Easy Vegetarian Recipes?

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blackveilbrides131
blackveilbrides131 Posts: 7 Member
in Recipes
Me and my mom recently went vegetarian, but we're on a budget. I'd like to find some easy meals that we can make with common ingredients, not with those foods that you're only going to use for one meal then totally forget about... If possible, anything with around 250 calories would work best :) We're also eating 5 smaller meals a day instead of 3, so around 250 calories is the best. Thanks!

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  • deep220
    deep220 Posts: 52 Member
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    You should check out eatingwell.com they have a vegetarian section that uses everyday items. I just had the sweet potato with warm black bean salad for lunch.
  • audreytalab12
    audreytalab12 Posts: 8 Member
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    I'm not a vegetarian, but I usually only eat meat a few times a week. I'm on a tight teacher's budget and schedule, so some of my go-to meatless meals are black bean soup or black beans with brown rice (and maybe some low fat cheese, if I've had a good day :)). I also like cajun style red beans and brown rice, veggie stir fry (really cheap and easy if you use frozen vegetables), taco salad with lots of lettuce, black beans, corn, salsa, low fat cheese and sour cream, tofu tacos, lentil soup, tofu pad thai, vegetable soup, minestrone soup, tortilla pizza (take one low fat tortilla, cover it in marinara sauce or diced tomatoes and low fat mozzarella and tons of veggies then pop in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or so until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy. Like a delicious thin crust pizza, but better for you!)

    Sorry, I don't really do recipes, I cook like my mom-a little bit of this and a little bit of that. A recipe blog I really like is foodgawker.com. You can search vegetarian recipes and they have a ton of delicious recipes! :) Hope the ideas help though! Good luck!
  • barbaracoffing
    barbaracoffing Posts: 117 Member
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    I just googled "cheap vegitarian recipes" and came up with tons!!! I'm trying to reduce the meat in my diet too! Good luck!
  • MSepp
    MSepp Posts: 228
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    How are you approaching your diet/are you allowing dairy products and/or eggs? Ovo-lacto vegetarian? I've got some GREAT recipes!
  • chocolateandpb
    chocolateandpb Posts: 453 Member
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    I made these roasted veggie and black bean burritos over the weekend and they were AMAZING:


    http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/roasted-veggie-and-black-bean-burritos/


    The thing that took the longest was dicing up the veggies (I have very limited knife skills), but you can chop up the veggies and roast them ahead of time, then finish the rest of the steps at a later date. I used Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas, which are soft taco-sized, not burrito sized, and was able to make 12 burritos, so it's a great recipe if you're cooking for some friends, OR you can just wrap up the burritos in foil and voila, you have an easy lunch or dinner that you can take to-go.

    Edit: each burrito came out at 285 calories using the Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas and Kraft Triple Cheddar Shredded Cheese. You could save some calories by using lower fat or fat free cheese. Also, considering the recipe made 12 burritos, it was quite inexpensive!
  • scinamon1
    scinamon1 Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm on a student budget and this is one of my favourites (in fact, just had it for dinner for the fourth day running!). It serves 2 and is about 275 calories a portion (probably less if you use tofu instead of quorn) v. low carb, low fat and high protein.

    Put a drop of oil in a frying pan and add some quorn/tofu/meat substitute
    chop two carrots, one onion and one bell pepper into strips and add to pan.
    add half a sachet of fajita spice mix (its about 99p and half a sachet is about 50 calories)
    fry until the meat substitute is cooked, or a bit longer if you want softer carrots.
    Eat!

    I sometimes add cheese and if feeling rich sour cream, but it tastes great anyway and is healthier without either!
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    The only book that I know with nutritional analyses and using common ingredients found in a grocery store is this: "Supermarket Vegan." Sorry, if I'm recommending a vegan book, but it's what I know since I'm eating that way almost 100% now.
  • inkandsheep
    inkandsheep Posts: 101 Member
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    Chickpea curry is one of my favourites - you need 2 cans of chickpeas, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, a red onion, garlic, curry spices and that's it... Cooks in 40 mins.

    Quinoa and roasted vegetables are also super quick to make and quinoa is a great source of protein.

    Or a salad with green lentils, cherry tomatoes, red onion and a homemade vinaigrette with lemon, garlic, balsamic vinegar and a spoonful of olive oil.

    Tofu scramble is also easy - you just need a block of firm tofu and a selection of veggies and spices you like. It's also nice in a wrap or on toast although obviously that adds extra calories.

    Speaking of toast, can't go wrong with pb&j on wholegrain bread. :)
  • msrobinson77
    msrobinson77 Posts: 177
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    One of my favorites is a black bean and sweet potato soup-depending on the size of your potatoes the calories range from 250-300 calories for a bowl. This makes about 5 servings.

    2 cans of black beans-rinsed/strained
    2 large sweet potatoes-diced ( cook them in the microwave for a few minutes to soften a bit before adding to the soup)
    3-4 stalks celery-diced
    One small onion-diced
    One can crushed tomatoes-I like the spicy chili flavored, but you could go with plain.
    Spoonful of minced garlic
    1 large carton vegetable broth (or two small cans)
    1/2 cup quinoa-precook it otherwise it will soak up all your liquid.

    Throw it all in a pot and simmer till everything is tender.
  • blackveilbrides131
    blackveilbrides131 Posts: 7 Member
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    Wow! I wasn't expecting so many replies, this is awesome :) Also, I am still eating eggs and dairy. The only thing I'm really not eating is actual meat, (hamburger, turkey, etc.) although we are trying to eat more organic foods now. I will be sure to put tofu on the grocery list, it seems like a lot of these recipes need it! (in addition to the ones I've seen on here) :)
  • Emily_Katherine
    Emily_Katherine Posts: 150
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    I cook a vegetarian meal for my husband and myself at least once a week. Here are some of my favourite easy meals:

    Onion, Pasta/Rice and Veggie bowl:
    Make this with a smaller portion of rice or pasta and a generous portion of vegetables
    1. Start carmelizing onions
    2. Cook some pasta or rice
    3. Add veggies of your choice to the onions, I usually use Spinach, Zucchini cut in ribbons, or Asparagus, and sautee
    4. Toss the veggies and onion with the pasta or rice, divide into bowls
    5. If desired, you can wipe out the onion/veg pan and fry an egg for each bowl
    6. I like to sprinkle my bowl with parmesan and fresh ground pepper

    Black Bean Quesedillas:
    You can also serve the beans/vegetables over greens or roll these up into burritos instead of quesedillas. Keep an eye on the stats of your tortillas and the amount of cheese you use to keep the calories low. How pantry-friendly this is depends on what spices you have kicking around, but here's how I do it:
    1. Carmelize onions (I can't help myself... I love them!)
    2. Add a can of drained, rinsed black beans and supporting vegetables (chopped peppers, corn, whatever you have that seems like a good fit) and spices (I like cumin, paprika, and a touch of cayenne or tabasco; you could also used packaged fajita spice) and sautee until the beans and vegetables are tender
    3. Sprinkle a litlte cheese on a tortilla, spread with vegetables and cheese, top with another tortilla
    4. Bake until cheese melts, ~10 mins
  • lilspringchicken
    lilspringchicken Posts: 14 Member
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    Beans and brown rice are must haves in bulk! Plus they aren't expensive. We make rice bowls a lot (similar to Chipotle) with rice, black beans, pico (already diced up), shredded lettuce, and either cheese or guacamole. Also makes a great salad.

    Two of my favorite heartier meals are black-eyed peas croquettes and sloppy joes. The croquettes are amazing with bbg sauce! I love them with a big salad. Here's the recipe: http://wholesomemom.me/2011/10/17/black-eyed-pea-croquettes/

    For sloppy joes try buying Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) from Bob's Red Mill. I get a bag for $2.99 at the store. It makes 2 or 3 batches and each batch feeds us for 3 days. It's so easy to make and you can customize it how you like. If you lose the bun and top with a little cheese and onion, totally healthy. http://www.food.com/recipe/tvp-vegan-sloppy-joes-220980

    I've been vegetarian off and on for 15 years, and I can't tell you how satisfied I am with my meals. It just takes planning.

    Oh, and don't forget spaghetti squash. Pasta dishes are so easy to do vegetarian.
  • therfc
    therfc Posts: 11
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    If you have access to a library look up Mark Bittman's <How to cook everything vegetarian> or Rozanne Gold's <Radically Simple>. Gold's book is exceptional, the "Roasted Sliced Cauliflower with Cheddar and Rosemary" was awesome. I even had meet eaters enjoying.
    Dried beans are cheap and always good to have on had as you can soak a bunch, cook it and freeze some for a later use.
    Balsamic glazed mushrooms with rosemary and thyme, roasted with a touch of olive oil are are always fantastic.
  • MSepp
    MSepp Posts: 228
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    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-brownies/detail.aspx?event8=1&amp;prop24=SR_Title&amp;e11=black bean brownies&amp;e8=Quick Search&amp;event10=1&amp;e7=Home Page

    A salad that my fiancee loves
    caprese salad:

    Mixed salad greens
    grape tomatoes
    cucumber
    fresh mozzarella
    torn fresh basil

    Balsamic dressing:
    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    1-2 Tbsp olive oil
    1/2-1 tsp (to taste) dry basil
    1 garlic clove (chopped)
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp paprika

    Toss all ingredients together-delish!

    Check out allrecipes.com

    They've got SOOOOO many dishes! Also, they have an app for your phone that's super handy.

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