Vegetarian dinner for six on the fly

A memory of beaches and a little flip flop art is always a good thing on a snowy day in March.

vegetarian dinner for six on the fly

We had been trying to get together with our vegetarian friend for sometime so when the date was actually set you would think that I would have been prepared.  Ha yeah right!.  It sent me into a bit of a spin actually.  Having been culinary challenged for a few weeks for new ideas and inspiration.  I was at a loss.  Julian had some good suggestions but they just weren't working for me............... So Monday morning I head for the grocery store with empty bags and the only thing on my list was wine.  Thinking if all else fails i'll just drink the wine before lunch and go back to bed  (My inner voice was telling me "you're gonna be in here a while Sal".  "Better go to the bathroom first".   It wasn't the first time that day I had to tell my inner voice to shut up.)

I wander from shelf to shelf gathering ideas.  Picking up unripened tomatoes and limp cucumbers, putting them back and sighing deeply, feeling disgusted that the romaine lettuce was $3.00, the lemons looked good and
gnarly.  Then I remembered it is March in Ontario and there is not much available. Then the inspiration began to channel it's way into my jaded head.  I started off with fresh basil and fresh thyme and worked from there.  Asparagus makes it way into my cart along with some rice gnocchi and I am starting to smile now cause it's starting to flow.  I cave in and purchase dried mushrooms from France and Mayan squash from Mexico.  I only feel a little bad that I am not supporting my local farmers.  The onions and the cauliflower in the bottom of my fridge is defiantly an Ontario product, just needs to be trimmed a little and the bottle of Chardonnay is another local product.  By the time I leave Bowmanville I am all set to create a master piece.

This is what I made.

Gnocchi with a wild mushroom, white wine cream sauce.  Baked with fresh thyme and asiago cheese.
Lentils with cauliflower and tomato stew, topped with cilantro.
Mayan squash with fresh basil and garlic.
Steamed asparagus with roasted pecans and onions with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

The salad was inspired from a friends offering at the gathering I went to last week.  She had made mini tomatoes and pearl boccocini on skewers with balsamic vinegar.  I tossed these ingredients in a bowl with some olives, fresh basil and a little extra virgin olive oil and voila!  Salad deluxe.

Dessert I totally cheated with.  I figured it was OK to do so.  Tuxedo cheese cake (One of Costco's finest desserts)

It was a true masterpiece of my outstanding genius yet again.  Ta da.  Well our guests liked it and Julian got to take the left overs to work the next day and no one complained so I figured it was all good.  If you want the recipe drop me a line.

I LOVE MEATLESS MONDAYS