Your favourite veggie dinner recipes

ZozoMonster

I have recently become vegetarian. I love meat, but I am doing this for my peace of mind, my morals, and for the protection of animals. Nothing to do with my diet. It is totally by choice.

Basically I have no real experience with cooking vegetarian meals. Every meal I've ever cooked before, from scratch, has had meat in it, for my family... So I was just wondering what some of your favourite meals and recipes for dinners were?

If they are high in protein, even better

ZozoMonster

buuuuuuuuump

dzuli823

You could try replacing meat in your old recipes with seitan, tofu or tempeh. If you freeze the tofu ahead of time, it has a chewier texture that may be more 'meaty" for you.

I'd start there. There's another veg group here called happy herbivores. Also the ppl in the vegan groups are very nice, too.

Hbazzell

I put yellow squash an zuchinnie and slice them up and grill them. They can be used as taco filling or an extra on a veggy or tofu burger.

Also, broccoli is high in protein and calcium.

I stay away from processed meat replacements as much as I can. Homemade black bean burgers are good too. I love beans and lentils.

sarahmoo12

my fav atm is chili con carne with quorn mince over a baked sweet potato !! YUM!! I love the spice with the sweet.
I just get a jar of chili sauce (you can make it yourself im lazy lol) and add extras, yellow n red peppers, sweetcorn, red chili, tomato.... I like the extra veggies it really fills it out without going cal mad

redraidergirl2009

I love mexican food so I usually vegetarize that which isn't hard in most cases you can replace meat with beans. I really am into making things more "southwest" with black beans and corn and adding some baked or panfried tofu can up the protein.

I also highly rec quorn chick'n tenders as a meat replacement to help you transition

aesping

My go-to easy dinner is a naked spinach and black bean "burrito" with couscous or quinoa. Cook couscous, black beans, and spinach. Layer them in a bowl. Put a little sharp cheddar cheese on top and microwave it until it melts. Put some salsa and onion on the top...YUM.

StheK

I'll send you my family's vegetarian roast recipe. It's easy to throw together and so delicious. It does take some time to cook, but it's worth it!

mixedfeelings

I love a good salad, not a wimpy lettuce and nothing else salad but some with beans, avocado, pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumber, etc.

I'm like you, I stopped eating meat not for diet reasons but because I didn't want to eat animals so I do eat fake meats (Quorn, Fry's, Tivall, Redwood) - I've been veggie for over a decade and they have certainly improved. Anyway, here are some photos of my meals! Some look huge but they are all around 600 calories or less.









My tastes and cooking skills have certainly improved over the years.

ZozoMonster

Fab ideas and pics guys, thanks a lot

Kamnikar64

On Sat's I use my crockpot.

Black Beans and Rice
1 can rinsed black beans, 1 cup brown rice, 2 cups water, 1 can hatch chopped green chilis, mexican seasoning of choice and 2 cups chopped tomato's (you can use that canned ones.) Mix it all together and cook on low about 3 hours depending on your crock pot.

Mock Chicken Curry
1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 2 cups frozen peas/carrot blend, 2 gardein brand chic filets, curry seasoning to taste (I use the Pampered Chef). Cook on low 3 hours depending on your crockpot.

Italian Quinoa
1 cup quionoa, 2 cups water, 2 cups chopped tomato, half small onion minced, 2 zuch chopped, 1 green pepper chopped, italian season to taste. Mix it all together and cook on low about 3 hours depending on your crockpot.

That is all I've come up with so far, but it is easy and delish! My next step is to buy a timer and have the crockpot turn-on around 1:00 pm so that dinner will be done when I get home from work. Since there isn't anything that will really spoil in the mix, it should be fine.

vegandave

i'll bet you know more than you think. In most cultures, flesh was prohibitively expensive for day to day consumption, and other sentient beings were of more value alive than on the plate. chances are, if you've eaten chinese, mexican, italian, indian,... you've had vegetarian dishes. when people ask me how could anyone eat vegetarian... i remind them: eggplant rollatini, parmagiana, pasta, vegetable stir-fry, bean burritos, the list is endless. many of the faux flesh products others have mentioned are extremely good today. Gardein makes a burger I absolutely love. You can do crumbles, chorizos, tempeh, tofu, beef and chicken strips,...
as a vegan, i find many of the cheeses are equally as good.

vegandave

oh. and don't do nothing because you can't do everything. just do something...

JamieA8

Great topic! mixedfeelings - your pictures and food look amazing! So colorful!

I have been a vegetarian for 11 years. My husband does compettion BBQ....so.....there were always 2 meals cooked in our house. After we had kiddos, it became a beast to cook so many different things. What I ahve started doing is using having the exact meal he is having with seasoning, etc, except using tofu or a veggie meat or just eliminating the "meat" and having just the sides. It has worked out perfectly. I have been using a tofu meatloaf recipe I found on Spark People Recipes and it is delicious!

lemonmon1

Yesterday I made Pasta Primavera with Broccoli Cashew Cream sauce to last the work week. The recipe has 10 servings, as my husband and I each have a serving Monday-Friday. A serving is 1.5 cups of the final mixture with the sauce mixed in.

Delallo - 100% Organic Whole Wheat Pasta Shells No. 91, 1 container (16 oz ea.)

Bell Peppers - Raw Chopped, All Colors, 2 cups

Celery, Raw, Chopped (Correct), 1 cup (10grams)

Raw - Green Beans - 1 Pound, 1 pound (about 2.25 cups)

Onions - Spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, 2 cups, chopped

Carrots - Raw, 2 cup, chopped

Filippo Berio - Olive Oil for Sauteing & Grilling (Not E.V.O.O.), 2 Tblspn (for sauteeing vegetables in batches - 1 tbsp per batch)

Wegman's - Don't Be Chicken Meatless Chicken Style Strips, 1 container (36 strips ea.)

Wegman's - Don't Have A Cow: Meatless Beef Style Strips, 1 container (21 strips ea.)

Parsley, Chopped, 1/2 cup raw



_Broccoli Cashew Cream Sauce_

Broccoli - Raw, 6 cups, chopped

Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk, 3 cups

Raw Cashews - Raw Cashews, 1/2 cup

Old Fashioned Barrel Sauerkraut, 16 Tbsp. (30g)

Red Star - Nutritional Yeast Flakes (1.5tbsp:16g), 16 g

Trader Joe's - Sea Salt Fine Crystals, 1 tsp

Parsley, Chopped, 1/2 cup raw

Garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper (to taste - about 1/2-1 tsp each)

Boil the pasta and steam the broccoli. Set the broccoli aside for the sauce. Sauteed the vegetables in 2 batches, using 1 tbsp oil for each batch. Thaw the chikn and not beef strips and chop them up and add them to the vegetables. For the sauce, using your best blender: pour in the coconut milk. Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices and about half the broccoli. Blend until you have room to add the rest of the broccoli and the parsley. Combine the pasta, vegetables, and sauce and mix until evenly distributed. and then... YUM!

lemonmon1

I made this today and loved it!

Tomato Swiss Chard Cannellini Bean Soup (vegan homemade):

Sautee 1 medium yellow onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add 1 large can (32 oz) of crushed tomatoes with basil.
Add 2- 15oz cans of cannellini beans.
Add 1 container or 3.5 cups sausage style crumbles (I used Wegmans – Don’t Be Piggy).
Add ½ vegetable bullion cube to 1 cup warm water and try to break up/dissolve the cube.
Add the following spices to the water: ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley.
Add the water-spice mixture to the pot and also add 2 additional cups of water.
Add 1 bunch Red Swiss Chard or 3 cups chopped (stems trimmed off) and simmer on medium-low for about 20 minutes.

Mine came out to be 12 cups, so I made it 8 servings at 1.5 cups each.
Per serving: 220 calories, 28g carbs, 5g fat, 16g protein

babynew

I've Made Beans & Greens & can no longer do Soy crumbles to Flavor it. .I've [quoteused chorizo... now Ive found Chipotle in Adobo works. I LIKE YOUR idea of Ckard. ..Kale has worked as well as ITS coooked reallly well if you have a thyroid problem.I'm in the prosesss to learn how to Smoke my own Vegs & freeeze for Winter.
I made this today and loved it!

Tomato Swiss Chard Cannellini Bean Soup (vegan homemade):

Sautee 1 medium yellow onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add 1 large can (32 oz) of crushed tomatoes with basil.
Add 2- 15oz cans of cannellini beans.
Add 1 container or 3.5 cups sausage style crumbles (I used Wegmans – Don’t Be Piggy).
Add ½ vegetable bullion cube to 1 cup warm water and try to break up/dissolve the cube.
Add the following spices to the water: ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley.
Add the water-spice mixture to the pot and also add 2 additional cups of water.
Add 1 bunch Red Swiss Chard or 3 cups chopped (stems trimmed off) and simmer on medium-low for about 20 minutes.

Mine came out to be 12 cups, so I made it 8 servings at 1.5 cups each.
Per serving: 220 calories, 28g carbs, 5g fat, 16g protein
[/quote]

babynew

I did not make the above. . It was a mistaken quote from the above post that I didn't post correctly obviously Oops. I was merely offering alternats. GOOD luck
:flowerforyou:

melmobs1

my advice is to try new veggies. There are so many fruits, veggies and herbs, experiment to find what you really love. I will make a baked potato with steamed asparagus (I salt and pepper everything) also a tostada salad with vegetarian re-fried beans (minus the tostada), lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, avocado, green onions, cilantro. I replace avocado for the meat/cheese in sandwiches. Vegetarian chili is always a winner. I personally try to avoid simple sugars, dairy and processed foods ( I do fail from time to time) and I recommend the same for anyone looking to increase health. Good luck!

Godispromising

I've been a vegetarian since I was 12...I'm 43 now. I love beans mixed with quinoa...black beans are my favorite, but you can use any beans, chili beans, lima beans, etc. I use the quinoa in place of noodles or rice. I don't miss rice at all. But every once in a while I have some noodles as a treat. But I put the spaghetti sauce on the quinoa. I will make quinoa and minced garlic and add broccoli and carrots and it is SO yummy...another favorite. I will make mixed stir-fry veggies...another favorite. Spinach salad with kale and broccoli and bowled eggs is also very good. Then I love Mexican food, I make bean burritos & cheese enchiladas or cheese quesadillas (but now I have to measure & go easy on the cheese) I make almond bread..the recipe is at knowthecause.com, and I make my own jelly, recipe is also at knowthecause.com. I will also make the bread and use it as pizza crust...it makes a good low carb pizza. My 16 year old daughter even likes it. Put whatever veggies you like on it. Then there is soup. It is so easy to make a good & healthy homemade soup. There are so many. Veggie soup, tomatoe soup, carrot soup, broccoli soup, or chili (without meat) is delicious. Just look up vegetarian soups online. Then there are casseroles you can make veggie pot pie, just use a tomatoe base or a potatoe base or a cheesy base & add veggies & a little biscuits or cornbread on top or omit the bread topping. I eat cage free eggs. I make egg omelets, egg sandwiches, egg salad. I love eggs. I also love buckwheat in a bowl for breakfast. I am hoping to learn some new ideas on here. Much love to you!

Aurora1525

These are three of my favorite vegetarian recipes:

First up, an easy classic: EGGPLANT PARMESAN:
I use this recipe located here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Breaded-Eggplant-Slices
What I do differently is I peel off the eggplant skin. I also use 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs to make the breading a little crunchier. 5 minutes before the eggplant is fully cooked in the oven, I top the slices with tomato sauce and a fresh slice of mozzarella. I put the baking sheet back in the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is hot and melted.

Second, if you like Indian food, try this JAPANESE CURRY:
I'm not sure why it's considered Japanese...it's simply a curry stew. Serve with some naan bread - yum!
The recipe is located here: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/japanese-curry-with-edamame/

Finally, if you enjoy cooking and want a real vegetarian treat, try your hand at making SEITAN WELLINGTONS:
The recipe is here: http://lavendeer.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/vegan-beef-wellington-recipe/
Make it extra luxurious by making this gravy to go over it: http://allrecipes.com/video/117/vegetarian-gravy/detail.aspx?prop24=RR_RelatedVideo
Gordon Ramsay would be proud of how good these wellingtons are :-) I make this recipe at lease once per month and it's one of my favorites for being delicious, easy to make, though a little time consuming (but well worth it!). Enjoy!