Great Meal Ideas

So, I'm always looking for great meal ideas, especially for a family that is so painfully divided in what we eat. 

Last night for dinner I made oven fried chicken for my non-vegetarian husband and son, cheese tortellini with mushrooms and peas as a side for them and a main course for my vegetarian daughter and me, and steamed baby brussel sprouts with butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for everyone.

Lauryn and I had bowls of pasta with brussel sprouts on the side.  The sprouts were especially delicious slightly dipped into the creamy pasta sauce.  My hubby only had chicken and pasta because he didn't "want" brussel sprouts.  I think "he thinks" he doesn't like them but they taste just like cabbage and he eats that with no problem.  But I digress.  My son, who really only likes noodles, pizza, hamburgers and bacon, ate a little bit of pasta.  And that's all.

But I did find a winner yesterday as well.  For lunch I made tomato pesto sandwiches.  I wish I could take credit for the idea but it actually came from the cafe at Barnes and Noble, where Lauryn and I spend a significant amount of time noshing, drinking and reading our Nooks.

Their sandwich, called the Roasted Tomato Caprese, is pretty simple: Sliced mozzarella and provolone cheese with basil pesto and slow roasted tomatoes on an Asiago basil focaccia roll.  Trust me, these are delicious.

In my home (kid-friendly) version, I substituted the roasted tomatoes with freshly sliced ones and used only mozzarella cheese (although I will probably add different ones in the future) and I served them on 100% whole wheat bread.   Lightly buttered and then grilled until the cheese is melted, these sandwiches were a hit at our house.  So much so that my son (who saw me adding pesto and became a little weary until I told him it was really just a "pizza sandwich") asked to take one to school today for lunch. 

Boy, that felt like a huge win!

And the adventures in vegetarianism continue...