Self catering holiday with a veggie for a week

[Lorey]

Later in the year I have an air BnB booked in the lakes. DB will be bringing his new gf who is a veggie. We will be taking it in turns to make dinner. Whenever db and his gf come to stay with us for the weekend we make veggie food - not hard for a weekend with curries, pastas etc.

i can see how on a couple of nights we could cater for both ie we have burgers and the gf will have a halloumi burger. Or we’ll cook chicken separately and add to creamy pesto pasta for meat eaters in a separate pan

I’m just curious how your family would go about it. I reckon our meals will be mostly veggie including brekkie. Bit annoying. But thinking about it if I were the veggie I would say you guys crack on with non veggie meals and where I can’t easily be catered for I will sort myself out. As opposed to impacting everyone else for an entire week

what do you guys do?

Cooked breakfast. (Pack of veggie sausage )

Goats cheese salads

Soups

Veggie casserole ( fry some chicken and add that to meat eaters plates)

Good spot

I hope we havent discovered she is using ,,,,, gasp,,,, a ready meal!!!

But that then to me starts feeling like a chore. One wellington that I make all the time with a glass of red and some music = fun. Making an additional veggie version using a new recipe, twice the cookware etc = pain in the arse

I think you need to be upfront with her about this, and let her know so she can make alternative arrangements, no one would want to be the cause of all the over thinking and resentful feelings you are having.

We are quite big meat eaters, but one of my siblings is vegetarian and it's never been a big deal to do a variation on a theme. Like make a curry base then take out a portion and put extra veggies or paneer in it, while adding meat to the main pot. Or if you are making a pastry for a wellington too, use some of it and some of the mushroom layer to make a small mushroom pie. Or if it's a roast type meal, roast some cauliflower steaks alongside. This is only a big deal as you are making it one.

Blimey, OP, you're on your high horse a bit.

I don't eat meat. I do make meals that include meat, however. I'm a great cook, and like you, I also find cooking on a winter holiday a nice thing to do.

Almost all meals can easily be adapted/substituted to make a version for a non-meat eater who does eat eggs and dairy. It's really hardly any bother, and very much part of cooking for people you like, to provide them with something they'll enjoy.

You just don't like her, do you?!!!

You do realise that the GF is vegetarian not vegan? Lots of dead animals are created in producing eggs and dairy.

I eat meat everyday and would never go a week without it. I wouldn’t even go a weekend without meat! Is it really that strange to eat meat everyday?

1983 for me!

Yes, that’s what it is

I do think the posters saying they couldn’t last a day/week/whatever with meat sound a bit childish. Would you say that about literally any other food??

Absolutely, and even that’s too hard for op. Ridiculous

I'm not one of the people complaining (I rarely eat meat and probably wouldn't notice whether or not I'd gone a week without it), but I'd find it hard to go a week without cheese. I'd cope if I had to but I can't imagine it would be enjoyable.

All this nice beef Wellington and a decent red wine yah in my hygge apartment after a day in the hills is cringeworthy.

You've been watching too many films.

Do a beef bourginon in one pan and a mushroom one in the other. It's literally one extra pan and all you do is miss out the beef. Hardly taxing.

God knows why you're having veggie breakfasts?!

Your daughter is NOT vegetarian; she is a pescatarian. Vegetarians do not eat any animals of any sort (that is, no sentient being / nothing with a face, which includes fish and seafood in general). Please tell her not to call herself vegetarian, as it causes problems for those of us who really are vegetarian as some caterers assume that fish is OK.

@WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing

So my mum is 79 and has dementia.

She will eat veggie/vegan food but she grew up during/after the war with meat and two veg type parents. She loves meat curries having spent time living in Africa.

If we feed her veggie food too much she'll very politely suggest going out for lunch and promptly order a very large platter of meat which she will demolish in short order.

So we have come to a diplomatic solution that when everyone is all together we eat vegan and gluten free in the evenings (coeliac and buddhist) but we all either go out for lunch and order what we want or have a picky bits type lunch that for my mum is basically a meat platter.

You could do what my family do for me and you have the beef wellington and try and remember not to put meat gravy over all the potatoes, maybe save her a couple. If you forget then she can have a sandwich.

@Octavia64 bless her, sounds like you’ve all navigated that brilliantly - your mum should have all the carnivorous delights she wishes 💕

You’re assuming she will cause an issue! It isn’t hard for her to have the same meals minus the meat or a simple alternative!

Haven't read the whole thread, sorry, but most pesto isn't vegetarian btw

You're being unreasonable.

By all means do a beef wellington and vege - she can have a bought pie or nut roast plus the vege.

Pizzas would be easy to be meat or vege.

Do a couple of curries, one meat and one vege, plus meat and vege samosas - easy.

Pasta could easily be adapted - make a tomato and vege sauce and meat eaters can always shove some chorizo in it.

Etc.

I think this actually is quite difficult. Vegetarian food just isn't like that, trying to keep the meal the same but using some godawful meat substitute doesn't really work IMO. You are better off with a one pot style thing.Rather than veg on the side.

Most cheeses these days are vegetarian. You do understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan... or perhaps not.

Just eat veggie for the week OP. It will be easy, cheap and delicious- win win.
Your veggie friend can hardly be expected to eat meat for the week but it’s not an issue the other way round.
It’s only a week.
You can treat yourself to something meaty when you get home.

It makes a huge difference. Medically required diets should be fully catered for. Excluding people who have no choice on what they eat is just rude. Dietary preferences, be they religious, philosophical, or just taste, should be considered, but they are not as important.

What is veej?

Of course it doesn't make a 'huge difference'.

You are either a good host and you cater for everyone appropriately, or you aren't a good host and you don't.

It really is that simple.

Catering for a vegetarian is not difficult. If someone doesn't provide suitable food when there are very easy accommodations that can be made, then it's not the vegetarian that is the one that is making things difficult. It's the arsehole that thinks their choices are more important.