All of the veg heads out there put your hands up! If your hand is raised that means you miraculously made it through Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. But how?! Between your uncle serving you turkey even though you said you didn’t want any, and your cousins once again questioning your vegetarianism, the start of the holidays went anything but smoothly.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is famous for the scene when the daughter takes her new boyfriend home to her huge Greek family for the first time. The family is overjoyed to meet her new boyfriend, until the painstaking news was broken to them—he is a vegetarian. Like it was the end of the world, talking ceased, people gasped, and the mother responded with “He don’t eat no meat? What do you mean he don’t eat no meat?” Whether it’s going to your own family’s home for the holidays, or your new bf’s, being a vegetarian is not easy. Usually dealing with the animosity of being a vegetarian is bearable (for the most part), but what is there to eat during these meat-centered holiday get togethers?!
This year was a little bit different for me because it was the first Thanksgiving where all four girls in my immediate family were vegetarians. This made a world of a difference for our Thanksgiving festivities. The key is to bring your own food, preferably something that everyone loves. This Thanksgiving, eggplant parmesan was on the menu. Fairly easy to make and loved by most, eggplant parm is a great dish to bring to any family gathering. This way, you can make this your main entrée without offending anyone by not eating their meal. Another great dish is homemade macaroni and cheese. This delicious side dish is a great alternative to meat-filled stuffing and is not just for the kids!
Before you get sad about missing out on the holiday food coma, don’t forget about the typical holiday foods that are vegetarian friendly! Steamed and grilled vegetables can surprisingly fill you up more than you would expect. Don’t forget about the wide range of desserts you can make too. Pumpkin pie, carrot cake, sugar cookies… the list is endless!
So don’t worry about stuffing your face with turkey or ham when you can try these mouth-watering recipes. Maybe you can even start a new family tradition with your vegetarian meal.
http://www.recipe.com/eggplant-parmesan/
http://www.recipe.com/macaroni-and-cheese-3/