Cheap Vegetarian Meals

[The_Market]

I'm ready for something new, but we are on a budget. We'll eat most anything not meat, although limited heat (spiciness) is preferable.

Anybody have some good stuff?

[KatieLou]

I like this blog. http://cafevegnews.blogspot.com/

We are not vegan, but I do follow some vegan blogs because of FA. You could do a search of vegan or veg blogs, there are TONS out there with yummy stuff!

[MissionaryMomma]

Tonight we ate a stew that I learned about from my Romanian language teacher.

Just throw in a pot:
Chopped onion
Potatoes
bag of frozen veggies
tomato juice
water
garlic
salt
pepper
oil

She called it ghivechi.

I also make a veggie pilaf. I grate different kinds of veggies and add it to a rice that I cooked in veggie broth.

Meatless spaghetti is your friend

Ratatouille

Tomato noodle soup

Tomato soup

bean and veggie stew

beans and cornbread

vegetarian chili

[MissionaryMomma]

My sister has been experimenting with spinach burgers and her meat eating husband loves them. Recently she turned them into meatballs for his meatball subs.

[Indigo]

This I copied off of this board, I don't know the poster who roiginally found thie recipe but it;s pretty popular here, along with Reds tater soup.

FWIW, I originally found this recipe on the MDC forums...but there are lots of variations elsewhere. I will definitely be making it a lot this winter. It's really, really inexpensive, as well. And I love that it's a "one-pot" recipe. I just threw all of this into a pyrex baking dish, covered it in foil, and left it alone in the oven. One and a half hours later, and poof! Time to eat. Note: I doubled the recipe last night, so as to use an entire bag of lentils (1 lb.), and it took over 2 hrs. in the oven instead of 1h30m. Just a heads up to add extra cooking time if you double it, too.

1 cup lentils
2 cups water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soysauce or tamari
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1 small onion (I actually used dried onion flakes to speed up prep time)
salt & pepper to taste

Bake in a covered dish at 350 until tender (about an hour and a half).

You could also substitute 1/3 cup of rice or barley for some of the lentils; oh, and add whatever "winter" vegetables you have on hand. When I made it last night, I used carrots and potatoes. It was delicious. Squash would be a great addition, too, I bet.
We ate this as a stew over brown rice, but it would also be yummy over quinoa, or on some flatbread (lentils on toast? on a bagel, lol?) We eat it as the main dish, but it would be a great side dish as well.

[trylyn5]

Pasta and Greens

Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat. I'll add green onions, mushrooms, or peppers depending on what we have. Add chopped greens like spinach, mustard, kale, or collard still wet from washing. If you don't wash them you'll need to add some water. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until tender. Cook pasta. Serve greens over pasta with Parmesan cheese.

Lucky Beans & Rice

olive oil
garlic
green pepper
1 cup water (sometimes needs more)
1 14oz can italian style diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white rice
10oz frozen black eyed peas
thyme
salt & pepper
pepper jack cheese or in your case a sharp cheddar

Saute pepper and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add all other ingredients except the cheese and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and cook until rice is done. My book says 20 minutes but it's never done in 20. I usually check it after 30 and sometimes it still needs a bit. Serve with shredded cheese on top.

I have a couple others I really like but haven't been able to find my recipe books since we moved.

[Babyhellfire]

Oooo Veggieloaf! probably cheapest thing we make.

http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html


I second ratatouille we have been eating that a lot lately.You can find a lot of variations on it.

If you have a loaded up spice cabinet you could do indian food pretty cheap. We have been experimenting with different recipes.
http://www.recipesindian.com/indian_vegetarian_recipes

Beans and rice- with a veggie side- always cheap and yummy.

We have homemade pizza and pasta a lot.
We have burrito night a lot too. Dh makes homemade tortillas,some black beans ,salsa, sour cream,avocoados and homemade Spanish rice.

...and when my produce is looking rough I dice it all up and toss it in the crockpot,maye with some lentils.Sometimes with cream of whatever soup-I have tossed so many random things in crockpot dishes...rarely does it come out bad.

[KatieLou]

I have a spicy black bean burger recipie that I can put up when the kids go down for their naps.

[MiMi_of_4]

That's Guin's Honey Baked Lentils recipe, Indigo, and it is yummy!

[QuiltyConscience]

BHF those burritos sound good. Avocado on burritos, yum..

Beans and rice is a favorite standby here. Add tomatoes, or celery corn or whatever.

[The_Market]

We live on burritos. Seriously, we eat them at least 6 times a week. We have a burrito shelf in the fridge that has tortillas, cheese, salsa, hummus, and usually a covered can of refried beans. We'll have 2-3 kinds of tortillas (whole wheat, spinach, spicy, etc) and a few kinds of hummus and 2 kinds of refried beans. If we've been industrious there will be a container of chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, etc. too.

DH found this handy way of making burritos, too. He puts the burner on med0-low and takes the tortilla (with stuff on it) and puts it on there. The tortilla comes out toasted and warm and the insides get heated. Before it gets too crispy, he'll roll it up.

That would only work on electric stoves, I guess.

Anyway, that's my contribution to the thread, but suffice it to say, I'm looking for things that are not burritos. lol

[KatieLou]

spicy black bean burgers

2 TB EVOO 1/2tsp ground coriander
1 onion chopped 2X 13 0z can white beans, chickpeas
1 carrot grated 1 TB tomato puree
1 green pepper chopped 1 beaten egg
1 crushed garlic clove 1 C dried breadcrumbs
1/2 C chedder cheese grated salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Heat oil in frying pan over M heat. Add onion and fry gently until soft. Add carrot, green pepper, garlic, and spices, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In large bowl, mash the beans, and tomato puree together with a fork. Mix in onion mixture, egg, breadcrubs, cheese, and seasoning. Divide mixture nto golfball sized portions and shape into burgers.

Place burgers on a oiled baking sheet and bake in oven intill crisp, about 25 mintues. Turn burgers iver half through cooking time.

From: Lizzie Vans Organic baby and toddler cookbook

We do alot of veggie stirfry.

[The_Market]

Can we talk about versions and variations on rice and beans?

[jessiehannan]

Potato soup. (can be as vegetarian as you desire it to be)
well, any kind of vegetable soup for that matter. V8 is a pretty good start for a tomato based soup stock.

[still_me]

Saffron rice and black beans are good just with s.cream

I use ^ with soft shells, lettuce, tomato, b.olives, and s.cream

Lentil Stuffed Green Peppers 30 mins @ 350 F.

1 C Lentil Beans
4 or 5 Med Green Peppers
2 1/2 C water
3/4 C. Soft bread crumbs
salt
5 TBS butter
1 onion chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
5 tbs Grated Parmesan
1 or 2 cloves of garlic


Bring lentils to a boil in salted water. Cover and simmer 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Saute' onions and a little garlic. Add 3 TBS Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Split peppers lengthwise and parboil in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and fill. Brown bread crumbs in butter. Place filled peppers in a shallow baking dish. Surround peppers with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan.

My ma says that when you parboil the peppers it takes the strong pepper taste away.


****For meat eaters****** she does add 2 slices of bacon diced and sautes the onions and garlic in the drippings from the bacon.

Rolled Cabbage

3 T oil
1 med zucchini
3 mashed garlic cloves
1 sm onion
3 T Sunflower seeds
3 T tamari (soy) sauce
3 C cooked brown rice
1 C cottage cheese
3/4 C grated jack cheese
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper
parboiled cabbage leaves
1 6oz tomato sauce

Saute' vegetables in oil. Add sunflower seeds, tamari sauce, and rice. Stir in cottage cheese, jack cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Spoon into cabbage leaves and roll. Place in an oiled 9x13" pan. Cover with sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 mins.


The Perfect Summer Pasta

2 lemons, quartered
12 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 -2 in lengths
3 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1lb corkscrew pasta
1 4 oz wedge of Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1C. torn mint leaves, plus more for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with one rack centered. Bring large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Place lemons, whole tomatoes, and asparagus in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss ingredients in oil until well coated. Cook until tomatoes are softened and asparagus is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; reserve water. Remove roasting pan from oven. Add 2T of reserved water to vegetables. Drain pasta, and add to the roasting pan, along with Parmesan and mint. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining T of oil to pasta and toss to combine. Squeeze any remaining juice from the lemon over pasta and serve hot. (Mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and cooked peas can be added to this recipe if desired.) Makes 4 servings.


You can make extra stuffing for the peppers and cabbage rolls and freeze it. Just do the peppers or cabbage as you need it.

[still_me]

www.cooks.com has a lot of really good recipes.

[jessiehannan]

It is a shame no one but me will eat refried beans. :(

[The_Market]

Hey, KatieLou, there are no black beans in that recipe.

[dalurker]

This is a pretty versatile lentil recipe. It's kind of "meaty" and I've served it over rice, as a filler for sloppy joes and I imagine it could be used in a burrito. Easy and really good. Credit goes to Mrs. Hoppes.

Sloppy Lentils:

2 cups dry lentils
1 carrot, 1 green pepper, 1 onion all chopped
4 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce
Splash low sodium soy sauce
Parsley
Basil
Garlic Powder

Cook in crock pot all day on low.

[TayNRobbiesMom]

I don't have much to offer, since DH is a meat n taters kinda guy, BUT i wanted to 2nd still me's Stuffed peppers w/ lentils

[rockmom]

Here are some lentil recipes that are all variations of a theme:

Mujadarra (http://www.recipezaar.com/Mujadarra-168793)

Koshari (http://www.recipezaar.com/Koshari-39446)

Yemiser W'et (http://www.recipezaar.com/Vegan-Yemiser-Wet-Spicy-Ethiopian-Lentil-Stew-132542)

[MissionaryMomma]

Vegetarian Sarma---YUMMY!

[madelsmama]

Red Lentils with Spinach and Garlic (This is a toddler-sized recipe so I always have to enlarge to portions to feed all four of us):
1/4 c. red lentils
2 c water
1 small clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 tsp. tumeric
Baby spinach, chopped fine
Cooked rice
olive oil
Pour lentils into a sieve and rinse under cold water, then pour into a pot and add water, garlic and tumeric. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add spinach. Lower the flame to bring to a gentle boil but steady simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and pale orange.

Drain lentils into a sieve, remove and discard garlic, then pour lentils back into pot. Add salt to taste and stir.

To serve, mix lentils with olive oil and cooked rice.


Cheese and Spinach Quiche:
http://www.mothering.com/sections/recipes/spinach-quiche.html

Pasta e Fagoli:
2tsp olive oil
2tsp minced garlic
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. whole wheat ditalini or other small pasta
1/2 lb Swiss chard or spinach leaves, chopped
1/3 c. chopped onion
2 cans fat-free chicken broth

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minuts, or until the onion is soft. Add the broth, tomatoes (with juice), beans and pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Add the Swiss chard and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until the Swiss chard is wilted. For added flavor, sprinkle with Parmesean and add black pepper just before serving.

Fresh Tomato Greek Pizza
http://www.goodearthnaturalfoods.net/common/recipes/recipes_results.asp?id=129&storeID=QLJS5N5JSASR2LHC0G03N0ET95QT2S43

Cumin beans and rice:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4926.0

Warming Mexican beans and rice:
http://www.naturespantrypa.com/common/recipes/recipes_results.asp?id=77&storeID=66F43699275B46728EBE5CA0F5B2FC45