cooking query

[Jack]

The semester is almost over and later this week I'm going to cook for five people, including me. Two of us are vegetarian, one of us is Muslim, and one of us is Type II Diabetic. All the vegetarian stuff I know how to cook (what I normally eat) is high in carbohydrates and most of the Diabetic-friendly meals I've found online relies heavily on meat. Am I going to have to cook two different meals? I'm not the most eloquent host, but that seems like bad form or something, to cook two different meals for a group of five people?

I'm having real trouble trying to figure out what I can cook that can suit all these different diet needs and still taste decent.

It would need to be something relatively easy to make and something relatively cheap.

Any ideas?

[Flogging Jason]

You can look for the middle ground........

Maybe cook 2 main dishes (one vegetarian/one meat) and 3 or 4 side items that can appeal to everyone.

I think you might fare well with light italian or mediteranean food.

I don't know how much of a vegetarian you are but you could look into cooking seafood as well.

[missy]

base your meal on tofu or beans, your diabetic friend can eat these as his/her source of protein. If you aren't strict vegan, you can also look toward cheese or milk for the protein part. Make sure your carb is more of the "whole" grain kind - whole wheat, brown rice, etc.

[emmline]

Lentil Dal.
Several cans of lentils simmered with (sauteed) onions, carrots and potatoes and a bunch of curry spices.
Salad.
Rice.

(but sorry, I'm not good with knowing what to do with diabetic diets.)

[mukade]

Google spewed forth these links from its bilious innards.

http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/Vegetarian.htm

http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/cat_vegetarian.htm

The second list has a good variety of recipes.

Mukade

[Innocent Bystander]

Beer.

In the case of your Muslim friend, non-alcoholic beer.

[djm]

Mixed beans and basmati rice will meet everyone's needs nicely, and you can flavour a couple of different bean dishes different ways for variety, like different curries, for example.

djm

[mutepointe]

I admire your desire to even attempt this. I would go along with this group of people to a restaurant but I wouldn't even pick it. Let us know what you decide.

What about dessert? I've not ever ate with a Muslim but I have eaten with total vegans and diabetics and it's my experience that when it comes to dessert people's dietary restrictions become less restrict. Maybe it's just the folks I know.

[chas]

Tofu is a good vegetarian/diabetic-friendly base, as is cheese.

Veggie lasagna with cheese and nuts also comes to mind.

[Jack]

I was actually thinking about vegetarian lasagna, too, because I know how to make it. The main portion of it is cheese and spinach. But I don't know what to make with it. What I would normally make is garlic bread and cole slaw but garlic bread has lots of carbs and cole slaw (the way I learnt make it at least) calls for about two spoonfulls of sugar, to offset the vinegar.

[dwest]

How about Tzarziki or Cacik, cucumber salads, instead of the slaw? Or Baba Ghanouj served with thin sliced carrots, celery, peppers? Do you use cookless pasta in your lasagna? They can really save time, space, and pots during the prep for a large meal.

[FJohnSharp]

Look for foods with low glycemic indexes. Their sugars are more complex and less likely to raise the blood sugar quickly. You can find the numbers online.

[djm]

Avoid animal-based fats, including most cheese. Avoid fried foods, too much salt or too much sugar. Stay with the vegetarian stuff, nothing too weird or gross, and you should do fine. Middle Eastern foods are great, not too spicy, and should have something to please every palate.

djm

[The Weekenders]

Here's an idea, but it might be more work.

Declare the party a tapas night. Make lots of little things, rather than a big main meal item. We're having a grad party for my son next month, and because we literally cannot fit everybody inside of our house and it's too windy and cold often to put 'em outside, we are doing all finger-foods.

One of the appeals of small items is that they seem really good when there are limited quantities. And you can cover many food bases.

I dunno, just an idea, because the main dish thing seems somewhat doomed.

[Lambchop]

First, just ask everyone if they have any dietary restrictions. Armed with that information, construct a menu that will suit everyone. There is absolutely NO need to serve meat, and if you are vegetarian you won't be likely to do a good job of it, anyway.

Vegetarian lasagna is a good option. You can make it less complicated and less expensive by making stuffed shells or tubes. They take less sauce. You can use whole grain pasta. Check the sauce label for sugar--try to get one that doesn't have any.

Take a couple containers of ricotta cheese, froth an egg or two with a fork (one per 16 oz container), and mix them together with a bit of salt and pepper. Thaw out a package of chopped frozen spinach, or lightly cook some fresh spinach and chop it. Wring it out until it is as dry as possible. Mix the spinach with the ricotta.

Cook the shells (big ones) or the tubes until just done. Do not overcook or they will fall apart. Stuff them with the ricotta mix. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Put a bit of sauce down, then lay the stuffed pasta on it. They can just barely touch. Put a bit of mozzarella or provolone cheese on each. Drizzle some more, but not all, of your sauce over them. Decorate with a bit of cheese.

Serve it with whole-grain bread and butter, a dish of black olives, and a salad with an olive oil and vinegar dressing (no sugar).

If you want a green veg., try steaming fresh green beans or broccoli. You can also roast small potatoes after rubbing with olive oil and Italian dipping spices (salt-free).

There is no need to serve a sugary dessert that your diabetic won't eat. I'd be tempted to serve baked fruit. Maybe halved peaches or pears with a little cinnamon sprinkled over.