Because we don't all partake in the turkey part of turkey day, I've found some tips on vegetarian Thanksgivings. If you're hosting dinner with some vegetarian guests, these might be helpful--it doesn't have to be tricky. Especially if you follow the first tip:
1) ASK ABOUT DIETARY RESTRICTIONS FIRST. This is crucial, especially if you're expecting guests you don't know well. Vegetarians might eat cheese or eggs, while vegans will eat nothing animal at all. (No dairy, no eggs, no cheese.) There are pescetarians, lactovegetarians, ovovegetarians, and so on. Ask lots of questions before you cook. This is also helpful even when all your guests are carnivorous--it's nice to find out ahead of time if guests have allergies, intolerances, etc. Open communication ahead of time is key.
2) If you like to cook your stuffing inside the turkey, consider cooking a small amount outside the turkey. Vegetarians may or may not eat something that has touched meat. (The same goes for utensils, plates, etc.) Setting aside portions of foods so they don't get mixed in with meat product is usually easily done.
3) Watch your prepackaged foods--some vegetarians don't eat gelatin, whey, or sodium caseinate because they are derived from animals. (Yes, gelatin is made from animals. Yet another weird reason for me to justify my hatred of all food jiggly. You know, other than my real reason for hating it, which is that it's too jiggly.)
4) Make sure you have plenty of vegetarian-friendly side items (this shouldn't be hard, since most cranberry sauces, sweet potato dishes, breads, green beans, and potato dishes are veggie-friendly--just be aware that if there are marshmallows on your yams, a vegetarian might not eat it because of the gelatin, or if there is chicken broth instead of vegetable broth in your stuffing, it will be declined) (same goes for bacon in your green beans, etc). This might be a good opportunity to try something new and seasonal, like a pumpkin soup or squash dish. Maybe something with portobello mushrooms or eggplant. You can easily find a yummy vegetarian entree that non-vegetarians will love as a side dish--just make sure the vegetarians get enough!
5) Some vegetarians like things like tofurkey, others don't. Don't feel obligated to make a ton of a special meat substitute if you aren't sure they will eat (or even like) it.
6) Invite all your dinner guests to bring a dish. This will help cut back on your stress (and theirs) if they bring something that will definitely meet their dietary needs. And you won't have to cook as much, which means you can spend more time taste-testing things and getting in on all the family holiday gossip.
These tips and more can be found here, along with instructions on making tofurkey.
Any vegetarians out there with more insight? What am I leaving out? Any favorite Thanksgiving dishes you like?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Eeks! Just reading this makes my head spin. No offense, but I'm glad I don't have to cook for vegetarians anytime soon.
I wish there was a graceful way to clarify that a dish was vegetarian. I once had a vegetarian friend to lunch, and I made a vegetarian soup (no meat, no meat broth) and bread, and she only ate bread and didn't eat her soup, and I was certain it was that she suspected it was probably made with meat broth--but I didn't know how to say it wasn't, especially because maybe she wasn't eating it because she thought it was yucky.
I'm a casual vegetarian, which means I don't check labels for whey or sodium whatever. Milk is okay, and if an egg is required in the cornbread, go for it. If you've made your dressing with chicken stock and I'm none the wiser, no problem. If I eat at your house, I just won't have the turkey or any obvious bacon.
But the difficulty of sorting out everyone else's dietary preferences is insurmountable. My vegan nephews eat tofurkey with gusto. My thought is, "Why are you a vegetarian and eating tofu shaped and made to look like a dead animal?"
If we're having people for dinner, which is rare, I usually tell them about what I was thinking of making and ask, "Do you have any food allergies?"
This question is easy, and you can usually get the answer you want, "No, but we eat kosher" or "I'm a vegan." If they're vegan and want to tell me specifics, fine. Otherwise, I do a strict vegan dish or two.
I always have a salad and fresh fruit available too, and raisins, dried fruits, etc.
Uh oh. Run on of the mouth. TMI. Sorry!
Post a Comment