How to Make a Great Vegetarian Meal - Main Course, Braised Chicken

A dinner party for vegetarians requires that you have a meal with some kind of veggie meat, side dishes a desert and an appetizer or salad. I'll detail here how to impress your friends with a great meal.

The Appetizer - Tomato and Provolone
A slice of tomato and provolone is a great way to start out a great meal.

Ingredients: Five small tomatoes, 1/2 pound soft provolone cheese, basil

This is a great appetizer for any group. All you have to do is get some really firm small tomatoes. Get some soft provolone cheese from any local grocery store. At home, slice each tomato into five slices. Slice the provolone cheese as well into 1/4 inch slices. Then ball it up slightly but so that it fits on the tomato. Place in fridge and serve when ready.

The Salad - Pasta Salad
Any salad will do but being creative never hurts.

Ingredients: 1 small bag of penne pasta, 1 can of corn, I can of peas, 1/2 tablespoon basil, 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Italian dressing

There are dozens of ways to make pasta salad, but this goes with the provolone and tomato. Take penne pasta of different colors and boil them. After they are cooked well but firm, strain them.

Boil the corn and peas on the stove, strain. Then in a bowl, combine peas, corn and pasta. Stir in dressing, olive oil and basil. Chill for an hour and serve.

The main Course - Braised Chicken
The coup de gras

Ingredients: 3 cans veggie chicken, spices, garlic bread, asparagus

At your local Trader Joes or Costco, there is a Veggie Meat chicken called FriChik Original, Worthington Brand. It is lowfat and made with vegetable protein. There are 6 pieces of chicken in each can so get three cans.

Butter your pan and turn it on medium heat. Take the chicken from the cans and cook it as you would normal chicken. Add spices to your taste. Cook between 5-10 minutes for each piece.

Cook some asparagus to set off the chicken. It doesn't hurt to have a green vegetable with your meal.

The desert - Sherbet with strawberries

You can also use any number of Italian ice creams that you can find at your grocery store but sherbet is a good choice for this meal.

Tip: Prepare your cold foods first and refrigerate them.
Tip: I you're not sure how to cook something, try it out first the day before and make sure you know what to do.
Tip: Choose a good drink. It can be Italian lemonade or wine or iced tea. Try not to do sodas for a dinner party unless requested by your guests. The drink will change the deserts and appetizers.