Help wanted : Menu suggestions

[mamadeb]

My brother-in-law and family are coming for dinner this coming Sunday. I need something to serve.

I'm looking for something dairy in nature - preferably a casserole for ease of transport downstairs to the sukkah, but I can adapt. The five-year-old is moderately fussy and my sister-in-law doesn't eat. Fish isn't really an option because it's a Sunday and fresh fish (the kind I prefer to serve) is not available. Otherwise, I'd be set with tilapia packages.

I've done lasagna in the past, and they like it, but I don't want to do it again, or something similar. I don't want them thinking I only cook one thing.

I could also do something with meat but only if I have a meat free option as well, as my brother-in-law does not eat meat (neither beef nor chicken.) His family does - the five year old loves turkey. I have turkey in my freezer. If Mtich ate meat, I'd just serve a turkey/bean/sweet potato casserole.
I suppose I could just leave off the turkey and add rice or barley instead.

If I leave off the turkey, I could also leave off the sweet potato and use cheese as well, but I don't know. That somehow seems heavy.

I'd serve a salad and a dessert of some kind, and Mitch is bringing wine.

*ETA: Quiche is out. I'm serving it for lunch on Thursday.*

Comments

[cyprinella]

A quiche of some sort, perhaps?

[magid.livejournal.com]

When you say that the child is moderately fussy, what are things that are definitely ok (or definitely not)?

Preliminary thoughts include quiche (which can have less cheese if fat is a concern, or use ricotta; any number of different vegetables, could be made with tuna and dill instead of cheese, etc etc etc), or a vegetarian chili casserole (bean and tomato based chili, then baked with corn bread batter on top, possibly with cheddar cheese).

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Quiche is out. I'm serving it for lunch on Thursday, and really don't want to have it again so soon. Also, in my mind, it's just not a dinner dish.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not certain - I just know there are things she won't eat one day and will the next. And she loves turkey.

Quiche is out.

I'm not sure how Jocelyn or Zoe are with spices, but the chili casserole is a definite possibility. Not corn bread, though. Never made it, and it's not the time to experiment.

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

I was going to say a risotto of some kind, but now that I think about it the tasty cheesy risotto my dad used to make involved chicken broth. But there's no reason it had to, I guess.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

Fondue, maybe? There you've got the cheese sauce which is the only thing that needs to be transported down warm, and you can cut up bread and various vegetables into bite-sized pieces to dip in. The fussy about what she eats girl can pick and choose what she wants to have for dipping then.

And if you give everyone separate cups for their fondue sauce, you can serve the turkey as an optional dipper, but keep it separate for the sake of the person not eating meats.

It was a meal that my mom used quite effectively for our whole family while my siblings and I were going through the picky eater phase. The only thing you have to watch out for is the fondue itself separating, depending on how it's made.

[magid.livejournal.com]

OK, how about calzones (or individual pizzas)? Fillings could include veggies, sauces (tomato or pepper or olive, etc), cheese (or flavored tofu, or seitan), etc.
Or spanikopita (which gets closer to lasgana, but could be made individually, if that helps).
Or stuffed veggies (peppers, zukes, potatoes, winter squashes), with whatever type of stuffing you like (starch bases that I think of first include wild rice, regular rice, quinoa, or couscous).

[cyprinella]

Hm. My other favorite meatless caserole-like dish is a cheeseless stuffed shell recipe, but that's probably too close to lasagna.

Vegetarian Times has this sweet potato casserole recipe that sounds good http://vegetariantimes.com/recipes/7755?section= But I also regularly have tahini and garam masala on hand and I know not everyone does.

What about substituting tempeh for the turkey? It's soy based and has a nice firm texture with a mushroomy taste. My boyfriend really likes it chopped fine in chili and I've used it instead of beef very successfully for stroganoff.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Not very practical.

To get to my sukkah, I have to go down a flight of stairs, out the front door, down three more steps, and down a narrow alley the length of the house. Carrying a pot of melted cheese would be dangerous for me. (Also, carrying little cups of stuff is kinda awkward, too.)

(And, um. I thought you knew I kept kosher? Turkey is meat, so it doesn't go near cheese.)

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

These are all possibilities, although I'm really looking for something simple. Note that the sukkah is down a flight of stairs, out a door, down more steps and down an alley. This is why I want a casserole.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Also a possibility - I could make or get a vegetable broth, I suppose. Not that I've made one before. And is it really a main course? I am looking for dinner.

[chvickers.livejournal.com]

Some suggestions:

* Small eggplant, large beefsteak tomatoes, and/or large mushrooms stuffed with cheese, quinoa or barley, and fresh herbs such as basil and rosemary, then baked. (As all the eggplant had to be picked last week because of frost, this is what I've been eating.)

* Vegetarian frittata containing (among other vegetables) peppers, potatoes, and zucchini and served in pita. This has the advantage of probably being familiar to the five-year-old, since it's basically an egg sandwich, and is different enough from quiche to not be a repeat.

* Vegetarian baked beans in the slow cooker, served with crusty bread.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

I blanked on the "oh yeah, turkey counts as a meat" until after I'd submitted my comment. This is why I should not try to comment when I have a headache.

Yeah, it sounds like fondue wouldn't work then. Good luck figuring something else out.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

The same turkey/bean/sweet potato casserole (sounds yummy; can you post the recipe?) only with TVP instead of turkey?

Stuffed shells? Veggie potpie? A nice veggie biryani? Malai kofta? I can list vegetarian main dishes all day.

[kmelion.livejournal.com]

What about build your own wraps? Have deli for the meat eaters and a baked salmon fillet (buy it frozen) for the veggie...

Or tacos... have both chopped meat/chicken/turkey and mock-meat....

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

It was a main course at our house. The rice is bulky and the cheese is cheesy. I mean, you could have it as a heavy side, but throw it on a plate with something green, and sure, you've got a vegetarian (depending on broth, as you say) dinner.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Recipe? Who uses a recipe?

Two cups of cooked beans (or two cans.) Any kind, but I'd avoid black beans just for color purposes. I think pinto would be best.

One chopped onion, saute'd.
Two sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed.
1/2 cup pearl barley.
(Diced cooked turkey)
Salt, pepper, dash of vinegar or wine, water or broth to cover.

Put all in a casserole and bake for two hours, until barley is cooked and there's a crust on top.

I may make that and take out a generous serving for Mitch,and then add the turkey.

This would have the added benefit of not being time-sensitive - a factor wiht Mitchell.

I really do want to use my turkey up. :)

And I really don't want to do anything fussy.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Also a possibility. I'm not sure. I'm just looking for easy.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

There are practical considerations, of course, so the crockpot is out (too heavy to carry down to the sukkah.)

The rest are possibilities (but the fritatta is rather quichelike.)

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

My favorite pareve option (not what you asked for, I realized, but it's vegetarian, obviously) is sesame or peanut noodles.

In either case, cook up a pound or two of whole wheat spaghetti or soba noodles.

For sesame noodles: whisk together tahini, sesame oil, some rice wine vinegar and some soy sauce. We sometimes add ginger paste or grated ginger, and also sometimes add chili-garlic sauce. Toss the noodles to coat, and top with chopped scallions and a white or black sesame seeds.

For peanut noodles: combine in a saucepan peanut butter, peanut oil, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. (You'll have to stir or whisk a bunch, because the vinegar and the peanut butter don't initially want to combine.) Ginger and chili-garlic pastes optional. Toss the noodles to coat; top wth chopped scallions.

You can also add sliced cucumber or carrot, and diced purple onion, to either one.

Sorry these measurements aren't precise at all. Both of these sauces tend to be something I taste as I go along, and add more of various things until they taste like what I want. :-)

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

We considered tvp, but I do have this turkey, and four out of the five of us like it.

It's still a possibility.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

My major concern with risottos are that I have never made one.

I'm not sure I have the patience for the stirring and cooking, and isn't it time sensitive? Mitch is not exactly punctual.

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was, because it can sit there getting meltier, but to be honest I was never the one making it, so I don't know for sure. So it might not be the best idea for Sunday, but I'll ask my folks for the recipe and pass it along if you'd like the consider adding it to your repertoire. :-)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I do a variation on the peanut noodles, because I dislike peanuts, but do like spicy stuff: almond or cashew or soy nut butter, thinned with a bit of hot water, then mixed with Szechuan spicy sauce (SanJ brand).

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

What about cheese enchiladas? You can make them with just cheese, with a mixture of beans or chickpeas and/or rice and/or cheese and/or salsa. I have a recipe where you create the enchiladas with mostly chickpeas and salsa and a little cheese then put the whole thing into a lasagna size pan with a little salsa and cheese on the top and bake until everything bubbles.

Another option is to buy tortillas or taco shells, have a few small bowls filled with things that people can add themselves, plus a casserole dish of veggie chili for them as well. I've always found that kids love it when they can put their own food together. And that way it doesn't matter if someone wants only veggies and cheese or someone else only wants veggie chili.

[magid.livejournal.com]

The simplest casserole I think of is one my mom used to make: mix a couple of bags of mixed veggies with cream of mushroom soup and tuna (and/or cheese), topped with drop biscuit dough. It's done when the biscuits are done. The rule in my house was that you had to eat all the veggies under a biscuit to get another, including the lima beans...

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Ah, the classics.

[kerryp.livejournal.com]

All of our most recent simchas include two big casserole dishes of my mom's homemade Ziti. Both disappear. The recipe is so simple to make, I bring it to any pitch-ins to which I am invited, and people always ask for the recipe. Although called "ziti", we actually use the grooved (ridged) rigatoni noodles. The recipe is as follows, however, you will probably want to double it, if you use it.

Mom's Ziti:

1 box ridged Rigatoni noodles
1 Jar Spagetti sauce (I prefer with mushrooms)
1 16 ounce container of ricotta cheese
1 package (large block) of Mozzarella, cut in cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles, per directions. Drain. Put noodles in large Casserole Dish. Toss Noodles with sauce. Stir in cubes of mozzarella. Drop in spoonfuls of ricotta until container is empty, inserting glops of ricotta throughout the casserolle dish (I don't just mix it in, because the ricotta gets spread thin. I like to find "pockets" of ricotta in my Ziti). season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the mozzarella is melted.

My mother also makes a "blintz casserolle", but this should really be categorized as dessert.

[ohevet-likro.livejournal.com]

My mother makes a delicious milchig eggplant/rice casserole - I would be happy to give you the recipe. Can also be made with zuccini. Or the old standby, tuna noodle casserole?

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I'd really love the eggplant and rice casserole, if you have time to type it in. (I currently have CSA white eggplants lurking in my fridge, grimly threatening to go bad if I don't think of something entertaining to do with them.)

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

I used to make a simplified spanokopita a lot -- my kids loved it. Use prepackaged filo dough.

[karmenghia.livejournal.com]

Thanks! This sound yummy and easy enough for me to make. I'm cooking challenged. So this recipe is going into the kitchen three-ring binder where there are a few other recipes from this LJ as well.

[ohevet-likro.livejournal.com]

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you - my mom had to unearth the recipe...
2 medium or 1 lg onion
pkg mushrooms
1 eggplant
1 green pepper
saute onions, mushrooms and green pepper - remove to a bowl
cube and saute peeled eggplant - till soft
add other vegetables
add 8 oz. tomato sauce (or less if u want)
1/2 can water
pepper, garlic, oregano, and basil
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
simmer

cook 2 cups raw rice(with pkg directions)

layer rice, vegetables, rice
top with mozzerella cheese and then marinara (if you want - we usually skip the top layer of marinara)

bake 1/2 hr @ 350 - covered

Btw, what's CSA?

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! This looks really good, and I have yet more eggplant to deal with, so I will be making this very soon. And please, if you get a chance, also thank your mother for me, for digging out the recipe. I know it's not easy to find a single recipe among all the ones I have in various places. (I sometimes think I've got more lost recipes than ones I know how to find.)

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. What it is depends on where you live. In smaller communities with nearby farms, it is exactly what it says it is: agriculture that is supported by the community. Community members buy shares in a farm, and in return get a share of the produce of the farm. Often, they also do some work at the farm.

But if you live in a large city, the way I do, a CSA is basically just home delivery (or pick up, but mine is delivered to my house) of a weekly box of organic vegetables, most of which are locally grown. (The difference between the smaller-town CSA and mine is that the vegetables I get come from many sources in my case; there is only one farm in our area near enough, varied enough, and large enough to do a whole CSA just from its produce, and I'm not a part of that CSA.)

If you're a vegetarian or you eat a lot of vegetables, CSAs are really nice because you get good organic produce cheaply. But you have to be a flexible cook, because you don't get to choose what you buy. (Usually. And you do normally get to choose what you won't get - like, we're morally opposed to bananas in this house, so we have that on our no list.) I like it - it means that I stretch my cooking muscles; I've tried a lot of new recipes since we joined our first CSA. But some vegetables are more challenging than others. Eggplants are proving to be one of those, "...Now what?" vegetables for me.

So that's a much longer answer than you ever wanted. Sorry! And thanks again for the recipe.