Beefing Up Vegetarian Dishes

One thing dedicated vegetarians and meat-eaters can agree on is that they want nothing to do with the others’ diet. I know some carnivores who are convinced a meal will not fill them up if there isn’t meat involved. Tofu doesn’t stick to the ribs like, well, spareribs.

Pretty much impossible to get them to sit down to a meal sans meat. Likewise, some vegetarians get sick from even the thought of meat, much less actually eating it.

But what if you’re serving a party that consists of members of both camps? You could serve meat and veggie versions of the same dish. That can take a lot of effort, but at least you are likely to make everyone happy.

Or you could serve a vegetarian dish that would satisfy meat-eaters.

That calls for tasty substitutes for meat. One increasingly popular substitute is tempeh, a soy food that has been popular in Indonesia for years. There’s plenty of information on how to make it and how to use it at Tempeh.info.

Another substitute is seitan, often called “wheat meat.” It’s gluten that’s loaded with protein and is fat-free.

Of course, the third possibility is the old standby, tofu. While it can be bland, there are ways to cook it even meat-lovers can appreciate.

By the way, if striking a balance between vegetarians and meat-eaters is a recurring problem, not only in what to eat but in terms of social implications.

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