I have been vegetarian for decades at this point, and i often cook for my omni friends and family.
A few dishes that are crowd pleasers and will not sound too intimidating/out there
potato/leek soup
+1 for the SK mushroom bourginion
vegetarian lasagna
shashuksa
stuffed squash or zucchini etc (think rice/lentils/nuts stuffing)
african sweet potato peanut stew
sesame / peanut butter noodles
enchiladas with beans/rice/veggies
socca with various toppings
Bittman’s how to cook vegetarian is a great resource, and very helpful that it has a section in many different places that show examples of how to take a dish and make it a meal with suggestions of what to add.
A subscription to vegetarian times magazine might be appreciated, they feature easy to follow well tested recipes that appeal to a wide audience.
In recent years i turn to websites more often than books for new recipes mostly so i can access the recipe when shopping if i like it i keep it bookmarked in my browser recipes folder.
101 cookbooks is a great one, she has hundreds of recipes posted there and has written several cookbooks as well
Food 52 has some great recipes too, i make their famous one pot kale and quinoa regularly and swap around different seeds/nuts and cheese (or faux cheese)
Initially they may also appreciate signing up for hello fresh or blue apron to feel a little less overwhelmed until they have a better idea of what they need to be shopping for and making. Vegetarian cooking can be very different initially if coming from a chunk of protein + sides format of most omni meals, the most successful veg dishes are not that seperate but rather all of the components cooked or served together
If you’re okay with vegan food, I’d recommend Chloe Coscarelli books are great, really easy recipes without any specialty ingredients. I always recommend her books to anyone going plant-based just because they’re so easy to make. I’d also recommend watching Lauren Toyota’s Hot for Food on youtube. I’ve made most of her recipes and they’re all great, she has a book coming out this month. Food 52 has two vegan cookbooks, the first one was great, the second one, I’m waiting to get in the mail. Anna Jones (I think she used to work with Jamie Oliver) has two vegetarian cookbooks that are mostly great.
I think the easiest thing to do so you’re not going crazy finding new recipes, is to simply use the recipes you have and substitute things like plant-based meats (Beyond Burger, Field Roast, Tofurky, etc.). Mushrooms and tofu are also easy subs for meat in recipes you already have…go to Asian markets, they have the best prices on both. If you need to cut out dairy, I’m sure you know, there are a million and one non-dairy milks now, as well as cheese (Chao, Treeline and Kite Hill are some of my favorites, but a little pricey. Daiya and So Delicious are more affordable and still really good). You can also use flax or chia seeds, or the VeganEgg to sub out eggs. I hope something amidst my rambling was helpful!
To start exploring, I got three Moosewood cookbooks from the library, which I flagged like mad. Right now we are just in research mode because we have learned about additional restrictions which are making this even more complicated. There will be many visits to the dietician before it’s all sorted out. Next I’ll look at some of the other cookbooks mentioned. Thanks again everyone for the guidance so far and please keep the suggestions coming!
I like Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” I agree with the Madhur Jaffrey recommendations, though I’m not familiar with the most recent book. I made up her lentils with garlic and tomatoes the other day from the “World of the East” book, and it was as tasty as remembered.
I’m sure that you already have, but just wanted to mention that reviewing menu options with the new patient will help him adjust to such a change as well as feel more involved and therefore more receptive to new dishes. Moosewood recipes are fantastic, the famous gypsy soup is delicious and there’s something named cheese beans that’s beans baked with onions and apple and cheese that sounds bizarre and is amazing, i just found those recipes on the internet. Actually i’m long overdue to make that gyspy soup again myself
