What is it about cooking for vegetarians that stumps so many carnivores? Even those who make a sublime split pea soup or divine dal curry suddenly feel compelled to reach for the safety of Boca burgers.
Truth is, vegetarians and omnivores can dine happily together, on the same glorious feast.
When planning a dinner party that includes both vegetarians and meat-eaters, best to banish any lingering whiffs of 1970s vegetarian restaurants, with their Birkenstock-wearing servers and mushy beige food, and focus on the wow factor. And today, that couldn’t be easier.
Consider aromatic, curried vegetables nestled against the black grains of forbidden rice, an exotic grain favored, according to legend, by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Or a hearty stew of toothsome farro, flavorful lentils and vivid orange sweet potatoes or butternut squash that gets a tangy zing from lemon zest and Greek yogurt.
In short, create a menu that offers nothing but gustatory temptation.
What Napa Valley food writer Janet Fletcher looks for in a vegetarian entree are the exact same things she seeks in any entree -- flavor, texture, heartiness and visual appeal. And, of course, how it pairs with wine.
When it comes down to it, entertaining is all about making guests feel welcomed and well-fed, no matter what their dietary preferences.
SHORTCUT CORN RISOTTO WITH SUMMER ‘SUCCOTASH’
Serves 4
3 tablespoons extra-irgin olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 ½ cups Arborio or other medium-grain white rice
2 ½ cups water
½ cup dry white wine
Coarse salt
3 cups fresh corn kernels from 6 ears (or canned or frozen corn)
1 cup creamy, mild feta or fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup diagonally sliced (1/4 inch) green beans
1 garlic clove, grated
2 cups diced (½ inch) tomatoes
1/4 cup loosely packed, torn basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet until it is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion. Add ½ cup onion and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until tender, 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir until coated with oil. Add the water, wine and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, stirring once. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring once or twice, until creamy and tender, 12-15 minutes.
3. Stir in 1 cup corn and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Fold in ½ cup cheese.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until it is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion. Add the remaining ½ cup onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups corn, green beans and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the green beans are crisp-tender, 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, basil, a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper to the corn mixture.
6. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls. Top with the succotash and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
-- Marie Simmons, “Fresh and Fast Vegetarian” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 256 pages, $17.95)
COCONUT-VEGETABLE CURRY WITH CASHEWS
Serves 4-6
Note: This colorful curry is delicious served with black Forbidden, Bhutanese red or brown jasmine rice. Feel free to vary the vegetables with the season.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cups unpeeled eggplant, diced in ½-inch cubes
15-16 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups ½-inch cauliflower florets
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup green beans, cut in ½-inch lengths
2-3 teaspoons minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
13.5-ounce can regular or light coconut milk
½ cup coarsely chopped, roasted, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they are a shade darker, 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and chickpeas; cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower, onion, carrot, green beans, jalapeno, ginger, curry powder, garlic, salt and turmeric. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Spoon the curry into a large bowl or over a platter of rice. Sprinkle with cashews and cilantro and serve.
-- Marie Simmons, “Fresh and Fast Vegetarian”
GRILLED EGGPLANT CANNELLONI WITH RICOTTA
Serves 4
Note: This is a lovely vegetarian entree. But if your omnivorous guests really can’t survive without any meat, add 3 tablespoons minced prosciutto to half the filling, and bake separately.
2 large globe eggplants
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
½ yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1½ pounds Roma tomatoes, chopped
8-12 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Ricotta filling:
2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1. Slice off the eggplants’ green caps, then cut each eggplant lengthwise into six1/3-inch thick slices. Discard the first and last slices, which are mostly skin. Sprinkle generously on both sides with salt; let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a grill to medium, 375 degrees. Pat eggplant dry, then brush with olive oil on both sides. Place the slices directly on the hot grill and cook, turning once, until nicely grill-marked and pliable, 3 minutes per side.
3. For the tomato sauce, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until the onion softens and begins to color, 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they soften and collapse into a sauce, about 10 minutes, depending on ripeness.
4. Puree the mixture or pass it through a food mill. Return the puree to the skillet over moderate heat. Tear the basil in half and add it, along with the crumbled oregano, hot pepper flakes and salt to taste. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and tasty.
5. For the filling, blend the ricotta, ½ cup pecorino, parsley and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Choose a shallow baking pan large enough to hold the eggplant rolls snugly in one layer. Spread1/3 cup tomato sauce in the dish.
7. Spread a generous 2 tablespoons filling on each eggplant slice. Carefully roll each slice, like a jelly roll, and place, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup pecorino. Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.
-- Janet Fletcher and Sur la Table, “Eating Local” (Andrews McMeel, 306 pages, $35)
