winner winner chicken dinner

I like to cook. I understand everyone doesn't. In fact, I was out of town this weekend celebrating a friend's birthday and several of my friends were shocked that I make dinner every night. But, I refuse to cook two dinners every night. I draw the line there. And, this is no small task when I am making supper for both a carnivore and vegetarian. This dinner is a perfect example of how I make it work.

I start with the sides. Green beans are easy. They are one of the few green things my carnivore will eat. Plus, it means we have at least one green thing on our plates. Then, I pick a starch. This night I made thin spaghetti that I tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs from my container garden, including parsley, thyme and basil. Then it is time to figure out the protein. Often the carnivore has chicken and I have a soy equivalent. This night I breaded his chicken breast with Italian bread crumbs and fried it in a skillet with olive oil. At the same time I heated up my fake chicken in the oven. I like the Quorn Gruyere Chik'n Cutlets. They are breaded and have cheese inside - and you know how I love cheese.

See it is not that hard. The water for the pasta boils while the green beans are sauteed in a wok. At the same time the chicken is fried while the Chik'n is warmed in the oven. I make dinner (chicken dinner even) but not two separate meals. We both get a well balanced meal and I get out of the kitchen in around 30 minutes. Coexisting doesn't have to be complicated - I promise!