Vegetarian Help!

Morning star has a ton of great substitutes for recipes that call for meat! Their sausage links are only 80 calories for two, and they are super good with some eggs for breakfast! My dad is a vegetarian so I grew up on "fake meat" I'll get some recipes from my mom and post back soon! Good luck! -Katie

epicurious.com and kitchendaily.com have some good ideas. also, just something to think about, but sometimes the fake meat is just as bad as processed food. using beans or other sources of protein-rich food might fare better the majority of the time.

with that said, i can't front. i love me some trader joe's sausageless italian sausage! yuuuuummy.

I've been a vegetarian since age 5 and am trying really hard to eat healthier...I LOVE www.eatingwell.com's recipes. You should definitely check those out. Vegetarian Times--seconded! Yum! Think Thin makes AWESOME protein bars, and you can get those at places like Kroger, Whole Foods and Marsh. My diary is public so feel free to look at it for ideas, too!

Here are some links to some MFP ideas posted on the recipe section of the message boards. I only got to page 15. I was planning to check these out for myself.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/107065-does-anyone-have-any-vegetarian-recipes
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/107816-super-quick-veggie-soup
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/111200-vegetarian-meatloaf-very-filling
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/111723-quick-easy-low-cal-vegetarian-indian-dish-channa-masala
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-Chick-Pea-Curry/Detail.aspx
http://recipesorangette.blogspot.com/
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113403-tofu-with-peanut-ginger-sauce

When I try these I will let you know but here is a recipe I have made and liked:

Absolutely Perfect Palak Paneer
By: MCFALONE
"This Indian dish combines fresh spinach and ricotta in a creamy curry. Use paneer if you can find it! It is absolutely wonderful with basmati rice or naan (Indian flat bread). The key is in the spices, which you can find at an Indian grocery."
Prep Time: Cook Time: Ready In:
15 Min 30 Min 45 Min
Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 2 dried red chile peppers
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 pounds fresh spinach, torn
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• coarse sea salt to taste
Directions
1. In a large saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of ginger, red chilies (optional ingredient) and onion until brown. Mix in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and sour cream (add more or less to achieve desired creaminess). Add the spinach, handfuls at a time until it is cooked down, about 15 minutes total. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. Pour spinach mixture into a blender or food processor and add the tomato, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of ginger, and cilantro (add more or less according to taste). Blend for 15 to 30 seconds, or until the spinach is finely chopped. Pour back into the saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
3. In a medium frying pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, and fry cheese until browned; drain and add to spinach. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Season with salt to taste

Hope you like Indian food.

I do NOT like to cook! However, my daughter and I are vegetarians and my son and fiancee are not. When my fiancee or I make chicken for them, we'll just take 2 morning star veggie chicken patties and baste them in the same sauce the chicken is being cooked in (my fiancee usually sautees chicken). I have 2 identical pans of every size, so whatever the chicken is cooking in, it's twin is on the other burner. Even though the veggie patty has the crumb coating, it absorbs the flavor and comes out great. The great taste is just an extra, the true reward for me is not needing to cook something extra for us vegetarians...

I used to like cooking but it seems to be harder now. I think it is the grocery shopping I do not like. However this post sounds somewhat familiar to me. We too have a split family. My husband makes spaghetti and then fries up real and fake itatian sausage. I just tend to cook vegetarian unless my son isn't coming home for dinner but even when he doesn't come home he loves vegetatian leftovers. We are really trying not to go out as much so I really like the vegetarian posts on here.