Vegitarian Meal Ideas?

Question

My best friend is vegitarian, and I've run out of meal ideas! She's coming round tomorrow and i have no idea what to cook!

(She doesn't eat fish either)

Any ideas and preferably recipes would be greatly appreciated=)

Answer 1

The veggie stir fry suggestion is a good one.

What about tacos or burritos? You can use veggie ground beef, soft tortillas and just add your (and her) fave toppings: tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, peppers, etc. Make some Spanish rice and you're all set!

You could also do some Italian dishes - cheese ravioli or tortellini, spaghetti, lasagna rolls, etc. (if you are crunched for time, find some frozen or refrigerated pasta that you just have to heat and eat). A tossed salad to start and some garlic bread on the side. It's simple and quick.

Answer 2

here's some i make often, that even my meat and potatoes husband loves (the first is his fav)....

Pasta Primavera

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips

2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence

1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

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Chiles Rellenos Casserole

1 cup half & half

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

3 - 4oz. cans whole green chiles

1/2lb monterey jack cheese; grated

1/2lb sharp chedder cheese; grated

1 - 8oz. jar tomato sauce (we like 'classico' tomato basil for this)

Beat half & half with eggs and flour until smooth. split open chiles, rinse out any seeds, and drain on paper towels. Mix cheeses; reserve 1/2 cup for topping.

Make alternate layers of remaining cheese, chilies and egg mixture in a deep 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. (about 3 layers, depending on your dish)

Pour tomato sauce over top, and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 1 hour, or until cooked in the center.

(may also be baked at 325 for 1 1/2 hours, or at 350 for 1 1/4 hours)

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

1 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice

2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in the rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender and skin starts to brown.

While the peppers are roasting, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon in the cooked rice, and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, mix in the feta cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Answer 3

http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes...

Simple as that really... pick a theme... pick something that sounds tasty... then follow the recipe. And the resipes on there are really easy to follow and unlike alot of veggie recipes the ingrediants are all easy to get hold of too.

Answer 4

Amy's Soy Mac-n-cheese, add Soy Knox or Smart Dogs.

Amy's Indian food or Trader Joe's Indian Food (Dal) with rice.

Veat 'Salmon' (pan fry in olive oil, garlic powder and capers or lemon juice) serve with rice and a salad.

Hummus, pita bread and a salad.

Gardenburger Breakfast Bacon - make a BLT add avacado.

Slice tomatoes in rounds, top with Soya Kaas mozzarella cheese, basil, cut up figs (peeled, washed in hot water to bring out the sweetness) sprinkle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Leave out to room temp until cheese is 'melted' looking.

Stir-fry veggies and rice with Tofu - I use extra firm, wrap in paper towels to soak up the excess water. Cut in slices, fry in a little olive oil, hot pepper sesame oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with ginger, garlic, curry, whatever you have in the cupboard. Top with sesame seeds. You can also top it with sliced veggie cheese and serve on toasted sourdough with mustard.

Gardenburger Riblets, baked potato, broccoli (w/ lemon, margarine and garlic) and a salad.

Pasta w/ marinara sauce, if you have Boca Itailan Sausages cut them up and add it to the sauce. Serve with garlic bread - spread butter on bread, sprinkle with garlic powder and brown in a pan, butter side down.

Clean portobello mushrooms, cut up, saute in olive oil, garlic and a little soy sauce. Serve with salad.

MorningStar Farms Sausages (not the breakfast ones) are good on homemade pizza - add mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, onions, soy cheese.

Easy Corn Chowder Soup – 1 can each of White Corn, Yellow Corn and Creamed Corn, including the water from the can. Cut up celery add to the pot, add a little rice dream milk.

To vegetarian refried beans add mild green sauce. Add soy cheese if desired. Make Spanish Rice – Far East and/or Rice-a-Roni makes it in a box, just add tomatoes. Serve in a burrito, taco or tostada – add lettuce, tomatoes, soy cheese and avacado to the top.

Quorn turkey roast, with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. Use leftovers on for a 'turkey' sandwich or in soup -

Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup

6 cups of pure water

¾ cup Vegetarian Chicken Soup Base

6 organic celery stalks, chopped

1 ½ cups sweet onion

6 carrots, chopped finely

1 package organic noodles (rice, corn or barley)

1 package of Quorn Tenders (or use leftover Quorn Turkey Roast cut up)

Sauté Tenders lightly in olive oil. Heat water, add soup base, stirring gently. Add vegetables, noodles (consider breaking them into 1-2 inch pieces) and Quorn Tenders.

Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tomatoes, sliced

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (Soya Kaas)

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Layer the basil, tomato slices, and mozzarella cheese between the two halves of bread. Cut into four sandwiches.

In a small dish, stir together the balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes. Use as a dipping sauce.

Answer 5

Make a simple and yummy pasta! I make the best, please try it cos it's so easy to make!!

Get two pans. Boil a kettle of water, put it in the larger pan, heat it up and chuck in some long spaghetti and some shells when it starts to boil and get bubbles. Fill the smaller pan with some Quorn mince/veggie mince (it expands so don't put in that much), heat it up, stir till it browns (will take about 3 mins to brown), add a carton of passata, stir, add a pinch of oregano, stir, pinch of salt of pepper, some chopped mushrooms if you want, keep stirring, after about 6 or 7 minutes turn the heat down. Grate some cheese ready, get your sieve ready by the sink, check your pasta shells are done by putting a fork in one to see if it's soft. If so drain them through the sieve add them to your sauce, take the sauce off the heat, mix it up and there you have it! Lemme know what you think!

Answer 6

Vegetable soup - steam some vegetables and throw them in the blender.

Avocado in the salad always yummies it up - lime/lemon/vinegar, French mustard, salt, garlic(maybe), avocado or oil with tomatoes, lettuce and whatever else e.g. celery, capsicum. You can keep adding to this. Traditionally the ratio is two oil one vinegar but lime juice is so much nicer.

What about Mediterranean homous- chickpeas and tahini (ground sesame seeds), babaganouch - aubergine/eggplant [grilled] and tahini, beans Take your pick, green beans in tomato sauce, fried eggplant. Spinach. Okra. Tabouli - it's easy if you can find a shop that supplies Lebanese or Turkish food but some of it is easy enough to make. The bread you will have to buy.

You didn't say if your friend has milk or eggs. Milk opens the door to pastizzi.

Eggs to omelette but then you might have used this idea up.

Answer 7

Red Dragon Pie

Another Chinese name for adukis is "red dragon", whence this dish gets the name. It has a sumptuous flavour. Eat your heart out shepherds!

Ingredients

110g (4 oz) aduki beans soaked overnight (or canned if you don't have time to soak them)

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, peeled & finely chopped

225g (8 oz) carrots, diced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

salt & pepper

450g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled

25g (1oz) margarine

Drain the aduki beans then simmer in 2 pints water for 50 minutes, or pressure cook for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock. Take a large pan, fry the onion for 5 minutes in the oil, add the carrots and cook for a further 3 minutes, then add the cooked beans. Mix the soy sauce, tomato puree and herbs with the reserved stock. Pour this over the bean and vegetable mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes so that the flavours are well blended. Season to taste. Meanwhile steam the potatoes and mash them with the margarine. Put the bean mixture into a casserole dish, spread the mashed potatoes on top, and bake in an oven until the potato is crisp and brown.

Adapted From Sarah Brown's Vegetarian Kitchen

Answer 8

Of course she doesn't eat fish as she's a veggie lol.

You could buy a quorn cottage pie or toad in the hole. They're my favourites. You can also buy veggie curries with rice. Veggie bangers and mash is an idea, quorn burger and chips is another. Nip down to a supermarket and see what they've got in the veggie section - there are options in the fridges and freezers so don't worry you shouldn't be stuck. Hope it goes well:-)

Answer 9

how about a Stir Fry?  miso soup & rice on side - maybe a little veggie tempura

Answer 10

well talk to her about what she likes!  also how "complicated" do you want of a meal? one meal or all meals?

some simple ideas that i tend to make often...

burritos/tacos- i use morningstar farms soy ground "meat" and everything else you'd normally use (taco seasoning, cheese, lettuce, salsa....)

bean dip - layer refried beans (make sure they say veg or dont' have pork), sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cheese (and guacamole if you want) and have with chips and/or veggies

pasta salad/primavera- pasta (i like whole wheat), mixed veggies, kidney beans, pesto sauce (or regular italian dressing)

eggplant parm (to make it quicker and less fattening i don't bread the eggplant, just slice, sprinkle with salt- something about making it less bitter that way- and layer with cheese and sauce.  make some spaghetti on the side.

wraps- use one of the soy meat products like "chicken" strips or just use beans and veggies

hummus sandwiches (i like wheat bread, garden chunk hummus and sliced tomatos)

soup- minestrone, broccoli cheddar, tomato, lentil.... if you buy a can check the label though for chicken/beef stock... if you make it yourself just use vegetable stock.

grilled cheese and tomato soup is good :)

veggie burgers and fries.  i'm a fan of sweet potato fries, but whatever your potato preference just chop them up and spray wtih a little oil and bake them.  

vegetable lasagna- instead of meat layer put spinach.  you can add other veggies you like too. i usually add shredded carrots, fine chopped broccoli, mushrooms, garlic... whatever you like.

hope you like some of these too and that helps!

Answer 11

I have 500 recipes with picture, maybe you like to have a look

http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/