Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to serve a meat free meal at a dinner party

124 replies

CoralFish · 18/10/2018 12:35

Having friends round and I am trying to think of a menu. I came up with the following.
Starter: Spiced vegetable fritter topped with fried egg
Main: Lentil Dhal, aubergine and chickpea curry and rice
Dessert: Rice pudding
Mentioned to DP and he said it sounded nice but I should do a chicken curry instead because people will expect meat.
It hadn't occurred to me that there was no meat. None of us is vegetarian. AIBU to not give people meat? Nobody would say anything, but would they go home afterwards saying 'shame there was no chicken'?
My main concern was having rice twice in the meal! Grin

OP posts:
zzzzz · 18/10/2018 13:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheWiseWomansFear · 18/10/2018 13:07

I wouldn't care. Me and DP eat a lot of vegetarian food despite being meat eaters. His dad would be moody though and think you cheap.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 18/10/2018 13:08

I forgot to say - in answer to your question - no, it would not bother me in the slightest if I went to a friend's house for dinner and was served a meat free meal. In my opinion, it would be rude to go to a dinner party, and complain about the food (unless it was woefully undercatered, or the food was inedible).

Your menu sounds delicious, and anyway, you go to dinner with friends as much for the company as for the food.

Sexnotgender · 18/10/2018 13:13

That sounds amazing apart from the rice pudding but that’s just personal preference.

I wouldn’t even notice the lack of meat.

Dontfeellikeamillenial · 18/10/2018 13:14

Sounds good to me.

Maybe a sorbet for pud?

bellinisurge · 18/10/2018 13:14

I wouldn't care. Delicious Food cooked and tidied away by someone else? All good.

RandomObject · 18/10/2018 13:18

Blah, chicken curry is BORING.

This sounds delicious. I'm not a veggie but I adore veggie curry.

Bombay potatoes with the main would be great and pretty simple to do.

5foot5 · 18/10/2018 13:19

I'm going to do a spiced chai flavoured one, and I know there are no rice pudding haters at the table

I love rice pudding but I can't get my head round a spiced version.

That apart your menu sounds great. I am another meat eater who often eats meat free meals and wouldn't mind in the least that you hadn't served meat.

KC225 · 18/10/2018 13:24

I used to always have meat free dinners as I didn't eat meat. My DH eats now but we have separate ovens. Meat free oven is mine so he will cook meat dishes.

Had friends we dined with a lot around 3 times a month pre DH and one friend would always say 'That was lovely, only thing missing was a bit of pork'. It became his catchphrase. Totally agree with the poster above saying do not get smug and preachy about it being meatless. But all sounds delicious.

IAmGrootGrootGroot · 18/10/2018 13:25

Why not do a side of tandoori chicken?

trojanpony · 18/10/2018 13:26

I think starter and main sounds nice but I must confess I would be desperately disappointed by rice pudding for dessert Blush

Jeippinghmip · 18/10/2018 13:28

I have no problem with your main course but the starter sounds vile and rice pudding is disgusting.

Seniorcitizen1 · 18/10/2018 13:28

I wouldn’t want to go to a dinner party that served that menu. Don’t like anything on it.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 18/10/2018 13:29

I was also going to suggest doing some tandoori chicken thighs. Not much more work or money.
Definite no to rice pudding after a rice side dish

SleepingStandingUp · 18/10/2018 13:30

Can't believe people would come, eat that lovely meal and then wonder about how your coping being so poor you couldn't stretch to a bit of cheap chicken!!

lastqueenofscotland · 18/10/2018 13:32

I really can’t believe people get so weirdly emotive about not having any meat.
OP it sounds delicious.

Loopytiles · 18/10/2018 13:32

I would like that menu but DH wouldn’t, he’d want meat! know a fair few people who dislike dahl.

SpiritedLondon · 18/10/2018 13:33

I wouldn’t want to go to a dinner party that served that menu. Don’t like anything on it.

Note - remember not to invite Seniorcitizen1

triwarrior · 18/10/2018 13:34

I'm a huge carnivore and although if I'm
honest I'd probably be a touch disappointed at the lack of meat, I'd tuck it and likely find it delicious! That said, I love Indian food. Maybe change out the dessert though - that might be rice overload.

hibbledibble · 18/10/2018 13:36

It sounds lovely. No one needs to eat meat for every meal!

Jeippinghmip · 18/10/2018 13:38

There’s nothing wrong with meat free. Having rice twice is wrong.

TooTrueToBeGood · 18/10/2018 13:39

I'm a ragingly enthusiastic meat eater. However, as long as the food is to my taste and i don't have to listen to someone boring on about their vegetarian outlook it wouldn't bother me at all.

OlderThanAverageforMN · 18/10/2018 13:39

Sorry, bucking the trend here. I couldn't eat that, it's all too heavy. Too much carb, too much bean and rice. There is nothing light or green. I know you have a vegetable starter, but then that is fried. All way too stodgy.

huggybear · 18/10/2018 13:40

I think you can get away with meat free with Indian as there's so many different options to add texture.

Omeletteandbeans · 18/10/2018 13:43

Let them know in advance that the menu just so happens to be vegetarian and if they don't want to come, ask me instead because I think it sounds delicious.

This idea that it's not a proper meal if there isn't a bit of dead animal on the plate is definitely one of those "only on mumsnet" things for me.