help with dinner menu for vegetarian guests

[Punchy Kaby]

Im having a family over who is mostly vegetarian, the husband is vegan(although not that strict, he ate whipped cream when we had dinner at their house). I was thinking of doing burritos and tacos. There will be 4 kids ranging in age from 1-7, so I thought it would be a good kid friendly meal.

tex mex style butternut squash
beans-soaked and cooked/spiced lightly
vegan taco and burrito shells
rice?
toppings: guacamole, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, salsa, corn, onions

Is it ok to have beef for my family to eat on the tacos? (my DS loves tacos w/beef and cheese and beans) I don't want to offend them by having meat, I know the smell can be off putting. We don't know them very well so I don't know if they would be offended or not. I love beef too, in fact, I eat Paleo style, so I eat a lot of meat and no grains.

What kind of appetizer should I have? (I am terrible at putting together menus for entertaining!)

They are bringing dessert so that is taken care of.

Any other ideas?


Thanks!

[Gator-mom]

I think you should just ask the family if they mind if you cook meat. I don't usually mind, but I know some veg*n's who do mind. Taco's are pretty tried and true, so you are probably Ok there..if you want to stick with the theme, maybe some guac and salsa with chips for appetizers to keep it simple. Mix in some blue corn chips with the white to make it interesting and pretty and add some fresh cilantro and lime to the guac..that's my favorite!

Anyway, have fun with it!

[eepster]

What I often recommend for veg*n who are having omni guests and can't cook them meat is to avoid veggi versions of usually meat based dishes. I think this might work better for you as well. This way, everyone can eat any of the food and no one will feel it is missing something. I would definitely avoid the faux meat since many feel it is icky. Not only do many meat eaters feel this way about it, but veg*n are often fussy about brands for various reasons if they just don't find it all too reminiscent of real meat.

How about pasta? Pasta is typically meatless. If the dad is really a vegan (the doubt would be from the whipped cream, which is not vegan, so I would call and ask for details) you will need to be careful to get pasta that is made without eggs.

Another possibility would be fried tofu with vegetables in a brown sauce and stirfried broccoli with garlic, served over rice.

Or acorn squash with a sweet stuffing (a personal favorite.)

If you are interested in any of these, I can post some recipes.

[Ianthe]

I think tacos is a great idea.
If you get refined beans, make sure it says vegetarian on them. I like tacos with black beans flavored with taco seasoning.

there are some vegan whipped creams out there too

[PoetryLover]

I think your taco idea sounds great! Some other ideas are chili beans or soup and salad. As a vegetarian, I expect people to eat meat when I go to their homes. That said, I do know many vegetarians who would be offended at that. I would inquire beforehand.

It's awesome that they're bringing dessert. Prepare yourself for some delicious veg*n treats. Also, it's wonderful that you don't have to worry about that part of the meal.

[germin8]

Oooo, make Mexican rice. For 2 cups rice, fry oil w/ garlic and chopped sweet onion. Then, add the rice to fry for a little bit (stirring occasionally). Then, add the water (amt. as directed) with one can tomato sauce and 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin. Results? Flavorful Mexican rice.

There are also veg taco "meat" crumbles that you could serve if you are serving meat.

What are "burrito shells"?

[russsk]

Tacos sound like a great idea. We do tacos here about once a week. Usually I do a quick sautee (fajita-style with cumin and chili pepper) of red onions, orange pepper, zucchini, summer squash and spinach or another green. Butternut squash sounds like it could be good, but I think the variety of color looks really appetizing, personally. I also do black beans with garlic and guacamole. Serve with cheese, sour cream and salsa. I personally don't find the rice necessary, but if you go with the squash then some sauteed greens or a salad would be a nice side. Definitely avoid the faux meats. Many veg*ns hate these.

I have never met anyone who would be offended about people cooking meat in their own home. The thought would never occur to me.

[Turquesa]

For an appetizer for what you're serving, you can't beat nachos and a home-made salsa. There are tons of good salsa recipes out there and entire cookbooks dedicated to the topic. My favorite is Peach Salsa from the Magic Salsa cookbook!

My personal take on the beef issue (speaking as a full-on vegetarian) is that when you enter somebody's home as a guest, you enter into their way of life. It's wonderful when they accommodate your way of life, but they shouldn't be expected to fully give up theirs. I've been to other peoples' houses and put up with cats (I'm allergic), stinky scented candles, and--yes--steak for dinner. I'm not offended. It's who they are.

[eepster]

They may not be offended by her having meat in her own home, but she did come here b/c she wants to accommodate her guests. The OP came here b/c she wants to make her guests as comfortable as possible, and an honest answer from most of us is that a fully veg*n meal will make us feel most at ease.

Though I am not offended when my host serves me a veg*n version of something while serving other guests a meat version, it does not exactly make me feel at ease during the meal. Situations like that make me slightly uncomfortable for a number of reasons. I often find the veg*n version not as well prepared since the person is more familiar with the meat version. I dislike the smell of meat. I worry about how separate the preparation was (I was once served the same sauce the meat balls had been cooked in with them simply fished out .) Sometimes DS asks awkward questions about the meat, and I don't really want to tell him that they are eating dead animals. I find that when the host has their own meat version of food to eat they often vastly underestimate how filling the veg*n foods they serve are and I end up stopping for pizza on the way home b/c I'm starving (I really can't live on salad 24/7.)

[KittyM]

eepster, I really appreciate the honesty of your response! These things have all happened to me at some point in my 20 years of being a veg. I have relatives in Texas - 'nuff said!

It's really nice to have the experience of a friend accommodating your diet without a lot of fuss and discussion. I personally don't mind when people have meat when I'm at their home, but as a guest it's just more comfortable and less of an issue when the meal is meat-free.

I think the taco idea is a great one, and if she has plenty of toppings/sides, everyone should get enough to eat without meat. For some more fun, try making homemade corn tortillas, they are delicious and easy to make if you can get the masa in your area. Another side dish or appetizer could be a fresh gazpacho - it's tomato season after all!

[texmati]

I think tacos sound great-- I've been a life long veggie in texas! I think if you make sure that the beans are veggie, and the tortillas and dips are veggie, you'll be fine. Also, I wouldn't make meat at my home; and I wouldn't expect someone to go totally veggie in their home. It would be really great if serving utensil's were kept seperate. So the spoon for the beans stays with the beans, and the spoons for the beef stay with the beef ect.

[*LoveBugMama*]

I think your tacoidea sounds awesome. I would feel very, very velcome in your home if you served me what you plan on serving them. And I would have NO problem with you serving your son beef. It`s your home, and ofcourse you can eat what you want.

(I see people say there is enough other dishes/sides for everyone to feel full without the meat. But if this had been in my house, that wouldn`t be true. I have a son who absolutely can`t stand any kind of beans, and who is not a very big fan of salads and many vegetables. So for him a tacomeal is chickenfilets cut in small pieces, some cheese, red bell peppers, corn (off the cob) and maye a little salsa. Without the meat he wouldn`t feel like he had a real meal, I think.)

[SollysMom]

Originally Posted by eepster

I worry about how separate the preparation was (I was once served the same sauce the meat balls had been cooked in with them simply fished out .)

I wouldn't think twice about someone serving meat for their own family, but the quoted is a very valid concern. If you do the beef, please make sure that none of the utensils touch the other stuff and tell your guests that you did so (so they don't have to feel rude by asking).

[texmati]

Originally Posted by SollysMom

I wouldn't think twice about someone serving meat for their own family, but the quoted is a very valid concern. If you do the beef, please make sure that none of the utensils touch the other stuff and tell your guests that you did so (so they don't have to feel rude by asking).

oh god yes... I didn't even think about that!

[KBL7]

Originally Posted by Punchy Kaby

Im having a family over who is mostly vegetarian, the husband is vegan(although not that strict, he ate whipped cream when we had dinner at their house). I was thinking of doing burritos and tacos. There will be 4 kids ranging in age from 1-7, so I thought it would be a good kid friendly meal.

tex mex style butternut squash
beans-soaked and cooked/spiced lightly
vegan taco and burrito shells
rice?
toppings: guacamole, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, salsa, corn, onions

Is it ok to have beef for my family to eat on the tacos? (my DS loves tacos w/beef and cheese and beans) I don't want to offend them by having meat, I know the smell can be off putting. We don't know them very well so I don't know if they would be offended or not. I love beef too, in fact, I eat Paleo style, so I eat a lot of meat and no grains.

What kind of appetizer should I have? (I am terrible at putting together menus for entertaining!)

They are bringing dessert so that is taken care of.

Any other ideas?


Thanks!

It would be a kid friendly meal as each can chose what they like.
You could prepare some lentils to use as taco meat. That usually is liked better than fake meats. You cook the lentils and then season as you would the beef.
You could also do a baked potato bar as a meal that is customizable for each one's preferences if you decide to go for a non-meat type food.

As far as cooking beef, some vegans get grossed out or sad. It depends on why they are vegan, if it is for the animal's health or theirs.
I would only prepare what foods would be okay for all to eat. The main reason for that is to avoid any awkward moments either with the adults wondering or the children not understanding. Considering the age range of the children, you just don't know what they may ask or want to try.
Here is a helpful vegan recipe site:
http://vegweb.com/

Your new friends will feel important that you are going the extra mile to treat them as special guests. May this be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.