So I have been searching for good, filling vegetarian meals and I have done pretty good but now I want to share with you what I am trying and if it's good or not. I have picked 14 meals and planned out each meal for every day so I cant say, "I dont know what to make". I will post recipes, pictures and tell you what my husband and I have think.
So, here it goes. Hope you Enjoy.
Day 1- Monday
Saucy Cannellini Beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups)
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil
1 (15.5 ounce) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and saute 3 minutes or until tender.
Add tomatoes and next 3 ingredients.
Simmer, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or to desired consistency. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley and parmesan.
Two thumbs up
We both enjoyed this meal very much and wanted more. I served it with salad but I think next time I will double the amount of beans to make it a little more filling.
Day 2- Tuesday
Tomato-Vegetable Pasta
6 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) whole wheat rotini
1 teaspoons olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, quartered
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 (26 ounce) jar tomato basil pasta sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat
Add mushrooms and zucchini; saute 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add pasta sauce, salt, and pepper to zucchini mixture; stir gently. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Drain pasta, transfer to a large bowl.
Spoon pasta sauce over pasta and toss well.
Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
Two thumbs up
Before I became a vegetarian I made a lot of pasta with meat and I got worried that it wouldnt be filling or as good without the meat but this meal was delicious. We both loved the taste and it was definitely easy and quick to make.
I served it with a salad and it was perfect.
Day 3- Wednesday
Barley and black bean salad
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup of monterey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Cook barley according to package directions. Drain barely and rinse with cold water until completely cool.
Combine black beans, and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
Add barley to the mix; toss gently
Three thumbs up (Levi included)
Steve LOVED this. He said it was his favorite yet (his second favorite are some delicious apple burgers I made).
We were afraid it wouldn't be filling so I made some quesidillas also but it ended up being way too much and we have lots of left overs. It was flavorful but also mild and we both loved it. Levi (10 months) loved it too. He is a VERY picky eater but he really liked the barley and beans combo.
Day 4- Thursday
Nutty Vegetable Pasta
1lb fresh asparagus
8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
3/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup crushed unsalted peanuts
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside
Cook pasta according to the package. Add asparagus to pasta for the last two minutes and add the carrots during the last 3o seconds.
Combine peanut butter and next 5 ingredients into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta, place in large serving bowl. Stir in peanut sauce, tossing to coat. Top evenly with peanuts.
Two thumbs half up.
This wasn't as great as the other recipes Ive tried. I think there was a little too much peanut butter. I liked the flavor but the peanut butter was a little too much and it tasted like "peanut butter and noodles" as my husband said. If I were to make it again I would do more noodles and less peanut butter.
Day 5- Friday
Spicy Asparagus-Tempeh Stir Fry
3/4 lbs asparagus
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 (8 oz) package multigrain tempeh, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (6 oz) package of sliced shitake mushrooms
2 cups rice
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut spears into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
Combine vegetable broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in small bowl. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, and stir-fry 5 minutes or until golden. Remove tempeh from pan, set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in same pan. Add garlic, red pepper, asparagus and mushrooms to pan and stir-fry 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add broth mixture; bring to boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Add tempeh and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.
Two thumbs way up
This was amazing. We were a little skeptical with the tempeh. It is different and the texture was very odd when I was preparing it but we loved this dish. It was easy, delicious and very filling
Day 6- Saturday
Quick Vegetarian Pizza
We bought a "take and bake" cheese pizza from SafeWay and added more cheese and vegetables. We wanted to make our own pizzas but it would have cost more money and my husband loves this cheese pizza we bought.
We added chopped fresh spinach, chopped fresh shitake mushrooms, minced fresh garlic, chopped red peppers, crumbled feta cheese and grated pepper jack cheese.
My husband did it all himself and it was absolutely delicious.
Day 7- Sunday
Mooses' Tooth Pub and Pizzeria
For Valentines day we treated ourself to our favorite local place in town. I had a delicious White Pizza which included sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta, mozzarella, provolone, garlic and olive oil.
Day 8- Monday
Good Ol' left overs
Day 9- Tuesday
Rice and Black Bean Pilaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
cooking spray
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
14 oz vegetable broth
1 (15.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
Add celery and onion; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add rice and next 6 ingredients; stir gently. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add lime juice and mix gently.
Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
Two thumbs WAY up
Another AMAZING dish. We really loved it. This was just perfect and we'll definitely be doing this recipe again.
Day 10- Wednesday
Spinach-Potato Frittata
4 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups diced potato with onion (such as Simply Potato)
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
1 teaspoon butter
cooking spray
1/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 cup marinara sauce
Preheat broiler
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in potatoes and spinach .
Melt butter in a large, ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
Add egg mixture to the pan, spreading evenly. Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until center is almost set; sprinkle with cheese.
Broil 7 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cut into wedges and top with marinara sauce
2 thumbs up
This was a very different but delicious meal. We both really liked it and it served as great left overs. I was a little intimidated to make it but it wasn't as hard or weird as I had thought.
Day 11- Thursday
Good Ol' Leftovers
Day 12- Friday
Ate out
Nothing special. We ate at Arby's and I had a salad. It wasn't long before I was hungry again and we made quesidillas. They are our favorite snack.
Day 13- Saturday
Salmon with Mustard Cream
4 (6 oz) Salmon fillets (skinless are recommended but we cooked them with the skin and peeled the skin off after we cooked them)
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat boiler
Place fish on broiler pan (or aluminum foil covered pan); coat fish with cooking spray, and sprinkle with pepper. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Combine sour cream and next 6 ingredients
Place filets on plates, spoon sauce over fish.
Two Thumbs Up
We loved this meal! Very good and Levi loved the salmon also. We will definitely be cooking this again.
