Baby Bro is turning one soon. We have some scheduling conflicts with the families and so we are going to have two small gatherings (under a dozen total guests per party) for him so that everyone gets a chance to watch him eat cake!
Here is my dilemma. His nanny is a vegetarian. We are all meat eaters. I don't really know what to make for a vegetarian. Because each gathering will be so small, it won't really be worth it to make two whole meals (one with meat and one without). I was thinking of making baked spaghetti or grabbing a spiral ham from Sam's club for the meat eaters, but then what about a meat-free option. I don't want to be in the kitchen for the whole party either. I should be able to make most of the food ahead of time and enjoy our small birthday gathering each day.
Do you have any suggestions for a vegetarian entree? I don't want to make one large meat entree and then a small meat-free helping for one person because I think that would be awkward. We really, really, really adore Bro's nanny and want her to feel like we have included her in his day - not that we threw something together for her to eat as an afterthought.
Help! Thoughts? Suggestions for a meat free option for the nanny that doesn't seem out of place?
7 comments:
What about a vegetarian lasagne?
Here's one that sounds pretty good:
http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/06/roast-vegetable-lasagne-recipe.html
Or there's this one that I made up one day:
http://mimbles.blogspot.com/2007/09/tracking-and-lasagne-love.html
I think Italian is the way to go if everyone likes it. Depending how much work you feel like doing, you could make baked ziti or a lasagna that has 1/4 without meat. This can be done as I make me a portion w/o cheese for myself all the time. Or if you'd like a ham, maybe have bean soup and a large salad also. Ooohh..., I also like veg. chilli and I have a good, not too spicy recipe if you're interested. It's simple and quick and you could even make a double batch and add meat to one if you'd like.
I have another idea for the get together. It's not fancy at all, but how about pizza? You could buy a bunch of personal size crusts, provide sauce and toppings, and people could either make their own or maybe they could "order" and Emily could prepare them. They would cook quickly and you could fit a few at a time in the oven. Here's the kicker: Pizzas for "1" - Get it? Since Brody's turning 1? I thought it was pretty creative and then your nanny could have whatever veggies she wanted.
Too many choices. Well, now I am glad that we are having two small parties for Bro. Pizza for "1" is almost too hard to resist and Lulu would love to be our executive chef for the evening. I'm also a such sucker for lasagna and Mim's recipe looks really, really tasty.
Okay, this one is my specialty...I've been a vegetarian for many, many years now, but the rest of my family and all of our usual guests are meat eaters! The pizza for one idea is GREAT, I think, BUT, depending on how strict of a vegetarian nanny is, she might not eat store-bought pizza crusts (I've yet to find a store-bought crust that is vegetarian!) Also, many cheeses aren't "safe" for vegetarians. I know, we're a pain, huh? Veggie chili is always a hit, and it's easy to make. I also have a recipe for a spinach artichoke lasagna that is super easy and always a hit with both meat and non-meat eating guests. Mexican goes over well, too...you could do a make your own taco bar type thing, with vegetarian refried beans for nanny- there's also some wonderful taco meat flavored soy meat alternatives that even my meat loving husband enjoys. I'm full of vegetarian recipes, and I pretty much know what brands and types of cheeses are safe!
E-mail me if you'd like more info (kw2fm@virginia.edu).
Did you ever consider asking her what she would like? Might be the easiest way out.. I am sure she would understand..
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