Feeding Omnis--for the ENTIRE summer! What to make?
Okay guys!
So, I'm going back home for the summer to live with my parents and my brother after one year of college away.
I called my parents, and they told me that they would really love it if I took over cooking for the family this summer.
This is incredible, because I come from a family of omnis--and my mother is an ex-farm girl, enough said.
My mother hates to cook (and forgets to feed herself) and my father said he wants my cooking because he needs to drop a few pounds.
So, what recipes do you recommend? What are your favorites (or ones you've posted), either from this site or from a book? (I have Veganomicon and two obscure other books...) Basically, what do you think will win the heart of three omnis?
Another thing to add--I've only just learnt to cook in the last year, but I feel like I'll be okay. I made my own homemade seitan the other day, so how hard can the rest of the recipes be? ;)
Thanks in advance!
What works when I have meals with my omni family is to make whatever is closest to what they're used to - and nothing "scary" like tofu or seitan. Pasta always goes over well, and we do a lot of bbq-ing together. Pizza with veggie pepperoni might be a winner (I've never actually tried that one). Sounds like a huge task for you - but a good challenge!
(I looked at your profile and saw that one of your interests is feminism. You're my new favourite person!)
I really like the Tempeh Shepherdess Pie from Veganomicon. The recipe's great, but you can play around with it a lot too, depending on specific tastes.
Also, like Laura said, pasta is always good. I've made stuffed shells for omnis a few times. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7884.0
I also really like Feel Good Kale Sauce with Pasta. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=28951.0
Anything from this site, really though. The recipe reviews are usually really helpful.
Like Laura said, think of what your family normally eats. Spaghetti? Tacos? Tuna Noodle Casserole? Stroganoff? Stir fry? Channa Masala? Mac & Cheese?
All those things are veganizable with the right recipe. Do things to your tastes. Maybe your family likes onions but not garlic. So customize things to your family's taste. VegWeb has TONS of great recipes for all of the above.
What works when I have meals with my omni family is to make whatever is closest to what they're used to - and nothing "scary" like tofu or seitan. Pasta always goes over well, and we do a lot of bbq-ing together. Pizza with veggie pepperoni might be a winner (I've never actually tried that one). Sounds like a huge task for you - but a good challenge!
(I looked at your profile and saw that one of your interests is feminism. You're my new favourite person!)
thanks--pizza sounds like something I might be able to pull off, what a good idea!
(You're a feminist too? :) )
I really like the Tempeh Shepherdess Pie from Veganomicon. The recipe's great, but you can play around with it a lot too, depending on specific tastes.
Also, like Laura said, pasta is always good. I've made stuffed shells for omnis a few times. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7884.0
I also really like Feel Good Kale Sauce with Pasta. http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=28951.0
Anything from this site, really though. The recipe reviews are usually really helpful.
I was thinking that the tempeh shepherdess pie was a good idea too.
It appears I'm in for a long summer of pasta. lol.
Like Laura said, think of what your family normally eats. Spaghetti? Tacos? Tuna Noodle Casserole? Stroganoff? Stir fry? Channa Masala? Mac & Cheese?
All those things are veganizable with the right recipe. Do things to your tastes. Maybe your family likes onions but not garlic. So customize things to your family's taste. VegWeb has TONS of great recipes for all of the above.
Casserole would totally work. What a good idea! Thank you.
Italian is always good. My MIL always requests this http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24198.msg238796#msg238796
You can always do pesto, or spaghetti w/ fake meatballs. My omni family also likes peanut noodles and sesame noodles. I know there are recipes on here.
We also do a lot of soups, rice pilafs, roasted veggies, salads, stirfrys. Indian, middle eastern, and mexican food go over pretty well w/ everybody, too.
My dad will eat fake meat w/o noticing its vegan. He just thinks its a regular hotdog or whatever.
Italian is always good. My MIL always requests this http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24198.msg238796#msg238796
You can always do pesto, or spaghetti w/ fake meatballs. My omni family also likes peanut noodles and sesame noodles. I know there are recipes on here.
We also do a lot of soups, rice pilafs, roasted veggies, salads, stirfrys. Indian, middle eastern, and mexican food go over pretty well w/ everybody, too.
My dad will eat fake meat w/o noticing its vegan. He just thinks its a regular hotdog or whatever.
good ideas. I like the fake meat hotdog business--maybe that'll work. :)
I make chili with crushed tofu crumbles and I swear omnis don't know the difference unless they know I'm veg. I also make tacos using the same thing. Casseroles, soups, stews, etc are good ways to fill them up.
I make chili with crushed tofu crumbles and I swear omnis don't know the difference unless they know I'm veg. I also make tacos using the same thing. Casseroles, soups, stews, etc are good ways to fill them up.
hmm, the chili sounds like a good idea--I'm pretty sure they've haven't had a vegetable based chili, and I couldn't see that go TOO horribly. Crushed tofu crumbles, it shall be!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Make hearty meals, and veggie version of omni staples. Reinvent what they know about the classic dishes! From my experiences, the way to convert an omni is through their stomach.
And make sure you make the chickpea cutlets with mustard sauce out of veganomicon! Serve that with some roasted potatoes and a veggie!
Definitely the chickpea cutlets! Also try the snobby joes from Veganomicon.
Pancakes or waffles are always a winner...
Pesto Pasta is delicious. If they like pesto, try this: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=32409 It is amazing and tastes kinda like pesto. It is also easy to make.
ETA: Lentil tacos! You can also make it into lentil taco salad. They go well with guacamole.
One of the dishes I always use on omnis is tacos. Sometimes I use boca crumbles, but they are pretty expensive and I've found that just rehydrating a cup of tvp works just as well. Fry up some peppers and onions, and add the tvp to that. I like to get the taco packs that have shells and sauce and seasoning all in one, so then I just dump in the seasoning and water. And you can chop up whatever veggies you want for on top. :-)
Another dish that usually works well for me is noodle stir-fry's. That's about the only vegan dish that I make that my mother will approach without trepidation (she's had a few failed trials of mine at tofu, so I suppose I can't really blame her...).
the chickpea cutlets sound like a recipe that would go over well--I'll make sure to have them try it.
I forgot about noodle stir-frys and tacos. Oh, they should love me.
I make a recipe for pancakes off this site, and I've managed to pull a few omnis over for brunch who love it. (at college.) it shouldn't be hard to get my folks to enjoy those as well...
thanks for all you suggestions, you guys are awesome.
Lentil tacos are a big hit with omnis!! Serve with some homemade mexican slaw, and all the fixins.
You could have a vegetarian sushi night too. It's so much fun to have everyone engage in the rolling process!
Lentil tacos are a big hit with omnis!! Serve with some homemade mexican slaw, and all the fixins.
You could have a vegetarian sushi night too. It's so much fun to have everyone engage in the rolling process!
I did try the vegetarian sushi night--my mom decided randomly that she hated seaweed. :P In any case, she also doesn't like indian food (which is my favorite, and I introduced her to it)--she's very picky. My dad/brother will eat everything, so maybe I'll just make her something else and the boys and I can have sushi. Lentil tacos sound like a great idea. I think I can actually do this--thanks for all the suggestions. (I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the beginning....)
okay these are veg things that my omni boyfriend really loves (and he is very picky):
taco salad (made with smart ground)
tofurkey roast with garlic smashed potatos
the potpie recipie from veganomicon
ginger potstickers (my recipie is from vegan planet)
fajitas (my recipie... its on here somewhere if you want it)
Being the ONLY cook for a group of people is always daunting, especially for newish cooks... even without complications from omni>vegan transitions! Kudos for being willing to give it a go -- I'm sure it will make a huge difference to how they view 'good food'...
I agree with all prior comments here... in addition, quinoa makes a delicious filling for tacos/ enchiladas/ stuffed bell peppers -- I cook about a cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water + canned or chopped fresh tomatoes, black beans, fresh corn (or canned/ frozen/ whatever), cumin, & taco seasoning to taste (plus jalapenos/ green chiles/ minced chipotle peppers if you like spicy)... usually turns out a very omni-friendly stuffing for things, without 'copying' meat...
Also, don't forget about cashew cheese!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7126.0
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10618.0
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=27096.0
It makes everything delicious! mmmm...
To keep yourself from getting frustrated/ burned out, I'd also suggest stocking plenty of quick things they can snack on without your participation: http://www.peta.org/accidentallyvegan/... and keep handy easy lunch stuff like flatbread, tortillas, hummus, chickenless (tofu) salad, vegan cold cuts/ daiya cheese, etc. around, for 'fast food'... what works for me is having 'grab & go' breakfast stuff (bars, toast w/ good spreads, easy wraps w/ pre-scrambled tofu/ gimmelean sausage/ etc.); leftover yummies or easy sandwich stuff for lunch; and then one real episode of all-out cooking per day... For me, actually 'cooking' 3X daily for a bunch of people would be too much... maybe it'll be different for you, but just don't overwhelm yourself! Also, I recommend making large batches of good stuff, and freeze (or if you have a dehydrator, dry) half, so there's always good food available even if you don't feel like cooking right that minute. Good luck! keep us posted on how it's going... sounds like it could be quite fun! :)
thanks you guys!!
So far, my mother and brother have opted to not eat anything I've made. My brother, because he lives off of cereal and bananas, and my mother because she forgets to feed herself. :/
But, my dad is LOVING me cooking for the family. He requests curries, burritos, vegan pizza, etc. He says he'll be vegan as long as I want him to as long as I cook for him. (Fine with me! :) ) My mother on the other hand, is fond of 'editing' my recipes. The other day, I made the Haluski off this site, and she freaked out when I was going to put the cabbage in. She quick ladelled herself a bowl of the spaghetti and then moved forward to put a meat sauce all over the spaghetti. Needless to say, I didn't mention it to her, but I was SOOO pissed.
Next up, I think are the chickpea cutlets, and maybe the 'chicken' pot pie. I have quite a lot of work to do! :) Maybe with the pot pies I can win my mother/brother over.