I HATE dinner time

actually I hate figuring out what to fix. I used to love to cook but now it's nothing but a pain in the ass. My daughter is a vegetarian and neither she nor my wife are fond of beans. I eat a lot of meat but try to fix things that the whole family can eat until I have a major burger craving. When our vegan son is home the problem gets even worse with no cheese or eggs allowed. We end up having pasta way to often. I'm sick to death of pasta and other carbs.

Anyone have a non-carb, non-bean vegetarian main course recipe that would appeal to a teen and a carnivorous dad?

well i'm SERVING it over noodles :D

What you do to yourself in your private time doesn't need to be shared here!

Anything you make with ground beef can be made with TVP. I do sloppy joes, tacos, soups, and stews. Most carnivores won't notice the difference. You can get it as plain TVP and rehydrate and season as needed or purchase already seasoned varieties (Boca and Morningstar make frozen versions). The latter being more expensive.

Also, stop by the veggie forum. Lots of tasty recipes that veggies and carnivores will like.

Yes it's ok but i can't stand it too often. I have made veggie chili, veggie tacoes, and veggie meat sauce for spaghetti with it.

I'm pretty good at taking regular recipes and adapting for veggies.

If it was just for me I would eat steak and a salad every other night. On the "other" night I would go for chili, gumbo, BBQ chicken, ribs, grilled fish, BLT sandwich, ham. I'm not being difficult to try you but that is the way I eat.

Things like chili and gumbo can be made veggie. For the other nights, can you do a meat dish for you and have the kids substitute with a meat substitute (grilled tofu,gardenburger chicken, ribs, etc.) and share side dishes. The leftover meat could be added to your portion of veggie meals.

Soups are always good in the winter. Make a veggie soup. You can have a sandwich (BLT, ham) along with it.

Are you the household chef or do get assistance on this?

I used to do a lot of Cajun/Creole and French cooking, but that has all gone by the wayside over the years in lieu of just trying to get something on the table.

Is SUPER good. Plus, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai foods are good for vegetarian options -- but you have to learn how to cook them.

Try a curried soup with coconut milk. Or a pumpkin soup with heavy cream (for the non-vegans). Or a creamed squash or tomato soup. Senegalese tomato soup -- tomato soup with curry, peanut butter, scallions, onion. Hummos sandwiches are always good. Cook up a stir-fry with peanut sauce, tofu, green beans, red pepper, carrots and onions.

Nutloaf rocks -- some people like Quorn products. A Quorn chicken(ish) cutlet (non-vegan), with a side of nut loaf, spiced with sage, some asparagus and some new potatoes, yeah?

Miso soup (vegan), with mushrooms, bean sprouts, tofu and green onion. A veggie pizza with artichoke hearts, olives, tomato chunks, fresh garlic and a variety of cheeses? Or a pineapple, orange pepper, banana pepper, spinach, onion veggie pizza.

Do they like lentils? If so, a Dal is easy. Sag paneer (spinach w/paneer cheese) is harder, but good. A vegetarian chinese stir-fry -- put some baby bok choi in it...yum. Vegan/Vegetarian sushi, too.

You could also try different grains for carbs: brown and wild rice (make a mushroom confit, and pour it over the top), quinoa, barley, polenta, etc.

Or spice up some of the other carbs: deluxe grilled cheese with red peppers.

And then, there's the giant salad. Try nuts & seeds, new oils, lots of different cheeses -- all the vegetables, (you and son can put on beans, if you like) -- you could even get some chicken cubes for yourself.

I eat low carb, and try to limit my meat intake, as well. I'm not a vegetarian, but I keep it to a minimum. Get a good vegetarian cookbook, and start there.

Miso is good, but not filling.
Pizza is a staple but I would like to limit pizza/pasta to once a week.
Hummos is a staple for my son, but no one else in the family likes it.
What the Hell is Quorn? Is that the beige grainy stuff?
I need to do some stir fry, haven't tried that in a while.

You have no idea the number of things I have tried.

...there's not really a main course.

Spinach salad with (seedless) red grapes, walnuts & diced smoked tofu with raspberry vin. (Don't make this with plain tofu!!) Also sweet potato fries (actually baked, skin-on, SO good for you) with chipotle aioli (actually made from vegenaise.)


Last night we had hummus & baba ghanouj (homemade is the way to go--if you want recipes, let me know) with baked pita chips & lots of vegetables.

You can make BLTs--just use vegenaise or some vegan sub, and fake bacon. (Morningstar breakfast strips are vegetarian, tempeh strips are vegan.) Also mock tuna (made of crushed garbanzos with chopped green onion & a little dry mustard with mayo sub.)

The easiest "make-everyone-happy" meal is something like tostadas--just fry up the tortillas and serve with an assortment of stuff--lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, salsa, beans, rice, whatever dairy & meat your family likes. Let them build their own.

Next time your son is home, c'mon over to the veg*n group and check out the recipe thread. There are both vegetarian and vegan recipes there, actually, so why wait?

Seems to make sense. That way you don't get cut out in the bargain.

But I have done it.

Exploring what I don't know.

Daughter puts away clean dishes and helps with clean up. Wife does dirty dishes.
Making separate entries means I'm cooking two meals.

And on the seventh, all of you helping with each step of the way. :)

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/
although their idea of meatless means you can have fish/shellfish
Their Basil Eggplant, Egg Foo yung and meatless jambalaya all look doable.

oops never mind. I saw my suggestion was already posted.

seems to be trendy this year.

If you have to cook for vegetarians, I suggest learning Indian cooking. But, if you're a vegetarian, you pretty much have to learn to like beans.

It's what I'm fixing for dinner tonight. Potatoes in a pepper and coconut sauce.

I add Mrs Dash to the rice to give it some zing.

Saute garlic and walnuts in olive oil and set aside. Saute spinach and
add in the garlic and walnuts, top with fresh pepper and parmesian cheese
if you'd like. Serve along with or mixed into the rice.

You can add in chicken or whatever (salmon's good) for the meat eaters or
smoked tofu for the vegans.

we have a great thread of veggie/vegan recipes pinned to the top. heres a link to that thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=231&topic_id=497&mesg_id=497
(if there is an item in the receipe someone doesn't like, you can always substitute it for something else)

Also, check out Morning Star Farms brand veggie food. great chick patties and grillers :9

As for the Morningstar/Boca stuff, we do use it a lot as filler for nights my wife and I want some meat on the grill. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong but it just seems like fast food to me. Sort like "Hey kids mom and I are going out for a fancy meal and you get McDonalds" mentality.

....and my mother is making chicken paprikash, and I can't stand the stuff because the sauce is always watery and splashes all over my clothes (the stains are impossible to get out!). Also, my sister and brother-in-law are coming for dinner, which means five of us getting squashed at a small dining table, and me getting totally ignored while my mom, sis, and BIL yack about stuff. My dad doesn't talk at all.

I'd rather order a pizza and watch the March of the Penguins DVD I borrowed from work.