Inexpensive Vegetarian Dinners

Something I always liked to do with my parents when I was a kid was to make a BIG salad for dinner. We would put all kinds of different toppings on it. We had feta cheese, pickled beets, sometimes a bean mix, artichoke hearts, tomato, olives (both green and black), cabbage, a nice leafy green for a base (sometimes we even used spinach as the base) and always carrots and mushrooms. All nice and fresh. They can be a little more expensive when you buy them at first but it is because you will end up buying enough that you can make a few meals out of it so in the end it will end up cheaper.

That's as vegetarian as we got though. My family was a meat loving family. Good luck. It sounds like there are some really great ideas.

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Enjoy, Cynthia

Hi C.,

I too love vegetarian dishes but my husband wants meat, feels he's not full without it.

Here's my chili recipe:

In a crockpot on low, combine:

1 29 oz. can of pinto beans
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1 15 oz. can of kidney bean
1 15 oz. can of petite cut tomatoes
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can of corn
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
1/2 bottle of beer (optional - light beer gives it a different flavor)

Let simmer for at least four hours. For the meat lover, add 1 lb. of ground beef or ground turkey sauteed with onions.

I also put rice and beans in a high fiber tortilla with some guacamole and sour cream and lettuce for a burrito.

J.

Hi there
Well, a good idea might be to make your own homemade pizza. You needn't make the crust yourself (you can always buy one, I especially like the viccolo's corn crust) it's simple. you add a little tomatoe sauce, (cheese if you like) we often eat it without it. Other good veggies toppings we enjor are, red bellpeppers, calamata olives.. etc.. heat and serve..
We like to have it with a BIG salad..
Other times we actually have big salads for dinners. We do anything from a blackbeans (well drained) mixed with red leaf lettuce and fresh mushrooms salad, we also make salads with Arugula with Mangos..

Additionally, I like to do a stirfry with green bellpeppers, zucchini, a little finely chopped onion , soy sauce to taste and salt/pepper all this over brown rice. (it's esp good the next day once the soy sauce has marinaded the veggies) heat and serve... yum...

Dear C.,
Dried beans of any kind, split peas, lentils...they are all so good and so good for you. Plus, they are inexpensive. I am very fortunate in that my kids love my homemade beans and soups. My son says he can smell them all the way down the block when he's coming home after school. You can just use the instructions on the packages, minus the meat. And I very rarely, if ever, soak overnight. I always rinse them really well a couple of times, and then just bring them to a good boil with water in the pan about twice the depth of the beans. I always make at least a full package because we rarely have left-overs and two packages makes enough for me to throw some in the freezer. Anyway, you just boil and stir and add more water as they soak it up. Add onion, chopped or grated carrots, some garlic. Carrots take longer to cook until soft so you might want to throw those in first. Depending on what you are making, celery is really good to throw in too. Potato soup is really easy. Peel and cube your potatoes and boil until they get soft then add the carrots, celery and onion. Boil. Then add canned milk for that creamy taste. If you need to thicken it, you can just toss in some instant mashed potato buds. Seasoning is the key. I use garlic in everything. Salt and pepper to taste.
When I can find them on sale, I buy a bunch just to keep in my cupboard: red kidney beans, pinto beans, canned corn, mixed veggies, stewed tomatoes. I know they aren't as great as the fresh, but I'm telling you, in a pinch, you can make a pot of great stuff that tastes like you slaved all day. My kid's favorite....
Sautee 1/2 onion with cubed zucchini in olive oil until tender. (I just do it in the bottom of my trusty soup pot). Then add two cans of kidney beans, one can of pinto beans, one can of sweet corn and a large can of stewed tomatoes, juice and all. Add more water if you like it soupy as opposed to a chili consistancy. Add some chili powder, some garlic and some sugar to taste. It actually has kind of a sweet flavor and is excellent with cornbread. The whole thing from start to finish takes less than an hour.
My main tip is....before you season anything, get a little bowl and scoop some into it. Add a little of this and a little of that and see if you like it before adding it to the whole pot. If you make a mistake on a few bites of beans it's no big deal. I've been doing it so long, I don't even measure anything anymore. But just starting out, have your little test bowl to help you find what you like.
Have fun with your beans and soup! There is something so satisfying about throwing stuff in a pot that is so delicious and warm and comforting, especially in the winter time.

Hello C.,
I was a vegetarian for years, I now eat white meat and fish- but not too often cause yes it breaks the bank- especially when buying organic which we do.
I ate lots of beans and rice. Grains are an excellent choice- quinio, barley,etc... A good cold salad that you can make for a pot of leftovers for the full three days is Quinio after it is cooked and cooled stir in chopped variety of veggies like:cucumber,tomatoes,olives,peppers,etc... and a liberal amount of salad dressing(I use Annies Goddess).

Also you can make all kinds of yummy soups and add barley for protein,fiber, and substance. I recently baked some winter squash,scooped it out, pureed it and made a soup with it, veggie broth,barley, carrots, celery, and chopped chard- yummmmm.

Another fav. is shepards pie. In a big oven proof bowl make a crust with leftover mashed pots, and fill with a variety of veggies and grains, top with more mashers and cheese.

Tofu is great(organic)our favorite way is to slice it up, pan fry in some olive oil when it starts getting a little crunchy squirt in some braggs. We eat these little morsels on top of salads or rice.

Quich is great- especially when you add dark leafy greens.

I usually make big batches of this stuff to have in the fridge and will eat it for a couple days as my hubby is also gone for three nights a week.

I also like Mollie Katzens cookbooks that someone else mentioned.

PS- my baby girl was born on 6/29/08.

Check out the PETA website for vegetarian menus.

Dry beans are great because they are MUCH lower in sodium which is a direct factor in high blood pressure. Take the amount of beans that you want and put them in a bowl. Remember that you will yield twice the amount of beans that you think so cut your amount in half. Then cover them with cold water and continue to fill until they are covered by about an inch to a inch and a 1/2. Soak over night. Then the next day you will need to cook them for about an hour to maybe 2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium high and cover. Cook for at least an hour. Then check... they should be nice and tender almost mushy. If not, continue to cook. You can add water as necessary and just drain off later.
Make sure you use brown rice to get the nutrients. White rice has no nutrients unless it gets added back in and it's only a partial composite. Google other complimentary proteins and you should find a list. Make sure your meals have all of those. A quick and easy way to have a complete protein without all the stress is to switch to quinoa. It's the only grain that has a complete protein make up. They make all sorts of things... breads, tortillas, pastas, etc out of it and it can be found at most health food stores. Happy shopping! I used to be a vege head/vegan for a long time. I have several cookbooks if you're ever in the Novato area.

Congrats to you for thinking healthy as well as beign frugal. One of our favorite dinners is:
Saute some vegies-asparagus, cut up, is a favorite and some onions, maybe zucchini; add some chopped up baked tofu-make sure to get the baked, we like the teriyaki flavored, and baked has a nicer texture. Continue to saute for a few minutes and then add cooked brown rice. continue to cook until the rice is warm and then add some raw cashews. Season with Bragg's liquid amino's for flavor. This is a very healthy, inexpensive dish and real comfort food.
Most all beans have a recipe for cooking on the package-usually have to soak for awhile. A good vegetarian bean soup is a great dinner with some good bread and maybe a salad. Bean cuisine has some great soups, packaged, with directions as to how to fix. some call for meat, but you can just exclude it.
there are also many meat substitutes available. We love the Morningstar Farms corn dogs.
Doing vegetarian part time is a great idea.
I personally think that most people need some animal protein in their diets but as Americans, we eat too much.

good healthy eating to you,
Dr. Eunice Green

hi, if u like the rice and bean meal, I make an enchilada with rice,black beans and cheese and green chile verde sauce that even my meathead hubby eats! it is very simple, u can even use canned beans. I lightly fry every other corn tortilla and alternate rolling them with the mixture and then sprinkle cheese and sauce and heat in oven about 350 for 10 minute to melt cheese. you can omit the rice and make it as a side of spanish too.you can try with flour torts, but i prefer corn-hope u like it too! I am glad u are willing to try vege dishes, i know there are a lot of casseroles and stir fry ideas too-we use soba noodles with high protein in ours. It is better for u and the animals to at least limit consumption of meat.ps. taco salads are great to substitute beans and pepitas for meat in too!

The Vegetarian Times magazine website has recipe newsletters you can subscribe to for free - http://www.vegetariantimes.com/newsletters/

Their magazine is also full of ideas!

Kudos to you C. for your choice to prepare vegetarian meals for your kids! Although I don't advocate a vegetarian diet for everyone, the truth is that eating lower of the food chain is much less impactful on the planet.
A a Naturopathic Doctor who sees children, I can assure you there are lots of ways to get enough protein into your kids. Besides beans (which don't have to be dry to get the protein), I would include whole grains, particularly quinoa (which is also very quick & easy to prepare) & millet, both high in protein. And more important than any particular food is to prepare a VARIETY of foods, including dark leafy greens. Soy & soy products are also high in protein, but be sure to purchase the organic choices. And with access to the internet, you'll find tons of delicious vegetarian recipes at your fingers.
In summation, eat a wide variety of foods, organic whenever possible, and eat foods closest to their original form- and you won't have to be concerned about your kids getting enough protein or nutrition. And don't forget to have fun! If you have a farmers market in town take your kids & have them help you pick out veggies- this will increase the liklihood of them enjoying it when prepared.
Good luck & Cheers to you!

Dr. T. Fleck
Santa Cruz, CA

I was raised in a vegetarian community and have lots of experience cooking meatless meals. I'll give you one ridiculously easy, protein packed, inexpensive idea for a dinner, assuming you have a Trader Joe's in your area.
-1 package of whole wheat pasta
-1 large can of Marinara sauce
-1 package Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs (in frozen section)
If you'd like, add the following:
-1 cup chopped kalamata olives
-several cloves of garlic, chopped
-a handful of chopped up parsely
-1 cup of chopped walnuts, toasted in skillet until browned
-parmesan cheese

In casserole dish, pour the can of marinara and mix in the meatballs and chopped garlic. Bake until heated through at 350, about 30 minutes.

spoon meatball and sauce over servings of pasta and sprinkle the parmesan, parsely, olives and walnuts over the top.

This dish has cheap ingredients, is super quick, tastes savory and is hearty, looks great and has nutritional value as long as you go easy on the pasta. Serve with a side of lightly steamed green vegetables or a spinach salad to up the nutrients and make a nice colorful plate.

I highly recommend two books by Deborah Madison: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and I Can't Believe it's Tofu. Googling "Vegetarian Recipes" online will send you down a rabbit hole of fun reading too. Best of luck!

I highly recommend two cookbooks from a famous veggie restaurant (The Moosewood Collective): The Moosewood Cookbook & The Enchanted Broccoli Forrest. The recipes are quick and easy, healthy too. The food is so tasty your husband might even not notice the lack of meat. Their soups are especially delicious.

They've actually disproved the need to always eat "complete" proteins in one meal, so don't let that be a concern of yours. Especially since you'll only be eating vegetarian meals a couple of nights a week. You will be getting plenty of protein in your other meals for a healthy diet. So instead focus on eating a varied diet with a lot of in season produce (which has the highest nutrient content.) We get a CSA box from a local farm and that helps us to plan our meals that week.

The best book that I have found in my 12+ years of vegetarianism is Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. It will tell you everything that you need to know about shopping and preparing the foods and the recipes are much easier than the other Vegetarian cookbooks on the market.

I've been veggie for 15 years and could fill the page with recipes that are easy, cheap and healthy, but I'm not sure of your tastes. My suggestion is to go to the website recipezaar.com Type in an ingredient (ex: beans) and thousands of recipes come up. Then you can "filter by category" and choose vegetarian, cheap, healthy, and easy as filter choices. You will lots of good recipes like this. This is also a good way to find interesting ways to cook new veggies or grains that you don't know how to.

As far as healthy goes, I think the key is variety. If you find you like this lifestyle choice, you may want to see if you want to join a CSA. You get local organic veggies as a reasonable price with good variety.

Good luck!

My husband's been making dried beans lately, after the soaking overnight part he adds onions and spices and chicken bullion for taste. I think he used some kind of multi-spice mix. They were really good.

Do you like lentils? Do you like soup? I have a vegetable lentil soup that is not only delicious, it is easy and very pretty. Here's how you do it: You need one onion, olive oil, a stalk or two of celery, a handful of carrots, one vegetable boullion cube, a large can of diced tomatoes(no seasoning included kind), salt, pepper and any herb you really love(fresh or dried). Oh, the most important ingredient--2 and 1/2 cups on RED lentils--these are gorgeous! Dice up all of the veggies and saute them till soft in some olive oil. Dissolve one or two cubes of Veg. boullion in four cups of water, heating water in microwave. Add that mixture to the pot along with the 2 1/2 cup sorted and rinsed RED lentils. Puree your large can of diced tomatoes with their juice and dump that into the soup as well. Then add salt and pepper(freshly ground) to taste. I like to add fresh herbs like 1 tbs of Thyme, or, basil, or, even Rosemary for a stronger flavor. You could skip the fresh herbs and go with dried: sage, or oregano, whatever you like. This soup is SO hearty, it can be a main dish. A complete protein addition would be to cook a pot of brown rice and serve some rice in your bowl with the soup on the top. I hope you enjoy it. I love to cook vegatarian and have learned how to cook and enjoy tofu. Good luck, K.