need help not vegetarian but foreign vegetarian il's visiting for a month need recipes and advice.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

so they are lacto-vegetarian, need recipes for things i want to make like desserts brownies, cookies, what are safe foods etc. lasagna recipes are noodles/bread okay?

thanks

[lkvosu]

This is my favorite site for veg recipes. There is a customizeable recipe search, so you could indicate that you are want egg free, meat free dessert and dinner recipes, for example. I've gotten dozens and dozens of awesome recipes from there. I get the magazine, too.

If they are lacto-vegetarian then they eat dairy products, but no egg, meat, fish, poultry, etc, correct? Most noodles and bread are egg free, but check the ingredient list to be sure.  Egg is a common allergy, so ingredient lists usually directly specify if the product contains any egg. Just be an avid label reader.

Lasagna would be really easy for dairy eaters. I'm so used to making a vegan version. The only thing you would have to omit would be the meat. You could either use like a soy crumble meat substitute (some have egg, so again, read the label to be sure) or use a hearty vegetable like mushrooms.  I prefer the mushrooms. Back in my cheese eating days I used to make this lasagana. So, so, so good.

Have fun!

[mumkimum]

I'm also presuming you're needing to avoid egg but not dairy?

Dried pasta is usually fine - fresh pasta is more likely to contain egg.  Most breads (except egg breads like challah) are likely to be fine, like your basic italian/white/wheat.  Egg is more likely to be in rolls or buns (they'll be more golden).

If you want to bake, I'd figure out a simple egg substitute and try your recipes using that.  Most cookies/brownie recipes do fine with one unless they're egg-dependant (like a macaroon or something).  

1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 1 tbsp water can sub for 1 egg.  There are also commercial egg substitutes out there at most health food stores.  Sometimes you can sub applesauce (depending on the recipe).  

[SundayCrepes]

Hmmmm....If they're from Europe, they're used to GOOD bread. I'd avoid bread altogether. US bread is AWFUL.

What kind of veggies do you like? You can use that to make a recipe search easier. So, if you like eggplant, you could make eggplant parmesan with pasta. (Try Tinkyada brand rice pasta. It's great.) If you like pumpkin, you could make pumpkin soup. Broccoli could be in a garlic sauce over pasta, a stir fry, or a creamy soup. 

[Comtessa]

Are your in-laws Indian?  If so, you could always wait 'til they arrive and ask them to teach you how to make some of the foods they typically eat.  I have two American friends with Indian mothers-in-law who have been delighted to teach their DIL's a few kitchen secrets.  That will keep you from struggling to figure out what to make, too -- you can just ask them! 

In the same vein -- if you want some 'easy' lacto-vegetarian foods in the house, try going to an Indian grocer.  The one near us doesn't stock any meat or egg products at all, so everything in the store is 'safe' for us.  We love it!  Indian ice cream (kulfi) is usually made with whole milk rather than cream, and no eggs.  It is delicious, and comes in all sorts of exciting flavors like cardamom and rose and pistachio and vetivert.  So that sort of thing would work well, too. 

Some baked goods sort of require eggs to work (like a lot of cakes), but others (cookies or brownies, for example) can easily be made without eggs.  Here's an article about replacing eggs in recipes: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm .  I'm sure there are plenty more like it online.

If you're looking for vegetarian meals, you'll see a lot of recommendations for pasta, which is easy and good, but I don't particularly like pasta, so I often make other things.  So, a few non-pasta menu ideas you could try that are pretty well-balanced in terms of protein/veggies/etc.:

- hearty vegetable soup with beans, served with buttered toast and finger vegetables or salad

- vegetarian chili with cornbread -- yogurt, cheese and green onions are great on top

- Moroccan style tagine with chickpeas and vegetables, over couscous

You could also treat them to a real "American" style summer meal: corn on the cob, potato salad (get mayo without eggs in it, though, or do pasta salad instead!), fresh green beans or tomatoes, baked beans, s'mores (get vegetarian marshmallows), etc.  You could even buy veggie burgers and all the fixings (check burger buns for egg content).