Vegetarians: Meal ideas I can cook in bulk for the week?

amandarenee31

I'm a fairly new vegetarian. I still eat seafood, but to a minimum. I haven't had any meat except the occasional shrimp/tuna since my birthday this year (January 31st, 2012). I don't miss meat and I've found that there are tons of ways to eat exciting foods without real meat.

To all the vegetarians out there, here is my question...Do you have any recipes that are good to make a big batch of at the start of the week and package into single meal portions for the remainder of the week? I get really bored of typical dishes and like more exotic or interesting foods. I love to cook all kinds of things but get lazy sometimes and just can't get the motivation to cook. I'm sure plenty of you have experienced either being too busy or to lazy to cook something extravagant, especially if you have to cook a separate meal for a meat eater on top of it. What are some delicious, healthy, vegetarian meals that I can make ahead for an entire week? Recipes along with would be fantastic. My idea of health is meals with little to none bad fats/sodium/cholesterol. I'm trying to eat as clean as possible since I'm trying to lose weight and get fit.

AirCircleI

Sweet and Sour Eggplant, Tomatoes and Chickpeas


This Lebanese dish is all about summer. Pomegranate molasses makes it both sweet and sour; you can find it in Middle Eastern markets. Serve the dish as a starter, a side or a main dish with grains.
1 large eggplant (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise then cut in 1/2-inch slices
Salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, grated or peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of mint and parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and oil it with olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices on top. Salt lightly and brush with olive oil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the eggplant is lightly browned and soft to the touch (the surface will be dry). Remove from the heat, and fold over the foil to make a packet around the eggplant slices. Allow them to soften and steam inside the foil for 15 minutes while you proceed with Step 2.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded casserole or skillet. Add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt to taste, sugar and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell very fragrant.

3. Add the eggplant, molasses and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. The
mixture should be thick and the eggplant should be very tender, melting into the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle on the parsley and/or mint, and serve. Alternately, allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: This dish keeps for three or four days in the refrigerator and tastes even better the day after you make it. Reheat gently in a skillet, or serve at room temperature.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 272 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 37 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 273 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 8 grams protein
Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 181 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 25 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 182 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 5 grams protein

MrsGart

Black Beans & Brown Rice

2 cups of steamed brown rice (I have an electric steamer that makes this really easy)
1 can of black beans
1 can of Rotel Tomatos & Chlies
1/2 cup picante sauce

Rinse Black beans well

in a baking dish add:
Rice, beans, Rotel & Picante
Bake for a half hour or more at 350 degrees

Enjoy on a flat bread or tortllla, with cheese (if you like)

MrsGart

Or take a can of the cheapest baked beans you can find.

Rinse off all the sauce.

Place the beans in a bowl
Add Salsa
Top with little or no cheese,
Microwaive for 3.5 minutes

Mash the contents and enjoy with a flour tortilla or corn chips.

yesthistime

These groups may help:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/219-mfp-vegetarians

valleyofbaca

I like to make Quinoa with vegetable broth. A little goes a long way and you could portion it out for the week. You can do just about anything with it. Soups, stews, cassaroles.....

I buy sprouted quinoa in bulk at Whole foods. Use organic vegetable broth in place of the water. 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid. This would make several servings depending on your portion controls and what you add to it.

Rinse and chop some leeks, add to covered pot while quinoa simmers. Once it is done, you can add anything to it. I add chopped fresh kale after it is finished cooking, garlic paste and any combination of roasted vegetables (colored peppers, butternut squash, sweet potato, radish, zucchini, cherry tomatos etc.) You name it, it can go in a dish of quinoa.

Super good for you too. :happy:

jcpmoore

Vegetarian Chili

1 can black beans
1 can great northern beans
(rinse beans well)
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
diced jalapeno peppers to taste
diced banana peppers to taste
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder

Mix it all up and cook. I like to make it in the slow cooker, but you can use a dutch oven, too.

horsesandhipbones

Vegetarian chilli is amazing! There are loads of different recipes, but mine involves shoving the contents of all the tins of various different beans in my cupboard into a big pot and adding chilli powder!
For example....
1 tin baked beans
1 tin kidney beans in chilli sauce
1 tin butter beans
1 tin chickpeas
A big squirt of tomato puree
A teaspoon or so of chilli powder
You can add veggie mince if you want to
Then put it all in a big pan, heat it and stir it. In about 5 minutes you'll have a massive pot of chilli that you can freeze if you want, although it lasts for about a week in the fridge!

Congrats on deciding to veggie, by the way! It's a great thing to do

pdworkman

I always have cooked quinoa and green salad in the fridge.
Vegetables in the freezer, especially california mix.
Lots of fresh fruits and veggies available
Pancakes and buns in the freezer

So I always have those foods to rely upon when there is nothing else available.

On the weekend I usually cook a bigger meal, and on Thursday if I don't have evening meetings.

Monday is usually leftovers. Tuesday is pasta for DS and baked potato for me and hubby, with salad and veggies.

Wednesday is tacos or taco salad. So I always have leftover chilli available the rest of the week.

Friday is breakfast for supper.

My diary is open, you are welcome to browse and see what I am eating.

amandarenee31

These all sound really good. Any more ideas? Maybe ones without beans and with more vegetables/colorful ingredients?

I cook with guinoa all the time. I use it in stir fries in place of rice or use it in indian cooking in place of rice. Dishes with a lot of gravy/sauce are perfect for it.

pdworkman

A marinated salad is super simple and keeps well all week. Just marinate hardy veggies, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in Italian dressing.

I find quinoa keeps better than rice. And it works nicely in cold salads, where rice tends to get dry. I can't eat rice any more anyway.

You can also "change up" a simple green salad by serving different toppings different days. Fake bacon bits, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, artichokes, nuts, olives, capers, different dressings, dried or fresh fruit, canned beans.

Veggies that start to wilt can be thrown into a soup or stew. I often just grab everything that is getting towards its end of life, and whip it up into something else. Stir fry, soup, curry, etc.

These all sound really good. Any more ideas? Maybe ones without beans and with more vegetables/colorful ingredients?

I cook with guinoa all the time. I use it in stir fries in place of rice or use it in indian cooking in place of rice. Dishes with a lot of gravy/sauce are perfect for it.

lil_missfit

bump

perfectstartingnow

This lentil loaf recipe is delicious and stays good for a while in the fridge: http://www.myvegancookbook.com/recipes/recipe.php?id=16

blair_bear

Vegetarian Chili in a crock pot.

shaynak112

Although it's great that you're eating less meat - keep in mind that FISH IS STILL MEAT! Fish are animals. So eating fish = eating animals = not vegetarian.
I don't mean to be rude or anything. I'm not really into labels but it drives me crazy when people call themselves vegetarians when they still eat some animals. It's like saying "hey I don't eat crackers - I only eat Triscuits". Well ... that's still a cracker! :P

Anyway, on to ideas.

RICE! Making a big batch of rice is great to do at the beginning of week. You can mix it up from week to week too. I like to add veggies, tofu, I used to add scrambled eggs, and soya sauce. (and then some spices) YUM! My boyfriend likes to make it with tumeric ... lots of it ... lol. Switch from different kinds of rice too. Balsamic (sp?) rice is really tasty.
Soup. Add in some veggies and beans and it can last forever!!! Probably half of our freezer is soup!! Mostly vegetable soup but also some split pea soup. Yum!
Beans as well are good. My favourite is chickpeas.
Stir fry is a good idea too. I use shirataki noodles, bean sprouts, tofu (marinated in soy sauce), and lots of veggies.

If I'm working a lot during a week, I'll make something large and then add salad to my meals or steamed veggies or nuts or something like that. It works!

pdworkman

Basmati, maybe? I really liked jasmine rice, when I could eat it.

RICE! Making a big batch of rice is great to do at the beginning of week. You can mix it up from week to week too. I like to add veggies, tofu, I used to add scrambled eggs, and soya sauce. (and then some spices) YUM! My boyfriend likes to make it with tumeric ... lots of it ... lol. Switch from different kinds of rice too. Balsamic (sp?) rice is really tasty.

makemewannadie

Firstly congratulations on your pescetarianism! Keep it up (:
Any kind of soup! (Leek and potato, spring/hearty vegetable, mulligatawny, broccoli, etc.)
Mushroom stroganoff
Most baked goods can be frozen too (I LOVE courgette muffins, this is the recipe I use and I make it without the crumb topping because I prefer eating it savoury: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/03/st-patricks-day-zucchini-muffins.html - 126 calories each without the toppings)
Falafels (and then you can serve them with wholemeal pitta, salad, shredded red cabbage and carrot, and if you want some hummus, baba ganoush or salsa)- and these are oven baked not fried!): http://chowvegan.com/2009/01/06/baked-falafel/
Not the super healthiest but healthy enough not to be considered a 'treat'- pancakes (http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/easy-low-fat-vegan-pancakes-392392) the recipe is vegan and uses water and apple sauce instead of the traditional higher calorie/fat ingredients used in non vegan versions. (Sorry all the recipes i'm giving you are vegan haha)
Whole wheat pasta (such as penne) cook, mix with roasted vegetables and sauce and freeze in tubs

That's all I can think of for now...

makemewannadie

Although it's great that you're eating less meat - keep in mind that FISH IS STILL MEAT! Fish are animals. So eating fish = eating animals = not vegetarian.
I don't mean to be rude or anything. I'm not really into labels but it drives me crazy when people call themselves vegetarians when they still eat some animals. It's like saying "hey I don't eat crackers - I only eat Triscuits". Well ... that's still a cracker! :P

Thank you for this! The word is pescetarian (: more people need to learn it.

Sambo004

Bump

NettyIOM

Although it's great that you're eating less meat - keep in mind that FISH IS STILL MEAT! Fish are animals. So eating fish = eating animals = not vegetarian.
I don't mean to be rude or anything. I'm not really into labels but it drives me crazy when people call themselves vegetarians when they still eat some animals. It's like saying "hey I don't eat crackers - I only eat Triscuits". Well ... that's still a cracker! :P

Thank you for this! The word is pescetarian (: more people need to learn it.

Very true! My BF is a Pescetarian and i'm constantly having to explain this to people!

notinwatford

Minestrone Soup

1 cup each of:
sliced carrot
sliced courgette
diced fennel
diced brocolli
diced cauliflower
1 diced onion
1 clove of garlic
1 head of savoy cabbage shredded
1 can cannelini beans (or a white bean of your choice)
1 can chopped tomatoes
handful of wholewheat pasta
1lt vegetable stock
1 tbs oil
knob of butter

Melt the oil and butter together and add the diced onion and garlic, stir for a few minutes until slightly translucent then add all the chopped and diced veg, stir again for a few minutes. Add the litre of stock and canned tomatoes and allow to simmer for an hour. Add the cannelini beans, cabbage and pasta. Serve once the pasta is cooked.

This can be frozen and reheated when required.

I usually serve it up with french bread and shaved parmesan.