Vegetarian Menu Ideas?

[Ktw]

I am hosting an adult dinner party this weekend. One couple is vegetarian. Any menu ideas?

[Varaile]

How strictly vegetarian are they?

If they eat fish, you could prepare any number of fish/seafood dishes. I do this for my SIL and it works well; we have a meat based dish and I make her a fish based dish then we all enjoy the sides.

If they don't eat any meat products, how about Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna? Or any other vegan type lasagna dish? Serve with a crusty garlic bread and a side salad.

In Nov CL they had a delicious Mushroom Strudel in the Vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. Would that be something everyone would like?

Good luck! :D

[lindrusso]

If they are not vegan, I can give you a couple of recipes that would probably satisfy both meat eaters and vegetarians. However, both recipes contain cheese, so that would not fly with vegans.

The recipes are:
Black Bean Enchiladas - this recipe is involved, but delicious.
Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce
Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna (from CL)
Pesto Lasagna

If you'd like any of these, just post here or send me a private message.

[beccathebaker]

I love to have "burrito night" when cooking for vegetarians. I make spicy beans, brown rice, grilled veggies, buy salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, shred some lettuce and chop up tomatoes. I then buy corn and flour tortillas and basically let everyone put together their own burrito. You can grill some chicken or beef for the non veggies as well.

This kind of meal is great with grilled fruit or sorbet for dessert and people have fun fashioning a burrito to their own liking.

Let me know what you decide to make.

Becca

[goldilocks]

I do a lot of vegetarian entertaining. The Polenta with Peppers and Fontina Cheese (this is not the correct title) that was featured as a 'back to the best' a couple of months ago is fantastic. I made my own polenta, but store bought would be just as good. I served this with roasted green beans and the Mocha Pudding Cake.

Will you be making an entree for the non-veggies as well?

Lindrusso if it's not too much trouble, I would love all of those recipes!

[lindrusso]

Hi Goldilocks! No problem. However, since some of these are so long, I'll just post the links to the recipes that have already been posted. Enjoy!


The Cannelloni Recipe:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14559&highlight=cannelloni

The Enchilada Recipe:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3822&highlight=enchiladas

Spinach Lasagna Recipe:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=906&highlight=SpinachMushroom+Lasagna


Pesto Lasagna
(from Mollie Katzen's Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
Note: I did not write down the recipe for pesto since I use my own. If you need one, just let me know.

1 pound fresh spinach
1 cup onion, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pesto sauce (see page )
2 pounds (4 cups) ricotta cheese
9 lasagna noodles, you can use regular, spinach or whole wheat noodles)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, in thin slices or grated
1 28-ounce jar of marinara sauce, optional

1. Clean and stem the spinach. Chop it very fine. Set aside temporarily. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (save the rest for the noodles) until the onions are soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper in moderate quantities. Remove from heat. Stir the raw spinach into the hot onions. Transfer to a large bowl. Add half the grated Parmesan, the pesto, and the ricotta. Grind in some extra black pepper. Mix thoroughly.

3. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions - leaving them slightly undercooked. Rinse them under cold water and toss them with marinara sauce or olive oil. Spoon a little sauce into bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or if not using marinara sauce, lightly grease the bottom of the pan). Place a layer of 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/2 of pesto/cheese mixture onto the noodles. Top with 1/3 of mozzarella cheese followed by 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Repeat this process two more times, ending with 3 lasagna noodles topped with remaining marinara sauce and cheeses. If not using marinara sauce, end with noodles topped with cheeses and drizzle top with extra olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

[lorilei]

Can I shamelessly promote my recipe for TOFU manicotti?

I often make this dish and serve it to unsuspecting meat eaters with garlic bread and a nice big salad. It's a vegetarian dish that EVERYONE will love (seriously... everyone) and it won't make you feel as if you're missing the meat.

_____________________________

Here is the recipe for TOFU RICOTTA, which is the base for making TOFU MANICOTTI. I highly recommend extra firm tofu (not silken), as it gives a more firm consistency; however, if you prefer something mushier, feel free to substitute.

Once the "ricotta" is made, you just fill the boiled manicotti with the mixture, top with your favorite (or not so favorite) tomato sauce and bake (covered) at 375 for 40 minutes or so. I always uncover the whole mess and sprinkle a bit of mozzarella/parmesan/romano over mine in the last 10 minutes of baking.

And so, without further adieu!...

TOFU RICOTTA for MANICOTTI

1 lb firm tofu, crumbled
2 T olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt (to taste)
1 pk frozen spinach, thawed & drained (optional)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)


Place first four ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend to desired consistency. (I often put mine in my Kitchen Aid and whip it "to death" so that it meets my standards) Add salt to taste. Add spinach and/or basil, if you're choosing to use it.

Use this mixture for manicotti, lasagna, and anywhere else ricotta cheese is called for.

[JenZen]

CL ran a recipe for Vegetarian Chilli a few months back, which was really, really good. I'm not even vegetarian.

[laughsandlaughs]

Originally posted by lorilei
Can I shamelessly promote my recipe for TOFU manicotti?

Lorilei,

Before I forget, I keep wanting to tell you that I love your name, it's so pretty.

My question is about how many manicotti does this recipe make and how many is a decent serving size.
Thanks!

Elizabeth

[mlynn]

I love the Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce I can't wait to make it again--it is delicious.

[AndreaU]

One of my all-time favorites from Roz Denny's "Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook." (Suitable for Lacto-Ovo vegetarians as butter, cheese & eggs are used.) This is not a quickie recipe, but well worth the time & effort. My ultimate comfort food!

Broccoli Risotto Torte (Serves 6)

8 oz. broccoli, cut into very small florets
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
2 T. olive oil
4 T. butter
1-1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-1/2 cups stock/broth
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated*
4 eggs, separated
Cooking spray

1. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes then drain and reserve.
2. In a large saucepan, gently saute onion, garlic and yellow pepper in the oil and butter for 5 minutes until they are soft.
3. Stir in the rice, cook for a minute then pour in the wine. Cook, stirring the mixture until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Pour in the stock/broth, season well, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, spray a 10" round deep cake pan and line the base with a disc of waxed paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Stir the cheese into the rice, allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks. Stir in broccoli.
7. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and carefully fold into the rice. Turn into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until risen, golden brown and slightly wobbly in the center.
8. Allow the torte to cool in the pan, then chill if serving cold. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and shake out onto a serving plate.

(This is Andrea again... Enjoy! *Sometimes I will use 2 cheeses (1/2 and 1/2)- Parmesan and cheddar or Parmesan and Monteray Jack work well for a creamier texture. I serve this hot, letting it sit for a few mintues after taking it from the oven. I've never served it cold as in the recipe, but I'm sure it would be just as good. This makes for great leftovers, too!)

[laughsandlaughs]

Black Bean Enchiladas
Cannelloni with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce


How many people are these recipes supposed to serve? I'm guessing 6? Any idea the nutritional info on either? They both sound great and I'd like to try them both.

[lindrusso]

Elizabeth -

Whoops - forgot the servings! The Cannelloni serves 6 and the Enchiladas recipe simply says "makes 12 tortillas" :) , so I guess you'd have to guesstimate. If you're using the small tortillas, you might estimate 2 per person to be safe, serving 6.

According to Mastercook, the nutritional info on the Cannelloni would be, per serving: 414 calories (41% from fat) and 19 grams fat.

Sorry, the way the recipe is set up for the Enchiladas, it would take me a while to figure it all out! Mastercook does not separate out all the recipes, so you'd need to figure out the chili first, figure out how much is in 3 cups, figure out the sauce separately, etc.! Maybe someone out there knows an easier way!

[KathrynY]

Lots of good suggestions above! I'll add my own $.02....

The last time I served a mixed group of vegetarians and non-veg, I provided alternatives for both. My menu was:

Appetizer - Fresh tomato/artichoke heart bruschetta
Dinner - Marinated Strawberry-Orange Salad (CL)
Balsamic Grilled Vegetables (CL)
Garlicky Brown Rice (BB/CL - with veg broth instead of chicken)
Mustard-Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin (CL - pork instead of salmon)
Bakery fresh bread
Desserts - Molasses Ginger Cookies (family recipe)
Rum-marinated Strawberry and Pineapple chunks (weight watchers recipe)

I find that sometimes the non-veg men in particular are not satisfied with a meatless entree, and if I provide a substantial alternative for the vegetarians (a hearty rice or pasta dish), there is something at the table for everyone.

Please let us know what you end up serving - I'm always looking for new ideas! :)

[Ktw]

sYou guys are amazing! Thanks for all of the menu ideas. I am going to make the cannelloni with spinach for sure, and am still deciding on the rest. I want to do a buffet, so some meatless and others with meat. I will let you know the final menu! Plus, if anyone has any ideas for make ahead entrees, please let me know. I plan on doing the cooking ahead of time. Peace!

[Tally]

...posting a bit late to this thread, but I wanted to add a big thumbs up to the Pesto Lasagna recipe posted by Lindrusso. This is one of my (meat-eating) husband's favorite recipes. It's easy to assemble and tastes delicious. My only modification is to add a handful of toasted pine nuts. Yum!