Vegetarians I need your help

[The Princess]

My family decided for lent we would go vegetarian.....no meat just fish.....Need some ideas for meals!! Last night I made vegetable and shrimp fajitas. I appreciate all and any ideas you may have.

 

[StitchworkSarah]

Ok so fish means you aren't doing vegetarian. You are doing pescatarian. To be vegetarian you wont eat any flesh. That said a good salmon recipe that I used to make was on a cedar plank marinated with brown sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic.

 

[smiths02]

If you have any recipes with ground beef, you can usually substitute the crumbles (like Boca crumbles) for not a huge difference in the taste. When I was a vegetarian, I made spaghetti with meat sauce, sloppy joes, chili, etc. this way.

Also, hamburger night with a veggie burger. Once you add all the toppings, it is pretty good, even if it is not beefy.

If you bought or made vegetarian chili, you could make a baked potato bar.

I make this vegetable soup in the slow cooker all the time. You can add cheesy toast or grilled cheese to bulk it up. https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/slow-cooker-vegetable-soup-1/5626a5ee42366570049957d7

 

[Minnesota!]

I use mushrooms in place of meat a lot. And lentils. Lentil tacos are good.

Split pea soup (no ham), vegetable curry over rice, mushroom gravy with egg noodles and peas, lemon shrimp, etc.

We do a lot of veggie/shrimp fried rice. So easy and cheap.

Last night was black bean and cheese taquitos. I mixed up 2 cans of refried black beans with a can of enchilada sauce. Threw some frozen corn in there while it heated up on the burner. Then, took corn tortillas, threw them in oil to get them pliable. Let them cool. Filled with the bean mix, topped with cheese and rolled them up. Threw back in the pan with oil to get them crispy. Served with salsa and sour cream and some fruit. Everyone loved them!

Beans, lentils, and mushrooms are our big meat substitutes.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm not a vegetarian, but we do meatless Fridays during Lent. Some ideas:

cheese or veggie pizza

tacos with beans instead of ground beef

big salads with tuna, chick peas, or boiled eggs (if you are still allowing those) for protein

I also do a really easy shrimp dish over pasta or rice: Buy the pre-cooked frozen shrimp - the small ones that say "salad shrimp" because they already have the tales off. Thaw them and cook in a large pan with olive oil, a little butter, a little lemon juice and whatever seasonings you like. I usually use Emeril's Italian and garlic, and sometimes Old Bay too.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Whole trout, gutted.

Fill cavity with butter & lemon wedges, wrap in foil, grill over medium heat until butter is completely absorbed into the fish. Season to taste.

 

[Hikergirl]

Eggplant parm, grilled, baked or fried.

 

[happily single]

My partner also does not eat meat. He enjoys stuffed eggplant. I cut one eggplant the long way and chop up the insides. I saute that with chopped mushrooms, onion and garlic. Once that is softened I add some breadcrumbs and place the mixture into the eggplant shells and bake for about 25 minutes at 350

 

[magik]

I use mushrooms in place of meat a lot. And lentils. Lentil tacos are good.

Lentils! Lentils make a great "ground beef" substitute and work especially well in things like tacos, chili, sloppy joes, "meatballs". So versatile and so cheap.

This vegan meaty beany chili uses assorted beans and is really delicious.

Beans in general are good for protein and fiber. I love to incorporate black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, cannelini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans...just about any kind of beans into meals. You can always follow the "bowl" template for a complete vegetarian meal. A bean, a green (vegetable), a grain and a sauce. Want a Mexican flair to dinner? Make a bowl with black or pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, peppers, lettuce, and salsa. Add a little cheese, guacamole and sour cream as you like. You can take the "bowl" is so many directions with different combos of beans, veggies, grains and sauces.

I usually avoid fake meat substitutes, but recently tried the Beyond Meat brand of grilled "chicken" strips. They made really tasty fajitas along with peppers, onions, and a fajita seasoning packet.

 

[porschegrl]

Vegetarian ramen bowls (I can't vouch for any of these recipes, specifically, but here are a bunch of ideas: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/16/vegetarian-ramen-no-meat-still-tasty_n_5822062.html)

Shakshuka (or eggs in purgatory, or any variation on the theme): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/eggs-in-purgatory-shakshuka-recipe

 

[StitchworkSarah]

Lentils! Lentils make a great "ground beef" substitute and work especially well in things like tacos, chili, sloppy joes, "meatballs". So versatile and so cheap.

This vegan meaty beany chili uses assorted beans and is really delicious.

Beans in general are good for protein and fiber. I love to incorporate black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, cannelini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans...just about any kind of beans into meals. You can always follow the "bowl" template for a complete vegetarian meal. A bean, a green (vegetable), a grain and a sauce. Want a Mexican flair to dinner? Make a bowl with black or pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, peppers, lettuce, and salsa. Add a little cheese, guacamole and sour cream as you like. You can take the "bowl" is so many directions with different combos of beans, veggies, grains and sauces.

I usually avoid fake meat substitutes, but recently tried the Beyond Meat brand of grilled "chicken" strips. They made really tasty fajitas along with peppers, onions, and a fajita seasoning packet.

We've been using beyond meat for a year now and are fans. We don't do soy.

 

[joannamet]

I was ovo-pisco-vegetarian for 4 years and I'm currently transitioning to vegan. I avoid meat substitutes. They tend to be expensive and I think they keep me from appreciating the new flavor profiles of the foods I'm experimenting with.

Pasta dishes are delicious with no meat and extra veggies. Bean, cheese and rice burritos are super easy. Soups and stews can go in the crock pot. We often add boiled eggs, beans, cheese, grapes and/or avocado to a big salad to make a complete meal. A Panzanella salad with stale bread cubes soaked in viniagrette is very hearty. Pitas with hummus, cucumber, tomato and red onion. For casual weekend lunches sometimes we put out a big spread of fruit, olives, hummus, cheeses, crackers and baguettes and just let everyone dig in. DD and I recently made a meal out of goat cheese and a fresh baguette from the Farmer's Market. Yum!!!

 

[Hikergirl]

This is a great cookbook to have on hand
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BS03TYK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

 

[SMD]

I was ovo-pisco-vegetarian for 4 years and I'm currently transitioning to vegan. I avoid meat substitutes. They tend to be expensive and I think they keep me from appreciating the new flavor profiles of the foods I'm experimenting with.

I agree with this, if I wanted meat, I'd just eat meat. I like veggie burgers that don't try to taste like a hamburger patty much better. I haven't found a veggie hot dog that I like at all. There used to be a place that had vegan currywurst that I liked, but I never found out what sausage they used.

But lately I've been buying vegan chorizo. I have a little with eggs, on cheese pizza or sprinkle a little on tacos. I don't like it when fake meat is the center of a dish, but I do admit that spicy chorizo is a pretty good addition.

 

[mnrose]

Indian food. I make a wicked "Butter Chicken" using garbanzo beans rather than chicken. There are TONS of excellent non-meat dishes in the cuisine.

Pasta with marinara sauce is another good option.

 

[SMD]

Indian food. I make a wicked "Butter Chicken" using garbanzo beans rather than chicken. There are TONS of excellent non-meat dishes in the cuisine.

Pasta with marinara sauce is another good option.

I don't know if you live near a Trader Joe's, but try the vegan tikka masala. It's so good.

 

[dclpluto]

Peanut butter and jelly

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Tonight I'm making Ikea's veggie balls with my own version of their lentil ragout. Mashed potatoes will be our side. Earlier this week, I made this recipe from Mother Earth magazine, http://www.motherearthnews.com/real...s/sausage-and-potato-soup-recipe-zmrz15onzmat, and subbed veggie sausage for the meat. It was incredibly delicious. On Fat Tuesday we had pancakes with fresh strawberries on top, potato pancakes, and fried eggs. I make a lot of veggie pasta dishes, quiches, soups, lentil tacos, bean dishes, ratatouille, salads with nuts and fruit, homemade veggie pizza (my favorite right now is a naan bread crust with olive oil, garlic, arugula, and cheese - I'll add heirloom tomatoes once those are in season again). We sometimes pair grilled cheese sandwiches with our soups. Veggie quesadillas are a favorite here, as well. We use Dr. Praeger's kale and quinoa patties for our burgers. I've learned you can sub lentils and mushrooms for meat in a lot of recipes, and caramelized shallots make a great crumbled bacon replacement.

 

[sonnyjane]

Ok so fish means you aren't doing vegetarian. You are doing pescatarian. To be vegetarian you wont eat any flesh. That said a good salmon recipe that I used to make was on a cedar plank marinated with brown sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic.

Thank you! I don't care if you eat seafood, but don't call it vegetarianism. Fish aren't vegetables!

Lots of good recommendations already mentioned. Stir fries are your friend. I do a LOT with portobello mushrooms. I buy them whole (cheaper that way) and finely slice them, then mix them in with snow peas, carrots, onions, broccoli etc - the portobellos honestly taste like meat - sometimes to the point that it weirds me out. I also add peanuts at the end (not cooked with them) for a little extra protein. I also roast whole portobellos in the oven and eat them like a "steak" with a side of rice and veggies. I used to eat a lot of meat substitutes but stopped about two months ago on my doctors recommendation to eat less soy (interferes with a medication I'm taking), but the Gardein products are really yummy - I used to make fish tacos out of their fake fish patties!

Tacos/fajitas are really easy with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and avocado for some healthy fats. Soups are great too with a side salad and hearty whole-grain roll. I haven't had meat in several years (but I do occasionally occasionally eat mussels - I've reconciled that ethically lol) so it's hard for me to think of vegetarian recipes b/c to me they're just, well, what I eat, but you've gotten some good stuff so far!

 

[WDWBarb]

Pinterest is the best place to look. I've got over 1,000 pins on my vegan board and I'm always pinning more In fact, my favorite recipes ever have all come from Pinterest.