tofu-less vegetarian dinners?

i've only recently become vegetarian and don't really have a clue what to eat. i don't like tofu or any fake meats (veggie burgers, soydogs, etc) and i don't eat cheese.

i like almonds, peanuts, yogurt (not greek though), eggs, and beans but i have no clue how or what to pair them with.

does anyone have any vegetarian recipes or ideas they could share?

Beans and rice mixed together are yummy and filling.  Do you like hummus?  Peanut butter?  I'd suggest a good vegetarian cookbook or pick up a copy of a Vegetarian magazine.  Good luck! 

People are always posting recipes for black bean burgers.  We made some a few weeks ago, and they were awesome!!  In fact, maybe I'll make them again tonight.  Just do a search in this forum, and they'll come up.  

There's always pasta, with some pesto and grilled veggies. 

 

Stuffed red bell peppers with quinoa is always awesome. 

EZ Burritos, a 10 minute meal:

Chop up half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic.  Saute in Canola oil for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.  Add a little cumin, and (if you like 'em hot) a little chile powder.

Mix in about 1/2 cup of frozen corn and a can of pinto beans.  (Rinse the beans first to remove most of the nasty salty goo they come packed in.)  Heat the corn and beans until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with chopped lettuce and your favorite salsa on tortillas warmed in a microwave for 30 seconds.

This one requires a little more planning and cooking time (about 30 minutes), but it's worth it.  Best soul satisfying soup I've had since Grandma's and oh so healthy too!

From "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen" cookbook:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces (about 2 small) carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I use an organic box package broth)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta
1/2 cup diced canned tomatioes, juices included
2 cups cooked (or 1, 19 oz can) cannellini beans
1 1/2 cups cooked (or 1, 15 oz can) red kidney beans
4 ounces fresh spinach, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add the broth, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer briskly for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is almost cooked al dente.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the beans and spinach.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, the beans are heated through, and the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Cooked millet with refried beans and peas/carrots- just mix them after heating/cooking all the individual parts.

Portabello mushroom burgers! I am a big fan of throwing stuff together and a quick marinade is really easy for these. PLUS they're delicious and juicy. My carnivorous DH loves them.

Honestly- if you play around with food you can make really amazing stuff.

do the mushroom burgers have alot of protein?

i'm mainly looking for high-protein things, and thaaankyou guys!

Check out some vegan blogs!  They'll help you out a bunch.

 

http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopi c.php?id=56234Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes - from Women's Health
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
juice of one lime
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

There are pictures at the link..this is SO DELICIOUS.

 

http://www.veggiemealplans.com/archive/1-reci pes/945-pinto-bean-burgers

 

I have a ton more links if you'd like them!  But if you poke around those two sites you will eventually stumble upon more blogs and there is every recipe you can think of, haha.

I don't ever eat tofu and I've always got something to eat :)

Whole grain pasta, veggie stir fry, marinated grilled veggies on whole wheat toasted roll, Rice and beans

• Egg white or egg omlette with fresh vegetables and black pepper or salsa (try it in a tortilla as well).
• Beans and rice (your favorite type of bean, brown or basmati rice, and spices of your choosing)
• Stuffed bell peppers (I like red bells stuffed with quinoa, onions, and lots of other veggies... with cashews too!)
• Phyllo dough triangles with spinach and feta cheese
• Homemade bean or lentil burgers
• Lentil soups
• Vegetable-based soups
• Dal (Indian lentil dish)
• Curries (I like red curry best)

Veg chili is always easy and filling. You can use whatever kinds of beans you like...Here's a recipe from The Food Network.

"This Tex-Mex great pleaser is another vegetarian happy medium to please meat eaters and meat-free-ers alike."

Veg Head 3 Bean Chili

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 cup pale beer or vegetable stock/broth 1 (32- ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (14-ounce) can black beans 1 (14-ounce) can dark red kidney beans 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce, several drops 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans Toppings: *Optional* 8 ounces (2 cups shredded) spicy monterey jack or smoked cheddar Chopped scallions, whites and greens Diced fresh seeded plum tomato Blue and red corn tortilla chips or black bean tortilla chips, for dipping

Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Deglaze pan with beer or broth, add tomatoes, black beans, red kidney beans, and stirring to combine. Season chili with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, and salt. Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans. Simmer over low heat about 5 to 10 minutes longer, then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese, scallions, and tomatoes. Place bowls on charger plates piled with assorted tortilla chips.

Im not sure if you are dieting or not but if you are two good diet foods for veggies are caldroun falfels, there around 50 / 60 calroies for one "ball" of them which go well in burritos, also birds eye veggie fingers are 110 calories for 2 and have no crap ingrendients in, not sure if you are form the US but they might have something similar.

also yes mushroom burgers are good for protein x

Original Post by nemoj:

also yes mushroom burgers are good for protein x

Mm yes they are! I've also been in this phase where I throw EVERYTHING I'm eating on to a bed of greens- lately it's been arugula or spinach. It's a great way to get your veggies for the day.

gotta have your greens, espically if your looking for health benefits from veggieness :D

I really love http://www.instructables.com/id/Vegetarian_Ma tzo_Ball_Soup/ - but that depends if you eat eggs or not.

indian curries with fresh veggies and a bean (chick pea is my fave for curries).  you can also make thai coconut curries with lots of veggies and some crushed cashews/peanuts in top.  veggies with some shredded cheese on top, bakes, so good.  bean salads, with some quinoa (like couscous, but really high in protein).

i don't like fake meat products either!

today I made a sort of vegetable pizza pie

thin crust- flour, oil, salt, baking powder, water

roll thin and rubbed some corn meal on the bottom and cover a pie dish

filled the pie with sauteed spinach, broccoli, onion,crushed tomato, black olives, garlic and basil

sprinkled crushed saltines on top

baked at 375 for around 20 until crust was brown.

 

to add to the discussion: vegweb.com has hundreds of great recipes, it's free, and you can search by ingridient or meal type. it's awesome! good luck :)