Vegetarian Houseguest

Be careful with soups and prepared foods. Chicken broth, beef broth, chicken fat, etc. are in so many items. You have to read the labels. It is a shame when someone buys me something specific and it has an ingredient that I do not eat.

My in law is vegetarian. My mil will make a casserole or enchiladas or basically anything the whole family will eat, but will save a few corners and not put meat in that section... like make a few cheese and bean enchiladas and not put in the meat, or make spaghetti sauce, put reserve the meatballs on the side.

It also depends if she is vegan about the cheese ravioli... does she still eat dairy, eggs? Some vegetarians eat fish. I know she likely wont give a list, but maybe she can give a few meal ideas of what she likes. Is she a tofu person?

It really depends on the vegetarian as far as what she will eat. I am vegetarian and my parents are not, so here are some of the things my mom does when we are coming.

Taco night, all the fixings seperately and she just makes some beans for us (even refried beans from a can would probably be fine) and ground beef for them.

Top your own pizza. This would be fun for your kids too. I make my own dough when we do it, but you could also just buy it at the store or your local pizza place.

For lunches we usually do sandwiches, so hummus, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese, etc. With rolls or pitas.

My mother-in-law will usually buy some peppers, onions, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes (or some combination) and roast them in the oven with some olive oil. Have a little provolone on hand and some hoagie rolls and you've got a quick easy meal.

Veggie burgers are a good option to stick in the freezer and you can give her one of those instead of chicken or whatever your meat main dish is and just make veggie sides.

Veggie lasagna can be made ahead and most meat eaters are fine making a meal out of it. (I prefer this to cheese ravioli because it has veggies in it too) If she doesn't eat cheese you can easily make this with tofu instead of ricotta, just search for recipes.

There are tons of options for fake meat that you can incorporate into meals and your kids will likely eat it too. Chickenless nuggets, sausages, hot dogs, etc.

I don't know her reasons for being vegetarian or her dietary habits, but I eat a lot of fruit, so my mom always stocks up on that as well.

If she's ovo-lacto vegetarian and not vegan, cheese and egg dishes are fine.

To have on hand, maybe some frozen raviolis with veggie filling, veggie burgers, salad fixings,

Tailor meals that you would make just making something on the side for her. For instance, make spaghetti and set some sauce aside without the meat for her. Make chilli, but make some without meat but extra beans for her.

Go to www.food.com and find recipes that are vegitarian, that will help. Morning Star is a brand that has lots of vegitarian and vegan frozen options.

You can find it in lots of stores.

Bean burritos are super easy and kids love them, you can get hummus and make like a quesadilla, you can even make rice stir fry with just veggies and have meat on the side in case your family wants some. And if she's not vegan I wouldn't see an issue with the cheese ravioli.

It depends what type of vegetarian she is. If she's vegan then cheese is out too. If she'll eat cheese, eggs, and milk products it will be much easier for you. I'm sure as your guest she will not expect for you to cater to her the entire visit, but it is very considerate of you to do so. You could do lasagna with meatless veggie crumbles (in the freezer aisle, they look just like ground beef), or just make it without meat. Veggie pizza sounds yummy too. Stir fry with tofu, you could make chicken for the kids on the side. Cheese enchiladas, or veggie packed quesadillas. Check out allrecipes.com and search for vegetarian meals and see what you come up with. It's always nice to have a few meatless meals on your menu anyhow.

Fondue with veggies.
Hot pots.
Soups
Japanese or Thai or Chinese dishes uses a lot of veggies. Just omit the meat.
Roasted veggies or grilled veggies.
3 bean salads
Eggplant Parmesean
Spaghetti with just a red tomato sauce
Minestrone soup
Corn chowder

As long as she is vegetarian and not vegan, cheese ravioli would be fine! I am vegetarian and really not that picky either. My mom (not vegetarian) always makes a veggie lasagna dish and always has eggs on hand (I love scrambled/hard boiled... for lunch, breakfast, dinner.... doesn't matter...it's quick and easy!). Hummus is packed with protein... I seem to eat that on a daily basis too! Heck, just ask her what her favorite cereal or oatmeal is. That is simple, and as long as the cereal doesn't have Gelatin in it, it will be vegetarian (and there is plenty of cereal with Gelatin, so make note of that in all of the product you may buy). I make meatless spaghetti all the time. To thicken it up, I generally just add a bunch of veggies to it (onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc). Honestly, it is pretty easy..... just avoid the obvious meat and gelatin in food. Also, in cooking the food, be conscious that many vegetarians don't like it when their food is cooked on the same pan/pot/grill that meat was just on (washed up, fine, but I cringe when I see someone stick my veggie burger straight on the grill!

it would be helpfull if you told us what kind of vegatarian she is. Is she vegan? Does she just not eat meat or meat bi-products? For several years i was a non-dairy vegatarian. Meaning I would not eat meat or milk products. I would get beans (they are a great protien) you could try tofu but it taste horriable if it is not cooked right.

cheese ravioli is fine for a vegetarian......not a vegan. I would ask her what to gat. We aren't all the same.

We are vegan and we eat a lot of garden burgers and PB&J's for lunch. Breakfast is oatmeal, toast or pancakes. We also have protein shakes a lot. Dinner should be more make your own kind of things, like taco's and pizza. This way she doesn't feel like such an odd ball.

I'd make a red lentil soup, with carrots & celery, but be sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

I would also ask her for some menu suggestions..... she may enjoy sharing her food lifestyle with you by sharing some of her favorite recipes.

There is nothing wrong with a meatless meal now and then....

We've been eating black bean quesadillas about every other week... They are really yummy! I take the leftover ones for lunch the next day. If she doesn't eat dairy, you can get fake cheese, I think..... the cheese helps hold it all together.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_quesadillas....

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Some vegetarians eat whatever an animal didnt have to die for to give you, like eggs, milk, etc. Some wont eat anything related to animals, so you better ask her so you have an idea. It's amazing how many animal bi-products are in things that you dont even realize. You'll need to read labels unless you strictly stick to veggies, fruits, beans and grains. You can make some great vegan soups that are savory and delicious. It' is autumn. I love serving soup in small pumpkin shells.

Meat free chili is great! You can make it exactly the same as regular chili . . . just without the meat! And cheese enchiladas, cheese/veggie pizza, and spaghetti (just skip meatballs, or meat in the sauce). These foods are things that you can make for your entire family, and would also be appropriate for your cousin. This way, you won't actually have to shop special and can still please your cousin. Other than those meals, I would make sure you have supplies for basic P, B, & J sandwich lunches, fresh veggies to snack on (carrots, celery, etc.), veggie burgers (morning star brand are good), and salad bags.

I like to make assemble your own mexican food (burritos, tacos) or burgers when I have mixed vegetarians and carnivores. The veggies can just add beans not meat and eat veggie burgers instead of meat ones. That way there are not "special" meals for the "wierdo". Everyone eats a version of the same thing.

Morningstar Farms makes excellent soy based alternatives to chicken patties, veggie burgers, breakfast sausage, etc. I give them to my daughter from time to time and she doesn't notice that they aren't chicken, hehe. (they also make corndogs that we like.) You can make enchiladas with beans and some mild green chilies inside as the filling instead of cheese, and maybe use a little cheese and some olives on top? Black beans are very tasty instead of pinto beans. You can make chili without meat, or even a white chili, without chicken in it. Maybe an eggplant parmesan dish? Have fun with it, you may end up with some keeper recipes that your family will use again.

I would ask to what extreme is she vegetarian. Basically, if she just doesn't eat meat, then make a bit extra of everything else. If she doesn't eat eggs, milk (anything that comes from an animal) then I would make what you normally do and it'll be up to her to do the rest. I wouldn't go out of my way for someone who is an extreme vegetarian. This is their choice and I'm sure she wouldn't want you to go that far our of your way either.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets