Best vegetarian meals for a confirmed meat eater?

[motherofvikings]

I'm trying to convince DH that we should have a but less meat and wanted to do one veggie meal a week.
But DH is a confirmed meat eater carnivore!

So I need your best kick ass veggie meals to show him that meat is not always essential. :)

TIA :)

I'm a committed carnivore but there are a few veggie meals I can live with.

Veggie lasagne. Cliché but so yum.

Hearty bean cassoulet.

Anything with puff pastry and cheese. Caramelised red onion and goats cheese or taleggio tartlets in particular.

I've been eating a mostly vegetarian diet for about 10yrs now. I still eat fish, but never meat.

My favourite veggie meal is akin to the Saien Soba dish they serve at Wagamama: tofu, stir-fried veg of your choice (asparagus, mushrooms, courgette and onions are delicious), then oodles of noodles in a veg stock.

That's quite a brave one because most '100% beef' people I know always curl their lip at tofu. It is an acquired taste though, I suppose.

Another good meal is a Linda McCartney pie (the 'mince' and onion is lush), served with roast potatoes, veggies and onion gravy.

Spaghetti bolognase -minced beef +Quon mince is yummy, too.

Good luck!!

Dp loves meat and fish but eats veggie at home most of the time. Meals he particularly enjoys are:

• any kind of veggie pie (eg leek and feta) or tart (eg mushroom, spinach and camembert)

• veggie chillis and veggie curries, especially with lentils or chickpeas

• eggy things such as egg, wedges and homemade baked beans, or tortilla and salad or something with a poached egg

• veggie lasagne made with puy lentils and lots of red wine

• anything resembling Sunday dinner

I think meals that aren't traditionally meaty are a good start - pizza, pasta, quiche, hearty soups, many Indian dishes.

Yes to quiche - gruyere and caramelised onion is a favourite here.

Macaroni cheese - if you're in a comfort food mood there's nothing better.

Mushroom risotto

I have recently introduced a meat free day once a week fully expecting DH to turn his nose up at it but actually my lentil, sweet potato and spinach dhal with homemade flatbreads is now one of his favourite meals! Also butternut squash and sage risotto is another favourite.

black bean chilli. You won't miss the meat at all.

Hugh Fearlessly Eats it all's vegeree went down well with my lot too.

They also loved spouffle from the veg everyday book.

I really like this veggie moussaka - I can even get my 2 and 4yo veg haters to eat this!

I asked dp what he likes best and he said veggie curries, dhal and stir fries with noodles or rice.

I'm a vegetarian of many years and when I'm cooking for meat-eaters, like bun says, I tend to make dishes like curries rather than trying to imitate meat centred dishes.

Chilli is a good idea, it's great served in wraps and big hearty meal. Otherwise, what about something like a moroccan style carrot and chickpea stew

I also usually serve this lentil lasagne which tends to go down well.

pasta in arrabiata sauce.

one of the few veggie meals this meat eater adores!

Get hold of the Hugh F-W veggie cook book - lots of nice things in there.

We like these veggie dishes:

Tomato and brie tart - I made some changes so it wouldn't be so fatty, but it's rare I make it.

Spinach dhal with paneer is lovely.

Mexican salad with tortilla croutons - I sometimes make refried beans with this salad.

Summer couscous salad

Soups - either a vegetable soup (butter in pan, cook diced onions, add diced veg and cook for a bit. Add flour (roughly same equivalent as butter) and cook for a bit. Then add stock and cook until veg are tender. Blend, season and serve) or thai pumpkin soup

We've also had rösti, but it's not exactly healthy, so it's not on the menu as often as I would like.
Omelettes, maybe with peppers/tomatoes/cooked potatoes in, are also nice.

I have found that meat eaters sometimes get hungry much quicker after a vegetarian meal and then complain that it doesn't meet their needs.

So initially, I would serve dishes which include pulses. Like vegetarian curry with lentils, tofu, green vegs, tomatoes or lentil stew or vegetarian chili with rice or pasta with broad beans.

I find that to reduce flatulence (especially for people not used to pulses or with sensitive stomach) discard the water in which the beans have been soaking overnight and only use part or none of the cooking liquid in the final dish (once they be ome used to pulses you can use more and more of the cooking liquid and possibly also the soaking liquid).

I hope this helps, it would be healthier for him, make it easier for you, cheaper and better for the planet. A win win I would think.

I would go with delicious meals that stand up by themselves, by which I mean a/ contain no meat substitutes (or why wouldn't you just have the meaty version, which is probably nicer?) and b/ are classics in their own right. Examples include:

• dhal and rice with raita and fresh coriander. I like cauliflower dhal but any veg is nice.
• risotto: mushroom or butternut squash with lots of parmesan and some truffle oil. Have on a bed of rocket to balance out the richness. You can use chicken stock to give flavour if you happen to have a freezer full of the stuff, as I do.
• frittata: I like a bundle of veg in mine, eg courgette, tomato, fresh spinach, fried red onion, mushrooms, with a strong cheese eg cheddar, feta or parmesan. Or you could do a Spanish omelette with potato and onion - that's also nice with roasted red pepper
• falafel pita breads with all the trimmings, ie humous, feta or yoghurt dressing, salad, and lots of chilli sauce

Or what about using meat or fish as an accent rather than a main ingredient? Eg:

• asparagus, poached eggs, anchovy butter
• spinach, tomato, red onion, avocado, shavings of parmesan or cheddar, with some crumbled crispy bacon sprinkled on like a condiment
• rocket, roast butternut squash, roast chorizo (cut up small and done in the same dish as the squash), feta, pumpkin seeds
• linguine with courgettes stewed in olive oil, chilli flakes, and tiny Morecombe bay shrimps

In my experience the key to meat-free meals for non-vegetarians is to make sure you have some fat in them to keep you full. Carbs are no substitute.

kidney bean and mushroom enchiladas always go down a treat here.

I have to give another 'yum' to vegetable pies, I have a very nice vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe somewhere that uses turnip, leek, carrots and a mixture of herbs to add the bulk lost by the meat. I put parsley in the mash too, it makes for a nice colour!

But thereistheball is definitely right, you need some fat in the dish or it will just taste... well thin! That's just my opinion I hope I don't offend anyone who's on a restrictive diet.