What food MUST you have at every meal?

[KrisUpInSmoke]

I've been planning a cookout, where one of the guests is v...v...egan (...yes...:mad:...there will still be meat in the smoker... o_O...it's ok...:confused:...breath...). In my long and trying quest to find at least some dishes that will satisfy everyone, I've discovered something about myself.

I like to MUST have one or more of the following in nearly everything I make: butter, cheese, bacon. (Potato, bread, and onion are close in the running.)



I'm looking at recipes without those things or thinking about omitting/replacing them, and....I can't bring myself to do it! How can anything be good without those things? Ferdaluvagawd, Man!

Meat and dairy... and things to flavor them! That's what it comes down to! Amirite?

 

[oddegan]

Olive oil!

 

[chopsaw]

Don't cut your grass that week .

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I'll pass some advice along to you Kris that took me a long while to start doing my self out of fear of offending some one.

Tell them what -you- plan to make. They adhere to a voluntary special diet, they will know what is available, and can bring their own food. It's not being rude, it's simply that unless you are a vegan as well, it's not likely you'll know what to prepare etc.

This I learned the hard way because I'd try to accommodate for people with voluntary diet restrictions. I'd end up spending 20 dollars on -their- odd diet food, and then no one else would eat it. So I'd end up chucking out a big thing of left overs, or they'd complain the grill was also used for real meat etc.

If the guest gets an attitude over the fact you can't make every thing their way? Uninvite. I help cook yearly for an extended family of sorts, and we have vegan members. We email them every dish's recipes+any changes we do, and they have never had a problem bringing food for them selves. <We do wish they'd warn us before sneaking in their dip etc on the dip table because...fake..tofu..bacon..fake..cheese..no..it was so no. It even looked proper till people tried it!>.

I might sound like a jerk, but unless you have religious or medical reasons to not eat 90% of what is found at a cook out, you better bring your own. I don't mind cleaning my grill for tofu dogs or bean burgers. <I actually find it some what comical because I was asked to clean the grill off, after literally torching the surfaces and scrapping them. I mean fire does a good job of cleansing the animal protein away, but hey, alright then!>

Trust me Kris, you'll save your self a headache by doing it this way...and no smoking over stress!

 

[mosparky]

Wow... Big question. Best I can narrow it down is MEAT !!! The rest is seasonal or mood driven. During the summer, If I have them available it's home grown tomatoes. I have them on/with or in almost everything. Fried green tomatoes with breakfast and ripe the rest of the day. But I do have to have my caffeine. Coffee, tea sometimes soda.

 

[KrisUpInSmoke]

Olive oil!

For marinating chicken and shrimp with herbs and citrus, but usually butter for everything else, including vegetables. See that... still meat and butter for me...lol.

Don't cut your grass that week .

That would definitely be simpler and leave more time for cooking meat.

I'll pass some advice along to you Kris that took me a long while to start doing my self out of fear of offending some one.

Tell them what -you- plan to make. They adhere to a voluntary special diet, they will know what is available, and can bring their own food. It's not being rude, it's simply that unless you are a vegan as well, it's not likely you'll know what to prepare etc.

This I learned the hard way because I'd try to accommodate for people with voluntary diet restrictions. I'd end up spending 20 dollars on -their- odd diet food, and then no one else would eat it. So I'd end up chucking out a big thing of left overs, or they'd complain the grill was also used for real meat etc.

If the guest gets an attitude over the fact you can't make every thing their way? Uninvite. I help cook yearly for an extended family of sorts, and we have vegan members. We email them every dish's recipes+any changes we do, and they have never had a problem bringing food for them selves. <We do wish they'd warn us before sneaking in their dip etc on the dip table because...fake..tofu..bacon..fake..cheese..no..it was so no. It even looked proper till people tried it!>.

I might sound like a jerk, but unless you have religious or medical reasons to not eat 90% of what is found at a cook out, you better bring your own. I don't mind cleaning my grill for tofu dogs or bean burgers. <I actually find it some what comical because I was asked to clean the grill off, after literally torching the surfaces and scrapping them. I mean fire does a good job of cleansing the animal protein away, but hey, alright then!>

Trust me Kris, you'll save your self a headache by doing it this way...and no smoking over stress!

Thank you. I don't think this will be a regular thing. The person has been very accommodating at other times when meat was present so I'm actually going to try making a few things and they're bringing some stuff...lol @ your family sneaking "dip" onto the dip table! The way they are about the grill, you'd think they wouldn't want their stuff near bacon or mayo or cheese. It was difficult to figure out what to try because even they say they don't like some of the "meat" and "cheese" available to them.

Wow... Big question. Best I can narrow it down is MEAT !!! The rest is seasonal or mood driven. During the summer, If I have them available it's home grown tomatoes. I have them on/with or in almost everything. Fried green tomatoes with breakfast and ripe the rest of the day. But I do have to have my caffeine. Coffee, tea sometimes soda.

It is a big question! MEAT! I can't image... what do you... how... how do you put a proper meal together without MEAT, or at least butter a grilled cheese sammie, or make an egg, or something!?!

I was just writing about tomato sandwiches earlier... Tomato sandwiches ...with butter...

 

[chopsaw]

I was thinkin if you let the grass grow long , they coould graze ,,,,,

 

[Jimbo9414]

Coming from Cali, I've had plenty of bbqs where vegans where invited..some of the items I would prepare for them....a decent salad dish..romaine, beans etc with a acv base dressing...carrot dogs was a huge hit...hummus dips with broccoli, carrots, celery for dipping was another big hit...veggie kabobs...just some "food" for thought

 

[motocrash]

Make Chile's Southwestern Avocado Salad.Since making this the first time,I pretty much always have a batch in the fridge.Omnivores and vegans alike will love it.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/southwestern-avocado-salad.277911/

 

[forktender]

Make up a big green garden salad and some smoked eggplant with a balsamic glaze, smoked yams with brown sugar glaze or a pasta salad. My aunt is one of them vegans it drives me crazy trying to cook for her so I pretty much don't. I make sides that everyone likes that she can eat.
Unless your vegan is smoking hot, I wouldn't worry about it very much.:D

 

[HalfSmoked]

Me if there's meat I'm happy don't have to have anything else.

Been there done that a couple times and it seems it never works out so tell them what your having and if they don't like the menu then bring your own or pass on the food table.

Warren

 

[KrisUpInSmoke]

Make Chile's Southwestern Avocado Salad.Since making this the first time,I pretty much always have a batch in the fridge.Omnivores and vegans alike will love it.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/southwestern-avocado-salad.277911/

Yes, that stuff definitely sounds good! That's one of the things I'm thinking about making... to go with meat...lol...

Make up a big green garden salad and some smoked eggplant with a balsamic glaze, smoked yams with brown sugar glaze or a pasta salad. My aunt is one of them vegans it drives me crazy trying to cook for her so I pretty much don't. I make sides that everyone likes that she can eat.
Unless your vegan is smoking hot, I wouldn't worry about it very much.:D

... and Chile's sweet potatoes on the grill is another one I was thinking about making! Lol. I was thinking along the same lines with sides everyone can eat, but some just aren't going to fly without their butter and bacon and cheese.

Me if there's meat I'm happy don't have to have anything else.

Been there done that a couple times and it seems it never works out so tell them what your having and if they don't like the menu then bring your own or pass on the food table.

Warren

I haven't done it yet so I'm still willing risk it and suffer the consequences..lol. They did say they'd bring some stuff. I'm also interested in cooking in general so it might be interesting to try... once... smoking a cabbage might be interesting. I know there'll be meat there so it'll be okay...lol.

 

[zwiller]

I respect vegans and their choice but would go ape if someone sat my table and made a big deal about it. Fortunate I don't have to deal with that but everyone I know who runs into it says it always happens. Same with organics, gluten, etc. I think most thrive on the drama. Sorry, not gonna change anything for them... I truly do not how far the vegan way goes and it is my understanding most of these people actually don't really know either and are not true vegans but say they're vegan for the notoriety/status. IE dairy is probably OK.

I think you should always have some healthy dishes on the table and salad and veggie are a must. And no, a loaded potato is not a veggie. One dish I got from a member here that I think would work well and completely surprised me how simple but good it is, is grilled asparagus. WOW. Toss in olive oil, salt, lemon and minced garlic and sear.

 

[gmc2003]

Some type of stuffed mushroom or portabella mushroom burger.

Chris

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Some type of stuffed mushroom or portabella mushroom burger.

Chris

Funny, my facebook feed just showed me Portabella burgers again! He's right on this one; portabella burgers are actually pretty good..

Sounds like you don't have a militant vegan at least Kris. I'm not sure on all their restrictions, like are eggs out? That makes it harder to substitute in some recipes. ... Hrm.

https://www.veggiessavetheday.com/broccoli-salad-2/

This is just the normal cranberry broccoli salad we make with..vegan mayo...alright well, actually. I use more about a cup of cranberries and no sunflower seeds, but you get the idea. I'm pretty sure -every one- will like that. The big issue is 'How do you make a main course for a vegan?' Like I can make meatless main courses..but they still have butter and pasta..darn. Blanking on recipes for this one. Even my meatless baked beans would have a ton of butter LOL

 

[ghostguy6]

For the vegans in my extended family I have a bowl of plain baked potatoes with a little sign that says "vegan options". They tend not to come around any moreo_O. Those that still do now bring their own dishes. My cousin has become a hippie, she had the nerve to send me a list of her dietary requirements ( ie, her demands) that stated I could only shop for organic, cruelty free, free range products from farms she personally visited. She even had the nerve to demand a certificate of compliance for any meat products from the farm as proof. I told her no way in hell I would do that so she turned around 5 hours into her 7 hour journey. It was the best Christmas ever!:)

As you can see my must have foods include meats. Unless we are resorting to cannibalism them I might prefer a vegan, I hear they are really tender!

 

[TomKnollRFV]

For the vegans in my extended family I have a bowl of plain baked potatoes with a little sign that says "vegan options". They tend not to come around any moreo_O. Those that still do now bring their own dishes. My cousin has become a hippie, she had the nerve to send me a list of her dietary requirements ( ie, her demands) that stated I could only shop for organic, cruelty free, free range products from farms she personally visited. She even had the nerve to demand a certificate of compliance for any meat products from the farm as proof. I told her no way in hell I would do that so she turned around 5 hours into her 7 hour journey. It was the best Christmas ever!:)

As you can see my must have foods include meats. Unless we are resorting to cannibalism them I might prefer a vegan, I hear they are really tender!

That is the type of militant self imposed dietary people who ruined the parties for us before. Because not only did they know we -didn't- do any of that..they caused a huge scene about it at the party.

 

[johnmeyer]

I ended up with some vegetarian (now vegan) in-laws thirty years ago and initially we tried to accommodate them when they'd visit by making special dishes. However, after a few get togethers they started bringing their own food. I reacted with a combination of relief, because I didn't have to go through the anguish you're now experiencing, but also a tinge of anger over having my cooking skills and hospitality insulted.

The good news is that after the 2016 elections they decided I was a truly evil person and don't come by much anymore. I won't say who I voted for, but I will tell you that my diet and preferences sound very much like the OP, Kris: meat, dairy, more meat, and more dairy.

Vegetables are there to make the meat look better on the plate.

 

[banderson7474]

Beer

 

[crazzycajun]

What’s a carrot dog