Vegetarian Sunday lunch?

[shoofly]

Ok, I am embarrassed to ask this question, but my brain has stopped working. Nice friends of DH s coming for lunch on Sunday. Was going to roast chicken, dauphinoise potatoes and peas with pancetta and big green salad. Asked tonight if there's anything they don't like/ eat only to find out one of them is Vegetarian

Do I cook something to substitute for chicken? Or rethink menu? I don't want to make a rubbishy vege thing that looks like an afterthought, but tonight I'm brain dead and can't think!

Any thoughts? 4 of us 2 adults 2 kids and 2 of them so 4 adults and 2 kids. Antipasti platter nibbles for starter. Nigellas meringue gelato thing with choc sauce and berries and a cheesecake for pudding

Roast the chicken as planned. Drop the dauphinoise and make a veggie stuffing thing instead, which will be the starch. Serve the peas without the pancetta. Add a gravy as the stuffing will need it but in the interests of world peace I might just get veggie gravy granules.

Veggie stuffing. I made this every Christmas for years and years so I dont have quantities to hand. For Christmas I would layer it with blanched cabbage and cream cheese, all wrapped in pastry but that's a bit heavy for a simple lunch:

Very finely chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms. Maybe a handful of cooked lentils or a can of cannelloni beans or chickpeas. Leeks, garlic, sage. Chop or pulse everything finely, you are aiming for a breadcrumb texture. Fry off. Make sure the mushrooms have finished releasing their water, you don't want it too wet.

Let the mix cool a little, bind with breadcrumbs and beaten egg. You could now stuff the chicken with this or bake it separately and serve as an accompaniment (you guys) or as the main course (veggie).

Must admit that I would be very happy with an extra-large portion of dauphinoise and a big salad. :)

Same as Remus :)

Is the visiting vegetarian an adult or a child?

Adult visitor. You wouldn't just think I'd forgotten about you with just dauphinoise and salad?

I would feel forgotten with just dauphinoise and salad, how about baked mushrooms or roasted red pepper?

Yep, you need something else but keep the dauphinoise! What about making a spinach and feta pie, you could serve first slice up to guest then you get to eat the leftovers for a later meal. Jamie has a nice recipe in the 30 min meals book.

Do garlic buttered potatoes instead of dauphnoise, and served Cauliflower cheese for the veggie.

Still do the pancetta peas, but also do a side of minted green veg for the veggie (asparagus, broccoli and peas).

I'd probably feel a bit left out just with potatoes and salad. Do you have a good deli nearby where you could pick up some kind of vegetarian tartlet, cheese and feta pie or whatever? It's a bit of a faff making something like that just for one person (unless you want to offer it to everyone as an extra, or keep most for another meal yourself) but I'd be happy being given a bought-in one if I were the only vegetarian at a Sunday lunch.

If you do the 30 minute meal recipe I'd reduce the eggs and increase the cheese a wee bit, I found the whole thing very quichey rather than pie-y.

Cook as planned but make some peas separately, then roast some big mushrooms with garlic and chuck some nice cheese on top. Lovely.

Oh yes I'd be quite happy with a little shop bought tart or something. Or you could buy a roll of puff pastry and bake a square with some caramelised onions and goat cheese on it. Posh, easy and tasty.

Thanks guys. Did roast chicken, dauphinoise potatoes, pancetta peas, minted peas, salad and caramelized onion and goats cheese tart . The salad was a bit redundant - I liked it! But theres a lot left. Was all good but I'm glad they've gone home.