Vegetarians?

When you say you eat the same things over and over, what do you eat?

Have you tried cooking the same meal as your husband and son but just substituting the meat with Quorn? There are a lot of meal options out there for vegetarians.

There are so many vegetarian options out there, and ways to customize meals for you and the meat eaters of your family. I am assuming that you are a new vegetarian, just starting out. Before I launch into ideas, let me say that lower fat is more important than low fat. This site gives you an idea of the proportions of fat protein and carbs you should try to eat. It really helps to eat some fat, and things like nuts have healthy fats and iron, which is something vegetarians like us need to keep in the back of our minds.

If your husband must have meat, I understand. Some people just can't do vegetarianism. Try Googling up some recipes for vegetarian meals, then cooking the meat separate and adding it to the side for your family. If you have a bulk barn, or bulk food store, try looking for textured vegetable protein, which cooks like ground meat, but is soy. Try beans, either canned or dried, soaked, and cooked. Try your local library for some vegetarian cookbooks.

I like using epicurious and canadian living websites for ideas. Try cooking burritos, using meat for the husband and child, and tvp for yourself, with some beans. Try a stir fry where the meat can be cooked in a different pan and added on top of the veggies and noodles or rice. I have a billion recipes and ways to modify meals, so feel free to contact me! Good luck!

Butternut Squash and Lentil Casserole

Ok, this is one of my absolute favourites. It has a great balance of protein to carbs, and is low in fat and - even better - low in calories. I should add that I lost weight through a combination of educating myself about nutrition and the phenomenon of calorie counting. The way our body works is far too complicated to ignorantly assume that even accurate calorie counting is a sure-fire method of ensuring that we lose weight, but it is a fantastic guideline to ensure you are eating at a defecit.

I found this recipe on CC and it sounded crazy! Butternut squash, garlic and cranberries!? But I was curious so I had to try it. Sure enough, with a little tweaking, it was a taste-bud sensation!

Butternut Squash and Lentil Casserole
Serves: 6
500g Butternut Squash
1 1/2 cups green lentils
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cloves garlic
3g thyme
400g tomatoes, tinned
100g dried cranberries
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion
1 chicken stock cube
400 ml water

Boil the lentils in the chicken stock cube and water for 1 hour.
Roast the squash in chunks in the oven for 30 mins.
Warm the oil and add finely chopped garlic and coarsley chopped onion.
Add the squash and any fluids which may have come off during roasting.
Drain the lentils, reserving the stock and adding it to the pan.
When the squash begings to break up a little, add the lentils and tin of tomatoes.
Simmer for 20 mins then add cinnamon,nutmeg, thyme & cranberries.
Mix well and leave to simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash has almost completely broken down and the sauce has thickened.

227 calories per serving, 0.2g F, 0.0g SF, 44.2g C, 6.9g S, 10.1g Fb, 11.9g P

This freezes well and refridgerates for up to 3 days. I know the combination of flavours sounds crazy, I was skeptical too, but it really tastes delicious! I eat it on its own, its quite a large portion. Would perhaps go well with a small green salad, and maybe some bulgur wheat or brown rice if you fancy some starchy carbs/grains.



Chickpea and Spinach Curry

My family loves it when I cook this! There are 3 servings because I eat it on its own as a meal, but if you have it with rice, or pilau bulgur as I occasionally do, you can half the portion size. This is so incredibly low calorie for a huge portion and one of the meals I tend to make in bulk and keep in the freezer for a while. It really is delicious! Don't be daunted by all the herbs and spices, they are all great for using with other things.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Serves: 3
240g chick peas, canned, drained weight (basically one tin)
400g tomatoes, canned
100g spinach
8 mushrooms
1 onion
2g yellow mustard seeds
5g paprika
5g cumin
2g ginger
2g garam masala
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1g pepper
1 small red pepper
1 small green pepper
2 small yellow pepper

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pan.
Add the mustard seeds on low temperature
When the mustard seeds start to pop add in the sliced onions garlic and ginger with a little water.
When the onions soften add in the mushrooms and peppers.
Add in the spices and herbs and cover for 5 mins until all the veg is soft.
Add in the chickpeas and cover for 5 more mins.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir well.
After 5 or so mins add the spinach (about 6/7 lumps frozen).
Mix the spinach in so its covered by the sauce.
Cover it up but keep stirring every few mins.
It can be served as soon as the spinach is cooked (i.e. not frozen in big lumps, but flavour intensifies the longer you simmer it for.
It may need simmering without the lid to reduce the wateriness of the sauce.

240 calories per serving, 7.4g F, 0.9g SF, 38.2 C, 8g S, 9.5 Fb, 9.8g P


Vegetable Pasta Bake Recipe
I made this for the other half the other night and it went down a storm, it was truley yummy. I made it with some chicken added in to please his meat loving side, but it really didn't need it.
Vegetable Pasta Bake Recipe
Serves: 6
150g creme fraiche (15% fat)
250ml skim milk
1 tsp corn flour
1 cube vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic
1 pinch pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp mushroom soy sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
100 g whole wheat pasta
50 g pearl barley
150 g broccoli
1onion
100 g sweet corn
1 large carrot
70 g cheddar

Put the pasta and pearl barley on to boil.
Boil the milk with the stock cube, crushed garlic, pepper and basil.
Add in the mustard and soy sauce.
Lower the heat to a simmer and add in the creme fraiche slowly and continue whisking.
Set the heat as low as possible.
Dice the onions and carrots and fry them in a little water with some basil and a little of the garlic.
When these have softened, start to thicken the sauce using the corn flour.
Add the veg and pasta in with the sauce, as well as the frozen broccoli and tinned sweetcorn, and mix well before transfering to a large baking dish. Top with the grated cheese and bake in the oven at 180 for 30 minutes.

222 calories per serving, 7.1g F, 3.9g SF, 31.3g C, 5.3g S, 4.6g Fb, 9.6g P



My daughter lost over 100lbs whille she was a student !this is her recipe blog, not all veggie but a lot are!

http://heavling.blogspot.com/

Wow, that is awesome!!

Good for yur daughter!!! - I'll definitely check out the blog

Thanks for sharing!!