The "Simple Suppers" Cookbook Helps You Host Vegetarians
Do you suffer panics when you host vegetarians at your soirees? I do. I cannot to save my life delicately cook a fish, which most of my vegetarian friends will eat. Nor can I turn out tantalizing vegetables that are not too crunchy and not limp beyond recognition. Why, I wonder, is it harder for me to cook vegetarian meals than meaty meals? I really would think it would be the other way around. But for me it's harder to mess up a slab of meat since my go-to method involves slathering it in sauce and putting it in a very low-heat oven to cook all day long until it's fall-off-the-bone tender. Pour the pan juices into a gravy boat, set out the mashed potatoes, and what else do you need?
Listen, I once hosted friends for a night of pork ribs, mashed potatoes, and biscuits, and here's what I managed to do. I brought the perfectly cooked dish of ribs out of the oven and set it on the stove top burner, which I had accidentally turned to high instead of off. This wouldn't have been so bad if the dish in question had not been a glass baking dish. I don't own a good set of cookware or bakeware. (My I'm-a-mother-and-supposedly-an-adult kitchen is just like my college apartment and grad school apartment kitchens were: understocked.) So while the man half of the couple I was hosting, a handsome young doctor I might add, stood with me smelling and admiring the ribs, I noticed the pan juices begin to boil rapidly. I realized what was happening, screamed appropriately, and popped the whole thing back into the oven as fast as I could---whereupon the dish more or less exploded. Now here's the important part: The very handsome doctor leaned into the oven, pulled out the ribs, now poorly supported by a flat, misshapen slab of glass, and began to meticulously inspect them for shards. It looked like a tiny diamond factory in my oven, yet he still, with a word to no one, had his face to within an inch of the ribs, scrutinizing them left to right. I realized what he was doing and couldn't believe it. He was trying to discern whether they were edible. Maybe eating shards of glass isn't as bad as we think? If they're just tiny? No. I dumped out the whole lot of ribs, accompanied by a very visceral sad reaction on the part of the guests who had looked forward to them as much as I had. But this is a simple testament to let you know how far someone would consider going when it comes to my perfectly cooked ribs. I cannot even approach this level of goodness when I cook vegetarian. Not even one of my boring vegetarian friends is willing to eat cooked glass.
But maybe they will change their minds now that I own Simple Suppers by the folks at The Moosewood Collective. Moosewood vegetarian cookbooks have been around for a long time now, but my experience with earlier versions has been that they turn out just plain bland food. But not this one. This cookbook has everything going for it. As the title suggests, SIMPLE suppers are easily achieved, even if you aren't a good cook or don't own great cookware. And they're vegetarian, AND each recipe suggests side dishes and accompaniments so you can achieve a full, rounded menu for guests. It's designed "for the weeknight table" so you know the recipes have to be fast and easy.
Continue reading to get the recipe that worked for me--
--Sweet B
Mexican Polenta-Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
5 large bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange, or a combination)
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
sprinkling of salt
Polenta
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup polenta cornmeal
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1-1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped Spanish olives
Salsa
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, but leave the stem ends on so the peppers will hold their shape. Brush the pepper halves with oil, inside and out, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place cut-side up on an oiled baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender but still holding their shape, about 15 minutes.
While the peppers roast, in a heavy saucepan, bring the water, salt, and red pepper flakes to a boil. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream while whisking. Cook on medium heat, stirring often until thickened. Stir in the corn, oil or butter, 1 cup of the cheese, and the olives. Remove from the heat.
Fill the roasted peppers halves with the polenta mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, combine the salsa, black beans, and cilantro in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
To serve, spoon some of the black bean salsa on each dinner plate and place one or two pepper halves on top.
--Sweet B
James on March 01, 2009 at 07:37 PM
"Do you suffer panics when you host vegetarians at your soirees?"
Nope. Easy solution: I don't have them to the house. How rude is it to accept an offer of free food and hospitality, and then put riders and conditions on your acceptance?
KS on March 01, 2009 at 08:57 PM
I've been a vegetarian chef for two years, and what has surprised me most is the superfluity of meat in cooking. It really is amazing the range of flavors and tastes that available from a well-stocked kitchen with plenty of spice and produce; in fact, most of the actual "flavoring" in meat comes from a well-portioned sample of vegetables and spices.
Though I will eat meat, I find I rarely do simply because there's not much more flavor-wise that meat offers that a vegetarian plate cannot. Not to mention the carbon-friendly benefits that come with avoiding meat (we're talking 10 to 100 times as much CO2 output for each calorie of meat as opposed to produce). Who knows, maybe this book will help you, too, discover the glory of vegetarian cooking.
Maria on March 02, 2009 at 09:59 AM
I love the Moosewood cookbooks! I haven't stuffed peppers with polenta before, it sounds wonderful!
Michael on March 02, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Re: James.
What a rude, arrogant ass.
How rude is it to deny someone hospitality because they eat differently than you?
Missy on March 03, 2009 at 08:59 AM
Vegetarians do not put conditions and riders on invites. Fact is most hosts like to please. The job of a host is to make sure all his/her guests are happy.
Vegetarians are not (and never have) asked for special conditions, requests, riders, stipulations, favors, etc when invited to a meal. However any good host worth his or her salt, will see to it (beforehand) that every invitee is accounted for and made as comfortable as possible.
In an INVITED situation, it is all about the host, not the vegetarian. If the host is not someone who is careful to consider his guests, then at that point, it would fall on the vegetarian to appease.
Spanno on March 03, 2009 at 05:39 PM
Missy, while I agree that it's all about the host, vegetarian/vegans have inherent special conditions. It's like inviting a person with a peanut allergy to a party. You have to make sure there are non-peanut options. The person didn't ask you do it--it's expected.
--Spanno
Missy on March 03, 2009 at 07:56 PM
@Spanno: Yes. But the same could be said of a diabetic. How incredibly ignorant of me would it be, if i invited a friend of mine (who happens to be a diabetic) over for dinner. And then when i present him/her food he/she cant or wont eat, i turn around and say, "well why do i have to change my menu for you. Do you think you are special or something".
Again as a good host, beforehand i would ask if my invitees have or are on any special diets, etc. It is just a courtesy, it doesn't HAVE to be done. You don't HAVE to be a gracious host. But...it would be nice.
Missy on March 03, 2009 at 07:59 PM
@Spanno: Oops! I see we are pretty much in agreement. I misread your comment. Disregard the above. LoL.