NPBR: Meatless Mondays

[slurpeelove]

I'm trying to think of a way to do Meatless Mondays at my house.  We don't eat soy or tofu, but I would like to see if we can save some money by cutting out meat one day a week at dinner time.  My husband is unconvinced, to say the least.  I have a recipe tonight for meatless baked ziti, but I was wondering if you ladies have any good meatless recipes that you could share with me.  

[12thwoman]

Ooh I might have some, but I'll have to wait until I get home from work to find them. There's one we really like that's a quinoa lentil pilaf. Super easy to make and delicious!

[yelah250]

We do black bean tacos every Thursday.

[tla0623]

Mine aren't recipes as much as they are just things I throw together. I haven't been eating a lot of meat lately unless it's in sandwich from!

*Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
*Red Beans and Rice
*Refried Bean Tostadas
*Spaghetti with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce
   - I make homemade sauce with one large can of tomato sauce, one tiny can of tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, and salt. Once it's hot, I add in the ricotta and let it warm up as well, then I add it to the              drained spaghetti.
*Mexican Bowl
   - Rice (Recipe), Pinto Beans, Sour Cream, Avocado, Lettuce, Pico de Gallo, and Salsa

[yelah250]

Make sure you get corn tortillas and fry them up fresh. Mmmm

[petrichor14]

We usually end up with at least one meatless meal a week- it hasn't really been a goal but it's just been working out that way.

Some ideas (I don't do tofu or any kind of fake meat either):

-veggie pasta (one of my favorites: a jar of artichokes, can of tomatoes or half a jar of tomato sauce, garlic, spinach, red pepper flakes. Just sautee in a little olive oil until stuff is cooked and serve over penne or rigatoni, with parmesan or grated asiago (my favorite) on top)

-veggie stir fry (whatever veggies you like, sauteed with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, maybe sesame oil if I have it; served over rice)

- quesadillas (with sauteed veggies in them, or just plain cheese- topped with salsa and cubed avocado or guacamole for good healthy fat)

- any kind of curry, if you like that sort of thing, is good with just veggies. I did an Indian curry last night (kind of korma-ish) with zucchini, carrots, and cauliflower, made with coconut milk so it was even vegan. I also like to do a thai-style curry when I can get to the asian market and get curry paste.

-veggie pancakes/fritters. I've been making these a lot lately. Shred various veggies with the big holes of a box grater and mix with a little egg, a little flour, a splash of milk, and whatever seasoning you like (I've done them indian style with curry and onion, and more italian-ish with parmesan cheese and herbs.) Drop spoonfuls into a hot pan with olive oil or butter, flatten with a spatula, and fry until crisp. A good dipping sauce for these is some plain greek yogurt with a little lemon juice, a bit of garlic, and a pinch of salt mixed in.

I'll post more when I think of them.

[petrichor14]

Oh, and ratatouille. That one is cheap and you can get a lot out of it. We had it last week, over cheesy polenta two nights and pasta on the third.

[hullabalou]

We try and do at least one meatless meal a week. Usually it is a soup (Taco soup with extra beans and no beef, tomato soup and grilled cheese, broccoli cheese soup, etc.) or a simple casserole (broccoli/cheese/rice is a good one!).

[shopgirl]

Most of my meals are meatless, and I eat very little soy or tofu, so it can be done fairly easily. Like others have mentioned, we do a lot of beans, quinoa, lentils, etc. We used to eat a lot of nuts, as well (cashew cream sauce for example) but DS has nut allergies, so that is a no-go for us. I really recommend recipes from ohsheglows.com, minimalistbaker.com and chefchloe.com (these are not only meatless but vegan, but most of them could be made with dairy, too).

[tla0623]

Oh yeah!!! An easy one at my house also is breakfast!!! Veggie omelets or scrambles with hashbrowns! MMMmmmMM

[meggos1988]

Veggie chili!

[mrsgeyser]

I love to make my own pizzas - the pillsbury dough in the tube is delicious! Just unroll it, throw on a cookie sheet, add toppings and cook for a few minutes! Yum! I love it with pesto as the 'sauce' green olives, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella can add chicken too...or skip for meatless!

[kasiaskis]

I like using green lentils in dishes that would normally have ground beef, like taco filling, spaghetti sauce, shepherds pie, or veggie burgers. Lentils are very versatile (and cheap) and there are tons of good recipes online. I usually just google what I want to make and pick the recipe with the most positive reviews.

Also, try some Indian dishes. Definitely my favorite veg cuisine. Chana masala (chickpeas) or dal (lentils) are both delicious and pretty simple to make.

[andindria]

Spinach Cheese Tortellini!!

I was trying to find a way to incorporate spinach into DS's diet and found this gem. Good Stuff

[Nittany]

You've already got a good bunch of ideas here but I have to chime in. We are meatless a LOT around here.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Pizza
Quesadillas
Baked potato soup
Brinner (eggs and pancakes for example)
Mac n cheese
Meatless lasagna
spaghetti (or maybe with pesto sauce)
Fetticine Alfredo
Cheese ravioli
Homemade calzone
Pasta e Fagioli (soup)
Chili
Stir fry
Veggie kabobs

[Nittany]

I'll share what I do for the baked potato soup:

In a large pot or crock pot start with a bag of frozen hash browns (the diced kind)
Add a box of chicken broth and some minced onion
Simmer until the potatoes are soft
Add a block of cream cheese, a good splash of milk, and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Once it heats through and melts together you're good to go
Top with bacon bits or more shredded cheese if you want

[wineandcake]

I wish DH would agree to this, if I make something without meat he's asking me why I forgot half our dinner lol. I would be happy to live as a vegetarian most of the time.

Everyone has had great suggestions. I love grilled cheese and soup night. We usually add black beans, corn, and rice to our tomato soup to make it a bit more filling.

A big salad with hard boiled eggs as protein is always good too.

Pasta with sauce and veggies is an easy go to.

Bean burritos, taco salad, and breakfast for dinner are fast and always tasty.

[mtsue]

Veggie or eggplant lasagna is a good option. My favorite meatless dish is also one of my go tos - a bastardized version of huevos rancheros. For two people I broil 4 corn tortillas with cheese on top until the cheese is melty. Then top with eggs - we like over easy - warmed up black beans, and salsa! Sometimes I'll add sautéed zucchini or squash or fresh tomatoes or avocado. We love it and it's ready in 10 minutes tops.

[teresawe]

In the winter I tend to pick fattening heavy dishes like Fettucine Alfredo with sauce made from scratch. A nice big salad on the side and a green veggie like broccoli helps lighten the dish.
In the summer, when garden fresh tomatoes are ripe I make a quick pomodoro sauce and pour it over angel hair pasta with fresh grated parmesan romano cheese.

[rach]

DH thinks a meal isn't possible without meat. He eats so much food without meat (even if the meatless option has protein and fiber) that I have mostly stopped pushing the option with him. DH does eat at work a few days per week so the kids and I usually eat meatless on those nights.

Our standbys:
crockpot soup (it makes a lot of leftovers. If we do something like potato soup, I add some ham or bacon to convince DH to eat it later in the week)
quesadillas
pasta
quiche

We make "fried" quinoa instead of fried rice (Poor DD1 is allergic to rice). You can add whatever you have on hand. Even if you add meat to it, you would use way less than a normal meal.

[sepiamoon]

There is a blog that I really enjoy that is called budgetbytes.com and she has a whole section on meatless/vegetarian meals. Lots of stuff that subs lentils for ground beef.

Around here we do red beans and rice with a veggie, black bean burritos, or egg dishes.

[petrichor14]

Jan 19, 2015 22:49:22 GMT -5 @wafflesfriendswork said:

Baked ziti with roasted eggplant YUMMMM

If I suggested this to DH I would get this response

I am watching Parks & Rec right now and that scene literally just came on.

"Food and Stuff. It's where I buy all my food... and most of my stuff!

[mollykinnz]

Jan 19, 2015 17:51:47 GMT -5 mrsgeyser said:

I love to make my own pizzas - the pillsbury dough in the tube is delicious! Just unroll it, throw on a cookie sheet, add toppings and cook for a few minutes! Yum! I love it with pesto as the 'sauce' green olives, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella can add chicken too...or skip for meatless!+



Stuck in the box!!

+1 for this. I use pitas for my pizzas, throw on some sauce, cheese and a whole bunch of veggies. You don't even miss the meat on it! It's so quick and easy!

[mollykinnz]

www.skinnytaste.com/2014/01/spaghetti-squash-primavera.html

(we can post links right? I didn't see anything about not being able to)

This is also really, really cool. Especially on a cold day!

[mollykinnz]

Even better - here is Skinny Taste's entire Meatless Monday collection!! I love her recipes, they are quick and easy and taste good
I did weight watchers a few years ago and I used a lot of her recipes.

DH is a big time meat and potatoes kind of guy and he enjoys a lot of the meatless recipes from her site.

Portobello mushroom burgers & zucchini fries are a good choice too!!

www.skinnytaste.com/2007/07/vegetarian-recipes.html

[lovemyirishtwins]

This is one of my favorites and my kids. My 2 year old cannot get enough of this! It is a black bean quinoa enchilada dish.

www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/#_a5y_p=1245759

[slurpeelove]

Thanks for all the responses guys! My meatless ziti went over well last night, except it gave my DH heartburn. Oops!

[mehlaknee]

I love food.

[rachacre]

My go-to recipe is a marinated portobello burger. I made it last week without the "burger" part and just served it with rice and a veggie. Look it up and you can find all kinds. There's a reuben one that is great. I cannot remember it off the top of my head but the recipe is at home. One that I make most often is marinated in just olive oil, worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. There's so many!

[kathol]

I love this idea so much.... It just wouldn't blow over with my guys.