Neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring
November 25, 2015 12:22 PM Subscribe
My new beau is an awesome cook. Yay! So am I. Yay! He's pescetarian, I'm a meat-loving, fish-hating former vegetarian. Carb-heavy meals make me fat and, frankly, are probably making him fat, too. So ... what sort of meals can we make together/for one another?
Menu suggestions for delicious meals that will satisfy us both would be much appreciated. He says he would like to lose some weight, which I support. I eventually abandoned vegetarianism because as I got older it was not compatible with keeping weight off. He loves cooked fish, so I'll probably rely on a lot of great veg dishes plus fish hunk for him, steak hunk for me. But I would like a few dishes/complete meals/suggestions that work for both of us. (We'll both be cooking.) Thanks!
Menu suggestions for delicious meals that will satisfy us both would be much appreciated. He says he would like to lose some weight, which I support. I eventually abandoned vegetarianism because as I got older it was not compatible with keeping weight off. He loves cooked fish, so I'll probably rely on a lot of great veg dishes plus fish hunk for him, steak hunk for me. But I would like a few dishes/complete meals/suggestions that work for both of us. (We'll both be cooking.) Thanks!
Response by poster: Thank you! One note: I don't do ultra low carb, I just can't maintain my weight if we have pasta every time we eat together.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 12:57 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 12:57 PM on November 25, 2015
Do you hate ALL seafood? Or only some particular kinds of fish? My formerly-vegetarian spouse likes the "meatier" taste of salmon and tuna, enjoys smoked fish, tolerates shrimp, dislikes mussels, and (for reasons that are obscure to me) thinks plain white fishes taste "fishy". If the two of you can compromise on something like crab, you'll open up a lot of options.
Otherwise, think about eggs! Egg curry and hard-boiled eggs cooked with soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic are in pretty heavy rotation at my house. There are lots of other options, too: omelets, frittata, egg burritos . . .
posted by yarntheory at 1:13 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Otherwise, think about eggs! Egg curry and hard-boiled eggs cooked with soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic are in pretty heavy rotation at my house. There are lots of other options, too: omelets, frittata, egg burritos . . .
posted by yarntheory at 1:13 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
i'm wondering if "meaty" fish, like tuna steaks, is some kind of compromise?
otherwise it sounds like you need to look at vegetarian solutions that don't cause weight issues. i've recently being playing around with curried lentils, sometimes with other beans. that's pretty tasty and filling, and because it's higher protein might not be too bad for the waistline? the base is just onions fried with cumin seeds, garlic added, then water and lentils, with more cumin and turmeric (and coriander if it was easy to find in chile). from there, tomatoes, other beans, etc etc.
posted by andrewcooke at 1:13 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
otherwise it sounds like you need to look at vegetarian solutions that don't cause weight issues. i've recently being playing around with curried lentils, sometimes with other beans. that's pretty tasty and filling, and because it's higher protein might not be too bad for the waistline? the base is just onions fried with cumin seeds, garlic added, then water and lentils, with more cumin and turmeric (and coriander if it was easy to find in chile). from there, tomatoes, other beans, etc etc.
posted by andrewcooke at 1:13 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Last update: I occasionally eat shellfish, but don't care for cooked fish in general. Loathe salmon, etc. So looking for vegetarian suggestions or dishes where meat can be added separately or at the last minute. Most of my (winter) meals revolve around coq au vin etc, braised meats cooked with veg and mashed cauliflower or something, very rich and savory. That obviously will not cut it with the beau.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 1:21 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 1:21 PM on November 25, 2015
another beans suggestion is porotos granados (beans + squash) - a traditional dish here in the summer. i mention it because it's often made with some chorizo added, and you could fry that separately and add it in to just one dish.
posted by andrewcooke at 1:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by andrewcooke at 1:35 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Cheese fondue with veggies and fruit. Regular fondue with veggies, fish and meat.
DIY Tempura, with veggies, meat and fish.
Omelets
Cheese Enchiladas with beans and salad.
Eggplant Parmesan-you can have with chicken, he can have with pasta.
Stir fry
Anything with a good veggie base to which meats can be added incidentally or on the side.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:52 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
DIY Tempura, with veggies, meat and fish.
Omelets
Cheese Enchiladas with beans and salad.
Eggplant Parmesan-you can have with chicken, he can have with pasta.
Stir fry
Anything with a good veggie base to which meats can be added incidentally or on the side.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:52 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Glorious simple ramen soup (ramen noodles optional)
Get:
- 1 box silken tofu (the kind that comes in a shelf-stable box)
- a packet of ramen noodles (I swear this is good;
recommend "oriental flavor", "mushroom flavor", or "tofu miso")
- some shiitake mushrooms
- some lovely delicate green vegetables like snow peas, fresh green peas, fresh parsley, mung bean sprouts, spinach, celery greens, or napa cabbage
- soy sauce
- Lime optional.
Boil some water with the cubed tofu in it; add the sliced mushrooms and some soy sauce.
**Add the vegetables when it's approprite to do so; you don't want to overcook them, or the soup will be not as glorious as it could be. Fresh spinach or parsley, for example, should be added _after_ the ramen is cooked and the soup is removed from the heat. Really.
Once that's "cooked" to your satisfaction (not too long), add the ramen noodles and cook as long as the package says, usually 4 minutes. Flavor packet optional but recommended.
Other things I add to enhance the broth: miso (add after the soup is removed from heat - read up on this), onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegetable bouillon cubes.
I'd make this _with_ the noodles the first few times - they are what makes the soup irresistible. However, after a while, you will realize that the rest of the soup is really the best part, and you may not need the noodles :)
posted by amtho at 2:29 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Get:
- 1 box silken tofu (the kind that comes in a shelf-stable box)
- a packet of ramen noodles (I swear this is good;
recommend "oriental flavor", "mushroom flavor", or "tofu miso")
- some shiitake mushrooms
- some lovely delicate green vegetables like snow peas, fresh green peas, fresh parsley, mung bean sprouts, spinach, celery greens, or napa cabbage
- soy sauce
- Lime optional.
Boil some water with the cubed tofu in it; add the sliced mushrooms and some soy sauce.
**Add the vegetables when it's approprite to do so; you don't want to overcook them, or the soup will be not as glorious as it could be. Fresh spinach or parsley, for example, should be added _after_ the ramen is cooked and the soup is removed from the heat. Really.
Once that's "cooked" to your satisfaction (not too long), add the ramen noodles and cook as long as the package says, usually 4 minutes. Flavor packet optional but recommended.
Other things I add to enhance the broth: miso (add after the soup is removed from heat - read up on this), onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegetable bouillon cubes.
I'd make this _with_ the noodles the first few times - they are what makes the soup irresistible. However, after a while, you will realize that the rest of the soup is really the best part, and you may not need the noodles :)
posted by amtho at 2:29 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm often in a similar situation as I and my partner eat low carb and his children are vegetarians, which they graciously extend to pescetarian when they come to stay (since we do like fish).
For you guys, perhaps a concept like pho, but with a vegetable-based stock? You could add thin-sliced meat at the last minute to your bowl and he could add shrimp or fish. Pre-soaked noodles if he wants them can also go in his bowl at the last minute, otherwise shredded cabbage is a good noodle substitute.
Zucchini noodles with a rich, cheesy or creamy sauce.
Tofu and tempeh.
In our house halloumi is a big treat for all. I like it sliced, fried, and served over salad.
If you eat beans: recently we have been loving winter soups with chard or kale and white or borlotti beans--for these we don't even use stock but just a base of garlic and anchovies and then grate Parmesan cheese in at the end. Super-easy and incredibly good. (I don't think the anchovies would be an issue for you. They don't in any way create a fishy taste in the dish, they just enrich the broth.)
Also, a festive and sociable way to do the vegetables-plus-hunk-of-fish-or-meat thing is to prepare a big joint salad bar. Set out bowls of nice prepped veggies, nuts, cheese cubes, beans, etc. There can be a bowl of crumbled bacon or sliced steak for you, something like smoked salmon for him.
posted by bluebird at 3:43 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
For you guys, perhaps a concept like pho, but with a vegetable-based stock? You could add thin-sliced meat at the last minute to your bowl and he could add shrimp or fish. Pre-soaked noodles if he wants them can also go in his bowl at the last minute, otherwise shredded cabbage is a good noodle substitute.
Zucchini noodles with a rich, cheesy or creamy sauce.
Tofu and tempeh.
In our house halloumi is a big treat for all. I like it sliced, fried, and served over salad.
If you eat beans: recently we have been loving winter soups with chard or kale and white or borlotti beans--for these we don't even use stock but just a base of garlic and anchovies and then grate Parmesan cheese in at the end. Super-easy and incredibly good. (I don't think the anchovies would be an issue for you. They don't in any way create a fishy taste in the dish, they just enrich the broth.)
Also, a festive and sociable way to do the vegetables-plus-hunk-of-fish-or-meat thing is to prepare a big joint salad bar. Set out bowls of nice prepped veggies, nuts, cheese cubes, beans, etc. There can be a bowl of crumbled bacon or sliced steak for you, something like smoked salmon for him.
posted by bluebird at 3:43 PM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
lentils are your friend
posted by Jacqueline at 9:45 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 9:45 PM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think caponata would go well with fish or meat. This broccoli and leek casserole is tasty and very warming in winter. This salad with roasted beets and goat cheese is really good and can be quite fancy; my partner serves it with goat cheese rounds topped with a balsamic reduction.
posted by neushoorn at 1:38 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by neushoorn at 1:38 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might find useful suggestions in the Deconstructing Dinner section of the blog Dinner, a Love Story. It's intended as a "how to make family dinner with picky kids" but emphasizes creating dinners that can be shared among family with different tastes in food.
posted by instamatic at 4:20 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by instamatic at 4:20 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tacos/taco salads can work really well for this. You can share most things like slivered cabbage with lime, pickled onions, roasted corn salads, peppers, herby salsas and tomatoes, crema, and even beans and cumin-roasted tofu. If you've slow-cooked some meat in a simple recipe recently, leftovers of anything like pulled pork or chicken cook up fast with a dusting of appropriate spices and a sizzling hot pan so you get some crispy bits, and he can do things like saute a few frozen shrimp with a little citrus juice or some tilapia tossed in panko or be adventurous with some squid or octopus. Then just heat up some corn tortillas and pick a green for your base. I like a combination of cabbage and romaine for taco salads because they can stand up to lots of salsa and other toppings, or you can skip the extra greens and just pile on the veg. You can also top everything with an egg, mmmmm...
posted by Mizu at 12:11 AM on November 27, 2015
posted by Mizu at 12:11 AM on November 27, 2015
You can use spaghetti squash in lieu of pasta.
posted by kamikazegopher at 11:47 AM on November 27, 2015
posted by kamikazegopher at 11:47 AM on November 27, 2015
Swiss chard or kale sautéed with a bit of garlic and a splash of veggie broth. Serve with some sausage for you and a pan seared fillet for him.
A glaze of equal parts orange juice, soy sauce and maple syrup is good on both salmon and pork.
Portobello mushroom heads are a good filling veggie side --- sliced into strips and sautéed with balsamic, or broiled with a bit of crumbled goat cheese, thyme and breadcrumbs over top.
Also stir frys I'd think would work --- could even use just one pan if you did say, thinly sliced chicken in first then set aside, then the veg, then some shrimp for him. Thai curries ditto.
You might also try cooking things en papillote, though that's usually a little lighter. Julienne/shred a mix of veggies --- scallions, zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, fennel, whatever you like --- toss with a little olive oil salt, pepper and some herbs, maybe a squeeze of lemon. Pile one portion on a square of parchment paper, lay your protein of choice on top (a thin fillet) fold over the paper a roll up the edges to seal. Pop in a hot oven for 15 or 20 min.
posted by Diablevert at 5:15 AM on November 28, 2015
A glaze of equal parts orange juice, soy sauce and maple syrup is good on both salmon and pork.
Portobello mushroom heads are a good filling veggie side --- sliced into strips and sautéed with balsamic, or broiled with a bit of crumbled goat cheese, thyme and breadcrumbs over top.
Also stir frys I'd think would work --- could even use just one pan if you did say, thinly sliced chicken in first then set aside, then the veg, then some shrimp for him. Thai curries ditto.
You might also try cooking things en papillote, though that's usually a little lighter. Julienne/shred a mix of veggies --- scallions, zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, fennel, whatever you like --- toss with a little olive oil salt, pepper and some herbs, maybe a squeeze of lemon. Pile one portion on a square of parchment paper, lay your protein of choice on top (a thin fillet) fold over the paper a roll up the edges to seal. Pop in a hot oven for 15 or 20 min.
posted by Diablevert at 5:15 AM on November 28, 2015
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posted by OrangeDisk at 12:52 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]