Entertaining Vegetarians

by Brandon Barker

With a little ingenuity and an unwavering smile, you can easily accommodate a surprise vegetarian dinner guest.

Having a vegetarian over to dinner is nothing to stress about. Not only are meat-free recipes easy to find, many of them work in tandem with your favorite beef, chicken, fish and other meaty recipes. But what happens when your guest neglects to share his or her vegetarian status until the dinner is, for the most part, prepared? In such a case, there’s very little time to throw together a vegetarian dish and you have every reason to panic.

Many vegetarians take a strict approach. That means, it’s not enough to remove the meat from a dish: Whether a casserole, a stew or a pasta sauce, the dish has been essentially cooked in meat and retains the meat’s juices. Therefore, it becomes necessary to prepare a strictly meat-free meal on the fly.

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. And remember: You don’t have to whip together a protein-packed, well-balanced vegetarian meal, you only need to make sure your guest gets something just as flavorful as everyone else.

By following a few helpful hints, you can prove your culinary mettle by whipping together a magnificent meat-free meal. Here’s how you do it:

Grin and Bear It

Forgetting to mention that he or she is vegetarian is a faux pas that can throw a huge wrench in your meal plan. But if you get upset, it will only delay food preparation and make it harder to enjoy the evening. As hard as it may be, offer an apology to your guest, then start thinking about an easy way to include them in the meal. As you will see, it doesn’t necessarily take much work to care for your vegetarian guest.

Break Out the Beans

Chances are, you have plenty of meatless protein sitting in your cupboard. Canned beans, when seasoned with salt, pepper and other seasonings, are an incredibly versatile component of any vegetarian meal. Above all, they are tasty, filling and quickly prepared.

So, which beans do you choose? It depends on what you’re serving:

• Mexican: black beans, pinto beans, refried beans
• Italian: fava beans, string beans, broad beans, lentils
• Mediterranean: garbanzo beans, lentils
• Asian: edamame, soybeans, green beans, black beans

Heat the beans using the appropriate spices. One way or another, you’ll be able to salvage parts of your meal — salad, vegetable side, rice and bread — so the bean dish should be able to incorporate itself seamlessly. Keep in mind that your dinner will probably involve extra sauces, marinades or condiments that haven’t touched the meat, allowing you to get creative with your meatless protein options.

Go Nuts

No matter how ordinary your salad course, it can be incorporated into a main vegetarian dish with the addition of some nuts and crumbled cheese. Quickly toast some walnuts or pecans to make the heavier, cruncher and more complex. Spicy roasted pumpkin seeds also add a surprising punch, and toasted almonds are equally tasty. If you keep hearts of palm or artichoke hearts in the pantry, there’s even more delicious ammo for your salad.

Pasta Possibilities

If you prepared a meaty pasta sauce, a vegetarian version is easy. Simmer some fresh or canned tomatoes with garlic, basil, and perhaps a handful of mushrooms for a meat-free masterpiece. For a simpler pasta course, just add a little olive oil and some crushed red pepper flakes, fresh herbs and cheese. Top it with sliced olives and you have a fresh, light and summery pasta dish.

Say Cheese

Add flavor, richness and depth to your side dishes — making them more than just role players for your vegetarian guest’s dinner — with a smattering of delicious cheeses. If you have a block of Cheddar or Monterey Jack in the fridge, grate some of it onto your vegetable side or rice dish. If you’re really in a pinch, serve a selection of cheeses on a cutting board with sliced bread or crackers.

The Home Stretch

Unless you have a groundbreaking meaty dessert planned, you should be in the clear for the rest of your evening. And, most likely, whatever you threw together at the last moment was a hit with your vegetarian friend.