Vegetarian Meal Ideas

My 18 yr old daughter is vegetarian, so I have had to get creative on meat substitutes.

A favorite that we ALL eat is vegetarian tacos. I dice potatoes and fry them a bit, then add a jar of salsa and let it simmer for a while. Make some spanish rice but substitue quinoa for the rice as it has more protein and heat up some pinto beans. We stuff tortillas with the potatoes, rice, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, tomato, a bit of sour cream and beans on the side...SO YUMMY!! You don't even miss the meat.

I also substitue potatoes for chicken in teriyaki and again use the quinoa in place of rice.

We eat a lot of pasta with a ton of vegetables in stead of meat balls.

Also vegetable stir fry is really good and we don't miss the meat there either.

Good luck!!

We eat a ton of this recipe. Our baby and 3 year old love it too!
www.weelicious.com

Indian Lentils (Serves 4-6)

1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Garlic Clove, grated
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Shallot, minced
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste (mixed with 3 Tbsp Water)
1 1/4 Cups Green Lentils
1 Cup Green Beans, chopped
1 Cup Carrots, cut into coins
1 1/2 Cups Kale, shredded (I used Dinosaur Kale)
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the shallots over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Add the spice mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated.
5. Add the lentils and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes.
6. Add the vegetables, salt and cilantro and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender.
7. Serve.

This may sound weird, but have you tried chili made with lentils instead of meat? You can cook the lentils first and then add the other ingredients, or if you want to dump everything in at once, be sure to add enough water for the lentils to absorb while they cook.

Where are you? If you mean that american meat tastes yucky, you might try buying grass-fed organic beef, it does have a different, richer flavor. If you mean that the meat tastes bad where you are, It might be because they feed the animals differently (Americans feed our beef cows corn, which they were not meant to eat from an evolutionary standpoint, but it makes them fatter and ready for slaughter in a "more efficient" timeframe.)

For you and your husband: Steam some broccoli and / or asparagus, toast some bread or boil potatoes and get some baked tofu, chop and brown it in a pan. You can also get regular tofu (I suggest extra firm) and add seasoning to it. I use a taco seasoning from Bearitos. The process is the same, brown it in a pan.

For your 5 month old I suggest you Google "vegetarian for babies" and read up on the info to make sure he'll be getting the vitamins and nutrients he needs.

We have lots of free recipes on our blog. All are vegetarian. www.welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com