman.
Next, I’ve rounded up a couple vegetarian favorites in my house, focusing on the ones that are flexible, i.e. they can be easily doctored to suit all tastes without a lot of work on the part of the cook:
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- Vegetable Fritters – They’re like pancakes for dinner; literally your golden ticket
- Burrito Bowl – Your two vegetarians can opt out of the chicken
- Salad Bar Night – A medley of fresh salads and leftovers
- Spaghetti with Mint-Pea Pesto or Regular Pesto
- Vegetable Dumplings – feel free to brown a quarter pound of ground pork, and stir into a separate bowl with the vegetable filling. Then the vegetarians and the meat-eaters will both be happy. Note: Do not attempt this on a weeknight when you are pressed for time; you will swear off DALS for all time.
- Pizza – The Dinner Elixir; try Salad Pizza or, since ramps will only be in season for another hour or two, this one.
Lastly, I feel certain there are DALS readers out there who are dealing with similar issues around the dinner table, and I feel certain they will share their support, their wisdom, and their recipes.
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Good luck!
Love, Jenny
Stir fry and loaded baked potatoes are additional base dishes. If the kids are eating cheese grilled cheese night can be lots of fun.
Tofu spaghetti (meatless bolognese) – block of firm tofu, shredded or hand crumbled, marinated with crushed garlic and italian herbs if you have the time, but can be skipped. Then fried until golden/crispy with good olive oil. Mix into spaghetti sauce (even a jar of sauce) – I’m sure someone with more kitchen time could modify this into a meatless sloppy joe, figure out a version that could work as taco filling by altering spices, etc.
Frozen edamame are a great quick protein fix.
My one word answer is tacos! But seriously. I am vegetarian or pescetarian and my daughter and husband are not. We do a lot of vegetarian meals with a rotisserie chicken as their option. We eat a lot of eggs and we eat wild Alaskan salmon once a week (because I feel like that actually enhances conservation of habitat for those fish). I would explore the boundaries of their beliefs by trying farmers market meat and visiting the farms. There is a lot of complexity to loving animals and making decisions about eating them, it’s a good opportunity for discussion of how our spending can support good treatment of animals. Anyway. Quorn is my favorite meat substitute. And seriously, tacos.
If you are squeamish about tofu, try the “super firm” variety (Trader Joe’s usually has it). It’s much firmer and less slimy and crumbly than the usual stuff and is a lot like working with a raw chicken breast.
Seitan can be another gateway vegetarian food. It’s great for taco filling, stir fry’s, and even stews and chili.
We like a lot of vegetarian sandwiches for a quick weeknight supper. You can also add meat if you want, but I don’t think you’ll miss it:
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2013/09/roasted-beet-spinach-pesto-cheesy-melt.html
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2012/03/southwest-sandwich.html
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2012/06/cauliflower-olive-tapenade-sandwich.html
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2013/03/sweet-potato-salad-wrap.html
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2012/07/roasted-zucchini-sandwich-with.html
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2013/09/eggplant-harissa-herb-gremolata-sandwich.html
Our family eats vegetarian meals several times a week. We like veggie chili over brown rice, veggie lasagana, and stir fries with tofu. This is the only way my family likes tofu: drain between layers of paper towels for around 30 mins, cut into slices or cubes, dredge in cornstarch (I use a Ziploc for this and give it a good shake) then fry in rice bran oil (from Trader Joes) for a good ten minutes, making sure you fry each side and get a golden, crispy surface. Yum. Also, check out the cookbook “Isa Does It”, such a great book. We love the California Stir Fry. Good luck!
We are in Austin, so tacos are a bit of a way of life, but you’d be surprised how open kids are to soups, pastas/noodles with veggies and breakfast for dinner is always a very nice break. The book suggestions up top are solid. I’d add some of Deborah Madison’s other books (Vegetarian Suppers) and Mollie Katzen’s new The Heart of the Plate is a new favorite! Best of luck!
We eat meat but I’m always looking for veggie options as we try to go vegetarian once or twice a week. Like stir frys, pasta with veggies is always a good base that can be doctored for different tastes, meat added or not. Soups or quiches (if your kids will eat eggs and cheese) are other options. Add some good bread and a salad and it’s a meal. My kids also enjoy breakfast for dinner once in a while – breakfast burritos, frittatas, pancakes, french toast with meat sausage on the side for those that partake and veg substitutes for those that don’t.
Deborah Madison is definitely the way to go. Every single thing I’ve made from her books has been wonderful. The cauliflower with tomato sauce and feta is heaven.
Vegetarians in the family don’t have to be scary. I’ve been vegetarian since I was in elementary school. My family was not vegetarian. I ate everything else in the meal besides the meat. My mom worried about protein to begin with, but luckily she got over it. Most Americans get more protein than they need anyways. Now I have my own family who all eat meat but not me. We treat meat as a side dish just as everything else. I guess you miss out on some of the one pot meals but otherwise just treat meat as one of the components of your meal, not the centerpiece and it should be easy.
My fiancé is a HUGE meat eater and I don’t eat meat at all. I look to a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern recipes since their diets are often vegetarian based. Also, go with the extra firm tofu, slice it into thinner slices and let it sit in between two paper towels for an hour or so, so it dries out completely, then throw it in a pan and fry it up! It’s so delicious, even for the meat eaters! (Serve with a peanut sauce and some stir fry. YUM)
Stuffed peppers (with quinoa and beans/ground beef or turkey), tomato sandwiches with mozzarella and pesto (insert chicken for meat eater), black bean or quinoa burgers, roasted vegetables over quinoa or couscous add meatballs for meaters, and zucchini or carrot or corn fritters (I make them a hearty size so it feels like a main dish served with a light salad) are my weekly go tos. I rarely cook beans or lentils when it gets warmer so I hope this variety helps!
Also, encourage the meat eaters to go meat free once a week. It’ll lessen the burden and it won’t be THAT bad. 🙂
Kid-friendly vegeterian ideas!
*Vegeterian chili and cornbread
*Omelettes
*This coconut lentil soup: http://notwithoutsalt.com/2014/02/10/feed-south-africa-lentil-soup-coconut/
*Deb’s Parmesean broth with kale and white beans from Smitten Kitchen http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/01/parmesan-broth-with-kale-and-white-beans/
*Louisa’s awesome veggies can totally be a filling bowl (I make sure to throw in lots of potatoes and sometimes walnuts for more protein) http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2013/07/the-best-roasted-vegetables-ever.html
Roasted butternut squash (roast garlic in butter in the hole, scoop out, and mix with cheese and herbs and put back in skins with more cheese and bread crumbs on top to toast up). Can pre-roast and gratinee just before dinner time. Add lardons to ones for omnivores.
Quiche is fast if you buy or pre-make the crust. Can make mini ones to adjust for various dietary preferences.
We just discovered haloumi and while I wouldn’t want to cook it often because of the salt factor, it’s super yummy.
Bean salads are awesome in the summer and you can easily add a can of tuna to the omnivore portion. Ditto something like potato salad. With hard boiled eggs and other veg added, it can be a complete meal rather than a side dish.
In addition to all of the great suggestions just wanted to mention a few things… The Oh She Glows site is great and she has a new book out. I would suggest Alicia Silverstone’s book, the Kind Diet. I am not kidding. The recipes in there are easy to make and some are quite good. Middle Eastern food is a great option. My kids love it when I make falafel, tahini, and humus at home, pair it all with cucumber/tomato salad and let them stuff their own pitas. Veggie burritos and tacos are great ways to make beans more interesting. Also check out the DALS minestrone. I know you recommend that one for a Sunday but after making it so many times, I have gotten pretty fast at it. Edamame is a great protein snack for kids. Vegetarian sushi rolls using cucumber, avocado and just about any other fun vegetable or fruit is also fun to make at home. Kids love to get involved. Serve with Miso soup or salad with ginger dressing. Once you get used to it, vegetarian cooking is so much fun.
Jenny – you forgot one of our DALS favorites – blackbean and goat cheese quesadillas!
My husband and I are neither vegetarians nor parents (yet), but we eat a flexitarian/mostly vegetable diet for health/money/political reasons. Also, we just really like vegetables.
Our favorite lately has been a vegetable sandwich that Everday Food published a few years ago, and that Shutterbean just blogged about within the last few weeks, found here: http://www.shutterbean.com/2014/the-ultimate-veggie-sandwich/ Basically, you shred up some hearty veggies (beets, carrots), slice up some cukes, tomato, radish, avocado, slather your bread with hummus, and load it all up. There are tons of variations, including a mixture of cooked and raw veggies, and you can build it so that the meat eaters can add chicken or whatever. We’ve been doing the raw version because we live in Florida and it’s already well into the 80s every day, but for cooler climates, a goat cheese and roasted beet sandwich, or roasted broccoli with a little cheddar, would be awesome.
Another meal with endless variations is the pasta with some kind of vegetable, in about 50/50 ratio. That is, 50% pasta and 50% vegetable, and add meat if you eat it. My faves are bucatini with green beans and asparagus (simply blanched or roasted), cappellini with mashed brocolli/cauliflower with garlic and tons of parm (recipe in Tamar Adler’s book, see below), and penne with roasted grape tomatoes and summer squash/zucchini, with garlic and parm; you can add a fried or poached egg on any of the above. Also, pesto! We make pesto with nearly any leafy herb/ delicate green, and nearly any nut (parsley and walnut or almond is a fave, but we’ve also used arugula, mizuna, red frills, and carrot tops). We’re also huge fans of the mezze platter, (roasted red peppers, hummus, tabouli, pita, etc.), and good ol’ caprese salad. Nearly any vegetable can be made into a soup – we recently did a pureed fava bean soup and it was so satisfying and delicious – and you can serve it with a panini or grilled cheese. We also love the omlette with salad dinner. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned any of the amazing Asian dishes that we make. Asian kale salad with edamame, or soba noodles with fried tofu mango, and cilantro. There’s a whole world of exciting options there that don’t include a scrap of meat! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it all.
A great book to read to get the creative juices flowing is “An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace” by Tamar Adler. It’s all about making the most of your ingredients, and making your meals transition smoothly one into the other. The author relies heavily on vegetables, as they are the most economical way of eating, but there are also some meat dishes, too. It’s beautifully written, and as soon as I finished it, I re-read it, highlighting all of the excellent ideas the author has.
And obviously, Deborah Madison is the queen of exciting vegetarian, and I love Mark Bittman’s Vegetarian Tome. Oh, and Smitten Kitchen is great because, although Deb isn’t a vegetarian, she was for many years and tends to focus more on these bright, happy vegetable-based dishes. She’s awesome.
OMG, I totally forgot to mention “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi. If that doesn’t make you fall in love with vegetables (I mean, head over heels, can’t get enough), nothing will. It is, hands down, the most beautiful cookbook I have ever seen. Yep, I said it.
I’d like to toss in a suggestion of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s book Veg Everyday. (isbn 978-1408812129). I like seitan alot but am also in for tofu. Go with firm and extra-firm, and marinate it. Also, don’t use too much, just a tiny bit to give the dish a bit of body.
Veggie tacos! Saute or roast any variety of vegetables, garbanzo beans, and top with hot sauce/salsa, avocado slices, and cheese. Feeding vegetarians can be fun and delicious!
We tend to go with a basic bowl formula for fall back vegetarian dinners, when I’m feeling less than inspired. A grain or starch + protein + veggies and greens that we have on hand, and some kind of sauce. This is often rice and black beans with corn and squash, topped with salsa or hot sauce. We’ve also done Asian variations or pasta variations. Additions like cheese and meat are easy for any who want.
Check out Daily Garnish for some very easy veg options too.
Plenty should be on the list, it is an amazing cookbook.
I eat meat about once a month and my kids only eat it on weekends. There is a world of dishes to make besides beans and lentils. Mushrooms are a great addition to your rotation. You can put them in pastas, stir fry and serve with rice, over polenta…Soups are a great dinner, you can turn broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots into great soups and serve with a nice crusty bread.
I always liked the Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook for its quick and cheap recipes like black beans & brown rice cooked in dark beer, topped with salsa, cheese and avocados. Also shredded sweet potato and black bean quesadillas. It’s definitely not on par with Plenty, but a lot easier to make on a weeknight!
So many great suggestions here! I’m pescetarian, but can echo most of the meals that people have pointed out. I definitely second the person who mentioned seitan as a great meat alternative – check out Upton’s. We also adore Field Roast veg sausages. And to add to the chorus of “tacos!!” – check out the sweet potato tacos from bevcooks -http://bevcooks.com/2012/01/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-tacos-with-swiss-chard-pesto/ – they will seriously ROCK your world.
Thank you for being a parent who takes your children’s choices seriously! When I was about 10, I decided to become a vegetarian, and my parents laughed at me! They didn’t have a conversation with me about it or even try to educate me about what it really meant.
Sammi
Many blogs now have some vegetarian recipes. I’ve flirted with vegetarianism most of my adult life and followed a vegan diet for about five years. I’m now a committed omnivore, but I eat meals without meat often.
Check ethnic cuisines – most have a variety of main dishes that don’t include meat. Just Italian, Mexican and Chinese offer a huge variety.