A holiday tradition―the family gathers at your house for feasting and festivities.
But this year someone is bringing a friend (Always welcome, the more the merrier) who is vegetarian (What?! What can I cook?).
Here are a few suggestions to return you to the "Always welcome, the more the merrier" frame of mind.
First, know that from my experience most vegetarians do not expect to be served an entire meal just made for them. They know their diet is a personal choice and don't expect everyone else to follow it. So just by making an effort to offer something especially for them you are doing something very gracious.
Second, find out what level of "vegetarianism" they are at. Do they eat fish, do they eat dairy products, or are they vegan (no eggs, milk, or cheese)?
Third, look over your traditional menu for available dishes that don't have meat in them. Cranberry sauce is a good start, as well as corn, sweet potatoes, and other basic vegetable dishes. Just let each person apply their own butter if the guest is vegan.
Note that mashed potatoes are suitable for someone who eats milk and butter but not for a vegan. Another dish that doesn't meet the vegan's requirements is the green bean casserole if it is made with cream of mushroom soup that has milk in it, but it is a good selection for a regular vegetarian.
Pumpkin pie is another vegetable food, good for all except those who don't eat dairy products. (And yes, you can serve mincemeat. We eat it in the U.S., and it does not really contain meat.)
Once you have determined which of your regular foods are edible for your guest, you can decide what else you'd like to have to fill out their meal.
Now the challenge comes. You can look up recipes, for instance from Moosewood Restaurants at moosewoodrestaurant.com, and order cookbooks, too.
Or you can look at the recipes on the bag or box of rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, etc. But one caution―cooking with unfamiliar grains can result in disastrous failures which are really inedible. It's best to try the recipe a week or so before the holiday meal, just in case.
If you decide not to get that adventurous and not to cook, here's another way to include all your guests' preferences in a delicious meal. Buy already-prepared vegetarian food and warm it up while you are doing other cooking.
In health food stores there are many frozen vegetarian selections you can buy ahead of time. Or you can call a vegetarian restaurant and order the food to go. Pick it up, heat it in your oven, and serve along with all your traditional food.
But one note, people who are not vegetarian can get very brave under these circumstances and want to try this food when it is offered in this safe setting, so you may find that it goes much faster than you'd expect. It is a good idea to order extra so more than just the one vegetarian can eat it.
With these tips I wish you a festive, fulfilling holiday, presented in the true spirit of "the more, the merrier."
You can search for local vegetarian restaurants on the internet. One site I've found is vegdining.com.
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