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?

Where does it say she's forcing her preferences onto anyone? For all we know they may cook a meat option on one of their nights.

I just think it's less of a big deal to eat veggie than it is to faff about making two meals. It's one week, not exactly a life sentence is it?

I think it's amazing that you have never had a meat-free day your whole life. I'm a big meat eater but often have veggie days (we did meat-free Monday for a while), and I try to only eat meat once a day. Try it; you might like it!

Just have the beef Wellington then 🤷‍♀️
Lidl have already got their delicious vegetarian Wellingtons that they do for Christmas in- you can buy one of those or a veggie pie or quiche for her.

I get you OP, it’s an adjustment just for one person isn’t it!

Over summer, a group of 12 friends got an Airbnb in Wales and we had a similar arrangement, taking it in turns to cook etc, with two veggies in the mix.

If it helps, some of the meals we made were:

Mac n Cheese, two were made side by side then separated into two large casserole dishes. one plain and one with chorizo in. Served with salad and garlic bread.

Home made pizzas. Someone was in charge of putting tomato sauce and mozzarella on and baking them, and then the other chefs that night added veg (peppers, mushrooms etc) to some, and veg and pepperoni/chicken to others.

Burgers, some beef and some halloumi, with all the sides (salad, chips, blue cheese, onion rings etc).

Spag bol, one with mince and one quorn mince.

For meals like the Mac n cheese and spag bol, it didn’t seem onerous having two separate ones on the go, as when you’re cooking for a large group you’d need two pans/two dishes full anyway.

Hope that gives some inspiration!

When DD went veggie we found the easiest way to manage was to flip things slightly and only cook veggie food but to add meat for the rest of us than to make meat based food and a different thing for DD if that makes sense?

You can make a beef wellington. You could ask her if there's a ready made veggie pie that she could have instead, or if she'd like to make one or bring something she'd prefer. Or if you're feeling very kind, offer to make her a vegetarian pie. But perhaps that's pushing your good will too far.

Who goes on a self catering holiday and makes things like beef wellington? Don't people get stuff that's easy to chuck together? For example I might have pasta, but it wouldn't be a lasagne (which is on of my favourite pasta dishes, but I'm not wasting time to make it on holiday).

Breakfasts would be things like croissants, bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt, maybe some porridge or cereal, maybe ham if people want it. We might do bacon or sausage rolls one or two days, but she could have veggie sausages or more of the continental style items.

Lunches would be soups, sandwiches, salads - have some ham or cooked chicken for sandwiches and salads for those that want it. If we fancied some chicken soup, we would make sure we made plenty spiced lentil or carrot and coriander or vegetable soup a day or two earlier, so that she could have leftovers.

Dinners would include things like baked potatoes with a range of options with salad on the side. Pasta in an easy sauce (cream cheese or tomato), with the option of adding cooked chicken for those that want it. Maybe tacos with a veggie chilli (I prefer a bean chilli to a beef mince one, but if people couldn't cope without meat, cook off some mince and add it to the bean chilli).

And if you really want a beef wellington, it's good timing as supermarkets are starting to get their christmassy frozen options in, including things like vegetarian wellington.

You really are making this a much bigger deal than it needs to be.

It would annoy me to go on a holiday and share everything then one person makes demands and insists on getting there own way. She is unreasonable.

Has she made any demands or insisted on getting her own way?

Dividing up the cooking as a pp suggested seems like a plan.
Re the wellington - I love this too as a treat. Would you make it or buy in?
I would just have whatever you fancy on a meat day be it beef wellies or a rare steak - the vegetarian can have one of those meat substitutes or some delicious vegetables and maybe an egg based dish?

Unless you're Desperate Dan, you should be fine. Vegetarianism is very easy to accommodate. And it's not catching. Most vegetarians are happy with just the side dishes so crack on with your beef wellington/cow pie. I'm the meat avoider so I just do all the cooking because I can't be doing with the drama/eyerolling.

I know. It's fucking awful when someone with specific dietary requirements actually wants something they can eat. How very dare they!!

Unless you're Desperate Dan, you should be fine

This has made me snort.

@NeverEnoughPants Is it for medical reasons or just a fad?

You're complaining about nothing, try catering for someone who is gluten free vegan along with your usual family and then you'll realise how easy just a vegetarian is.

As you said before you can just cook meat on the side to add to anything - stews, curries, pasta, fry ups, toasties etc.

Cheese and eggs for recipes you don't want to change.

But I'd check she actually likes the dishes you're planning to cook first.

It would annoy me more to go on holiday and be told exactly what I'm eating for every single meal every day and what time I'm allowed to eat it.

I'd rather cook separately or get takeaways. Certainly wouldn't be cooking a Wellington 😂

When we go away with people we do one special meal out and one meal joint (usually a BBQ because it's summer) and the rest of the time everyone does what they like.

I agree with this. She really doesn't have to.

Does the girlfriend actually want a family meal every night? If you're on holiday then surely people will be out and about most of the time?

Ah, you are one of those!

It doesn't matter if it's based on religion, ethical choice, health or simply just not liking meat.

Her eating vegetarian food only is just as valid a choice as you choosing to eat meat.

Honestly, it sounds like you would be the one person making demands and insisting things are done to suit your palate!

@Lorey Do you usually have a fry up for breakfast each day of the holidays? Why do you think you couldn't do that with a vegetarian present? You can do whatever you normally have on a full english, and she can have veggie sausages and all the other already vegetarian components. I really don't understand why you think that there would be a problem with breakfasts?

Unless you are near a supermarket then everyone can eat veggie almost alll week. It'll make life easier.

I'd do vegetarian based dish(es) and do a meat element as well for those who want it.

I’m a vegetarian of over 30 years and my family would have the beef welly and I’d have the trimmings with an alternative such as roast butternut squash or a veg pie (or just extra trimmings). I never know why there is such angst over vegetarian food!

I'm a veggie. I'd be offering to cook a couple of veggie meals for the whole group, and then cope with meat substitutes for a couple more. Then eating out/take away for the rest?

There are some pretty good veggie ready made but loaf type things you can shove in the oven alongside your beef wellington. It doesn't "impact" anyone else unless you cook every single item in beef dripping

Being vegan or veggie is a choice.
It's up to the person to accommodate themselves.

I'm a Monday to Friday vegetarian, so that's no problem for me.
I would do a few dishes like pasta potato or lentil bakes as veggie and then serve some fish/ chicken/ steak on the side for meat eaters.

So example: a simple Italian Pasta Bake & Salad then add chicken breast wrapped in ham for meat eaters.