Protein-rich quinoa bolsters vegetarian fare at UC-Santa Cruz. RECIPES: Chickpea Chili Burritos Pulled BBQ Mushroom Sandwich Hoppin' John Fritters READ MORE: Who Prefers Meatless? Protein Primer Burger Boosters Why Meat Free? Take Me Out...

For Chef-owner Spike Mendelsohn, menuing something to satisfy non-meat-eaters was essential, but it needed to be more than an afterthought. “I wanted to still give that sense of fulfillment,” says Mendelsohn, whose hearty sandwich features roasted portobello mushroom caps that are stuffed with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses, coated in panko crumbs and flash-fried. “With this portobello burger, you get the same experience biting in as you would with one of our hamburgers.”

Taste is the biggest draw, Mendelsohn says, but the ’Shroom Burger’s success also stems from the fact that whether for dietary reasons, environmental concerns or just a desire to try something different, sometimes even the most dedicated meat eaters gravitate to dishes without beef, pork, chicken or seafood. It’s an observation that rings true across foodservice, and operators are warming up to the idea that meatless entrées can be more than marginal menu items.

Indeed, recent data also show meatless meals as a growing opportunity. Nearly one-quarter of Americans say that they sometimes go meatless at restaurants, reports R&I’s 2008 New American Diner Study. And although only a small percentage of Americans identify themselves as dedicated vegetarians—3.2%, or 7.3 million people, according to a 2008 Harris Interactive poll for Vegetarian Times—the same study finds that 10% of consumers say they largely follow vegetarian-inclined diets and 5% more are “definitely interested” in shifting to vegetarian-based diets in the future.

“A lot of people are eating vegetarian,” says Bill Fuller, corporate chef for Pittsburgh-based chain Mad Mex, where guests can get burritos stuffed with spicy chickpea chili in roasted tomatillo sauce. “They’re doing it because they believe it’s healthier; they’re doing it because of moral reasons. And people are spending money on vegetarian food, so you have to give it as much consideration as you do regular dishes.”

Hoppin’ John, a classic Southern side dish, is reimagined in entrée form as crispy fritters at Cafe Flora.

The challenge of developing innovative recipes is one reason some chefs don’t put much effort into vegetarian choices, says Executive Chef Aaron Deal of upscale-American restaurant Tristan in Charleston, S.C. “There will be that one dog on the menu, and that’s the vegetarian option. To me, that’s a cop-out,” says Deal, who regularly menus a selection of meatless appetizers and entrées. “If someone who doesn’t eat meat comes to our restaurant, I want them to have the same kind of experience as the [meat-eating] person sitting beside them.”

Instead of plating a thrown-together mélange of cooked vegetables and grains and calling it a vegetarian entrée, Deal aims to create well-balanced, elegant presentations such as Soybean-Miso Cakes with Sake-Soy Emulsion. For this dish, Deal seasons white soybeans and short-grain brown rice with ginger, garlic, miso paste and shallots and then binds them with egg yolks into palm-sized cakes that are browned on both sides and finished in the oven. A sweet sauce of sake, soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, sugar, cream and butter complements the savory cakes, which are served atop blanched broccolini and garnished with pickled daikon radish.

When he does spotlight vegetables, Deal pays special attention to products and preparation. Because vegetarian recipes don’t require costlier center-of-the-plate proteins such as beef or seafood, he spends more on premium and specialty produce, which he often cooks sous vide to maximize their flavor.

Jacob Zachow, executive chef at Bella Luna in Jamaica Plain, Mass., says most restaurants that try to create a vegetarian dish fail to tempt diners because the recipes don’t sound exciting.

Cafe Flora’s Portobello Wellington swaps meaty mushrooms for beef.

Reference to meat’s culinary traditions can be seen in Executive Chef Patrick Connolly’s mushroom-based play on barbecued pulled-pork sandwiches at white-tablecloth restaurant Bobo in New York City. Connolly poaches mushroom stems in olive oil, suffusing them with juicy, fatty flavor that mimics pork’s meatiness. Once tender, the mushrooms are simmered in house-made barbecue sauce that includes red-wine vinegar, tomato juice, maple syrup, tamarind paste, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. The sauce is spiced with fennel, cumin, coriander and cardamom. Connolly piles the mixture atop kaiser rolls and adds melted cheese and crisped onions.

“It’s not that [so many people] are vegetarians, but people are more conscientious about what they put in their bodies and having a balance,” he says. “Everybody, including myself, on occasion just wants something simple.”

Not only is the sandwich recipe cost-efficient, utilizing mushroom trim and ingredients already on hand, but without cheese, it also works as a vegan meal, Connolly says.

Tristan's Soybean-Miso Cakes strike a balance of sweet and savory.

“We like to combine many different things to give you not just a one-note dish, but something that leaves you surprised,” Doran says. “We create the focal point but also add little extras that bring the dish to a different level.”

Hoppin’ John Fritters exemplify this idea. Instead of cooking black-eyed peas with ham hocks or salt pork and tossing them with rice and vegetables, the peas—minus the pork—are combined with sautéed red onion, carrot, celery and garlic. The mixture is seasoned with sage, parsley, thyme, green onions and chipotle chiles, then dusted with cornstarch and fried into crisp cakes. Cayenne aïoli, roasted-red-pepper-and-corn relish, smoked mushrooms, collards and cheesy grits round out the dish.

Rising expectations and interest from consumers inspire kitchens of all kinds to get more creative with meatless recipes. “Back in the ’90s, vegetarians were pretty easy to satisfy with cheese enchiladas or pasta,” says Dwight Collins, executive chef at the University of California in Santa Cruz. “Now we’re doing a lot more curries, Southeast Asian flavor profiles, more Thai and Vietnamese dishes. [The students] are more sophisticated, so every year it’s more of a challenge to keep them interested.”

Delivering the protein students need is a priority. Gluten-based seitan and soy foods such as tofu and tempeh are go-to ingredients, but Collins also turns to nutrient-rich whole grains such as quinoa and farro. For zesty jambalaya, he sautés farro with onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Tomatoes, mushrooms, okra, zucchini, bay leaves and thyme are added next, and then the grains are cooked risotto-style with simmering vegetable broth until the liquid is absorbed and the farro is tender. Three kinds of pepper—black, white and cayenne—ramp up flavor.

At Reed College in Portland, Ore., Bon Appétit Management Co. Chef Bhrigu Hickman relies on lesser-used whole grains as well as legumes to build nutritionally sound meatless entrées. Mild-flavored millet has great binding capabilities and works well as a filler, he says, while nutty kasha (roasted buckwheat groats) has a toothsome quality similar to that of wild rice.

To make buckwheat enchiladas, Hickman sautés sliced yams and mixes them with seasoned kasha as a stuffing for rolled corn tortillas. For another entrée, he mixes legumes such as chickpeas and mung beans with flour and spices and deep-fries them to make falafel that pair well with flavor-boosting dipping sauces.

“Most Americans grow up learning very little about how to eat grains, beans and vegetables, so we’re doing what I call transitional cooking,” Hickman says. “It’s about getting people to come from more meat-based to more vegetarian-based eating by making things that are really flavorful.”

Contact writer at aperlik@reedbusiness.com