Meatless meals (without peas or chick peas)

I have a child who is allergic to green peas and has had a reaction to chick peas. We are wanting to go meatless for 5 dinners a week but I have noticed that alot of vegetarian meals have those in them. I need some ideas or recipes that don't have those two items or lentil flour in them. Thanks!

Replies

  • keeptehpeace
    keeptehpeace Posts: 189 Member
    have you tried black beans? or tofu.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    brown rice with veggies and mushrooms mixed in
    oats with add ins-the possibilities are endless on what you can do!
    'taco' salad with lettuce, black olives, tomato, diced onion, ground flax seed, warmed up refried beans and then a splash of hot sauce or ranch dressing (you can also add a few crumbled up tortilla chips to give it some crunch)
    couscous with veggies mixed in
    grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup
    vegetarian chili (you can make it or just buy canned)
    egg scrambles-scramble eggs and then add veggies, cheese, mushrooms etc

    Here's my favorite vegetarian recipe blog-she does amazing things with oatmeal :happy:
    http://www.theoatmealartist.com/
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
    vegetarian tostada with avocado. It's my go-to meatless meal.

    http://www.cooks.com/recipe/pf48b81a/vegetarian-tostadas-with-avocado-and-cheese.html
  • sinistras
    sinistras Posts: 244 Member
    Here are some of my favorite go-to vegetarian blogs:

    www.lunchboxbunch.com

    www.ohsheglows.com

    www.heathfulpursuit.com

    www.thugkitchen.com (if you can read beyond all the expletives!)

    Tempeh, Tofu, Nutritional Yeast, Rice, Cashew based sauces--all of these are great chickpea-free protein boosters in vegetarian meals!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,966 Member
    Soupe Au Pistou is my favourite vegetarian main. Typical recipe here, but you will find more if you google.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/provencal-vegetable-soup-soupe-au-pistou-recipe/index.html

    It's essentially vegetable soup with a good dollop of pesto in each bowl. I normally just use a bag of frozen veg with some chopped fresh tomatoes. If it is too much work to make the pesto yourself, but it from a good deli. If your son reacts to white beans (in most traditional recipes) just leave them out.

    Another favourite meatless meal is bagna calda, which doesn't contain legumes but does need the anchovy

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bagnacauda_79923

    Also quiche and fondue.
  • Magdaloonie
    Magdaloonie Posts: 146 Member
    vegetarian tostada with avocado. It's my go-to meatless meal.

    http://www.cooks.com/recipe/pf48b81a/vegetarian-tostadas-with-avocado-and-cheese.html

    Oh! I'm baking tostadas tonight!
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    What about dairy, can he have dairy? ... You said vegetarian, not vegan.
  • xmysterix
    xmysterix Posts: 114 Member
    Have you tried other legumes or just chickpeas and peas? What about soybeans (tofu) and peanuts?

    - Zucchini stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs, mushrooms, spinach, w/ cheese on top. YUM! Kiddo inhaled it and we loved it too.
    - Eggplant and zucchini lasagna--Omg good
    - Stuffed acorn or butternut squash (apples, onions, breadcrumbs or cornbread crumbs, kale, yum!)
    - Stuffed peppers (rice, tomato, onion, etc)
    - Cabbage pudding (layers of cabbage, bread, cheese with a white sauce...not light, but tasty!)
    - Pizza!! Just leave off the meat hehe. My kid's fave is antipasto pizza :D Artichoke hearts, olives, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, grilled peppers, etc. We like it on Lebanese bread for a crispy crust.
    - Mushroom stirfry w/ all sorts of veggies (just leave out the peas)
    - Veggie sushi (carrot, avocado, cucumber, tofu, egg, whatever)
    - Soup: pumpkin, cauliflower-parm, broccoli-cheese, veg minestrone, potato leek, carrot-ginger, corn chowder, wild mushroom, summer squash...the list is endless!
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
    vegetarian tostada with avocado. It's my go-to meatless meal.

    http://www.cooks.com/recipe/pf48b81a/vegetarian-tostadas-with-avocado-and-cheese.html

    Oh! I'm baking tostadas tonight!

    Yummy! Save one for me! :drinker:
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Yes, he can have dairy. We are trying to cut out meat because of the price of it. We just can't afford to buy it anymore.
    What about dairy, can he have dairy? ... You said vegetarian, not vegan.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    He can eat beans. He used to be allergic to soy but not anymore. I thought about trying tofu but I have to learn how to make it. Meat has just gotten so expensive that we can't afford to have it for dinner everyday anymore. My friend only eats meat once a week and everything is organic. She really seems to like it so I thought we would try that.
    Have you tried other legumes or just chickpeas and peas? What about soybeans (tofu) and peanuts?

    - Zucchini stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs, mushrooms, spinach, w/ cheese on top. YUM! Kiddo inhaled it and we loved it too.
    - Eggplant and zucchini lasagna--Omg good
    - Stuffed acorn or butternut squash (apples, onions, breadcrumbs or cornbread crumbs, kale, yum!)
    - Stuffed peppers (rice, tomato, onion, etc)
    - Cabbage pudding (layers of cabbage, bread, cheese with a white sauce...not light, but tasty!)
    - Pizza!! Just leave off the meat hehe. My kid's fave is antipasto pizza :D Artichoke hearts, olives, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, grilled peppers, etc. We like it on Lebanese bread for a crispy crust.
    - Mushroom stirfry w/ all sorts of veggies (just leave out the peas)
    - Veggie sushi (carrot, avocado, cucumber, tofu, egg, whatever)
    - Soup: pumpkin, cauliflower-parm, broccoli-cheese, veg minestrone, potato leek, carrot-ginger, corn chowder, wild mushroom, summer squash...the list is endless!
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Thank you for all of the great ideas!
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    There's lots of recipes online, you can even visit allrecipes.com and look for vegetarian dishes.

    Try a local vegetarian restaurant too- see what they have to offer on the menu and take mental notes.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    He can eat beans. He used to be allergic to soy but not anymore. I thought about trying tofu but I have to learn how to make it. Meat has just gotten so expensive that we can't afford to have it for dinner everyday anymore. My friend only eats meat once a week and everything is organic. She really seems to like it so I thought we would try that.
    Have you tried other legumes or just chickpeas and peas? What about soybeans (tofu) and peanuts?

    - Zucchini stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs, mushrooms, spinach, w/ cheese on top. YUM! Kiddo inhaled it and we loved it too.
    - Eggplant and zucchini lasagna--Omg good
    - Stuffed acorn or butternut squash (apples, onions, breadcrumbs or cornbread crumbs, kale, yum!)
    - Stuffed peppers (rice, tomato, onion, etc)
    - Cabbage pudding (layers of cabbage, bread, cheese with a white sauce...not light, but tasty!)
    - Pizza!! Just leave off the meat hehe. My kid's fave is antipasto pizza :D Artichoke hearts, olives, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, grilled peppers, etc. We like it on Lebanese bread for a crispy crust.
    - Mushroom stirfry w/ all sorts of veggies (just leave out the peas)
    - Veggie sushi (carrot, avocado, cucumber, tofu, egg, whatever)
    - Soup: pumpkin, cauliflower-parm, broccoli-cheese, veg minestrone, potato leek, carrot-ginger, corn chowder, wild mushroom, summer squash...the list is endless!

    If you're trying to save money, tofu is as expensive or more so than meat. I don't bother with it and just eat other things :)
  • jchite84
    jchite84 Posts: 467 Member
    - Pasta Marinara
    - Veggie Pizza
    - Stir fried veggies and soba noodles
    - Dinner Salad (Put in every vegetable you can think of)
    - Bean Burritos
    - Veggie Lasagna (sometimes I replace the noodles with eggplant - mmmmmm)
    - Ratatoullie (basically eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions layered up and baked)
    - Roasted Veggies (Sweet Potato, Russet Potato, Onion, Squash, and Zucchini tossed with brown sugar and molasses and baked in the oven)
    - Chickenless noodle soup (vegetable stock, noodles, carrots, onions, and celery)
    - Cold cut sandwiches (lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, pickles, peppers, etc)
    - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (I do the soup homemade and use fancy cheese)

    Want me to keep going? I have been vegetarian for 12 years, and I hardly ever use beans)

    - Minestrone
    - Corn and Potato Chowder (Cheese, Creamed Corn, and Canned Potatoes - mix and cook for 20 minutes)
    - Stuffed Cabbage Soup (I use TVP, but it's optional, Cabbage, tomato sauce, onions, carrots, green peppers)
    - Pumpkin Soup
    - Wild rice and mushroom sauce with green beans, corn, and carrots

    **Edit**

    Forgot to give some tofu cooking tips!
    Freeze it first, then defrost, it makes it chewier, and less "slimy"
    Use lots of towels and squeeze all of the water out - I make it as dry as possible (once again, not a fan of the softer texture)
    I like to pan fry it in hot oil until it's crispy and then coat with BBQ sauce.
    Sometimes I will also crumble it up and fry it with cheese, onions, and peppers, then wrap it in a burrito roll like a breakfast wrap.

    The big thing is to use lots of spices. It doesn't have much of a flavor on its own - mostly just flavorless texture. So it is a blank slate, I use lots of salt and pepper, jerk seasoning if I'm BBQ-ing, curry and cumin if I'm going to serve it over rice with sauce a la Indian food.
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    If you are trying to stretch the budget, I think tofu is a little pricey, as well as many of the other "meat alternatives". What about eggs? If you aren't going meatless for ethical reasons, they are pretty inexpensive. I like to use a lot of squash and sweet potatoes. Oatmeal and homemade soups are also great. Black beans are reasonably priced and there are lots of ways to incorporate them into meals - tacos, tostados, salads, enchiladas, casseroles. Have you also asked your friend what some of her favorite meals have been?

    There are some great ideas in this thread - I also like thugkitchen.com and happyherbivore.com.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Chili: Beans of your choosing, hot chili beans and a can of crushed tomatoes plus desired spices.
    Black beans with cheese and salsa
    Rice, cous cous or quinoa with roasted veggies
    Pasta with loads of veggies
    Eggs and pancakes/French toast
    Are you counting seafood as meat? If not, shrimp stir fry is yummy
    Cheese (and/or beans) quesadillas/burritos/enchiladas
    Wraps made with guacamole and loads of veggies and cheese
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Yes, he can have dairy. We are trying to cut out meat because of the price of it. We just can't afford to buy it anymore.
    What about dairy, can he have dairy? ... You said vegetarian, not vegan.
    if money is an issue, and not belief I highly suggest look at bulk food stores(costco or sams) for chicken breast or ground beef. you can rinse ground beef to make it leaner. 3 dollars a pound for 90/10 and you can save the rest. the chicken breast is still cheaper.

    It is important to get well rounded diets and kids need to have b12. animal protein is also very good for them to get due to the amino acid profile.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    check the price of ground turkey vs beef. usually ground turkey is cheaper at my store. (I prefer beef- but I just don't care that much)

    Also whole chicken is cheaper and you can get a lot out of it
    Chicken thigh meat- also cheaper- you can get a lot out of them

    I'd die if I went meatless- I'd rather walk to work than go without meat.

    Edit- canned meat is pretty decent too. can get it for a dollar a can. NOM NOM NOM.

    I like chili- two cans of beans 2 cans of tomato 2 lbs of turkey (or beef).. spice it up- and you have like food for a week.
  • afat12
    afat12 Posts: 178 Member
    Stuffed mushrooms? :)
  • You can stretch your budget w/o completely cutting out meat by switching to cheaper cuts, smaller proportions of meat in the dish. Small dice or shred to make sure what little you are using gets throughout the dish. Cheaper meat cuts require a little more work and different cooking methods to make them as tender and flavorful as possible. Roast whole chicken or turkey, and portion out the meat to be used in soup or casseroles. Then you have bones to make soup stock.....

    Add more veggies & legumes, serve w/ rice or another grain. You'll have a complete amino acid profile, be eating less meat, and still fill up on delicious food. For example, I routinely use only 1 lb of ground beef for a large pot of chili (12 servings) and never miss the other pound of beef. Add some corn or corn meal & a little TVP if you're not averse to using soy. In strongly flavored foods it blends in easily. Or instead of chicken breasts w/ a sauce, dice the breast and add some veggies and/or legumes and serve over rice or barley. Essentially turn the meat into "flavoring" instead of "star" of the dish.
  • MissBee0507
    MissBee0507 Posts: 16 Member
    Lentils- I use these all the time when I cook meat-less. They are cheap and easy to cook. I made lentil 'sloppy joe's' recently, turned out great.
    Edamame
    Tofu
    Tempeh
    Beans- Black, Pinto, Navy, Canellini, Kidney, Red Beans, Northern Beans.
    I think the cheapest way to do it is to buy dried bags of lentils and beans and cook them yourself, although more time consuming then buying canned.
    Eggs are also pretty cheap- at least where I live in Wisconsin.

    Someone posted about Vit b12- this can be found in dairy products. If those are limited many vegans add nutritional yeast to their diets for b12.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    He can eat beans. He used to be allergic to soy but not anymore. I thought about trying tofu but I have to learn how to make it. Meat has just gotten so expensive that we can't afford to have it for dinner everyday anymore. My friend only eats meat once a week and everything is organic. She really seems to like it so I thought we would try that.

    Yes, he can have dairy. We are trying to cut out meat because of the price of it. We just can't afford to buy it anymore.

    Given that beans and dairy are both OK, that you're doing this mainly for cost savings, and you're ambitious enough to consider making you're own tofu, I'd say your best bets are to build most of your meatless meals around eggs, dried (as opposed to canned) beans (they're cheaper, and you can control the sodium if that's a concern; you can soak and cook enough on the weekend for the meals you're planning for the week), grains/rice/pasta/oats (bought plain in large packages or in bulk; don't pay for packages of spices that are mostly salt -- seasoning to taste yourself is much cheaper), and whatever produce is in season (usually cheaper and better quality) or whatever frozen plain (no sauce -- cheaper to make any sauce that you want yourself) veggies are on sale. Add a little store-brand cheese one or two nights a week, maybe a dish with nuts (if no allergies) or nut butters another night if the budget will stretch to that. If you want to do a lot of casseroles and quiches, you might look into whether it would be cheaper to use reconstituted powdered milk or evaporated milk (no one will taste the difference once its cooked).

    "My friend eats meat once a week and everything is organic. She really seems to like it so I thought we would try that." If you mean trying "everything is organic," that could easily wipe out any cost savings from skipping meat. You might want to limit organic produce purchases to fruits and veggies whose skin or peels you actually eat (e.g., berries, stone fruit or apples/pears if you eat their skins).

    I like meatless savory pies. I made this tomato pie (quiche) recently and it was really good. I only made one pie, and I used a 9-inch crust (not sure if it was a deep-dish crust), and only used one egg (rather than one and a half), and probably a little less of the other ingredients, too (e.g., only about 5 oz of cheese). You don't need to use the special tomatoes and onions they call for.

    http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2010/08/11/yellow-and-purple-tomato-and-piedmont-onion-pie/


    Here's a meatless pasta dish I made recently that I really liked, with mushrooms, which can be a little pricey, but in some of my local grocery stores, packaged mushrooms are one of those items that tend to go on sale as buy-one-get-one-free, which would be a good buy for this dish. I didn't use the dill because I didn't think I would like it in this dish. Baby portobellos are sometimes sold as cremini, baby bellas, and Italian brown mushrooms.

    http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2013/02/06/linguine-mushrooms-stroganoff-style/


    If you're up for making your own tofu, you might look into making your own veggie burgers, which seems like it would be a lot less work. I don't have any recipes for veggies burgers to offer, but probably some of the sites other posters have mentioned have some.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    i started this thread a few years ago and it has been a nice resource for me. hopefully you can find something in there:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/115505-104-vegetarian-meals
  • forthemoney
    forthemoney Posts: 24 Member
    Here's just one recipe suggestion - it's my 6-year-old's favorite food in the world (she rates it higher than ice cream!). This is my mom's super simple recipe for chili. Throw some canned tomatoes in the blender with onion, green pepper and a little garlic. Put that in a pot and add a whole bunch of whatever beans you have/like (black, kidney, pinto - I usually put in a mix). Add some chili powder to taste and a dash of cumin and voila! I also like to add ground turkey to it, but my daughter prefers it without the turkey. We serve it with shredded cheese on top.
  • LB2812
    LB2812 Posts: 158 Member
    Most recipes, you can probably substitute another bean in place of chickpeas (for instance you could make - or maybe buy - a white bean hummus or edamame hummus).
    Chilis are a perfect cheap, easy, healthy veggie meal - I pretty much throw whatever beans I have, a variety of veggies, tomatos, tomato paste, taco seasoning, etc. in the crockpot and let it go!
    Hummus (if you make or buy a non-chickpea version) is a good, kid friendly, option for snacks or on a sandwich.
    Peanut butter
    Tofu - I get a block of it for $2 at trader joes and that gives me 4-5 servings. You gotta get the hang of cooking it (always drain it as much as possible!) but once you do it's pretty versatile. You can throw it in a stir fry, marinate it with bbq sauce & grill it, or my personal favorite - scramble it like you would eggs.
    Eggs & dairy.
    I like to make pretty simple casserole type dishes - pasta/bean/veggie & sauce.... or rice/bean/veggie.... you can use canned, frozen, fresh veggies - whatever is cheaper and easier for you and rice, beans, pasta, are all pretty cheap too. You get a complete meal in one and can make a few servings at once.
    There's always the veggie burgers and soy meats. They can be expensive though and I don't advocate relying on them too heavily, but they're great for transitioning to veggie eating. I find them on sale on target for a good price. You could mix the ground meat into chili, pasta, etc. or do a veggie burger night.
    Black bean taco/mexican night is always a fun idea

    A recipe I really like and won't break the bank is shepard's pie. Potatos, cheese, and "meat" - you can either use soy "meat' crumbles or you can use lentils. with a mushroom gravy. lots of varieties on the recipe but it's really good!

    Also, if you're trying to save money watch the organic stuff. You don't need everything to be organic. Try to stick to the most important ones!
  • I don't eat a lot of meat. I just do not like it very much. So I have lots of meatless meals. One of my favorites that I eat a couple times a week is a healthly "fried rice". I use Quinoa cooked in Chicken broth, Asian Stirfry veggies, Egg Whites, Low Sodium Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil (if I have it), and Chili Flakes. I just Scramble the eggs first and then throw in eveything else. Really satisfies my craving for chinese takeout:)

    I also like to do Quinoa and Blackbeans with Salsa and any veggies I have on hand.