Common Cuisine |

Even if you are not a vegetarian, you may entertain one sometime. Or you may find you enjoy taking a break from meat one or two nights per week.

You can still get protein from cheese, nuts, eggs, and any two of beans, rice, or corn. Tofu is also a great protein that takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with.

You can sometimes modify a regular dish to be vegetarian by substituting the above choices for the meat part of a dish. Here is an example: Turkey Surprise is made by layering turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes into a casserole. You can turn it into Nutty Surprise by layering stuffing, chopped walnuts, slices of mozzarella cheese, and mashed potatoes.

Pastas and enchiladas are easy to remove meat from, because they usually contain cheese.

Another way to try vegetarian cooking is to feature a special vegetable dish (like artichokes, butternut soup, or a spinach quiche), served with rice and beans, mashed potatoes piled with cheese, or cheesy garlic bread. You could make a vegetable stir-fry with corn and peanuts, served over rice.