Oh great brain collective Im in need of your help. I have to cook for a vegetarian dinner party and I have no idea what to make. So Im in need of some super tasty recipes.

Is it vegan vegetarian or just vegetarian?

Find out what kind of vegetarians they are. Lacto (milk, cheese OK), lacto-ovo (milk, chese, eggs OK), vegan (no dairy at all), etc. After that, it's easy. Just leave the meat out. Any particular theme or country of food you want? Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, American (burgers, pizza) etc.?

RIBS! Everybody likes ribs!

Tofurky roast. I used to eat those a lot when I was a veg head.

KJ

marinated grilled veeg-ta-bles....!

Vegan Chili...?

Give us more info, how many mouths, you hosting, or taking a dish?

Just plain ol vegetarian.

I did make some killer ribs a month ago. sigh

Sub gum fried rice, tomato cucumber salad, steamed asparagus and apple pie

Quinoa, you can use it like couscous or rice, and it's full of protein. I cook it (make sure you rinse well or you can get hives) then mix with olive oil, parsley, chopped green onions and cilantro.

Know the room you are playing... is it casual or Tres Chi-Chi ?

Better yet, ask one or more of the Veegs for a suggestion?

One of my favorite comfort food dinners is bean quesadillas - just be sure your beans are vegetarian for this party. Some are fried with lard.

Warm up a skillet and pour in a little peanut oil.
Spread canned refried beans on half a flour tortilla.
Cover with a layer of shredded Montery Jack and Colby cheese.
Fry on both sides until crispy.

Mash up some avocadoes with garlic and a bit of chopped tomatoes to make a side of guacamole.

Lesley wrote: Quinoa, you can use it like couscous or rice, and it's full of protein. I cook it (make sure you rinse well or you can get hives)

WHAT? Never heard of that. I've cooked with it for years and not rinsed it. My son uses it in his restaurant and he never rinses.

He's a CIA grad which is where he was introduced to it and they never said that either.

Search this forum for my hummus recipe. With all the trimmings, it's really good and satisfying.

There's no big secret to vegetarian cooking. You don't have to use tofu or TVP or any fancy "meat substitute", just use decent ingredients and make food that you think will be good to eat. Unless the entirety of your cooking experience is steaks on a grill, you'll do fine...

Here's one of my own recipes that's gone over extremely well with everyone I've fed it to. Apple and mango curry, Thai style (I did use a block of tofu in this one but you don't have to...) :

Take

1 whole apple
1 whole mango (pretty ripe)
1 block of tofu
1 can of coconut milk
1 red onion
Some chili peppers
Big piece of fresh ginger
Dried curry leaves
Indonesian chili sauce (Sambal Oolek)
Tomato paste
Curry powder and spices

The process:

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/01-fruits.jpg

1) Peel and chop one apple and one mango. Stick this in the fridge for later. You can peel ripe mangos with a potato peeler if it's sharp enough.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/02-choppingblock.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/03-choppingblock.jpg

2) Chop up the block of tofu, onion, and ginger (or grate the ginger on a coarse cheese grater.) If you've got big chilis, chop them too. Mine were bite-sized so I didn't. Put some dried curry leaves out on the chopping board.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/04-coconutmilk.jpg

3) Open your coconut milk. If you're using condensed stuff, thin it out with water until it's about the consistency of whipping cream. I ended up with about 300mL or so.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/05-satay.jpg

4) Get out your wok & turn it on high. Heat some oil and dump the contents of the breadboard in. Simmer until the tofu is getting browned, or the chilis start making your eyes water, or whatever.

(If you're making rice at the same time it should start boiling while you're sauteeing in this step.)

5) Pour in enough coconut milk to stew everything pretty well. Reduce the wok to about 25% heat. Add the apple and mango chunks. Add 1~2 tbsp. of tomato paste. Stir.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/06-spices.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/07-spices.jpg

6) Season with curry powder, tumeric, coriander, cumin, salt, chili sauce, or whatever else you have until you've made something you feel like eating. I used ~1 tbsp of chili sauce, added curry powder (about 3/4 tbsp??) until the colour came out right, and then less than a tsp. total of the other ones. This whole step is up to your preference.

7) Remove camera from kitchen before you drop it in something edible.

8) Simmer the curry for about ten minutes. If you've planned it right the rice should finish about the same time.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/08-serve.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/09-serve.jpg

9) Serve with a strong pilsener or bitter ale.

Enjoy!

Gallery - all pics:

http://s185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/Mango%20mango%20mango/

Oh yeah, that recipe is in the proportions that I usually make for MYSELF (with leftovers.) If you're feeding 4-6 people I'd double or even triple it.

Lesley wrote: Quinoa, you can use it like couscous or rice, and it's full of protein. I cook it (make sure you rinse well or you can get hives) then mix with olive oil, parsley, chopped green onions and cilantro.

this...yum!

And only slightly related, one of my all time favorite bumper stickers:

If we're not supposed to eat animals, why do they keep making them out of food?

hilarious

try this if you like chili. I love this and i'm not a veg head.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vegetarian-chili-recipe/index.html

I make vegetarian lasagna for the wife all the time and a side of sausage or meatballs for myself.

Stir fry always works well.

Almost anything's "pastable!"

Here is one of my favorite recipes that happens to be vegetarian. It's vegan, actually, but just about everyone that I have made it for loves it. It's also extremely easy to make.

What you need:

1 red bell pepper 1 onion, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, minced Olive oil 1 big can good quality pear tomatoes; ideally San Marzanos 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes 1 small can black beans 1 ripe mango, cubed

Garnish: Cilantro minced fresh jalapeno Sriracha Warm corn tortillas/tortilla chips

First, roast the red bell pepper. On a cookie sheet lined with foil, stick it under the broiler until all sides are black and blistered. Pull out of the oven, and allow to cool. Remove the seeds and slice the remaining flesh.

Sautee the onion in the olive oil until it starts to turn translucent. Add the garlic, and sautee for another minute. Dump in the tomatoes, and break apart with a fork, potato masher, or anything else convenient. Add the sweet potato and allow to cook until just before the tenderness you want (test with a fork). Dump in the beans, and allow to heat through. Add the red pepper, and at the last minute, the mango (so that it doesn't break up from over-stirring). Allow guests to garnish their bowls as they like.

Passing through in a canoe???

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorites and its nice and easy.

Ingredients:

Eggplant

Italian breadcrumbs

One egg (maybe two if you're making a lot)

Block of mozzarella

Shredded Parmesan

Portabella Mushrooms

Whatever red pasta sauce you like

Whatever pasta you like

Olive oil

Instructions:

1). Get pot of water boiling for pasta

2). Start slicing eggplant into slices around 1/4" thick

3). Crack an egg (or two) into a plate and beat them

4). Pour out a pile of breadcrumbs and whatever extra seasonings you want onto a plate

5). Toss pasta into boiling water with a little olive oil. Cook until just before al dente

6). Get a big pan and put enough olive oil in to to pan fry the eggplant slices. Use medium heat, don't want to burn anything.

7). Dredge eggplant slices in egg and then though the breadcrumbs, being sure to cover all sides.

8). Fry eggplant slices until golden brown.

9). When pasta is done, put it in a baking dish and pour most of the sauce over it.

10). Place fried eggplant on top of the pasta and the lay a nice big piece of mushroom on the eggplant and then top that with a slice of mozzarella.

11). Pour the rest of the sauce over the eggplant/mushroom/cheese piles and then be generous with the Parmesan over everything.

12). Bake at 350 for around 25 minutes, until the pasta is done and the cheese is nice and melted.

13). Enjoy

It really doesn't matter what kind of pasta or sauce you use. I like to use whatever pasta I have in the cupboard. For the sauce, I usually have a supply of Trader Joe's Tomato Basil sauce that I dress up with some red wine, caramelized onions, red pepper flakes and a bunch of Italian seasoning from the grinder. The onions are super key to making the sauce very, very good.

P.S. Bow down to my formatting mastery

Ahh, your formatting mastery is strong and I commend you but I cleaned it up a little.

thatsnowinnebago wrote: Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorites and its nice and easy. Ingredients: Eggplant Italian breadcrumbs One egg (maybe two if you're making a lot) Block of mozzarella Shredded Parmesan Portabella Mushrooms Whatever red pasta sauce you like Whatever pasta you like Olive oil Instructions: #1). Get pot of water boiling for pasta #2). Start slicing eggplant into slices around 1/4" thick #3). Crack an egg (or two) into a plate and beat them #4). Pour out a pile of breadcrumbs and whatever extra seasonings you want onto a plate #5). Toss pasta into boiling water with a little olive oil. Cook until just before al dente #6). Get a big pan and put enough olive oil in to to pan fry the eggplant slices. Use medium heat, don't want to burn anything. #7). Dredge eggplant slices in egg and then though the breadcrumbs, being sure to cover all sides. #8). Fry eggplant slices until golden brown. #9). When pasta is done, put it in a baking dish and pour most of the sauce over it. #10). Place fried eggplant on top of the pasta and the lay a nice big piece of mushroom on the eggplant and then top that with a slice of mozzarella. #11). Pour the rest of the sauce over the eggplant/mushroom/cheese piles and then be generous with the Parmesan over everything. #12). Bake at 350 for around 25 minutes, until the pasta is done and the cheese is nice and melted. #13). Enjoy It really doesn't matter what kind of pasta or sauce you use. I like to use whatever pasta I have in the cupboard. For the sauce, I usually have a supply of Trader Joe's Tomato Basil sauce that I dress up with some red wine, caramelized onions, red pepper flakes and a bunch of Italian seasoning from the grinder. The onions are super key to making the sauce very, very good.

If you have any vegetarian Indian friends hit them up. That is some of the best non-meat cooking on the planet.