Dinner can be daunting. The classic American meat-and-potatoes dinner seems like the standard meal, but tastes have been changing and there’s more to a familiar supper than a cut of meat and a side of potatoes.
When you think about familiar foods on the dinner menu, there are a lot of vegetarian classics. And there are many dishes that combine vegetables or grains with just a small amount of meat– and the meat can be easily omitted.
Here are some ideas to get us started, but this topic is going to have to span several posts. The underlined text links to recipes ideas from a variety of sources– ranging from Good Housekeeping to vegan food blogs.
pasta
- pasta marina
- macaroni and cheese or cashews
- pasta puttanesca (without anchovies)
- mushroom stroganoff
- pasta with peanut sauce
- spinach lasagne with cheese or tofu
- manicotti with cheese or tofu
stir fry
- vegetables with ginger
- Vietnamese stir fried veggies with lemongrass
- noodles with spring vegetables
curry
- curry with veggies you have on hand
- veggie korma
- aloo gobi
rice dishes
from the grill
- vegetable kabobs
- grilled portobello mushrooms
soup
- lentil
- butternut squash
- tomato soup
- chili
- pasta e fagioli
salads
- greens or grains with veggies, nuts, fruit and other toppings–use this salad-making guide if you need inspiration or just don’t know where to begin
- recipes for salad as a side dish or a meal
- bean salad
baked potatoes
Dress up a baked potato with all kinds of toppings– if you’re in a real meat-and-potatoes place, this might be your best option. Top a potato with any of these:
- olive oil, salt and black pepper
- green onions or shallots
- sauteed broccoli and red pepper
- avocado or guacamole
- fresh basil or parsley
- chili
- stew
There are more ideas in the veg cookout, lunch, leftovers and even breakfast posts.
We’ll come back to this topic again!
Værsågod! (Norwegian for ‘dig in!’)
Author: Susan Ask