Sometimes you just have to call it like you see it.  Although I found this week’s  Top Chef vegetarian episode entertaining, I am giving it a thumbs down for menu creativity.  For those who didn’t tune in, this week’s episode took the chefs to Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craftsteak in Las Vegas.  Upon arrival, the chefs begin to drool over Craftsteak’s meat selection, only to learn that they had to prepare a vegetarian feast for actress Natalie Portman.  Comical, right?

Beet, Feta, Green Bean, Chickpea Spinach Salad by Jessica Gioglio

While the storyline was amusing, the final product from the chefs left me unsatisfied and uninspired.  What wasn’t represented well during this episode is that there are so many ways to create a healthy and filling meatless meal that also incorporates plenty of protein.  I understand that they were at the mercy of Craftsteak’s produce pantry, but I still expect to see unique dishes on Top Chef.  Because the other dishes were a bit boring, Michael’s banana polenta stole the show.

Overall, using colorful, yet flavorful vegetables would have made my mouth water — like sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, or corn.  Seeing a savory-sweet dish incorporating fruit would have been interesting as well.  Drawing from different types of cuisine would have been excellent, because many places in the world rely on vegetables and different types of spices to produce incredibly delicious dishes.

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I know firsthand that meatless dishes can be full of flavor.  One excellent – mostly vegetarian – blog worth reading for its delicious and sophisticated (yet easy!) recipes is The 30 Minute Dinner Party.  Warning , it may even inspire you to entertain more!  http://30minutedinnerparty.wordpress.com/