Be mindful of the cheese in your salads. Not all cheese is vegetarian. Dependent on the type of rennet used.

OP here. I have gotten lots of useful advice on here, thank you. I sense the thread is devolving a little so I’m going to hop off, but wanted to share my appreciation one last time - my guests and I thank you all .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think your whole meal sounds lovely. It also kind of sounds to me like with a slight reconfiguration, what you have is a lot of grilled/roasted vegetables (including portobello) and some roasted chicken, with a roasted red pepper sauce for all of them. It's not separate dishes so much as the people who want chicken can add chicken.

I make a couscous side that sounds similar but includes chickpeas for extra protein, FWIW, and based on this thread, I'm pretty sure this is what we're gonna have for dinner here too!

I'm the PP, and I'm a vegetarian who actually wouldn't take the mushroom substitution because I just don't like mushrooms. I would probably take a couple (sliced and grilled) in a medley with other vegetables to be polite, but it's a bit of a misconception that all vegetarians like mushrooms. I would also, FWIW, be totally happy to make a meal out of the sides as long as there were enough sides to go around for everyone.

+1 also vegetarian and don’t like mushrooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am vegetarian and would love the beans instead of the mushrooms.

Agree. I am so very tired of being served mushrooms as a substitute meat. I do love beans of any kind, though! I also liked PP’s idea to serve a variety of grilled veggies so that the whole meal doesn’t turn on your guests liking one particular thing (like mushrooms or cauliflower, which a PP suggested).

Well, you have voluntarily restricted your diet, so there are only so many things people can offer you. Listen to yourself: serve a variety of veggies so everyone’s pickiness is catered to. I don’t see any omnivores suggesting that OP should serve a mixed grill of meats so that people who don’t like chicken have their preferences catered to. Eat or don’t eat, but your expectations are way out of line.

+1

You’re not the only person with this takeaway. Ultimately, someone else has spent the money, time, and effort, to feed you a meal on your restricted terms. Some of these exasperated responses reek of entitlement. And I say this as someone who has always prepared something vegetarian for any vegetarian guests I’ve hosted. A little gratitude goes a long way, especially when you’re the one creating extra work for the host.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am vegetarian and would love the beans instead of the mushrooms.

Agree. I am so very tired of being served mushrooms as a substitute meat. I do love beans of any kind, though! I also liked PP’s idea to serve a variety of grilled veggies so that the whole meal doesn’t turn on your guests liking one particular thing (like mushrooms or cauliflower, which a PP suggested).

Well, you have voluntarily restricted your diet, so there are only so many things people can offer you. Listen to yourself: serve a variety of veggies so everyone’s pickiness is catered to. I don’t see any omnivores suggesting that OP should serve a mixed grill of meats so that people who don’t like chicken have their preferences catered to. Eat or don’t eat, but your expectations are way out of line.

NP, listen to yourself. Most vegetarians are fine with sides. It's the issue of a host serving a big honking mushroom, or a big honking cauliflower "steak", or even a big honking piece of cheese (halloumi) just for me, and then I have to grin and bear it. It's the being catered to that veggies specifically don't want. We are also not malnourished such that one meal that is lighter in protein is going to break us. The ideas of adding some veggie side dishes are the most diplomatic, easiest on host, and really, really OK with vegetarians. (ps, the mushroom medley on polenta listed above sounded really good. My carnivore husband would love that too as a side.).

We have been known to happily eat bread just to hang out with you, so please don't get all bunched up about our "expectations".

I’m not a vegetarian so my input will decidedly be less valuable. But I do love halloumi so I think that idea is genius. And also as a non-vegetarian typically for dinner party parties when I have vegetarian guests, I’ve done a vegetarian lasagna and it has gotten good results and guests asking for the recipe. It’s kinda nice because you can assemble it in advance, so it’s not really you cooking a separate main at the same time, which is what I understand what you were trying to avoid with grilling a vegetable item at the same time as you were grilling this chicken.

Anonymous wrote:Another vegetarian and I was also going to suggest halloumi. Portobellos don't have many calories or protein, would appreciate something more substantial.

But adding chickpeas to the couscous or serving beans are good alternatives too. Thanks for being thoughtful!

I love halloumi. Salty cheese is my favorite food. But because I love it so much, I am aware that it's a love/hate thing. I don't think you can serve halloumi, grains with feta, and veggies with goat cheese as your dishes. I mean, you can if I'm coming over, but while I don't think you need to cater to people, I think three dishes with the same semi-controversial ingredient is unfair.

Maybe do halloumi, couscous with feta on the side as an add in, and variety of roasted veggies possibly including mushrooms without goat cheese? Or white beans, couscous with feta on the side, and roasted vegetables with goat cheese.

Or just invite me and I'll eat all the cheese.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am vegetarian and would love the beans instead of the mushrooms.

Agree. I am so very tired of being served mushrooms as a substitute meat. I do love beans of any kind, though! I also liked PP’s idea to serve a variety of grilled veggies so that the whole meal doesn’t turn on your guests liking one particular thing (like mushrooms or cauliflower, which a PP suggested).

Well, you have voluntarily restricted your diet, so there are only so many things people can offer you. Listen to yourself: serve a variety of veggies so everyone’s pickiness is catered to. I don’t see any omnivores suggesting that OP should serve a mixed grill of meats so that people who don’t like chicken have their preferences catered to. Eat or don’t eat, but your expectations are way out of line.

Another vegetarian and I was also going to suggest halloumi. Portobellos don't have many calories or protein, would appreciate something more substantial.

But adding chickpeas to the couscous or serving beans are good alternatives too. Thanks for being thoughtful!

I am a vegetarian who would be very happy with the sides! I would appreciate the thought and care you put into making a vegetarian entree, but it’s awkward if I happen to not like what you cooked and it’s 50 percent just for me. Sides are perfect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone, from OP. So many good suggestions, I will give them a think and am already planning to incorporate several.

I don’t think mushrooms are the only entree for vegetarians, by the way I was trying to think of a hearty vegetarian item that could be served with the same sauce, to keep some continuity with the chicken dish and a signal that it is an equal “main” (although I am really shifting to a PP’s mindset of all items on the table as basically equals, and just pick and choose).

I had weighed doing roasted cauliflower steaks in lieu of (but in the same concept of) the mushrooms, but the mushrooms seemed to go better with the sauce - maybe I was influenced by Medium Rare which serves a vegetarian option of portobellos with a red pepper sauce 😊.

Asked the people attending. I don't like cauliflower so I'd prefer portobello mushrooms, but really, just the sides would be fine with me. I'd eat that normally. The Medium Rare meal is good, but not very filling.

Many, many restaurants offer a portobello mushroom as a meat substitute, and all weddings and conferences do. I wouldn’t serve that.

Anonymous wrote:I am vegetarian and would love the beans instead of the mushrooms.

Agree. I am so very tired of being served mushrooms as a substitute meat. I do love beans of any kind, though! I also liked PP’s idea to serve a variety of grilled veggies so that the whole meal doesn’t turn on your guests liking one particular thing (like mushrooms or cauliflower, which a PP suggested).

Beans or grilled tofu. I don’t like giant portobello mushrooms.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone, from OP. So many good suggestions, I will give them a think and am already planning to incorporate several.

I don’t think mushrooms are the only entree for vegetarians, by the way I was trying to think of a hearty vegetarian item that could be served with the same sauce, to keep some continuity with the chicken dish and a signal that it is an equal “main” (although I am really shifting to a PP’s mindset of all items on the table as basically equals, and just pick and choose).

I had weighed doing roasted cauliflower steaks in lieu of (but in the same concept of) the mushrooms, but the mushrooms seemed to go better with the sauce - maybe I was influenced by Medium Rare which serves a vegetarian option of portobellos with a red pepper sauce 😊.

Asked the people attending. I don't like cauliflower so I'd prefer portobello mushrooms, but really, just the sides would be fine with me. I'd eat that normally. The Medium Rare meal is good, but not very filling.

Thank you to everyone, from OP. So many good suggestions, I will give them a think and am already planning to incorporate several.

I don’t think mushrooms are the only entree for vegetarians, by the way I was trying to think of a hearty vegetarian item that could be served with the same sauce, to keep some continuity with the chicken dish and a signal that it is an equal “main” (although I am really shifting to a PP’s mindset of all items on the table as basically equals, and just pick and choose).

I had weighed doing roasted cauliflower steaks in lieu of (but in the same concept of) the mushrooms, but the mushrooms seemed to go better with the sauce - maybe I was influenced by Medium Rare which serves a vegetarian option of portobellos with a red pepper sauce 😊.