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?

No. Like I said we often eat veggie for the entire weekend when db and gf come to stay.

A week seems a bit much. Especially on holiday

Make beef wellington and get a ready made vegetarian wellington from the supermarket or get a vegetarian ‘joint’ or similar for her.

I don’t think she’ll be expecting everyone to go veggie for a whole week just because she’s coming!

Do you honestly think this is the way to get OP to feel better and have the GF's needs met?

OP sounds nice, GF sounds nice, they both just want to eat what they want.

What about trying some of these new "fake meat" burgers or similar as a talking point?

Have your beef wellington and buy a pre made veggie protein source and stick it in the oven at the same time .. side veg and potatoes can just be the same . Veggie for 35 years but feed a fussy family so 3/4 slightly different combinations most days - it will be fine honest !

There's so many dishes you can make and add meat to separately, or do different versions of easily:
Pasta and sauce
Fajitas
Burgers
Pies
Sausages (can be casserole, or pasta, or with potatoes)
Chilli
Curry
Casserole
"Meat" and veg - use Juicy Marbles for the veggie

We have a similar mix of dietary requirements - what we usually do on a week away is:

Eat out one night
Takeaway one night
2 nights one couple cooks
2 nights the other couple cooks
Last night is leftovers/empty the fridge night

On the nights we are cooking, everyone has to cater for everyone's dietary requirements but you don't have to eat exactly the same things - e.g. you could do a beef wellington and sides and get her a veggie pie or something.

What's not ok, in my opinion, is just leaving someone out.

I would expect the vegetarian to sort their own meals out or for their partner to.

I'd make vegetarian meals the default and if you really can't cope without meat or fish for a week, buy some and add it to the side.

But presumably you weren't going to be making anything like a Beef Wellington anyway, which is of its nature an incredibly time-consuming dish. I agree that lots of things are nice and have beef in them: Wellington is one, also bolognese, casserole, barbecued brisket ... none of them are things you're going to spend your 1 week holiday making, assuming you don't want to spend the entire day cooking when it's your turn to cater!

If you really can't think of 2-3 vegetarian dishes you would all enjoy to make when it's your turn, or if you love meat so much that your holiday would be substantially less enjoyable by not having any for a week, then go ahead and cook something meaty and let the girlfriend know well in advance so she can make alternative arrangements. It's not a big deal. Suggesting that you're hard done by because Beef Wellington won't be possible is a bit odd though.

DS is veggie. If he comes home for a weekend we all eat veggie because I don't want to cook different things. More than a weekend then I usually do both.
However he does sometimes come away on holiday with us and I would never cook anything on holiday, we always eat out.
Are you sure she knows you plan to cook and eat in for a week?

I'm veggie and DP eats meat, we more often than not eat separate meals, it's really not difficult

It’s for a week. Yes, you’re being irrational. YABU.

It’s actually not even the whole week, if you’re eating out on one day and getting a takeaway on another. It’s five days, during which you can easily have meat on the side.

Come on, now.

Your comment just made me stop and think. I'm in my late 50s and can honestly not remember a day in my life where I did not either eat meat or fish in at least one meal.

I don't think that it's anything to do with being able to "manage" or not. It's about your likes and preferences.

I wouldn't expect to force my preferences onto other people and I don't expect others to force their preferences onto me.

I'm surprised by all the posters here saying "you must eat vegetarian for the week".

No, the OP certainly doesn't need to eat vegetarian for the week.

If you really want to make beef wellington, just buy a veggie wellington or pie from the supermarket for her?

They are not a no go, you say we are making beef Wellington what can we make for you as we know you don't eat that.

But on a serious note, no one needs to be picky for a week. It's just a week.

I'd cook/eat what I want, if she wants something different or wants to cook for all of you then she can.
I could go a week without meat but I also enjoy nice food on holiday, and that includes meat!
Ignore anyone being cheeky about eating meat. 😬

It's quite safe for meat-eaters to eat vegetarian meals for just one week. I have three DC - one vegan, one veggie and one very much a meat eater. We go for the lowest common denominator depending on who's home, and had a vegetarian Christmas last year for the first time, as the meat eater was away. There are tons of recipes online. I would avoid fake meats.

Numerous stir fries
Numerous curries
Roasted veg, fried halloumi, salad, hummus, pitta, (and some chorizo on the side if you need it)
Pizza
Parmigiana
Bean chilli
Risotto

Lots of choice.

Would you really cook beef wellington on holiday in an AirBnB?

I’m impressed - but we are always too busy and out all day for complicated cooking. Plus unsure about oven temperature etc in a new kitchen.

I'll happily come and cook a week's worth of delicious vegetarian meals for you!

I would do exactly as you put in your OP. It's really not a big deal, having had VEGANS in the family for years now, including over Christmas. I see it as accommodating someone with special needs: they need to not eat meat products, and they should be accommodated. Sometimes I go along with it because I personally don't need to eat meat for a whole week (DH is different) and I like trying new things; sometimes I think fuck it and throw a chicken thigh on next to whatever vegan option I have. I actually can't tolerate a lot of the processed vegan crap that side of the family eats, it gives me the runs and a headache (it's not food, it's just non-meat based UPF and we have very little UPF in our diet at home which is what I think I react to), so we stick with actual food (that grows in the ground and on trees) and everyone is happy.

Things did blow up early on when the vegan insisted that no meat products be allowed in the house. Short shrift was given. Compromise is that we cook communally for big meals with a meat side dish (as opposed to a meat main dish with veggie or vegan sides), but for other meals everyone sorts themselves out. That way, everyone has some control over their diet and not every little thing is a compromise.

You're going to make a beef wellington ON HOLIDAY? In an Airbnb? Wow. Very different holidays to us!

Put some salad in a bowl and crack on.