# Vegetarian meals for meat eaters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089 "2011-09-30T00:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/21 "2011-09-30T08:21:04Z")
Egg and dairy are ok, right, since it’s vegetarian and not vegan? Potato omelette as the main dish, of course 🙂 It’s my go-to vegetarian dish, what can I say… other options include artichokes omelette, okra omelette, and cut lengthwise battered-in-egg then fried okra (we call a similar invention “vegetarian fish”, in my family). These are a couple of suggestions from [my go-to link](http://mumpersrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Meatless), there’s a bunch of meatless recipes under “main dishes” as well (including an [aubergine pasta bake](http://mumpersrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/aubergine-eggplant-pasta-bake.html); I haven’t tried **ScareyFaerie** ’s particular recipe but I’ve had similar ones and they’re goooooood). My potato omelette should be in there somewhere… [eureka!](http://mumpersrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/06/tortilla-de-patatas.html) What we call _arroz a la cubana_ in Spain is something which always makes Cubans laugh, as it’s not something they would have cooked - it’s actually a derivative of a Cuban dish, though. The original Spanish version involves, for each person: white rice, tomato sauce, one fried egg and one or two sausages. To go vegetarian: no sausages, add mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/22 "2011-09-30T11:46:32Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > How about a “southern” night with macaroni and cheese, collard greens, black eyed peas and cornbread? If it’s authentic Southern, don’t at least three of those dishes contain at least 50% bacon 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/23 "2011-09-30T12:56:58Z")
There’s this portabella mushroom pasta that I always swear has meat in it. It’s a very creamy sauce cheese sauce, but you didn’t say vegan. I think it’s a mushroom parmesan, but I’m not exactly sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/24 "2011-09-30T14:08:08Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > If it’s authentic Southern, don’t at least three of those dishes contain at least 50% bacon 😕 😃 This is the menu for our annual New Years Day party. I have friends that do a lot of entertaining for a group that includes a lot of vegetarians, for this meal they actaully make 2 batches of the greens and 2 of the beans, one with the pork and one without. And they serve fried chicken for the meat-eaters – their veggie stuff is so good I usually skip the meat dishes at their parties, though. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/25 "2011-09-30T14:44:58Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Before you completely dismiss the fakey meat products, give the Gardenburger BBQ Riblets a try. > > Ohhhhh… > ~VOW While I fully intend to keep on dismissing those “fakey meat products,” I will eat vegetarian if the food is good. There’s a cloned recipe for the original Gardenburger over [here](http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/516/Gardenburger31429.shtml) that looks pretty good, so I might try it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/26 "2011-10-05T04:31:21Z")
Today was our first no meat dinner night. It went over better than I could have imagined. Jasmine rice in the rice cooker with a bay leaf and fresh sage. The potaotoes: Two teaspoons red chili powder Two teaspoons tumeric 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 2 mushed and diced garlic cloves. All that mixed together with enough water to make a paste. Boil 4 large potatoes, skin and all. When potatoes are soft, cut into cubes. The potaotoes will skin themselves. Toss with paste until evenly covered. Add oil to a deep frying pan. Fry potatoes until, well, until they look good. I expected the potatoes to do well. My family loves them some potatoes. The lentils, however, were a bigger hit than expected. Especially since they were “in place” of the meat. Dice one very large onion. In a medium saucepan, cook onions until a little brown. Toss in 3 or for minced garlic cloves. Cook that until it looks yummy. Add a whole lot of Jamaican curry and a tablespoon of butter. Cook that down. Add two cans of lentils and a half cup of chicken broth. Cook, uncovered until liquid dissipates, stirring frequently. Poor gobs on top of jasmine rice. I cannot convey how much the meat-eaters loved the lentils. I have been asked to make this meal again only next time, moar! Next week, Portabella stroganoff. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/27 "2011-10-05T04:48:01Z")
Not beef, but some of the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had was a vegetarian dish made with crumbled tempeh instead of sausage. It is all in the seasoning. I don’t have the recipe from the vegetarian place in Columbus OH where they make the divine stuff that I _know_ is the bomb, but there are a bunch of other recipes online and here are a few: > **[Biscuits and Gravy and Weekends](https://www.yourveganmom.com/your_vegan_mom/2010/01/biscuits-and-gravy-1.html)** > > (I wrote this on Saturday morning. There may be some verb tense confusion, but maaan, it's been a bit hectic here. You'll forgive me, right?) Desmond was at my mom's all last week. This sounds great. Three is such a... [http://www.epicorganic.net/2010/03/26/tempeh-sausage-gravy-biscuits/](http://www.epicorganic.net/2010/03/26/tempeh-sausage-gravy-biscuits/) > **[Vegan Adventure #7](https://pastrybrush.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/vegan-adventure-7/)** > > Back in college, I used to always go to this vegetarian restaurant. They had the best breakfast in the entire world. I would stick with my usual scrambled eggs over spicy potatoes and a homemade bi… ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/28 "2011-10-05T05:19:11Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Today was our first no meat dinner night. It went over better than I could have imagined. > > Jasmine rice in the rice cooker with a bay leaf and fresh sage. > > The potaotoes: > Two teaspoons red chili powder > Two teaspoons tumeric > 1/4 teaspoon cumin > 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg > 2 mushed and diced garlic cloves. > All that mixed together with enough water to make a paste. > Boil 4 large potatoes, skin and all. When potatoes are soft, cut into cubes. The potaotoes will skin themselves. Toss with paste until evenly covered. Add oil to a deep frying pan. Fry potatoes until, well, until they look good. > > I expected the potatoes to do well. My family loves them some potatoes. > > The lentils, however, were a bigger hit than expected. Especially since they were “in place” of the meat. > > Dice one very large onion. In a medium saucepan, cook onions until a little brown. Toss in 3 or for minced garlic cloves. Cook that until it looks yummy. Add a whole lot of Jamaican curry and a tablespoon of butter. Cook that down. > > Add two cans of lentils and a half cup of chicken broth. Cook, uncovered until liquid dissipates, stirring frequently. Poor gobs on top of jasmine rice. > > I cannot convey how much the meat-eaters loved the lentils. I have been asked to make this meal again only next time, moar! Next week, Portabella stroganoff. That sounds great to this vegetarian… right up to the chicken broth! Change to vegetable broth and you’re set. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/29 "2011-10-05T05:30:15Z")
Sounds a lot like daal bhaat, although that usually also has some other vegetables in it too (on top of the rice, before you add the lentils). ---
**Author:** ![Anna\_Nimity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Anna\_Nimity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anna_Nimity)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/30 "2011-10-05T06:01:29Z")
I highly recommend the Indian dish Chana Masala. The best recipe I have found is on You Tube by Vah Chef. Its so good and fairly easy to make, the recipe calls for ginger garlic paste which is super easy to make with fresh garlic and ginger in your food processor. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/31 "2011-10-05T08:03:38Z")
meatless chili using pinto beans, onions, celery, diced zuchinni. eat it with vegetarian hotdogs. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/32 "2011-10-05T09:00:13Z")
Pizza Margherithe. Tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil. It isn’t vegan, but it ain’t greasy or heavy. It’s my favorite pizza, and I eat meat almost every day. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/33 "2011-10-07T00:07:08Z")
Not to threadshit but sheesh, can you imagine if someone wanted to, once a week, prepare meaty meals for a vegetarian family? That said, breakfast for dinner might be a good way, if you leave out the bacon and sausage. Pancakes, waffles, eggs however they like it, french toast, regular toast with butter and or jelly or whatever they like on toast, there’s a lot of stuff you could change around to keep it from being the same every time. And lots of people find it to be a big fun deal to have breakfast for dinner. I may not support your vegetarian night goals but good luck anyway. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/34 "2011-10-07T00:23:42Z")
Being a meat eater does not exclude not eating meat the same way being a vegetarian excludes eating meat. What a funny thought that people who eat meat wouldn’t enjoy meatless meals now and again. I love meat, but enjoy good food- meat, meatless, fish, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/35 "2011-10-07T01:33:38Z")
My mom and I have been eating a lot of roasted veggie sandwiches this summer, since we joined a Community Sponsored Agriculture group and find ourselves with a lot of summer squash and eggplant. You can toss squash, eggplant, onions and peppers in Italian salad dressing then roast them in the oven. Spread some good crusty bread with brie or chevre cheese and then put the veggies on the bread. Spray the bread with cooking spray and heat on a skillet until warm through. It’s awesome!! Also you can have burgers with all of the fixin’s and none of the meat just by substituting portabella mushrooms for the patties. Look online for how to marinate. I bet they’d be good with Montreal seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/36 "2011-10-07T01:35:27Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Not to threadshit but sheesh, can you imagine if someone wanted to, once a week, prepare meaty meals for a vegetarian family? This is because vegetarians don’t eat meat, so someone trying to force their family to eat things they don’t eat for moral or medical reasons is something to look askance at. Omnivores not eating one of the major food groups? Not so askance-y. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/37 "2011-10-07T03:36:37Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Not to threadshit but sheesh, can you imagine if someone wanted to, once a week, prepare meaty meals for a vegetarian family? > > That said, breakfast for dinner might be a good way, if you leave out the bacon and sausage. Pancakes, waffles, eggs however they like it, french toast, regular toast with butter and or jelly or whatever they like on toast, there’s a lot of stuff you could change around to keep it from being the same every time. And lots of people find it to be a big fun deal to have breakfast for dinner. > > I may not support your vegetarian night goals but good luck anyway. 😕 Are you one of those folks who complains when people don’t explicitly tell you that they’re serving _vegetarian_ hummus dip? ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/38 "2011-10-07T04:12:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > Yeah, I find that Indian dishes do a terrific job of being hearty without meat. Mind you, they’re even better with some lamb, or pork, or chicken… But you might be surprised how tuck-into-able some garbanzo beans can be. Depends on how much MSG you got. 🙂 My staple is rice, chickpeas/other beans and a combination of spices (start with chana marsala, but roll your own once you decide what your family likes) – frozen vegetables, if you have them – and a shitload of “ghee” or basically butter. Anybody who’s hungry will eat a full plate and then some of that. ETA I should say, if it’s for economy you’re economizing – it’s no trick to cook beans from dry. Don’t even worry about soaking them overnight – just start cookin.’ Chickpeas take a little longer, and can be a little finicky, but even those, I wouldn’t worry about too much. If you have a crockPot or an old-fashioned “rice”-cooker – those work great IMHO. Otherwise a few hours over low heat on the stove. and you’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/39 "2011-10-07T04:24:40Z")
I think [quorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorn) is yummy, especially when made & battered at home and not bought frozen. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089/40 "2011-10-07T05:43:50Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I think [quorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorn) is yummy, especially when made & battered at home and not bought frozen. Ooooh love me some quorn;) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vegetarian-meals-for-meat-eaters/598089.md?page=1)