Give me your hungry, your vegetarians, your omnivores.

June 4, 2014 3:46 PM

Cooking for a group of 12 foodies whilst on vacation, three of whom are strict vegetarians. The other 9 people have expressed the desire not to eat vegetarian food all week. So I'm looking for entree recipes that A: can have meat added on separately at the end, but are also satisfying sans meat B: are easy to make for a large group aka not very time-intensive/time-sensitive/complicated and C: are super-duper tasty. Unimaginative casseroles aren't going to cut it, here. Difficulty: no appliances available other than stove and a BBQ.
posted by egeanin to Food & Drink (23 answers total)

Kare-kare - I have no recipe for you, but it's a Filipino stew with a peanut butter base (leave out the fishy seasonings and add more veggies than are called for in the recipe). It usually has oxtail, but you can cook that separately and add it in later, and it's delicious without. Filipino food isn't super well-known like Thai/Vietnamese/etc, so you'll get some foodie points that way even though stew is pretty simple to make.

A taco bar would be easy and you can provide both meat and bean fillings. Make it as fancy/authentic as you like.

Tapas/mezze for dinner are another easy option. Tons of great vegetarian options and you can do a meat option or two for those who eat it. Any leftover dips can be used in sandwiches/snacks later in the week.
posted by snaw at 3:56 PM on June 4, 2014

Fajitas!
posted by bq at 3:58 PM on June 4, 2014

Taco bar, baked potato bar. Those are my go-to recipes when dealing with a bunch of people with varied dietary restrictions.
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:00 PM on June 4, 2014

Grill both real and vegetarian versions of burgers and hot dogs?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:02 PM on June 4, 2014

I asked a similar question recently, and went with the "bar" theme for the weekend. The Greek/Mediterranean bar was my favorite: pitas, lots of things to put in/on them, meat, falafel, and a huge quinoa tabbouleh.
posted by linettasky at 4:02 PM on June 4, 2014

One of my faves and meets all your requirements:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-quinoa-salad/

This recipe is sooo versatile. You can swap out Brown Rice for the Quinoa, White or Pinto Beans for the Black Beans, and caramelized chopped Red Onions (yum!) for the Green Onions. I've also garnished with a sprinkle of Feta Cheese on a few occasions.

And to satisfy the meat-eaters: Top with diced/cubed pieces of grilled chicken breast.
posted by stubbehtail at 4:03 PM on June 4, 2014

A grand aioli. That's a sort of DIY salad-bar concept, where you have a whole lot of really good vegetables, raw or slightly cooked depending on the vegetable, like green beans, radishes, little potatoes, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, baby carrots, etc.; and you also have some olives, some wedges of hard-boiled egg and some cooked fish of some sort. That all gets served with a loaf of good bread and some aioli, which is a garlicky mayonnaise; you can make the mayonnaise yourself if you're really ambitious, or you can do what I did once and just roast a head of garlic, mash it up, and mix it into a jar of good storebought mayo.

People pick the meat/veg they want, eat it with the bread and the aioli, and everyone's happy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:07 PM on June 4, 2014

Pasta bar! Make two sauces, one with meat and one without, plus bowls of olives, caramelized onions, parmesan, etc.
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:18 PM on June 4, 2014

Jiao zi or some form of dumplings meet your criteria. You can make one bowl of filling that has only mushrooms in it for the vegetarians, and then one bowl of filling that includes pork or shrimp. If you really want to make it interactive, get your friends to wrap their own dumplings-- that way, everybody will make only as much as they'll eat, and you won't have leftovers (only perhaps leftover ingredients...). Boil or fry, and enjoy! (And if you do have leftovers, they freeze really well.)
posted by gemutlichkeit at 4:32 PM on June 4, 2014

Can you bring a panini press? Loads of panini ingredient possibilities... I suppose you'd get a pretty good panini without the press, just foil-wrapped and chucked on the grill.

The strict vegetarians may not want to eat stuff right off the same grill used for the meat at the same time, and a not inconsiderable number of us look at fake meat the same way we look at the real stuff; that's kind of a messy area sometimes. If the vegetarians are cool with eating off the same grill (there are some courtesy aesthetic fixes possible with wrapping stuff in foil and/or using the disposable foil trays made for BBQing) a meal of the BBQed veg sides alone is pretty good; add halloumi cheese for a more robust meal for the vegetarians...

If you Google 'aioli garni' you will get more ideas for the 'grand' concept above.
posted by kmennie at 4:39 PM on June 4, 2014

I'd make a lovely lasagna, and have meatballs or sausages on the side.

Pizzas are good too. The crust is a fun activity for everyone, and folks can do their own toppings.

Egg Puff is yummy for breakfast:

7 Eggs
2.5 cups milk
As much shredded mild cheddar cheese as you like
1 can chopped roasted poblano chillies
Salt, pepper and Dijon mustard to taste
Crust-less white bread to line an oblong Pyrex dish

Spray pan with Pam. Line bottom with bread. Put half of the cheese evenly on the bread. Then diced chillies, then cheese. Beat eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until brown and puffy. Devour.

Nom!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:40 PM on June 4, 2014

Every Indian restaurant knows how to make this work. Lovely spicy sauces in which to simmer chicken or cauliflower (or peas, or lamb). Serve with nan and/or rice.

The Maya Kaimal brand of prepared sauces can serve as a tasty example.
posted by cleroy at 4:44 PM on June 4, 2014

Google "Ina Garten Roasted Shrimp Orzo." then double it. The leftovers are fabulous.
posted by nkknkk at 4:52 PM on June 4, 2014

Along with what cleroy notes, Ethiopian food works the same way, and is rather easy once you have berbere. Penzey's actually has one if you can't get to an Ethiopian market. The niter kibbeh (butter) is not 100% necessary, either if you don't have it, but you can get both at a good market.
posted by oflinkey at 5:11 PM on June 4, 2014

Spaghetti with meatballs on the side. Stir-fry with the meat cooked separately.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:17 PM on June 4, 2014

Pad thai, with chicken or tofu
posted by Ollie at 6:48 PM on June 4, 2014

Make a big vegetable stir fry and then separately also fry tofu and meat, and then serve all three in separate serving dishes to add in as people like.

Make couscous and serve it topped with nuts and roasted veggies for the vegetarians, and chicken for the meat eaters.

Make pasta alfredo. Add broccoli and tomatoes for the vegetarians; add chicken or Italian sausage for the meat eaters.

Make a vegetarian soup base and then split into two pots; make vegetarian vegetable soup in one and chicken soup in the other.

(I actually do this sort of thing all the time at home. I'm vegetarian and my husband isn't. it's not that hard. You just have to wash a few more pots at the end.)
posted by BlueJae at 7:26 PM on June 4, 2014

Couscous with vegetables roasted on the BBQ (get hearty vegetables, like pumpkin, mushrooms, sweet potato). Add cheese/tofu/veg burgers for protein. Add a slab of meat on top for the meat eaters!
posted by shazzam! at 8:48 PM on June 4, 2014

I used to work at a natural food store -- the epicenter of fiercely-held food positions of all stripes -- and was frequently asked to kick in potluck items for varied groups. (You're lucky that you don't have Vegans, Gluten-Free, and Paleo types, etc. in your mix, as well... Actually, you might want to double check?) Here are some things that have worked in that setting, as well as with my family (parents are Vegetarian, my brother, assorted girlfriends, and I are all Omnivores):

Following on the upthread suggestion of grilled meats/meat alternatives, you could serve same with a good rustic potato salad (the kind with celery, egg, and red onion, not the sweet/pickle-y kind), with bits of crispy bacon to be added by us purists.

I've gotten a lot of mileage out of omelets, too. The function is similar to a taco spread; just take orders for fillings ahead of time, and everyone gets what they want. Sweet or savory crepes can work in the same way. Actually the majority of breakfast-ish/brunchy things could work; most egg + starch meals served in the first part of the day are served as component parts (e.g. scrambled eggs and hash browns, with a side of sausage).

One more: most Vegetarians (barring additional requirements/complications) like sandwiches. So do most Omnivores. Have suitable ingredients (roasted portabella, cheeses, deli meats, tomato, onion, condiments, and so on) on hand, for informal meals. Added bonus is that you can enjoy your vacation a bit more, instead of constantly making food.

Final thought: It sounds like the Omnis in your group are good sports, and are willing to eat a few completely Veg meals during the trip. I'd suggest picking "main dish" vegetables that will satisfy. As a committed meat-eater, I like my occasional Vegetarian food to either pack a lot of flavor, or to provide some of the missing umami/"heft" provided by meat. My go-to is cauliflower; it has a deep flavor of its own, is filling, and carries seasonings exceptionally well. Give me a plate of cooked cauliflower sauteed in curry or drizzled with a fresh pesto, and I'll be like, "Meat? What's that?" Brussels sprouts (roasted with butter, garlic, and grated fresh horseradish!), or a nice beet salad are good candidates, too.
posted by credible hulk at 10:07 PM on June 4, 2014

In summer, when my large family and the kid's friends spends holiday time together, we always make many different salads and plates of grilled and steamed vegetables (sometimes marinated after cooking), as well as one or two simple meat/fish dishes. That way, everyone can serve herself, and no one talks about dietary restrictions or dislikes.
Now my gran is dead, I am responsible, but lots of people hang in the kitchen and participate in the cooking, often with people almost competing about who makes the best salad. I let them. They are rewarded with drinks.
posted by mumimor at 1:16 AM on June 5, 2014

Giant party sub with some sections only cheese. Since they're foodies, it could be a more upscale, gourmet-type sub with a nice roll, fancy cheese, mixed greens, and a homemade dressing.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:53 AM on June 5, 2014

My daughter is vegetarian and the rest of the family is not. I made a lot of ground beef recipes (chili, sloppy joes, hamburger-helper-type meat and gravy dishes but homemade) but I made 2 pots at the same time.

One had browned beef in it, the other had a mixture of onions/carrots/celery/mushrooms that was put in the food processor until it was little bits of crumble texture. Saute those veg bits in olive oil, deglaze with beer and add some vegetarian boullion powder that is supposed to taste like beef. I sometimes added crumbles of tofu for protein. Once you have that in the pot, you have 2 pots on the stove with simmering "meat", and then you add the exact same seasonings to both pots at the same time.
posted by CathyG at 7:00 AM on June 5, 2014

Miso Glazed Eggplant can be adapted to a bbq. Serve with rice/grain salad and grilled fish or tempeh. You can double the glaze and use it on the protein or make a simple soy/honey/sesame. With the tempeh, you might want to put it in foil to start, then finish on grill.

Fajitas, sandwiches, tacos, pizzas, calzones, omelettes, pasta, can all easily be made vegetarian or not by having meaty fillings/toppings as an option.
posted by fontophilic at 10:20 AM on June 5, 2014