recipes for a non-vegetable/fruit eater

November 3, 2009 6:30 AM

Friends are coming to dinner and I'm relishing the challenge of finding a recipe that will satisfy the picky eater who doesn't like any vegetables. Can you help?

I'm not vegetarian, but I love vegetables and, when cooking for myself, frequently go weeks without meat.

However, among the friends who will be coming to dinner soon is one who detests vegetables and legumes of any sort. If they're minced up and unrecognizable (like onions in a sauce), it's OK. He likes meat, cheese, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

I have a mental block, because almost everything I can think of has some sort of vegetable component. Bobotie, curry, Thai dishes, moussaka... I'm sure there are loads of things that will suit him without just defaulting to meat with veg on the side which he can't have. (That's what has been served at other dinners he's attended and I'd like to do something a bit different.)

Any ideas?

posted by Busy Old Fool to food & drink (37 comments total)

Lasagne
Ziti
Garlic Bread
Green Salad on the side for others.
posted by maxg94 at 6:32 AM on November 3

How about Lasagna? Maybe make it half veg for the veggie lovers, and half meat and/or cheese for your guest and others that are so inclined?
posted by raztaj at 6:32 AM on November 3

What about a seafood risotto? That way you can get in your onions, garlic, maybe another hidden veggie, and include some kind of meat, as well.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:32 AM on November 3

If you're a fan of Alton Brown's Good Eats, he has a great episode called "Undercover Veggies" (Season 13 Episode 5) in which he uses parsnips in every meal.
posted by Taft at 6:39 AM on November 3

Dumb question: will he eat fruit? You could do some kind of roast pork or chicken with cranberry, apricot, or apple (like this, this, or this).
posted by Meg_Murry at 6:44 AM on November 3

Get a couple of zucchinis (yellow and/or green) and some baby portobello mushrooms. Slice them all up and marinate in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Either spread them on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven (350 or so for 10-ish minutes or until hot and a little crispy on the edges) or sauté on the stove until hot and tender.

Hearty, full of smokey, almost meaty flavor thanks to the balsamic and mushrooms, and delicious.
posted by oinopaponton at 6:44 AM on November 3 [1 favorite has favorites]

If it were me I'd serve 'em up a big dish of Get The Hell Out Of My Dining Room, but I'm kind of a jerk that way.

Do you know how to make pizza? A few nice, gourmet-style pies with various toppings is always good for a dinner party. That way those who like veggies can eat the spinach and goat cheese pies, he can eat the sausage and cheese pie, everyone can eat the cheese pie, etc. Add some bread and salad and you've got dinner.

Pizza doesn't have to be for eating in front of the TV. Use some whole wheat dough, a couple fancy cheeses (not just mutz) and some quality tomatoes.
posted by bondcliff at 6:44 AM on November 3 [6 favorites has favorites]

I eat like your friend:

Pasta in meat sauce (or even a non-meat tomato sauce).
Thai Basil chicken (skip the green beans)
Jambalaya (mince the peppers small enough to not be there or skip them)
Pizza
Any sort of asian - meat in sauce with rice or noodles dish (skip the veggies or let your friend pick them out).
And though you said you've done this, meat or fish with starch and veggie dish on the side is a classic.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:47 AM on November 3

You could do two different Thai curries...a green one with tons of veggies, and a red or massaman one with potatoes and meat.
posted by cabingirl at 6:56 AM on November 3

I am this guy.
I can't help it that I'm a picky eater (I literally gag on certain vegetables - the taste, texture and smell) - trust me I wish I could eat them. Until they come up with tastebud transplants, I'm kind of stuck like this.

Anyway, as long as you had one or two things I could eat that would be cool. Don't worry about making it so I'd like everything. While I'd appreciate your kind gesture, you'd be putting me on the spot and I'd feel bad that my idiosyncrasy was called out. The lasagna (or other pasta) suggestion is great. Baked potatoes are cool too, and very filling with a variety of toppings, vegetable and non-vegetable that all of your guests would like.
posted by NoraCharles at 6:59 AM on November 3

I eat like your friend, and I am happy with dishes where I can eat the parts I like even if they're mixed up--I am comfortable picking the meat out of a chinese dish to eat, for instance. As long as nobody at the table comments or gives me any shit about it, I'm fine with eating what I can from whatever is offered, too--I always figure I won't starve to death or get malnutrition from one meal where the only thing I can eat is bread and butter.

Make-your-own-burritos, fajitas, or something similar could be a good choice, too, something where the ingredients are all out there and people build their own to their own taste.
posted by not that girl at 7:00 AM on November 3 [1 favorite has favorites]

(Seafood) Paella
Make a big meat dish (a roasted bird; get a spiral cut ham and cook it, complete with blowtorching it at the end for a crispy sweet finish, even a long pork loin) with a spicy peanut noodles as a side
Chili with bowls of toppings that includes cheese, sour cream, tortilla bits, as well as onions, lettuce, etc.
Pork Loin and Homemade Applesauce (perhaps with a baked potato or potatoes au gautin)
posted by julen at 7:01 AM on November 3

When a friend of the family is hosting, she always does it sort of buffet-style. For example, in the middle of the table, or nearby counter, there will be two plates of meat such as turkey and ham, a bowl of roasted potatoes, a bowl of veggies, dinner rolls, maybe a small bowl with cranberry sauce and little pitcher of gravy. You get the idea. Guests grab a plate and get to choose what and how much they want to eat.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 7:04 AM on November 3

oh the massaman curry idea is a good one as is the gourmet pizza idea.

Braised beef short ribs served in its jus over mashed potatoes is good and it would be easy for you to add carrots/peas/etc. to the non-picky eater's plates.

Serving any well cooked and lightly sauced protein with the assortment of side dishes would work well too.

In terms of pasta, I do like straight up pasta with garlic, olive oil, a little red pepper and good Parmesan. It is very delicious and also easy to add other items to accomodate your more adventurous eaters.
posted by mmascolino at 7:07 AM on November 3

This situation sounds like a great excuse to make a really decadent homemade macaroni and cheese.
posted by something something at 7:09 AM on November 3 [2 favorites has favorites]

Fajitas are always nice to make for a crowd of varying interests. Works for ominvores, herbivores and carnivores. Just grill some good chicken, skirt or flank steak, onions, green and red peppers and portobellos. You will have something for everyone. Don't forget to get your condiments: salsa, guacomole, sour cream, hot sauce and grated cheddar. Also, rice and/or refriend beans make for a nice side dish.
posted by tdalton at 7:17 AM on November 3

I am also one of those people who absolutely cannot eat vegetables cooked. It's actually very frustrating to not be able to just eat vegetables like everyone else and enjoy them. I realize that it's a huge hassle for anyone if I'm a guest at their place and I do my best to make sure that no one fusses over me; I will generally eat around anything that I cannot eat. It's actually especially complicated because my wife is a vegetarian, and I am pretty much a strict carnivore at this point.

If you're interested in making dishes that everyone can enjoy, you can do things like buffet-style meals or dishes where the components are essentially seperate. Sometimes meat cooked with vegetables is fine for me to eat; sometimes it picks up too much of the flavor and I have trouble with it. Taco night (make your own tacos, rather) is also a tasty meal, and generally pastas are fantastic as the vegetables usually absorb most of the flavor of the sauce (or they're easy to pick around anyways). Pizza is also lovely and pretty much a safe meal. Meat pies are pretty nice too, as again, the vegetables tend to lose a lot of their pungency to me when they're cooked in that form. Chili, as well.

As for which of those is an appropriate dinner-for-multiple-people dish, I'll let you decide, but those are some of the staples of meals for my wife and I. Again, realize that it's likely more frustrating for the person with these eating habits than having to try to meet their tastes; I absolutely HATE not being able to enjoy vegetables and I've tried many, many times to get myself over it. I ALWAYS feel rude as a dinner guest and I tend to avoid dinner invitations as a result of it. That being said, anyone who invites me to dinner and takes my mess of tastebuds into consideration gets a very special place in my heart as a result!
posted by DiamondGFX at 7:27 AM on November 3

As someone who eats like your friend, I'm nthing the Macaroni and Cheese and Fajitas ideas.

Some notes though:

If you're going to cook the fajita steak with onions (or peppers), make the onions big enough to easily move out of the way. Or saute the onions separately and cook the steak with onion powder.

Mac and Cheese: homemade baked mac and cheese sometimes calls for chopped onions in the bechamel sauce. Chop the onions fine so that they have no texture when you eat them. Your picky eater won't have a clue that they're there. You can easily serve a salad before or beside this to lighten the meal up.

Pizza is also a good idea, but I would make separate pizzas, as bondcliff suggest. Don't fling green peppers and pepperoni onto some pizza dough and expect your friend to be excited about eating it. Maybe consider a make-your-own-pizza party, or make a game of an invitation where they suggest what pizza toppings they want.

One note about tomato based sauces: While I have no trouble with lasagna and spaghetti, I hate chunky tomato sauce. I don't want to bite into a piece of tomato (and I often push these off to the side). When making Spaghetti for myself, I buy the 'Traditional' Ragu tomato sauce. This is smooth and all the veggies have been pureed/chopped into insty bitsy bits.
posted by royalsong at 7:37 AM on November 3

If it's still warm enough where you are, grilled dinners are really nice for crowds and allow all sorts of different food preferences - usually they're a good work-around for vegetarians along with meat-eaters, but would work just as well for this guy. Usually, we do them in the summer, and grill vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, corn, onion, mushrooms, etc.) along with a variety of meat (chicken, sausages, sometimes steak or shrimp, occasionally tofu if we have a vegetarian coming who would like that), and serve several sides - rice, good bread, sometimes a big salad.

That allows everyone to take exactly what they prefer to eat with a minimum of fuss, since the vegetables, meat, rice, bread, and salad are all totally separate. Of course, you could add any other sides that you want. It's all very easy as well - just throw everything on the grill. Vegetables are great at room temp so it's fine to do them early.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:56 AM on November 3

I'm also this person. I'm getting better, but it's just a weird texture thing. I'll eat raw veggies, but anything cooked I'll pass on. Or feed to the dog (well, when I was a kid.)

* If he's like me, include a simple salad. Garden, caesar, etc. Don't add the dressing; provide it to your guests to add their own. Fruits, nuts, croutons, wontons, etc are all good things to add.
* Pasta, pasta, pasta. You can hide all sorts of veggies in a good thick sauce. But no chunks! Still, my favorites are veggie-free white sauces, preferably with a ton of cheese.
* Potatoes are not a vegetable (at least not to me), they're like their own seperate food group. Sweet potatoes and yams also fall into this group. You can go nuts with these.

I understand my limitations, and I've got 30 years experience working around them. As long as there's something I can eat, I'm happy; I don't need to be able to eat everything.
posted by cgg at 7:59 AM on November 3

Beef stroganoff. The Joy of Cooking recipe is great, but I deviate from it by leaving the onions in instead of taking them out. I LOVE it over buttered egg noodles, and it's easy to do crusty bread and a veggie side for those who want something green.
posted by ersatzkat at 8:00 AM on November 3

I've got two young kids who, while not veggie-phobic, are not exactly lining up for extra servings. So I've tried lots of stuff.

There was a recipe in a recent Gourmet (sob!) that looked awesome, and went over fairly well. Get a cauliflower and slice the whole thing (after trimming it) in cross section. It's hard to get more than one complete slice (looks like a slice of brain, which helps with the kids but maybe not for you) so just use whatever bit you end up with. Lay flat on a pan covered in foil, rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper then roast at 425 or so until it's browned on top. Can serve with kalamata olives (or not) and ends up not like cauliflower at all.
posted by lex mercatoria at 8:09 AM on November 3

Anyway, as long as you had one or two things I could eat that would be cool. Don't worry about making it so I'd like everything. While I'd appreciate your kind gesture, you'd be putting me on the spot and I'd feel bad that my idiosyncrasy was called out.

This. Look, I fucking love vegetables. I find it incomprehensible that others don't. But the way to convert a veggiphobe is to let them ease into it at their own pace. "Here's a nice hearty meal of things you like, and oh by the way I made some (broccoli cheese soup / creamed spinach / glazed carrots / other non-threatening homestyle vegetable) and you should help yourself if you want some."

If you're really sure you want to push the envelope, though, my last-ditch strategy for smuggling veggies into our diet when I was married to someone who eats like your friend (and not in the mood to cook side dishes that only I would eat) was Mark Bittman's meatloaf-with-spinach recipe. Add grated carrots along with the spinach. Add finely chopped onion. Add minced celery, maybe shred up some parsley, some bits of scallion. Suddenly you've got something nourishing and flavorful and still basically categorizable under "meat" for those who fear the green stuff.

Another favorite, which occurred to me when you mentioned moussaka, was American-style "spaghetti sauce" with concealed non-tomatoes. A big ol' eggplant chopped up very fine, mushrooms ditto, bell peppers ditto, onions garlic celery ditto, and fry them up into rich tasty unidentifiable veggie morass before topping up the pot with the usual stewed tomatoes and browned meat and maybe a little sugar even if you normally hate the idea. The effect winds up being "Wow, this tomato sauce sure is rich" rather than "Wow, this tomato sauce sure is chock full of weird-ass green and purple objects."

And then — this is they key — if he likes it, don't tell him what he just ate unless he asks. Resist the urge to get all "You ate EGGPLANT, sucker!" Hospitality means making your guests comfortable.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:30 AM on November 3

gnocchi with a garlic cheese sauce (i prefer a blue cheese like stilton, though that won't go over well with many picky eaters). chop up some fresh herbs (dill is delicious) and mix them in. Then you can serve this with a salad and, optionally, with small grilled salmon steaks on the side.

your picky eater can skip the salad.
posted by 256 at 8:41 AM on November 3

This is a common problem at my family gatherings. Trying to prepare a complex concoction or omitting food groups never keeps everyone happy. We usually have a hearty salad, like a ceasar salad for the people who like fresh greens. The main dish is often some sort of beef or pork roast. Then we have a simple vegetable on the side, people who skip it aren't missing out on much. I recommend a sweet potato and apple casserole (are apples a problem, what about apple sauce?) or scalloped potatoes (finely diced onion). This way the non-veg eaters have something good and interesting to eat in addition to the meat. And everyone else likes it too.
posted by Procloeon at 8:48 AM on November 3

My ex-husband hates veggies. In 12 years of marriage, I made the blender my best kitchen friend. I'd blitz the hell out of onions, garlic and tomatoes (oh, those dreaded chunks of tomato!) for pasta sauce. Ditto, pureeing green or red pepper, onion, garlic, carrot, etc. with a bit of water or broth for meatloaf. Throw a carrot (and garlic) in with potatoes for mashing, for golden mashie pots and minimal change in taste.

I know! Try brisket braised in red wine and tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, onions, garlic, etc. At the end, puree the veg for a lovely gravy to serve with potatoes and meat, it's not obnoxiously vegetal, the texture concern is addressed and it's delish to boot. A little salad, sides of veg if wanted, dessert and you've got yourself a right tasty meal.
posted by Allee Katze at 9:17 AM on November 3

Shepherd's Pie.
posted by valannc at 9:31 AM on November 3

Make a nice meal that includes a basic pasta, rice or potato dish. Mac-n-cheese, potatoes au gratin, lasagna, pasta carbonara, risotto are all good choices that can be elegant and interesting and still appeal to problem diners. Also make a really yummy veggie dish. I love roasted winter veggies - brussel sprouts, cauliflower and onions, doused in good olive oil, salt, pepper & rosemary, roasted for an hour or so at 350, stirred @ every 15 minutes. Frozen veggies can be used. Sweet and/or white potatoes can be added or substituted.

The family may be shocked to learn that the problem eater likes vegetables. or not. Don't make a fuss. People make such a big deal about vegetables being required that it makes a lot of kids contrarian. My otherwise-contrarian kid loves most vegetables, salad, and healthy food. All we did was make and serve veggies, and we obviously liked them.

For any dinner party, it's nice to serve a variety. Some people can't eat dairy, some people can't eat wheat, etc.
posted by theora55 at 9:34 AM on November 3

I like "assemble your own" buffet setups when cooking for a group with dissimilar tastes. Just a couple of weeks ago we did a taco night that went over really, really well: marinated, grilled skirt steak and chicken, grilled onions, peppers, and tomatoes, homemade beans, rice, salad and tons of fixings. I've also done a risotto bar and made up a plain risotto with separate components to mix in (pancetta, sauteed mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions, shrimp, etc.). Give everyone options and it won't seem like the entire dinner party is catered to the tastes of one picky eater (and I say this as a picky eater who would be mortified if a dinner was tailored to my specific idiosyncrasies).
posted by rebeccabeagle at 9:40 AM on November 3

Ham and cheese and potato bake has proved to be a good standby for those friends and family members of mine who fear anything spicy, savory, or green.

Slice potatoes into a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Build alternate layers of potatoes with fontina, Edam, or other gooey, melty cheese and ham/prosciutto. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top if you're so inclined, and bake until bubbling and brown on top.

Serve with something green on the side for your other guests (who knows, you may even get your picky eater to eat some beans or broccoli if they can dunk them in the cheese sauce).
posted by vickyverky at 10:19 AM on November 3

Sounds like a great excuse for Taco Night! A big table filled with separate bowls of: beans, meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc etc etc. Mr. No-Veg can make himself a meat and cheese taco or burrito, people who like veggies can add what they like, the person on South Beach will make a taco salad without beans, vegetarians will just have beans without meat -- you get the picture. Taco Night works for EVERYBODY!
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:42 AM on November 3

I eat like this person, too. I agree with those who say options are good. Buffet style meals, taco bars, make-your-own stir fry - all of those would make me very happy and grateful as a picky eater.

Potatoes are almost always safe. Cheese is almost always safe. Chunks of things like tomatoes don't generally go over very well. Everyone always assumes that they can mince onion finely and that I won't know it's there. Oh, I know it's there. And the fact that people try to sell it to me as onion-free makes me feel bad that they think it's necessary to deceive me. Some picky eaters have an issue with taste, some with texture and some with both. If you want to include vegetables, make it a side dish and your guest will just quietly skip over it.

You could host make-your-own cheese steaks, where the guest adds steak, cheese and whatever veggies (if any) they like to their bun and then you toast them in the oven for a few minutes. A gourmet grilled cheese bar could be fun, with a variety of breads and unique cheeses and a large griddle ready nearby. Fondue with different options could be a hit. I have a friend that makes calzones for parties and she just knows to make mine without mushrooms/tomatoes and sprinkles a little basil on top to tell them apart. I always appreciate that.
posted by bristolcat at 10:50 AM on November 3

i can't eat a lot of vegetables because of bad digestion (vegetable fiber = very bad), but i make up for them with dishes rich, saucy, and with enough vibrantly flavored that distract from the meat-heaviness of the plates

some classic suggestions might be:

coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon
steak au poivre
baekhoffe
asian dumplings (Andrea Nguyen's book of dumplings is wicked cool)
(make your own sausage –- you can hide vegetables inside...)
pot roast or leg of lamb, cooked family style with whatever vegetables you want
sancocho / ajicato
posted by mr. remy at 11:15 AM on November 3

For an elegant and challenging carnivore's delight, might I suggest cassoulet?
posted by fyrebelley at 11:19 AM on November 3

I too think pasta is a great idea and would recommend checking out Giada de Laurentis's really awesome recipes at the Food Network.
posted by bearwife at 12:24 PM on November 3

Very well cooked Osso Bucco so that the vegetables (and meat) have all fallen apart?
posted by trialex at 2:43 PM on November 4

Many thanks to all who answered - I really could have best-answered almost everyone. Particular thanks to those who share my friend's eating habits for their insight.

One thing I realised I should have mentionned in the original question is that my friend is American and I am not. I was thus nervous about trying out an dish that he might have eaten many times and discounted anything that appeared to be American in origin.

In the end I took cabingirl's advice and made three Thai curries: green with vegetables, red with pork and potatoes and beef with Holy Basil. It was last night, I got lots of compliments, so I'm happy today!
posted by Busy Old Fool at 10:56 PM on November 8