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Carnivore friendly vegan meals


peterwestdc
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Hey all. I have been vegan for 6 years and while I have my workout and diet pretty well in hand I have a challenge for you. My partner and our son are both omnivores and most nights we fix three separate meals as mine is vegan, my partner's is meat based and my son's is kid friendly.

 

Any suggestions on options that would allow us to all eat the same thing, thus giving us more time as a family? They are a little tired of pasta as that is one thing we can fix and then each personalize it without much extra work, so we have it a few times a week.

 

Since my partner seems to desire meat several times a week, recipes that would allow him to throw some meat on the top at the end are ideal. (Yea, I know. Pretty gross, but at least I don't have to prepare it. LOL)

 

Thanks much!

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I can't help with the kid-friendly, but my husband is an omni. He likes vegan Indian food...things like curries and dals....he doesn't really notice there isn't meat in there. He also really likes my vegan chili, enchiladas...basically things that are "meaty" without actually having meat in them. We'll also have a common side-dish (like a vegetable dish), then I'll have mine with tofu and he prepares his own meat to go with his.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Vegan lasagna.

 

Make just like regular lasagna but...

 

Use the vegan "meat" crumbles for the meat.

To make the ricotta put 1 block of soft tofu, 1 block of firm tofu, 3-4 tbsp of minced garlic, 2 tbsp oregano, salt & pepper in a food processor and blend.

Make just like you would regular lasagna, layering with your favorite kind of spaghetti sauce.

I also use the brown rice lasagna noodles, but I have to admit, they're a pain in the butt. Maybe it's the brand I'm using.

 

Hope that helps!

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Second the lasagna! My dad always made lasagna for sunday dinners when I lived at home, it was the only meal we all had as a family. I moved away from home more than two years ago and my dad still makes it for him and my mother, they are both omnis. He makes it with red lentils and spinach as filling.

 

Red lentil soup is also great.

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  • 4 months later...

I dont know how you cope with having a non vegan partner.

 

For years I was ok with omni partners, but my current gf of 5 years went vege and then vegan along with me, after I explained my reasons she agreed with them. Infact our love of animals is one the strongest things in common we have, and I respect her greatly for her beliefs. I would now struggle to have any respect for a partner if she was non caring enough to give up meat.

 

I am quite intolerant now though, in danger of becoming a vegan asshole, lol.

 

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I maintain one rule in the kitchen: "If you want to add it in, go ahead. Otherwise, you eat what I make you." End of story. I typically cook for my roommate and my boyfriend. My roommate is an omnivore and will occasionally add in chicken to his meal, but most of the time he eats my cooking and has no problem. My boyfriend was an omni when I met him, but didn't want to "burden" me by having me cook him separate meals, and my food was so delicious he didn't care. He began to notice how meat and cheese were affecting him, so he became vegetarian and skirts the line of veganism now and again, if one can do such a thing.

 

Basically, you're making the food, you make the rules.

 

As for "kid friendly," I don't quite know what that is other than "something nutritionally lacking that children like to eat." I didn't get that option as a kid. What mom made, I had to eat. I didn't have the option to go hungry, it was "sit at the table until you're done eating." Didn't matter what it was. Liver, chop suey (I hated it), onions, garlic, leftovers, whatever. I had to eat it, as did my siblings. There were no "kid friendly" meals. Mom made one meal, we all ate it.

 

Maybe this approach is a little harsh for you...I don't know. What I do know is that, as the main meal maker in your household, your time is better spent making one meal that everyone sits to eat instead of trying to appease three different palates.

 

You have two choices for meals.

 

The Easy Switch

This is the "vegan replacement for [insert food]" approach. Something like, say, a salad, vegan mac & cheese, and vegan chicken nuggets would fit the "kid friendly" bill and you and your partner wouldn't hate it, either. Vegan grilled cheese with hot tomato soup would also be a fun choice, and you can certainly jazz up the soup with a number of seasonings, or do that thing in the Campbell's commercial where everyone gets a bowl of tomato soup and adds their own stuff to it when they get to the table. With these vegan replacements, you'll find it's easy to make things like "meat"loaf with mashed potatoes and veggies, shepherd's pie, vegan sausage/bacon with tofu scramble and hashbrowns and pancakes (a "breakfast for dinner" thing), pasta with "chicken" or "shrimp," things of that nature. The downside is that these tend to be expensive and, depending on what you buy, come with preservatives and stuff your bodies don't need.

 

The Hearty Meal

This is built around the "fill 'em up and they'll be happy" approach. Staples will be things like potatoes, bread/pita, beans, and lentils, with everything else thrown in. Instead of using meat, use potatoes and/or beans in pretty much any dish. I've even made pizzas with potatoes! If you dice potatoes and saute them, then add them to a chili loaded with beans, diced onion, diced tomato, and diced bell pepper (along with whatever else you like...try cooking diced polenta with the potatoes and adding that in there), no one's going to complain (and if they do, tell 'em to shush or make their own next time!). One thing I made was lentil soup with chopped udon noodles added in. Holy crap, was it ever filling and AWESOME! And, to throw it for a loop, I took those ingredients and seasoned Mexican style. Strange idea, great main dish. Other ideas would include:

-Casseroles with mashed potatoes as the base

-Tacos, burritos, nachos, or enchiladas using beans or tofu instead of meat

-Lentil soup served with pita bread + veggies and hummus

-Large, gourmet sandwiches served with potato soup

-Build-A-Potato (bake potatoes and then offer a variety of toppings) + salad and/or sides of veggies

-Stir Fry with potatoes

-Mexican-style pizza using vegan (aka fat-free) refried beans instead of pasta sauce

 

Can't think tonight, those were all I could come up with. Anyway, give it a shot.

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Some things my omni boyfriend likes are:

 

1. Black bean and potato burritos. There's no real recipe for this, just boil chopped potatoes until they're soft, and at the same time, sautee onions, peppers, corn, whatever other veggies sound good. I cook dried beans ahead of time, so usually when the veggies are good and soft I add in the potatoes until they get a little crunchy on the outsides, then stir in the black beans. Put it on a tortilla with salsa or guacamole or both.

 

2. Chili and cornbread. Use a couple types of beans, even add lentils since they don't taste like much and will add more protein to the meal. I have a cookbook with a recipe for cornbread that I use.

 

3. Seitan. I sautee it with a couple spices until it's browned on both sides. Add whatever veggies you feel like on the side.

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2. Chili and cornbread. Use a couple types of beans, even add lentils since they don't taste like much and will add more protein to the meal. I have a cookbook with a recipe for cornbread that I use.
I'd be much obliged if you posted that cornbread recipe!

 

Oh, well it's from Veganomicon...I think they wouldn't mind if I posted it. I'll look it up and get back to you! Mmmmmm, cornbread...

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  • 1 month later...

I have a great corn bread recipe if you like:

 

1 cup of plain flour

1 cup of cornmeal

1/4 cup of oil

tablespoon of baking powder (do not use bicarb it makes it taste horrible. trust me)

1 1/4 cup soy milk or rice milk

salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix them all up and bake for about 30 mins in a tray at 200 degrees C. I also make them into muffins and this has a slightly lower cooking time.

 

To make them more moise I often add some corn into the mix, about a cup. I also add other flavourings paprika, chives etc. If you prefer them sweet, add some sugar or agave nectar to the mix.

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I dont know how you cope with having a non vegan partner.

 

For years I was ok with omni partners, but my current gf of 5 years went vege and then vegan along with me, after I explained my reasons she agreed with them. Infact our love of animals is one the strongest things in common we have, and I respect her greatly for her beliefs. I would now struggle to have any respect for a partner if she was non caring enough to give up meat.

 

I am quite intolerant now though, in danger of becoming a vegan asshole, lol.

 

 

Same here. Though I've recently gotten A LOT better at identifying with omnivores now that I've actually been hanging out with people at gatherings that don't revolve around food.

 

I would make the same type of stuff I'd give to a new vegan. Lots of fake meat, beans, and tempeh. Tempeh is very meaty and you can prepare it the same way you would meat (if that's what you're used to). Stir fry with fake make or mushrooms is good, same goes for anything with lots of beans and lentils. You want that unami savoriness which mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and other chewy veggies are good for.

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  • 1 month later...

I was looking for a good "meaty" lunch time meal, and so I did a search for things I would eat if I was including meat into my meal. Thinking about it, I realized I had a craving for tuna salad. Realized atleast half of the words in the very title of the food was not vegan, I searched for a substitute. http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/2007/08/mock-tuna-salad.html provided an excellent vegan tuna salad that actually tasted like tuna. That being said, if your family members taste it and decide it's not meaty enough, you could always throw in some tuna at the end. A simple lunchtime meal which can be tailored to each person's liking.

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