Need Vegetarian Entree Options for a Few Nights

Black bean and veggie tacos! Cook onion and bell peppers (you can even buy them in the frozen bags), drain, rinse and heat the beans, can of corn, offer shredded cheese, and PRESTO! Super easy and yummy. We love it and we are not vegetarians!

I LOVE squash ravioli also!!

vegetarian baked ziti is super easy, yummy, and also inexpensive.

You need 1 box ziti noodles, 1 jar spaghetti sauce, 1 16oz tub ricotta cheese, 2 cups shredded mozzerella and some italian herbs and parmesean. Preheat oven to 375. Cook the ziti noodles, mix the spaghetti sauce and ricotta cheese together while the noodles cook. Drain the noodles and mix them in with the spaghetti sauce and ricotta and then put into a 9x13 baking pan. Top it with the shredded mozzerella, a bit of italian seasonings and a bit of parmesean cheese. Cook for 30 minutes; the top should be a golden brown. It will easily serve 6-8 people. Add some garlic bread and a salad, and you are all set.

Cheese quesedas

Breakfast, pancakes, waffles, cheese omelets

Egg salad

Tuna salad

Tuna casserole- Cream of mushroom soup, Tuna and mac n cheese ..

pasta primavera full of veggies!

Paninis! Thick crusty bread +
- fresh mozz, tomato, basil, spinach, roasted red pepper, purple onion.
- Pear, bleu cheese, caramelized onions
- cucumber, cream cheese, onion, capers (lox if fish is allowed)

Shish ka bab, dolmades, bulgar wheat (chicken stick, onion, garlic)

Quiche & watermelon Gaspacho or hot zucchini soup

Burritos

Pizza or calzones

Pasta
- Caccio el Pepe + Canneloni beans/olive oil/ baguette slices + Capresé salad
(Boil pasta, leave about 1/4 cup pasta water, SMOTHER in fresh slices parm & cracked pepper

- Fettucini Alfredo w broccoli & tomato

- Pesto & tomato

- Marinara (Ive stuffed button mushrooms for veggie "meatballs" before.

Manicotti or Canneloni or shells + leftover soup +bruschetta
Chiles Relenos

Stuffed peppers

Stuffed mushrooms

Tuna stuffed tomatoes

Baked Potatoes

Saute red onion, carrots, and zucchini in olive oil. Add a can of tomatoes and simmer a couple of minutes. Then add rinsed drained garbanzo beans and heat through. If your family likes it, add a little curry powder. Serve over couscous or rice. The entire dish takes about 20 minutes from when you start chopping until when it goes on the table.

Well I'm Eastern Orthodox so I feel you! ;) For lunches I would keep some hummus, nice crusty bread (Whole Foods has a killer olive bread), peanut butter, apples, fruits, veggies, etc. Those are easy to snack on and make a quick veggie sandwich from. A cold pasta salad is also a good idea for lunch.

You have a lot of good ideas for heartier meals too. Chili, pasta, lasagna, etc. are all good ideas.

Also you can get some portobello mushrooms and marinate them and then grill or just pan fry them. You can serve that with some rice or cous cous and a nice salad and that's a good dinner too.

Recently I came across a PBS show called the Jazzy Vegetarian. Her website is very user friendly with lots of pictures. You have a lot of ideas already and you only need a few meals, but you might want to check it out!

I love to make chili with tons of different types of beans. That is usually a huge hit with my veggie and vegan friends. I also love to make a cold pasta salad with tons of veggies and a nice crusty bread to go alongside it. Stir fry is always a hit for us as is anything thrown in a soup.

Hope all goes well. :)

Cheese ravioli or tortellini in marinara sauce with salad - just look for them in the fresh pasta area

Baked mosticolli is good. pasta sauce and if they eat cheese then put mozzarella on top and bake it.

eggplant parm is also good.

baked mac and cheese

we do taco's made of mashed garbonzo beans. really yummy or you can make rice and bean burritos

Baked eggplant w sauce and mozz.

Lasagna - use ricotta filling, and add a creamy white sauce between the layers with the red sauce. Yummy. Garlic bread and salad. You can make ahead and pop in the oven later.

Pasta salads with lots of fresh blanched veggies and cheese and your favorite salad dressings

Veggie curry with brown rice

Found this site - some of these look yummy and will make it onto my table :)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/23-tasty-vegetaria...

stire fry - brown rice, pinapple, broccoli,

You can do a delicious stir fry with tofu instead of meat. Buy the extra firm that comes precubed, and throw it in AFTER you stir-fry your veggies, as it really only takes a few minutes to heat it and any more ruins the texture. Serve over rice with soy sauce, hoisin, or whatever you like with stirfry!

Some sort of cheesy potato soup also comes to mind.

Well since it is friday, they can have fish or shrimp tonight..

But they can eat meat for the rest of the week unless they gave up meat for lent.

Cheese enchiladas with Mexican rice

Vegetarian chili

Veggie Lasagna/ spinach Lasagna

Fettuccine with Alfredo sauce

Omelets

Tuna sandwiches

Veggie fried rice or shrimp fried rice

Cheese pizza or veggie Pizza
Stuffed cabbage rolls with cooked rice, shredded zucchini, carrots and onions. Top with a bit of tomato sauce.

Pasta - noodles, ravioli, gnocchi (close enough)

I generally think that no meat pasta is better than with meat.

Toppings:
Pesto
tomato sauce
cheese (ala mac & cheese)
veggie lasagna (butternut squash is a great addition)
garlic, olive oil, and pepperoncini, grated parmigiano
sauteed greens in garlic, oil, and some chili pepper flakes, grated parm
fresh sage, olive oil, garlic, grated parm
can good tuna, garlic, chile pepper flakes

My dilemma is generally what can we eat that isn't pasta?

Veggie lasagna, plenty of good recipes for it on the net. Meatless spaghetti with sauce full of mushrooms to make up for the lack of meat.

Black Bean quesadilla casserole.

Basically lightly mash black beans, and layer tortillas, black beans, cheese, salsa and corn and bake 20-30 min.

Today, I stir fried a frozen bag of green beans/cauliflower/peas in garlic sauce. I added organic spinach to the mix. Then, I added organic corn.

I made a pot of noodles and mixed in a tad of organic olive oil, basil and oregano, pepper and salt.

I poured all the veggies w/ garlic sauce over the noodles and topped it off w/ grated cheese.

Black Bean quesadillas...

There are many versions, but this is a very simple one... I use cojack cheese instead of Monterey Jack cheese...

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_quesadillas....

Eggplant parmesean
Some Walmarts sell soyrizo - a very tasty meat substitute that you can incorporate into tacos and burritos
There are also some very good brands of meatless hot dogs and burgers - like Morningstar or Boca burgers.
Good old tomato soup with grilled cheese (comfort food!)

One of our quick easy favs is penne pasta, al dente, with a little pesto, spinach or broccoli, and grated Parmesan cheese. Believe it or not, it is filling and satisfying.

Maybe a fancy veggie pasta with pesto or alfredo sauce?

veggie quesadillas- zucchini, squash, onion, Monterrey Jack cheese served with spanish rice, guacamole, sour cream and salsa

tofu (if they like it) or just plain veggie curry/stir fry depending on which you like more. You can buy coconut milk and curry at the grocery store or stir fry sauce (orange-ginger, teriyaki, sweet and sour etc)

A baked potato bar , I did this once for a party I had but it was not a meat-free dinner but I guess you could offer different types of toppings including (but not limited to)- mac n cheese, broccoli, sour cream, chives, sauteed onions/mushrooms, fried okra, gravies?

I find that the farther I get from "American" food the less meat I have to include with my meals.

try a lebanese feast:
falafel (you can buy a mix)
hummus (easy to make or buy)
Pitas
olives,
vegetarian dolmas (if they have them where you live, I think Trader Joes carries some)
and make some tabbouli.

Or you can do some comfort food: grilled cheese sandwiches, good veg soup and a salad

Taco night - saute some tempeh or tofu and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Use for taco filling (I use corn tortillas), lay out some chopped cilantro, chopped onion, and salsa. Make some guacamole and put out with chips.