Meanwhile, boyfriend has stood his ground and wants meat. Lots of meat. Carnivorous to the max. Tried vegetarianism for a month or so, hated every minute of it.
Like many couples or families with meat-eaters and salad-chompers cohabitating, we have faced some challenges in making sure that both of our needs are met. I am still eating fish though, so most of the meals that we can both eat revolve around fish/shellfish and makes life easy for the person cooking (me). However when the urge for meat comes calling to boyfriend and I get sick of fish, we often end up eating completely separate meals. Something involving tofu for me. Something involving a former animal for him. It gets pretty challenging to plan two completely different dinners, try to have them both ready at the same time, and oh - the DISHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *shudder*
So. How can a vegetarian and a carnivore possibly make meals that make everyone happy AND don't require cooking two separate meals??
Here's a great start: stuffed peppers! I made the filling following a vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe, and just added some meat to half of it. Done and done. Also made some pretty fantastic smashed potatoes as a side dish.
Observe! The power of omnivorous cookery!
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers and Meat-Eater Stuffed Peppers
What you need:
1 Tbsp olive oil
onion, chopped up
1 clove garlic, chopped up
handful of baby carrots or 2 carrots, chopped up
1 tomato, diced
1 cup peas, either fresh or frozen (I used canned :( they smelled funny)
1 tsp each basil and oregano
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2-3 cups tomato sauce, either prepared or homemade
4 peppers (big'uns if you can find them!)
about 1/2 a package of lean or extra-lean ground beef, chicken or turkey. Whatever your meat-eater prefers.
Preheat the oven to 350 C (unless you are also making the potatoes. Check potato instructions!)
You should get started on your meat and rice at this point. Check the directions on your rice to see how long it will take. Traditional brown rice can take up to 40-60 minutes to cook!!!
Now we can get started on those peppers! Cut off the tops of the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place them in a baking dish so that they can all stand upright. NOTE - if you prefer a less crunchy pepper, you can steam them for a few minutes before putting them in the pan.
Next, chop up all your ingredients! I have made excellent use of the Slap Chop here to chop up my onions, carrots, and yes - my walnuts. You're gonna love my nuts! (bahahaha!) The tomato I chopped up by hand because I wanted them to be bigger bits and not mushy, but hey, to each their own.
Don't forget about the meat. Check on it often. When the meat is cooked, drain out the grease (eew) and set the meat aside for now. Set the rice aside when it is done as well. Let's cook the stuffing! Saute the olive oil, garlic and onion till the onion is golden yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, peas and herbs. Cook till the carrots are tender, about 3 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato, walnuts, brown rice and a 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Heat through.
Now it's stuffing time! Stuff your vegetarian peppers first (and stuff them good, don't skimp out! This recipe makes an insane amount of leftovers once the meat is added!). When the veggie ones are done, toss in that meat that you cooked and set aside earlier. Heat the mixture up again to get the meat heated through. When it's hot, stuff the meat peppers too.
Add about 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before putting your peppers in. Once all stuffed and placed back in the dish, liberally top your peppers with more tomato sauce. Mmmmm :)!
Preheat the oven to 350 C (unless you are also making the potatoes. Check potato instructions!)
You should get started on your meat and rice at this point. Check the directions on your rice to see how long it will take. Traditional brown rice can take up to 40-60 minutes to cook!!!
Next, chop up all your ingredients! I have made excellent use of the Slap Chop here to chop up my onions, carrots, and yes - my walnuts. You're gonna love my nuts! (bahahaha!) The tomato I chopped up by hand because I wanted them to be bigger bits and not mushy, but hey, to each their own.
Don't forget about the meat. Check on it often. When the meat is cooked, drain out the grease (eew) and set the meat aside for now. Set the rice aside when it is done as well. Let's cook the stuffing! Saute the olive oil, garlic and onion till the onion is golden yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, peas and herbs. Cook till the carrots are tender, about 3 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato, walnuts, brown rice and a 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Heat through.
Now it's stuffing time! Stuff your vegetarian peppers first (and stuff them good, don't skimp out! This recipe makes an insane amount of leftovers once the meat is added!). When the veggie ones are done, toss in that meat that you cooked and set aside earlier. Heat the mixture up again to get the meat heated through. When it's hot, stuff the meat peppers too.
Add about 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before putting your peppers in. Once all stuffed and placed back in the dish, liberally top your peppers with more tomato sauce. Mmmmm :)!
Pop the peppers into the oven and let them cook for 20 minutes. If you like softer peppers and haven't steamed them first, leave them for a little longer (up to about 30 minutes is enough).
Ridiculously Easy and Delicious Smashed Potatoes
mini potatoes (for two people, I used about 12 to give us 6 each)
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
rosemary (dried or fresh)
The potatoes take the longest time, so get them started first if you are making both recipes. Preheat the oven to 400 C. In a bowl, put your mini potatoes in and roll them around in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, place them in a baking dish (this here is a cake pan, but it totally doubles as a roasting pan *shifty eyes*). Pop 'em in! They will need to cook for 20 minutes.
When your 20 minutes is up, take the potatoes out of the oven. Use a large metal spoon or a flat-bottom pot and squish each potato just until you hear the skin pop. Your potatoes are smashed!
Drizzle your taters with a little bit more olive oil (about 1/2 Tbsp), and sprinkle with pepper, kosher salt and rosemary. Pop 'em back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
*note, you can put them in the oven with the peppers at the lower temperature too, but they'll just take longer. They will end up coming out of the oven at the same time if they are at 350 instead of 400 C).
The final product! Behold!
These are the veggie stuffed peppers and delicious little smashed potatoes (with a few that got a little bit too eagerly smashed :P). Check it out, they even look good when the meat-eating pepper falls over and spills everywhere!
I must admit a small disclaimer on this magical meal though - it's not skimpy on dishes. But since the peppers and potatoes take a while to cook together, you've got time in between to clean up :)
What other meals can carnivores and vegetarians both enjoy together while still feeling satisfied?
The potatoes take the longest time, so get them started first if you are making both recipes. Preheat the oven to 400 C. In a bowl, put your mini potatoes in and roll them around in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, place them in a baking dish (this here is a cake pan, but it totally doubles as a roasting pan *shifty eyes*). Pop 'em in! They will need to cook for 20 minutes.
When your 20 minutes is up, take the potatoes out of the oven. Use a large metal spoon or a flat-bottom pot and squish each potato just until you hear the skin pop. Your potatoes are smashed!
Drizzle your taters with a little bit more olive oil (about 1/2 Tbsp), and sprinkle with pepper, kosher salt and rosemary. Pop 'em back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
*note, you can put them in the oven with the peppers at the lower temperature too, but they'll just take longer. They will end up coming out of the oven at the same time if they are at 350 instead of 400 C).
The final product! Behold!
These are the veggie stuffed peppers and delicious little smashed potatoes (with a few that got a little bit too eagerly smashed :P). Check it out, they even look good when the meat-eating pepper falls over and spills everywhere!
What other meals can carnivores and vegetarians both enjoy together while still feeling satisfied?
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