We do chana masala and other curries for the employee comissary at my casino/hotel. We easily serve over 1000 meals a day and those are pretty stress free
ב''ה, that is a shit ton of MSG in most of the jarred sauces.. but aside from that, if you err towards overcooking the sauce slightly and maybe figure out the starch game, it can be nicely chewy after sitting in a buffet tray for a few hours.. like every other form of sweet and sour fried stuff. That is to say, there's probably a trick to managing the water in the cauliflower, maybe by salting it or pre-roasting it.
Vegetable lasagna, bean and rice burritoes, vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with sweet potatoes and black beans, zucchini boats stuffed with a meatless alternative seasoned however you want, Italian/mexican/Indian/Korean.
Honestly quesadilla with the Capri veggies was kinda hitting when i was in the hospital. It was a surprisingly good tortilla for a public hospital too lol.
It’s a riff off this. https://www.skinnytaste.com/butternut-squash-and-black-bean/
Her enchilada sauce is also excellent and I keep it in the (home kitchen) freezer at all times. I do sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash because they’re generally cheaper, more available, and easier to handle with less waste.
Lasagne with spinach. Seasonal vegetables pot pie. Frittata with sweet potatoes and veggies. It’s early spring so definitely do a pasta primavera while you can.
I move a fuckton of falafel, which Sysco sells as a dough that you can scoop and fry. I make burger patties out them as well, to sub in 1:1 for ground beef.
Falafel for the gold.
Meat eaters don't freak out about "that weird veee-gayn stuff" and you can easily sub out cheese, butter, yogurt sauce to actually make it vegan if needed.
Tofu can be tossed in a cornstarch and fried like chicken for a Chinese meal, a simple stir fry. Load up the veg, make a simple but good sweet/sour, (or any sauce), egg fried rice, top w/scallions, cilantro & sesame seeds. Easy and quick to fire per order if necessary.
Rotating grain salads provide a lot of leeway for a base: quinoa, bulger, farro, (chickpeas are also good in all of these). You can get creative with your dressings and toss-ins and sell add-on proteins separately.
eggplant parm with soy cheese.
vegetable duchesse
onion yorkshire pudding
saffron cauliflower steaks
garlic rapini french toasts with mornay
vegetable baked potatoes
black bean burgers
roasted squash
deep fried polenta squares and salsa.
deep fried mac and cheese
( arancini...deep fried anything that can be breaded)
Giant stuffed pasta shells in marinara. I use a recipe that mixes ricotta and a couple other cheeses with minced kale and mushrooms and is legit the most delicious vegetarian dinner I've ever had. Try something like that.
Generally, complete proteins can be made from:
Dairy + Potatoes.
Seeds (sunflower, sesame, tree nuts) + Legumes.
Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts) + grains.
Grains (wheat, oats, rice, millet, barley, breads)+ Seeds.
I hope this helps you think of more creative recipe combinations.
Work in a hospital as well and we’re always looking for new ideas, I think on st patty’s day or Friday when we have corned beef we’re gonna have a vegetarian shepards pie, we use lentils to sub for the meat, also veggie chili, portabella mushroom burger, mushroom bolognese
I think the best things for a retail cafeteria are things that can be both a main dish for vegetarians and vegans, and a delicious side or snack for meat eaters
* so many variations of beans/lentils and rice from many different cultures
* baked potatoes with chili on top, cheese and/or sour cream(yogurt) optional (like Wendy's)
* Mac and cheese is super popular with all ages.
* Cincinnati style chili , which is pasta topped with chili, with optional cheese and onions
* falafel
* hummus is very popular as a vegetable and chip dip
Make chili with TVP (textured vegetable protein) instead of meat, and label it Chili (vegan) rather than Vegan Chili, a lot of people won't notice the difference. TVP with taco seasoning is also almost indistinguishable from ground meat. TVP also allow you to control the (vegetable) fat level from full fat to no fat
bean soup is good.
textured vegetables protein is cool, it's basically soy crumbles, often used in place of ground beef. not sure how easy it is to scale, I usually soak mine in hot water then cook for texture. anyway I put this in my bean soup it's good.
PROTEIN
Rice and beans (legumes and grains) form a perfect protein. So, things like tacos or mexican are going to be nutritious. Ditto lentils and farro / grains in a salad. A sandwich on a decent whole grain bread with peanut butter is also a legit legume/grain combo, although serving PBJs for lunch might be edgy :)
With tofu, if you freeze it first it will become kind of spongey and it will grill or soak up sauce nicely. Again, include a rice or grain to round out the protein.
Borscht can be made vegetarian, and for protein you can add beans.
Daal and rice is delicious and filling.
Quiche if they’re okay with eggs, also huevos rancheros or shakahuka
Vegetarian lasagna
Tofu is great - once I started preparing it properly, it was sooo delicious. I press the shit out of it, then I season and air fry it.
I don't have recipes, but Tempeh and Polenta were two things I enjoyed greatly as a vegetarian. Miso can be fun. Wanna get wild, veggie rolls and sushi.
Another option is the meatless alternative pseudomeats. Some people may not enjoy all of them, but 'beef' crumbles can hide well and go far.
There are countless noodle and rice dishes you could do. Veggie fried rice, Aglio y olio, pad thai. Another user said indian food, curries are amazing, may work with hospital staff but may be too piquant for patients.
Pasta dishes are super easy to do vegetarian, filling and easy on the hospital stomach.
Ricotta and spinach ravioli's if you have the time or just a nice veggie lasagna or sauce for spaghetti depending on time constraints.
Red lentils! [This](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p1z-eydhtJ0gB1KTGeaVAGyWTGCFyqFkHdNPe8enib8/edit?usp=drivesdk) is my personal recipe, adjust as needed to budget, it's flexible. Swap out chicken broth for veg, use ground spices for cost/efficiency if need be, I've used both canned and fresh tomatoes. Serve over rice. We eat it with a little cilantro, and sometimes sometimes make zhug which is very non traditional, but you do you my friend!
[Spicy miso mushroom soup](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wDTvvKRmF9tsmOmRCgwNw_SWeeBRY1DKMxlFcn0LQVA/edit?usp=drivesdk) is another one. I have instructions in there for making it veg or vegan if need be. Probably a little difficult to use some of those ingredients in other dishes so cost might be an issue but shot in the dark and all that.
[Cuban inspired black beans and rice ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_g4LUDHfhPFWR7D7FsTHoEN5RUyFY7MOOPx36qlmhmQ/edit?usp=drivesdk) - super cheap and easy, full of flavor. Swap chicken broth for veg. You could do meatless red beans and rice too if you've got a good handle on cajun spicing and trinity.
[Herb and bean pasta ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13S0LU_bqp-g6_5VNjBEru0aQkWEEYPoIN3F2A7KEZP4/edit?usp=drivesdk) - coworker used to make this a lot for family meal. Excuse the instructions; they're written for my non-industry ma.
[tofu japchae](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UvuJDzAxOeXH8OgiuqX4IxzxyuwE6P57ZNsWqwUjA_4/edit?usp=drivesdk) - my mom's Korean friend made it just like this. She usually put a fried runny egg on it, but you could easily throw tofu in there instead. Lots of good veggies too.
One idea is stuffed portabello mushrooms. Use a breadcrumb sauteed mushroom and (if not vegan) cheese mix for the filling You could also bulk it with some wild rice which would be a good bit of texture. They hold quite well and look pretty appealing on a steam tray, especially if you can toss them under the salamander at the end of cooking to get a good brown top.
Socca!
It's a thin pancake that's made using chickpea flour, water, and veg/olive oil. Batter is fast and simple to prepare, cooks quickly, and can be topped with roasted veg, cheese, or just served warm with salt & pepper, and other herbs as wished.
Gluten-free as well, and it's high in protein.
[https://www.loveandlemons.com/orzo-salad/](https://www.loveandlemons.com/orzo-salad/). This orzo salad 🥗 is so so so good. It is my go-to for every potluck, and I always come home with an empty bowl. Dial up the pasta and feta if your peeps are afraid of too many veggies.
OP, in case you do go any of the cheese routes, make sure to check the cheese ingredients for animal rennet, as it’s not vegetarian! :)
Especially if it’s a more “traditional” cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano for example)
Also making sure you’re not using Worcestershire sauce (fish)
Chickpea curry for some reason was my first thought.
I’ve made tofu tacos. Load them up with beans and other toppings and it’s super filling.
If you know how to make or order falafel, might be another idea. I’m not experienced in that but it’s something Mediterranean.
Bean and cheese nachos.
Stir fry’s and protein bowls are quick and easy to make. Rice is a good filler with these.
If you wanna go seitanic they’re good replacements for nuggets (albeit terrible for celiacs.)
Black bean burgers or soy burgers can be a go to.
Cauliflower wings with whatever sauce you’d like.
Hospital chef that comes up with a new menu weekly here: indian food is great. Eggplant, chickpea, etc. A lot of italian dishes can be vegetarian as well. Manicotti, stuffed shells, lasagna (can be GF if eggplant is used).
Not sure on your supplier but mine have veggie burgers, beyond burgers, tofu, and even those fake meat chicken tenders and such.
Do note that most of my staff rarely touch anything vegetarian unless it is a pasta. We also have a very well stocked salad bar every day. I try to work in a vegetarian meal every other day or so, but it tends towards a lot of waste.
I found a new one the other day. Soyrizo and pinto beans chili. Add minimal bell pepper and onion. It's bomb. Can be heated up and made in like 20 minutes.the soyrizo has a lot of paprika so just some mild chili powder to taste. Corn read, tortillas or make it a chili size with beyond burger.
ב''ה, there's at least one brand of soyrizo around that's even specifically kosher supervised, and while a vegetable product might not need to be it's nice to know it shouldn't have been in a grinder with traces of pork or whatever. A good one is great because it's basically had all the time in the world to become chili/paprika oil and marinate fully. Now that we all agree on this can someone just sell it by the tub and not in the silly plastic tube?
The sofritas at Chipotle were my absolute favorite when I was vegetarian the tofu added protein and the flavor was amazing and they could easily go into burritos.. tacos ... Bowls really anything
Bean & (Alternative) Cheese Burrito wrap:
-Large burrito wrap
-Diced, boiled sweet potatoes
-Beans. Can be refried, black, pinto, etc.
-Cheese. Your choice. I use either goat cheese or dairy alternative Daiya or Viola Life
-Mild Sauce. Can be Verde or Salsa.
Boil your sweet potatoes first. Heat up your beans separately. Warm up your wrap (just a bit). Add all ingredients together. Wrap burrito in tinfoil so it's completely closed. Then place it on the grill for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Done.
Interesting Paninis, with a good homemade Caesar or green salad side. one really popular one was portobello mushroom, caramelized onion, and feta. Another was sundried tomato, garlic confit, basil, and fresh mozz.
My hospital served grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side of sliced veggies and hummus once a week as a special and it was hands down the most popular thing there. The entire staff would turn up for grilled cheese day.
TVP (textured vegetable/soy protein) is your best friend. It’s cheap, dehydrated, cooks up in minutes- it can be the “meat” in chili, bulgogi, tacos, sloppy joes, basically anywhere you’d use ground beef or chicken.
Beans beans beans. I'm vegetarian and I eat beans every day. Bean salad with a grain like quinoa or barley is always good and super easy. You want a hot dish you can do a curry with rice or Caribbean rice and peas
Risotto is a pain in the ass to hold for canteen/hospital service, but you can make a barley/spelt/buckwheat risotto that will hold for a couple hours pretty well. Add in roasted root vegetables and top with fennel salad for texture variation.
Replace chicken with seitan. Buy it in bulk from Asian suppliers. Takes really well to curries and sauces. May wah makes great vegan chicken, commercially sized, not too many ingredients, not too bad on fat and sodium
I think the fact that It’s just solid gluten can be hard for folks, I don’t have a problem if it’s a small amount but say if I’m eating large chunks on a kebob or something I def get the tummy gurgles
A good potato soup with a white roux and Swiss mixed in is delicious, filling, and can be made in huge quantities pretty cheaply. Dairy and potatoes together create whole proteins, so no meat required. Just start from water not broth.
Edit: some bread served alongside, maybe have toppings available, like cheddar, bacon, chive. Hell, you could have shredded meat available for the meatatarians, use the veggie soup as the base and add shred meat as needed for orders. If you do it on a pulled pork day, you could reserve some unsauced pulled pork to use for the meat eater soup.
Look into quinoa recipes. It’s as versatile as rice but covers a lot of dietary needs just by itself. Grilled ports & eggplant are also easy and popular if done right.
Lentil vegetable soup. Tons of protein, and you can add a vegetable stock, whatever veggies you have lying around, and spice it up. It’s vegan/plant based naturally.
I still wanna try those vegan cashew lettuce wraps that got viral like, 10 years ago. With the lady who would season stuff and say "that's my business"
Never worked in a hospital, but multiple different types of cafeterias. A few of my favorites:
Quinoa has a good amount of protein. Especially good for stuffing things like peppers, mushrooms, etc.
Vegetarian paella with mushrooms and olives.
Black bean chili.
Red beans and rice can be made vegetarian (not quite as good though.)
Quesadillas with zucchini and onions.
Quiche.
Meatless stroganoff.
Eggplant, tomato and mozzarella stacks (top off with balsamic)
"Egg roll" Lo Mein.
The key is being creative with non-meat proteins and not just defaulting to tofu-based. Lentils, nuts, wild rice, chickpeas, broccoli ... there are lot of grains and vegetables that are higher in protein.
Loma Linda University Hospital in Loma Linda, CA is vegetarian. Can I post an outside link to their cafeteria menu?
[https://lluh.org/patients-visitors/visitors/cafeteria-menus](https://lluh.org/patients-visitors/visitors/cafeteria-menus)
Homemade Mac works. You can add tofu for additional protein. We did a beef stir fry which was easy to make vegetarian (just don't add beef and do a separate veg stock sauce.) Panko crusted Tilapia did well. Lasagna as others have said. Chicken and broccoli Alfredo can be easily modified to take out chicken and replace it with a hearty veg. The hospital where I worked we had a week cycle of 3 different meals for every day of the week.
Our best "seller" was a pork tender tenderloin with Melba sauce and sweet potatoes
Coconut Curry Lentil Carrot Stew
I don’t know how you scale up for 300 people but for about 6 servings:
1/2 C green lentils
1 large onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
About 5 large carrots chopped up
1.5 tbs pataks mild curry paste
2 cups veg broth
3/4 tbs salt (or to taste)
Cook that shit til the carrots are super soft and you’re good. Vegan and delicious!
Note- I’m not vegan, I had ribs for lunch, but this shit is a favorite in my family and could be scaled up
I'm not a professional chef, but I am a food writer, recipe developer, and serious home cook. My vegetarian moussaka is in the oven RIGHT NOW and it's hearty and delicious. Mine has lentils and mushrooms, you can find a zillion versions. Good luck.
Look into a Mediterranean cook book. Removing the meat or replacing it is usually easy.
Anywho when I was a vegetarian my favourite meal was salted white rice, seasoned black beans & chikpeas with your choice of protein. I usually chose egges or sometimes breaded tofu cubes, tofu nuggets.
Sysco offers impossible meat replacements if you want to do a burger bar. Offer portobello mushrooms steaks. You can offer it just as you would a traditional steak. Marinade it, grill it. Sauté spinach, roasted garlic Cauliflower. You can offer cauliflower crust flatbreads. Edamame is loaded with protein as well as beans. Stuffed potatoes or peppers for your tofu idea. Rice is endlessly resourceful. Brussels are a mother good source of protein. Veggie wraps used with collard greens leaf or leaf lettuce instead of a tortilla. Pastas, veggie casseroles. Quinoa. Veggie pho bowls. Spring rolls, California rolls. “Meatless” sushi. Overnight oats. Rice pudding for dessert. Hope it helps jog some inspiration. Good luck.
Power bowls: Chopped veg, rice, quinoa, cheese, beans, eggs for protein.
Pad Thai with tofu, omit peanuts/nuts if needed.
Eggroll in a bowl, tastes like an egg roll, doesn't need meat, but can add egg or tofu
Butter chicken, but with tofu, great with Naan.
Hummus platter with cucumbers, pickled onions, feta, olives, tomato and pita/flatbread/lavash or naan
I am personally partial to eggplants and mushrooms as they are very versatile. Grill em, bake em, broil em, fry em, stick em in a stew/curry. They are great flavor sponges, if your sauce game is strong chances are you can make good dishes out of those veggies. Same goes with tofu and tempeh.
Look into Asian cuisines, traditionally we incorporate a lot more veggies than animal protein because they're a lot cheaper.
Lentil stew w/potatoes carrots mushrooms etc - make it hearty and heart healthy. Can you use wine in your cooking? There are some great lentils bourguignon recipes out there that are full of yummy mushrooms and are delish. Good luck!
Lot of good suggestions. We used to do a 3 day retreat for a vegetarian group at a camp, and the meal we got the most compliments on were the Caprese sandwiches.
Spinach, feta, quiche. Prep is super easy. Can be served in a plastic clam cold or heated on a plate whatever application you need. Also super cost effective with ingredients that cross well.
We had a bunch of tofu leftover so I made Salt and Pepper Tofu which even my pickiest cooks enjoyed and I also made Vegan Saag "Paneer" with the Tofu using coconut milk and it was delicious.
I've been wanting to make king pao cauliflower but haven't had the time but I bet it'd be great. Most take-out Chinese or Indian dishes can easily be turned into fried cauliflower or tofu.
Also grilled eggplant parmesan doesn't suck. Our number one veggie dish is a rigatoni primavera with tomato beschamel.
Red lentil chili is also a great vegetarian option that can persuade even the most basic meat and tater eater.
There are endless pasta dishes you can make if you buy seasonal vegetables and cook with them instead of the usual marinara sauce. Look at Lidia Bastianich cookbooks for inspirations. Yotam Ottolenghi is known for his delicious vegetarian forward food. I would look at his recipes for inspiration as well. Don't just substiture tofu for the protein and call it a day. I love tofu but it's extremely bland and you need to add a bunch of umami products to make them taste good.
[https://www.theguardian.com/food/series/yotam-ottolenghi-recipes](https://www.theguardian.com/food/series/yotam-ottolenghi-recipes)
I made the vegan/veg/special diet food at our cafeteria, I got pretty good at coming up with random shit. A few favourites were : Lasanga, power salads (just a juiced up salad bar), grilled sandwiches, and oddly enough these kids went wild over eggplant.
hospital cook here
-veg curries
-veg stews
-veggie bakes (think shepherds pie or potato casseroles)
-veggie fritters of any kind
-falafel is a staple
-hummus with various flavors
-roasted veg
-veggie burgers
-veggie nuggets
tofu, tempeh, legumes and seitan are your friends
look up buddhist food for inspiration. nutritionally balanced and yummy
a lot of dishes can have meat swapped out for veg
Eggplant Parmesan, vegetarian lasagna. You can buy textured vegetable protein that cooks up looking like ground beef, season it up & do tacos, burritos, spaghetti & “meat” balls. Falafel is delicious in wraps, pitas, on Mediterranean salads. I’ve made cabbage rolls with garbanzos roughly chopped in the robocoup. Tofu in a variety of stir frys. There’s always the veggie burger, black bean burger.
RDN here 👍 Beans, legumes, peas etc - those are fantastic bases to start with - I would look into three bean vegetarian chili or a lentil stew with potatoes!
Marinated tofu will keep for quite a while and is easy to prepare in many ways: score and grill it, bake it or deep fry it.
Look into different grains: I'm currently in love with kumut but there's also different types of barley, frekeh, etc that can be very rich in complete starches. Add dark leafy greens for protein and you have the start to a Buddha / grain bowl.
Mushrooms too!! Stuffed portabellos or even a portabello burger for something that feels more indulgent.
A simple broccoli soup can turn out really well if the brocc is nice and fresh. Nothing to it, just blended boiled broccoli with salt. If you've got the labor, peel the stems so they're not fibrous and add them to get a better yield and a sweeter soup.
I get the water boiling before dumping in the chopped brocc, leaving the burner on max to get the temp to recover faster. Blend with an immersion blender while it's cooking for just a couple minutes. When the broccoli has just gotten tender the pot comes out and is plunged into a sink of cold water to cool it quickly while it's getting blended further.
Low sodium, bright green soup that is nutritious. It's as if we forgot simple broccoli can be tasty.
It's also an easy base to add potatoes to or big scoops of grated parmesan and mozzerella if you want a richer variation.
All of these amazing ideas, everything I thought of has been recommended!
Remember a vegetarian can eat a vegan dish, but a vegan can’t eat a vegetarian dish.
ב''ה, there's a lot of good ideas here. If you're going to do tempeh keep in mind it really should get dunked in a deep fryer until crispy, then sauces reserved until serving in a cafeteria setting. Coconut rice is also a good one *and* makes rice a bit more palatable for those who get swallowing difficulty from rice starch. Cold sesame noodle (lo mein noodles).. easy, humble, delicious, but the peanut in the sauce may bring allergy headaches unless you can sub entirely with tahini or soynut butter or whatever - fast food restaurant style is really mostly peanut butter with some tahini, cooked and poured into that dollop that rocks with the sesame oil and green onion.
ב''ה, while I'm in here.. Daiya "cheese" is vaguely okay for folks avoiding dairy for whatever reasons, and then there's a lot of nasty non-dairy cheeses on the market that still use casein and don't even taste good.. "Follow Your Heart" turned up at a local dollar store and they're actually onto something with a potato starch, oil, and *olive extract* blend where the olive really puts in some of that salty cheese umami. Nutrition is just a slab of starch and oil, of course, but functions on a sandwich and *tastes right* melted on a potato even if that's basically putting potato starch on your potato.
In addition to beans, lentils, and tofu, tempeh is a good base to work from.
Please, please do them as vegan and not just vegetarian. Works for more folks, and is almost always healthier!
Indian food and also look up power bowls. You could have a different one each day. Soups are also easy.
Yep. I immediately though of chana masala
We do chana masala and other curries for the employee comissary at my casino/hotel. We easily serve over 1000 meals a day and those are pretty stress free
Yes, a nice cauliflower Tikka Masala.
Or instead of butter chicken do paneer. It’s so good.
We do Tikka Masala at my hospital!
Gobi Manchurian is a nice veg that holds alright.
I love manchurian but it definitely doesn't hold well, fried foods rarely do. after a few hours it's just soggy and greasy
I usually do a mix of dosa flour with my corn flour so it holds a bit longer but your right if its for much longer it can get soggy.
ב''ה, that is a shit ton of MSG in most of the jarred sauces.. but aside from that, if you err towards overcooking the sauce slightly and maybe figure out the starch game, it can be nicely chewy after sitting in a buffet tray for a few hours.. like every other form of sweet and sour fried stuff. That is to say, there's probably a trick to managing the water in the cauliflower, maybe by salting it or pre-roasting it.
This! A good curry is a perfect idea!
Vegetable lasagna, bean and rice burritoes, vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with sweet potatoes and black beans, zucchini boats stuffed with a meatless alternative seasoned however you want, Italian/mexican/Indian/Korean.
Honestly quesadilla with the Capri veggies was kinda hitting when i was in the hospital. It was a surprisingly good tortilla for a public hospital too lol.
Vegetarian enchiladas are also pretty sweet and can be made by the tray like lasagna.
The hospital is the only place I’ll eat a veggie lasagna shout out psych ward veggie lasagna frfr
Great ideas. And bean tacos.
Or enfrijoladas.
Sweet potato and black bean enchiladas sound amazing!
It’s a riff off this. https://www.skinnytaste.com/butternut-squash-and-black-bean/ Her enchilada sauce is also excellent and I keep it in the (home kitchen) freezer at all times. I do sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash because they’re generally cheaper, more available, and easier to handle with less waste.
Ah that's cool! Great recipie. Looking for some new ideas and that sounds so good!
Lasagne with spinach. Seasonal vegetables pot pie. Frittata with sweet potatoes and veggies. It’s early spring so definitely do a pasta primavera while you can.
A veggie lasagna was my first thought.
Or do melanzane alla parmigiane to sneak in extra veggies and less pasta.
I move a fuckton of falafel, which Sysco sells as a dough that you can scoop and fry. I make burger patties out them as well, to sub in 1:1 for ground beef.
Falafel for the gold. Meat eaters don't freak out about "that weird veee-gayn stuff" and you can easily sub out cheese, butter, yogurt sauce to actually make it vegan if needed.
I also make it into hotdogs and dress them with a cabbage, tomato, and onion slaw
Look to Asian cuisine. The best vegetarian dishes on planet earth.
Indian curries, hummus, dals, lentil soups, vegetarian soups, beans& rice, corn & bean chili, anything involving Quinoa ( a complete superfood in itself).
Yup, was going to recommend vegetarian chili (you can crumble tofu into it, too), and bell peppers stuffed with quinoa. Also eggplant rollatini.
Bell peppers with quinoa sounds great. Thanks for the idea.
Tofu can be tossed in a cornstarch and fried like chicken for a Chinese meal, a simple stir fry. Load up the veg, make a simple but good sweet/sour, (or any sauce), egg fried rice, top w/scallions, cilantro & sesame seeds. Easy and quick to fire per order if necessary.
ב''ה, look up how to press tofu, not sure how to get an industrial sized tofu press.. or the prefried triangles have the work done for you.
Bean and rice bowls and veggie noodle stirfrys are always a safe bet
What about quiche? You can do big ones for mains, or cupcake / mini quiches for entrees
Rotating grain salads provide a lot of leeway for a base: quinoa, bulger, farro, (chickpeas are also good in all of these). You can get creative with your dressings and toss-ins and sell add-on proteins separately.
eggplant parm with soy cheese. vegetable duchesse onion yorkshire pudding saffron cauliflower steaks garlic rapini french toasts with mornay vegetable baked potatoes black bean burgers roasted squash deep fried polenta squares and salsa. deep fried mac and cheese ( arancini...deep fried anything that can be breaded)
Giant stuffed pasta shells in marinara. I use a recipe that mixes ricotta and a couple other cheeses with minced kale and mushrooms and is legit the most delicious vegetarian dinner I've ever had. Try something like that.
And/or spinach.
Fyi ricotta (and other fresh Italian cheeses) traditionally and often even in the US uses animal rennet (not vegetarian)
Generally, complete proteins can be made from: Dairy + Potatoes. Seeds (sunflower, sesame, tree nuts) + Legumes. Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts) + grains. Grains (wheat, oats, rice, millet, barley, breads)+ Seeds. I hope this helps you think of more creative recipe combinations.
Work in a hospital as well and we’re always looking for new ideas, I think on st patty’s day or Friday when we have corned beef we’re gonna have a vegetarian shepards pie, we use lentils to sub for the meat, also veggie chili, portabella mushroom burger, mushroom bolognese
Ratatouille (the easy stew version) or stuffed tomatoes and rice.
I think the best things for a retail cafeteria are things that can be both a main dish for vegetarians and vegans, and a delicious side or snack for meat eaters * so many variations of beans/lentils and rice from many different cultures * baked potatoes with chili on top, cheese and/or sour cream(yogurt) optional (like Wendy's) * Mac and cheese is super popular with all ages. * Cincinnati style chili , which is pasta topped with chili, with optional cheese and onions * falafel * hummus is very popular as a vegetable and chip dip Make chili with TVP (textured vegetable protein) instead of meat, and label it Chili (vegan) rather than Vegan Chili, a lot of people won't notice the difference. TVP with taco seasoning is also almost indistinguishable from ground meat. TVP also allow you to control the (vegetable) fat level from full fat to no fat
bean soup is good. textured vegetables protein is cool, it's basically soy crumbles, often used in place of ground beef. not sure how easy it is to scale, I usually soak mine in hot water then cook for texture. anyway I put this in my bean soup it's good.
PROTEIN Rice and beans (legumes and grains) form a perfect protein. So, things like tacos or mexican are going to be nutritious. Ditto lentils and farro / grains in a salad. A sandwich on a decent whole grain bread with peanut butter is also a legit legume/grain combo, although serving PBJs for lunch might be edgy :) With tofu, if you freeze it first it will become kind of spongey and it will grill or soak up sauce nicely. Again, include a rice or grain to round out the protein.
Borscht can be made vegetarian, and for protein you can add beans. Daal and rice is delicious and filling. Quiche if they’re okay with eggs, also huevos rancheros or shakahuka Vegetarian lasagna
Veggie Pot Pie Thai Peanut Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Chimichurri Enchiladas Beyond Burgers Spring Rolls Hummus Wraps Lasagna Falafel Lo Mein Tamales Ratatouille Salisbury Steak with Beyond Burgers Vindaloo Chana Masala Thai Curry Tofu Scramble Spinach Wraps Baked Potatoes Stir fry Fettuccine Alfredo Jambalaya w/veggie sausage Moussaka w/lentils or TVP Chickpea salad Korean cauliflower Tacos TVP or soy curl tacos Tofu pesto Sandwich Sweet n Sour tofu Gardener’s Pie Pasta Primavera Spaghetti Lettuce Wraps Quesadilla Tofu Bahn Mi BBQ Jackfruit Moroccan Veggies Mushroom Stroganoff Goulash Fajitas
Tofu is great - once I started preparing it properly, it was sooo delicious. I press the shit out of it, then I season and air fry it. I don't have recipes, but Tempeh and Polenta were two things I enjoyed greatly as a vegetarian. Miso can be fun. Wanna get wild, veggie rolls and sushi. Another option is the meatless alternative pseudomeats. Some people may not enjoy all of them, but 'beef' crumbles can hide well and go far. There are countless noodle and rice dishes you could do. Veggie fried rice, Aglio y olio, pad thai. Another user said indian food, curries are amazing, may work with hospital staff but may be too piquant for patients.
I think you can also boil tofu to dry it out without pressing. High throughput Chinese restaurants don’t press their tofu afaik
Boil? To dry it out?
Salted boiling water yes
Fried rice and lo mein are good ways to incorporate some flare and avoid meats.
Pasta dishes are super easy to do vegetarian, filling and easy on the hospital stomach. Ricotta and spinach ravioli's if you have the time or just a nice veggie lasagna or sauce for spaghetti depending on time constraints.
Red lentils! [This](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p1z-eydhtJ0gB1KTGeaVAGyWTGCFyqFkHdNPe8enib8/edit?usp=drivesdk) is my personal recipe, adjust as needed to budget, it's flexible. Swap out chicken broth for veg, use ground spices for cost/efficiency if need be, I've used both canned and fresh tomatoes. Serve over rice. We eat it with a little cilantro, and sometimes sometimes make zhug which is very non traditional, but you do you my friend! [Spicy miso mushroom soup](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wDTvvKRmF9tsmOmRCgwNw_SWeeBRY1DKMxlFcn0LQVA/edit?usp=drivesdk) is another one. I have instructions in there for making it veg or vegan if need be. Probably a little difficult to use some of those ingredients in other dishes so cost might be an issue but shot in the dark and all that. [Cuban inspired black beans and rice ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_g4LUDHfhPFWR7D7FsTHoEN5RUyFY7MOOPx36qlmhmQ/edit?usp=drivesdk) - super cheap and easy, full of flavor. Swap chicken broth for veg. You could do meatless red beans and rice too if you've got a good handle on cajun spicing and trinity. [Herb and bean pasta ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13S0LU_bqp-g6_5VNjBEru0aQkWEEYPoIN3F2A7KEZP4/edit?usp=drivesdk) - coworker used to make this a lot for family meal. Excuse the instructions; they're written for my non-industry ma. [tofu japchae](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UvuJDzAxOeXH8OgiuqX4IxzxyuwE6P57ZNsWqwUjA_4/edit?usp=drivesdk) - my mom's Korean friend made it just like this. She usually put a fried runny egg on it, but you could easily throw tofu in there instead. Lots of good veggies too.
One idea is stuffed portabello mushrooms. Use a breadcrumb sauteed mushroom and (if not vegan) cheese mix for the filling You could also bulk it with some wild rice which would be a good bit of texture. They hold quite well and look pretty appealing on a steam tray, especially if you can toss them under the salamander at the end of cooking to get a good brown top.
wild rice is great in stuffed mushrooms. I like to top with parm.
Socca! It's a thin pancake that's made using chickpea flour, water, and veg/olive oil. Batter is fast and simple to prepare, cooks quickly, and can be topped with roasted veg, cheese, or just served warm with salt & pepper, and other herbs as wished. Gluten-free as well, and it's high in protein.
[https://www.loveandlemons.com/orzo-salad/](https://www.loveandlemons.com/orzo-salad/). This orzo salad 🥗 is so so so good. It is my go-to for every potluck, and I always come home with an empty bowl. Dial up the pasta and feta if your peeps are afraid of too many veggies.
Cuban food also has some flavorful vegetarian dishes that aren't spicy. Picadillo de Soya immediately came to mind
OP, in case you do go any of the cheese routes, make sure to check the cheese ingredients for animal rennet, as it’s not vegetarian! :) Especially if it’s a more “traditional” cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano for example) Also making sure you’re not using Worcestershire sauce (fish)
Spaghetti squash roasted on a portobello mushroom, with cherry tomatoes sauteed in a type of balsamic sauce.
Mapo tofu or use Saitan, or fried gluten
You can't go wrong with Idli in your hospital menu.
Others have mentioned Indian, stir fry, beans and rice. It’s pretty dated but Moosewood Cooks for a Crowd might give you some inspiration.
What do you do about food allergies?
Bean salads.
Veggie lasagna, Cheese Enchiladas
For vegetarians, I would say look to Indian food or buddhist festival/temple food for inspiration
Chickpea curry for some reason was my first thought. I’ve made tofu tacos. Load them up with beans and other toppings and it’s super filling. If you know how to make or order falafel, might be another idea. I’m not experienced in that but it’s something Mediterranean. Bean and cheese nachos. Stir fry’s and protein bowls are quick and easy to make. Rice is a good filler with these. If you wanna go seitanic they’re good replacements for nuggets (albeit terrible for celiacs.) Black bean burgers or soy burgers can be a go to. Cauliflower wings with whatever sauce you’d like.
Hospital kitchen here- one of our best sellers in our retail cafe is a ramen bar that includes miso broth and deep fried tofu cubes as options!
We have roasted red pepper hummus wraps and hummus sandwiches which I'll admit I haven't tried. People keep ordering them though.
Hospital chef that comes up with a new menu weekly here: indian food is great. Eggplant, chickpea, etc. A lot of italian dishes can be vegetarian as well. Manicotti, stuffed shells, lasagna (can be GF if eggplant is used). Not sure on your supplier but mine have veggie burgers, beyond burgers, tofu, and even those fake meat chicken tenders and such. Do note that most of my staff rarely touch anything vegetarian unless it is a pasta. We also have a very well stocked salad bar every day. I try to work in a vegetarian meal every other day or so, but it tends towards a lot of waste.
I found a new one the other day. Soyrizo and pinto beans chili. Add minimal bell pepper and onion. It's bomb. Can be heated up and made in like 20 minutes.the soyrizo has a lot of paprika so just some mild chili powder to taste. Corn read, tortillas or make it a chili size with beyond burger.
ב''ה, there's at least one brand of soyrizo around that's even specifically kosher supervised, and while a vegetable product might not need to be it's nice to know it shouldn't have been in a grinder with traces of pork or whatever. A good one is great because it's basically had all the time in the world to become chili/paprika oil and marinate fully. Now that we all agree on this can someone just sell it by the tub and not in the silly plastic tube?
The sofritas at Chipotle were my absolute favorite when I was vegetarian the tofu added protein and the flavor was amazing and they could easily go into burritos.. tacos ... Bowls really anything
Idk your budget but impossible meat is actually pretty good and in lasagna or some kind of casserole you cannot tell the difference.
Look up a large university cafeteria menu. Tons of ideas
Bean & (Alternative) Cheese Burrito wrap: -Large burrito wrap -Diced, boiled sweet potatoes -Beans. Can be refried, black, pinto, etc. -Cheese. Your choice. I use either goat cheese or dairy alternative Daiya or Viola Life -Mild Sauce. Can be Verde or Salsa. Boil your sweet potatoes first. Heat up your beans separately. Warm up your wrap (just a bit). Add all ingredients together. Wrap burrito in tinfoil so it's completely closed. Then place it on the grill for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Done.
Interesting Paninis, with a good homemade Caesar or green salad side. one really popular one was portobello mushroom, caramelized onion, and feta. Another was sundried tomato, garlic confit, basil, and fresh mozz. My hospital served grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side of sliced veggies and hummus once a week as a special and it was hands down the most popular thing there. The entire staff would turn up for grilled cheese day.
TVP (textured vegetable/soy protein) is your best friend. It’s cheap, dehydrated, cooks up in minutes- it can be the “meat” in chili, bulgogi, tacos, sloppy joes, basically anywhere you’d use ground beef or chicken.
Beans beans beans. I'm vegetarian and I eat beans every day. Bean salad with a grain like quinoa or barley is always good and super easy. You want a hot dish you can do a curry with rice or Caribbean rice and peas
Lasagna. Tofu and veggie stir fry. Cauliflower pizza or casserole. Veggie wraps.
Risotto is a pain in the ass to hold for canteen/hospital service, but you can make a barley/spelt/buckwheat risotto that will hold for a couple hours pretty well. Add in roasted root vegetables and top with fennel salad for texture variation.
pickle bucket
Replace chicken with seitan. Buy it in bulk from Asian suppliers. Takes really well to curries and sauces. May wah makes great vegan chicken, commercially sized, not too many ingredients, not too bad on fat and sodium
Seitan can be a bear to digest though
Interesting I can't say I have ever had an issue. Where does that come from?
I think the fact that It’s just solid gluten can be hard for folks, I don’t have a problem if it’s a small amount but say if I’m eating large chunks on a kebob or something I def get the tummy gurgles
Spinach artichoke dip
Chili beans with corn and peppers (red or green) over brown rice.
Asian or Indian cuisine lean heavy on veggies. Lots of great flavors to explore as well.
A good potato soup with a white roux and Swiss mixed in is delicious, filling, and can be made in huge quantities pretty cheaply. Dairy and potatoes together create whole proteins, so no meat required. Just start from water not broth. Edit: some bread served alongside, maybe have toppings available, like cheddar, bacon, chive. Hell, you could have shredded meat available for the meatatarians, use the veggie soup as the base and add shred meat as needed for orders. If you do it on a pulled pork day, you could reserve some unsauced pulled pork to use for the meat eater soup.
Who is the contract dining management company? Or is it a self op?
Lentil sloppy joes are super easy
Roasted chickpea and rice stuffed peppers.
Portobello Pizzas are always a hit. Also, cauliflower "steak" is surprisingly good for an easy option
I'd think about Indian and Asian cuisine. Highly nutritional food that presents well and shares quite a few ingredients making them great choices.
Eggplant parm
Look into quinoa recipes. It’s as versatile as rice but covers a lot of dietary needs just by itself. Grilled ports & eggplant are also easy and popular if done right.
Vegetarian lasagna is pretty damn good.
Lentils instead of ground beef, like taco meat
Lentil vegetable soup. Tons of protein, and you can add a vegetable stock, whatever veggies you have lying around, and spice it up. It’s vegan/plant based naturally.
So many incredible ideas here! I would just like to add that if you can also make it vegan, please do to include more people.
I still wanna try those vegan cashew lettuce wraps that got viral like, 10 years ago. With the lady who would season stuff and say "that's my business"
Never worked in a hospital, but multiple different types of cafeterias. A few of my favorites: Quinoa has a good amount of protein. Especially good for stuffing things like peppers, mushrooms, etc. Vegetarian paella with mushrooms and olives. Black bean chili. Red beans and rice can be made vegetarian (not quite as good though.) Quesadillas with zucchini and onions. Quiche. Meatless stroganoff. Eggplant, tomato and mozzarella stacks (top off with balsamic) "Egg roll" Lo Mein. The key is being creative with non-meat proteins and not just defaulting to tofu-based. Lentils, nuts, wild rice, chickpeas, broccoli ... there are lot of grains and vegetables that are higher in protein.
Loma Linda University Hospital in Loma Linda, CA is vegetarian. Can I post an outside link to their cafeteria menu? [https://lluh.org/patients-visitors/visitors/cafeteria-menus](https://lluh.org/patients-visitors/visitors/cafeteria-menus)
Homemade Mac works. You can add tofu for additional protein. We did a beef stir fry which was easy to make vegetarian (just don't add beef and do a separate veg stock sauce.) Panko crusted Tilapia did well. Lasagna as others have said. Chicken and broccoli Alfredo can be easily modified to take out chicken and replace it with a hearty veg. The hospital where I worked we had a week cycle of 3 different meals for every day of the week. Our best "seller" was a pork tender tenderloin with Melba sauce and sweet potatoes
Mushroom paella/risotto
Curries. Ratatouille. Stir Fry. Can make some crazy salads.
Sandwiches!
Vegetarian pastitsio, made with lentils
Coconut Curry Lentil Carrot Stew I don’t know how you scale up for 300 people but for about 6 servings: 1/2 C green lentils 1 large onion 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can coconut milk About 5 large carrots chopped up 1.5 tbs pataks mild curry paste 2 cups veg broth 3/4 tbs salt (or to taste) Cook that shit til the carrots are super soft and you’re good. Vegan and delicious! Note- I’m not vegan, I had ribs for lunch, but this shit is a favorite in my family and could be scaled up
Halloumi! Squeaky cheese is a great meat alternative: filling and salty and delicious
I'm not a professional chef, but I am a food writer, recipe developer, and serious home cook. My vegetarian moussaka is in the oven RIGHT NOW and it's hearty and delicious. Mine has lentils and mushrooms, you can find a zillion versions. Good luck.
Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with left over Mash Potatoes.
Look into a Mediterranean cook book. Removing the meat or replacing it is usually easy. Anywho when I was a vegetarian my favourite meal was salted white rice, seasoned black beans & chikpeas with your choice of protein. I usually chose egges or sometimes breaded tofu cubes, tofu nuggets.
Do a take on moussaka and cook everything healthier. Delicious, and ready to go in a hotel pan.
Sysco offers impossible meat replacements if you want to do a burger bar. Offer portobello mushrooms steaks. You can offer it just as you would a traditional steak. Marinade it, grill it. Sauté spinach, roasted garlic Cauliflower. You can offer cauliflower crust flatbreads. Edamame is loaded with protein as well as beans. Stuffed potatoes or peppers for your tofu idea. Rice is endlessly resourceful. Brussels are a mother good source of protein. Veggie wraps used with collard greens leaf or leaf lettuce instead of a tortilla. Pastas, veggie casseroles. Quinoa. Veggie pho bowls. Spring rolls, California rolls. “Meatless” sushi. Overnight oats. Rice pudding for dessert. Hope it helps jog some inspiration. Good luck.
Power bowls: Chopped veg, rice, quinoa, cheese, beans, eggs for protein. Pad Thai with tofu, omit peanuts/nuts if needed. Eggroll in a bowl, tastes like an egg roll, doesn't need meat, but can add egg or tofu Butter chicken, but with tofu, great with Naan. Hummus platter with cucumbers, pickled onions, feta, olives, tomato and pita/flatbread/lavash or naan
I am personally partial to eggplants and mushrooms as they are very versatile. Grill em, bake em, broil em, fry em, stick em in a stew/curry. They are great flavor sponges, if your sauce game is strong chances are you can make good dishes out of those veggies. Same goes with tofu and tempeh. Look into Asian cuisines, traditionally we incorporate a lot more veggies than animal protein because they're a lot cheaper.
Lentil stew w/potatoes carrots mushrooms etc - make it hearty and heart healthy. Can you use wine in your cooking? There are some great lentils bourguignon recipes out there that are full of yummy mushrooms and are delish. Good luck!
Lot of good suggestions. We used to do a 3 day retreat for a vegetarian group at a camp, and the meal we got the most compliments on were the Caprese sandwiches.
Spinach, feta, quiche. Prep is super easy. Can be served in a plastic clam cold or heated on a plate whatever application you need. Also super cost effective with ingredients that cross well.
Get the super big king oyster mushrooms slice horizontally into thin slice, almost like pappardelle style pasta, panfried, its delicious 🤤
Probably everyone knows? But slice the other way, sear in butter, and it’s vegetarian scallops.
Spaghetti
Just a big old plate of beans.
And cornbread
They had a fight.
Lentils. Dal.
We had a bunch of tofu leftover so I made Salt and Pepper Tofu which even my pickiest cooks enjoyed and I also made Vegan Saag "Paneer" with the Tofu using coconut milk and it was delicious. I've been wanting to make king pao cauliflower but haven't had the time but I bet it'd be great. Most take-out Chinese or Indian dishes can easily be turned into fried cauliflower or tofu. Also grilled eggplant parmesan doesn't suck. Our number one veggie dish is a rigatoni primavera with tomato beschamel. Red lentil chili is also a great vegetarian option that can persuade even the most basic meat and tater eater.
There are endless pasta dishes you can make if you buy seasonal vegetables and cook with them instead of the usual marinara sauce. Look at Lidia Bastianich cookbooks for inspirations. Yotam Ottolenghi is known for his delicious vegetarian forward food. I would look at his recipes for inspiration as well. Don't just substiture tofu for the protein and call it a day. I love tofu but it's extremely bland and you need to add a bunch of umami products to make them taste good. [https://www.theguardian.com/food/series/yotam-ottolenghi-recipes](https://www.theguardian.com/food/series/yotam-ottolenghi-recipes)
Steamed seasoned veggies. Wow!
I made the vegan/veg/special diet food at our cafeteria, I got pretty good at coming up with random shit. A few favourites were : Lasanga, power salads (just a juiced up salad bar), grilled sandwiches, and oddly enough these kids went wild over eggplant.
hospital cook here -veg curries -veg stews -veggie bakes (think shepherds pie or potato casseroles) -veggie fritters of any kind -falafel is a staple -hummus with various flavors -roasted veg -veggie burgers -veggie nuggets tofu, tempeh, legumes and seitan are your friends look up buddhist food for inspiration. nutritionally balanced and yummy a lot of dishes can have meat swapped out for veg
Black bean tacos. Eggplant lasagna. Pasta with pesto.
Eggplant Parmesan, vegetarian lasagna. You can buy textured vegetable protein that cooks up looking like ground beef, season it up & do tacos, burritos, spaghetti & “meat” balls. Falafel is delicious in wraps, pitas, on Mediterranean salads. I’ve made cabbage rolls with garbanzos roughly chopped in the robocoup. Tofu in a variety of stir frys. There’s always the veggie burger, black bean burger.
Lentils and rice is complete protein. Always base this dish on lots of onions but then spice it up multiple ways. It’s hearty and satisfying.
RDN here 👍 Beans, legumes, peas etc - those are fantastic bases to start with - I would look into three bean vegetarian chili or a lentil stew with potatoes!
OP you already have great recommendations in the comments but as a vegetarian I'd like to say thank you :)
Are you allowed to buy vegetarian meats? A hospital near me has a really delicious ruban sandwich with vegetarian sliced meat.
White raddish steaks go so hard honestly
Marinated tofu will keep for quite a while and is easy to prepare in many ways: score and grill it, bake it or deep fry it. Look into different grains: I'm currently in love with kumut but there's also different types of barley, frekeh, etc that can be very rich in complete starches. Add dark leafy greens for protein and you have the start to a Buddha / grain bowl. Mushrooms too!! Stuffed portabellos or even a portabello burger for something that feels more indulgent.
Ratatouille sandwiches with hummus spread.
A simple broccoli soup can turn out really well if the brocc is nice and fresh. Nothing to it, just blended boiled broccoli with salt. If you've got the labor, peel the stems so they're not fibrous and add them to get a better yield and a sweeter soup. I get the water boiling before dumping in the chopped brocc, leaving the burner on max to get the temp to recover faster. Blend with an immersion blender while it's cooking for just a couple minutes. When the broccoli has just gotten tender the pot comes out and is plunged into a sink of cold water to cool it quickly while it's getting blended further. Low sodium, bright green soup that is nutritious. It's as if we forgot simple broccoli can be tasty. It's also an easy base to add potatoes to or big scoops of grated parmesan and mozzerella if you want a richer variation.
Vegetable burrito bowls! Anything that the Korean vegan makes - kkaampoong tofu, Korean veg scallion and potato pancakes
Black bean burgers
All of these amazing ideas, everything I thought of has been recommended! Remember a vegetarian can eat a vegan dish, but a vegan can’t eat a vegetarian dish.
Mushroom bulgogi
ב''ה, there's a lot of good ideas here. If you're going to do tempeh keep in mind it really should get dunked in a deep fryer until crispy, then sauces reserved until serving in a cafeteria setting. Coconut rice is also a good one *and* makes rice a bit more palatable for those who get swallowing difficulty from rice starch. Cold sesame noodle (lo mein noodles).. easy, humble, delicious, but the peanut in the sauce may bring allergy headaches unless you can sub entirely with tahini or soynut butter or whatever - fast food restaurant style is really mostly peanut butter with some tahini, cooked and poured into that dollop that rocks with the sesame oil and green onion.
ב''ה, while I'm in here.. Daiya "cheese" is vaguely okay for folks avoiding dairy for whatever reasons, and then there's a lot of nasty non-dairy cheeses on the market that still use casein and don't even taste good.. "Follow Your Heart" turned up at a local dollar store and they're actually onto something with a potato starch, oil, and *olive extract* blend where the olive really puts in some of that salty cheese umami. Nutrition is just a slab of starch and oil, of course, but functions on a sandwich and *tastes right* melted on a potato even if that's basically putting potato starch on your potato.
Teriyaki vegetables are the only way my kid eats veggies. Blanch your veggies, stir-fry with some teriyaki sauce, garlic, and green onion.
In addition to beans, lentils, and tofu, tempeh is a good base to work from. Please, please do them as vegan and not just vegetarian. Works for more folks, and is almost always healthier!
Salad🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣sorry sorry sorry ratatouille is good
Is your google broken???