Cooking a vegetarian meal

This soup is surprisingly flavorful and delicious. No need for the goat cheese if she doesn't eat dairy. These French Beans with Tomato are incredible as a side dish. Even better a day later. Something in the way the beans and tomato reacts to each other. Substitute olive oil for butter. Then some vegetarian ravioli (store bought) or Gnochi with cheeseless pesto sauce or if she eats cheese - Vegetarian lasagna.

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First Course - Tomato and Goat Cheese napoleans 1> Peel (if you can/want) and Confit some slices of fresh roma tomato for a few hours in some good olive oil and some fresh herbs 2> Use wax or parchment paper to make 2" diameter thin discs of goat cheese 3> Lay out some arugala on the plate 4> Add some small (maybe nicoise) olives 5> Stack Tomato / Cheese / Tomato / Cheese / Tomato 6> Make dressing (boil water in a small sauce pot. add equal part sugar. reduce to half. Add equal part cheap balsamic vinegar. Reduce to half. Cool) 7> Pour dressing on top. .................................................................................................................................. Second course - (would be sooo much easier if she ate fish. I think pasta is too obvious, so I"m trying to be a little more creative). You could do a white bean stew - something I've never done, but this recipe looks really good: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hea...ecipes/RE00044 ..................................................................................................................................... Dessert - Get some fresh berries (if you can find this time of year) and make some creme anglaise to pour over them. Creme anglaise - heat a pint of cream to a simmer. Split open a vanilla bean and scrape out the goodies into the cream. Simultaneously beat 5 egg yolks and about 1/3 cup sugar until they stand on the whisk. Temper the egg into the creme. heat a little longer, then cool. Alternatively, you could try making some fresh whipped cream (beat cream and sugar) and put it on some store-bought sorbet or gellatto.

She doesn't eat meat or dairy? That sucks.
Does she eat eggs?
Something like starting with a salad lyonnaise, then maybe a spring vegetable soup, then perhaps a good pasta puttanesca or a green garlic and asparagus risotto? Depending on the weather where you are, a cassoulet could be a good idea too.

no meat and no dairy - truly a developed country luxury.

Baked whole fish perhaps? Does that count as meat?

For Italian, bean soup can be excellent and you can make it ahead of time. Or take some eggplant, brush w/ olive oil and coat in flour and pan fry in a little olive oil. Sprinkle some parsley on and drizzle some balsamic vinegar for a little apetizer. And I'm only saying this because that's what I did last night.

WOW!!! no dairy, I guess I can't read that late at night.... someone else may want to try that salad - it's bad-assed. I'll replace it with this salad: Fennel (shaved near the root) Radishes (sliced thin) Mushrooms (sliced thin) Dressing (1/2 lemon juice, 1/2 truffle oil) Kwilk, salad yonnaise without the bacon is like a girl who doesn't take care of herself. You can still eat it, but it's much less fun.

Puttanesca may be a poor choice for a date, unless you have some reason to doubt her fidelity.

He said he doesn't cook... eggplant and rissotto are both easy to mess up on a first try. We're trying to get him some vegetarian non-dairy action, aren't we?

What kind of decent risotto doesn't have dairy products in it?

risotto can be tricky for a first timer, yes, but pan fried eggplant is easy. But filling it with sheep's milk ricotta just makes it wonderful, damn you no dairy people.

Don't forget about good pasta dishes.

I've had plenty of superb risotto that was prepped dairy free until my eventual dousing of cheese.

I don't think he'll poach an egg very well his first time...

Get an egg poaching thingy, those silicon ones.

Or, alternatively, boil the egg for 30 seconds and then immerse in ice water to stop cooking. Add 2 tbs white vinegar to the simmering water and then crack the egg into the water and remove with a slotted spoon when done. Not difficult, but think ahead and boil 4 eggs instead of 2.

how about going with a more asian inspired theme? much easier to go in the vegetarian/vegan theme. stir fry with broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, mushrooms, peas, rice noodles, and tofu (or Quorn chik-n tenders). add soy sauce, red pepper powder, ginger, garlic, and a little nutmeg easy, and tasty.