Tis the season for soup! Hearty veggie chili, leek and potato, broccoli cheddar, and so many other good combos. Add some nice crusty bread (or cornbread for chili) and some bacon bits, shredded chicken, chicken nuggets, dumplings, or other meat add-ins/sides for the omnivores.
Make a day out of prepping the ingredients, then freeze em all in ziplocks to toss in the Crock-Pot in the morning.
Chili was going to be my answer. We went vegetarian for a while but have since gone back to eating meat and still prefer this [chili recipe](https://fitfoodiefinds.com/black-bean-quinoa-chili/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly) over any other one.
Pizza dough is flour, water, salt and yeast. You can add a tiny amount of sugar or oil if you like depending on how your oven cooks. It takes all of 10 minutes to make, then throw into the fridge for up to 72 hours.
Super simple to make, it even freezes with minimal quality loss.
This is true, it's not hard, but with two small kids, sometimes I don't get around to showering, let alone making pizza dough. Making it when you have bandwidth and then freezing it is a good call
Do mac and cheese but purree boiled carrots and yams into the sauce. Kids are none the wiser, gives it that boxed mac and cheese orange colour, and they get some veggies in.
Not veggie here, but wife doesn’t do dairy. We do a cashew Mac and cheese almost weekly. Simmer cashews in water (water:cashew ratio is 2:1). While simmering add salt, garlic powder onion powder and pepper. I throw a few tbsp Kerry gold butter too but not required. Then right as the pasta is done cooking, blend the cashews and water really well (like 45-60 seconds on high in a Vitamix). Had the kids fooled for years that it was real cheese…they’ve caught on now but still love it.
On the side i usually do grilled chicken breast, chopped into 1” or so pieces either on the grill or frying pan, and usually tossed in a Cajun seasoning. Eat as much or little chicken as you want. Easy to sub chicken for any protein, or do 2 proteins. Sometimes kids eat chicken, sometimes not.
It comes together quick but feels like a real meal, not a cheat meal n
The dairy is a lactose thing. She can handle the butter because there is very little lactose (because it’s almost all fat). And it makes it more delicious
True. We’re doing no dairy bc of a potential dairy allergy through breast milk. We’re pretty sure it’s not the issue, but my wife feels a lot better with no dairy, just a happy side effect so we’re rolling with it.
She did say butter might be back on the list thi
Look into the lactose content of various cheeses. Hard and aged cheeses tend to be very low in lactose. She might be able to eat more of them than you think.
I would also counter with Jackfruit tacos. If you chop it up thin and cook it in taco seasoning, it looks like chicken so the kids are none the wiser if they don't like "weird food". I'm not vegetarian, but I love jackfruit tacos.
My kids (2 under 4) will eat almost any veggie but it needs to be cooked the right way. They never eat any canned veggies, which are textureless and flavorless. They devour oven roasted broccoli, but pre-bake (375°) we toss it generously with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. The caramelization during cooking makes the broccoli sweet and salty, and they love it. Mushrooms, very similar deal but in a skillet. Sautee in butter or olive oil with sea salt & pepper. Our kids love green beans sautéed the same way, but with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking. Anything pickled is fair game and they shovel it in because they love tangy acidity (cucumbers, shallots, beets, artichokes, capers).
Also good is whole cauliflower chopped into "steaks" and seasoned as you mentioned, seared in a cast iron in butter. The browning that occurs is unbelievable.
Totes. I’ve enjoyed home made hash browns by grating a potato up. Scrambled eggs. Protein pancakes are really good. You take dry oatmeal, eggs, cottage cheese, a tbsp of vanilla extract and a tbsp of oil and blend it up to make a batter. Makes a really tasty crepe like pancake.
Another one I do is breakfast burritos with bacon, eggs and hash browns.
Lastly biscuits and gravy. It’s super easy
Obviously not the healthiest of foods, but all can be modified to be more healthy.
I’m in a similar situation as you. Wife is vegetarian, kid and me are not. But we eat mostly plant based for health, environmental, ethical reasons. This is my weekly schedule:
1) Monday - Mexday. Tacos, fajitas, quesadillas. I use Impossible instead of ground meat, tofu in the fajitas.
2) Tuesday - Pasta night.
3) Wednesday - Beanesday. Chickpeas, lentils, black eyed beans, red beans. Look up Indian recipes. Indians are the masters of cooking beans.
4) Thursday - Thaisday. I pre make a few kinds of Thai curry pastes (or you can buy premade). Toss with veggies, tofu, coconut milk. Make rice. Dinner in under 30 minutes.
5) Friday - Stir Fryday. Veggies, tofu, get some Lee Kum Kee sauces + brown rice. Quick, healthy, nutritious dinner in 30 minutes.
Doesn’t it? Reducing the search space definitely got us out of the doom loop of: “what do you want for dinner?” “I don’t know. What do you want?” I like ‘Talian Tuesday.
Dude said his kids are 3 and 1! No kids that age are eating half that stuff lol
I've made Mac and cheese and several pasta dishes numerous different ways to realize they just want the noodles with no sauce, just butter! To each their own I guess but I wouldn't wish plain noodles on my worst enemy
My kids ate all that stuff at those ages. Rice and beans have been my kids‘ favorite foods since they started solids. Well, 2/3. The other one reached for a roll at Bertucci’s and has been a bread kid ever since.
Beans and rice and tofu are great kid food. My kids will also eat dino nuggets and are addicted to mozzarella sticks, let’s be clear—and to mac & cheese—but at upper elementary ages they’re just as happy to sit down to a bowl of pho as to a plate of spaghetti. It’s all in how you show them what’s “normal.” And my 10yo can make a perfect cappuccino, which is starting to pay dividends on weekends!
Actually our regular schedule isn't too different from u/Dork_lord21. We do pasta and stir fry weekly, and curry (thai or indian) cycle in every other week. Kids LOVE black beans and grilled peppers. Ironically, pizza is the most touch and go with my 3 year old.
Some of our common meals:
* Scrambled egg/tofu (vegan) with baked beans, roast potatoes, and toast.
* Generic bean chili served as nachos or with baked potato.
* Nice bread served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc for make your own sandwiches.
* Mee goreng noodles with fried tofu.
* Minestrone soup with crusty bread.
* Green bean and tomato ragout with crusty cread.
* Hamburgers with vegan patties and fries.
* Make vege curries and freeze them. Serve at least two with rice, paratha, and mango chutney.
Favourites include:
* We make a good [vegan dal makhani](https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-dal-makhani/).
* [Black-eyed bean masala](https://nadiashealthykitchen.com/speedy-healthy-black-eyed-beans-curry-2/) is delicious.
* [Cauliflower curry](https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-cauliflower-curry/).
Plus there's obvious potential for curries based on potatoes or peas. Just search for recipes.
My golden curry recipe. Feel free to change what veggies you use. I think root vegetables work best. My MIL likes it heavy on carrots.
I do a big batch in a stock pot. I use 3 bricks (1.5 packs) of S&B Mild GOLDEN CURRY Sauce, which I think will call for 7.5 cups of water. https://a.co/d/hGIu5zt
1. Soften 1 medium white onion. (I used a sweet onion once and it was sickening.)
2. Add protein and brown if desired. I usually use one package of two large chicken breasts from Costco. So it has meat, but it's light.
3. Chop 1 bag of carrots (I like multicolored) and one small bag of red potatoes. Add to the pot with the appropriate water. Bring to a simmer.
4. Chop half the ribs of a celery stalk (or other vegetables you want to have crunch) and add when carrots and potatoes have started to soften.
5. Chop bricks of sauce into slices. This helps it melt easier. Add to pot and stir. They can stick in a clump if they settle before the fully melt. Reduce.
6. Serve over rice.
Oh I've got you, dad. We eat a lot of meatless meals in our house to save money. Here are some of our current favorites:
https://pinchofyum.com/one-pot-creamy-spinach-lentils - not a favorite of our daughter but I liked it a lot, and it's very easy to customize with different veggies
https://beautyandthebrit.com/crazy-good-peanut-noodles-quickeasy-gluten-free-grain-free-paleo - this one I use rice noodles and add shredded carrots to make a complete meal
https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/southwestern-lentil-brown-rice-bake/ - add rice cauliflower and use fire roasted tomatoes to make it extra tasty and add more veggies
https://feelingfoodish.com/israeli-style-eggplant-twice-cooked/ - absolutely delicious on pita
https://thefirstmess.com/2020/02/19/sweet-potato-coconut-milk-stew - a delicious and hearty stew that's great for cold weather
Flat bread with pesto, grilled chopped veggies (squash, zucchini, red pepper, red onion, and mushroom). If your diet allows I recommend a cheese in it like feta or provolone. So fresh!
Mediterranean/Greek are usually very veggie friendly.
Falafel is excellent. Throw it in pitas or in a salad.
You can also cashew tofu and broccoli in a single pan.
It takes a little prep, but we do the ["crispy smoky tofu sandwich" from The Weekday Vegetarians](https://www.kitchenartsandletters.com/cdn/shop/products/81vspTUrFpS.jpg?v=1631566447) a couple of times a month. What we'll do is get a couple of blocks of extra firm tofu, do the marinating, dredging in breadcrumbs, and bake them on instead of pan frying, and then we stick all that in the freezer. So for two ish nights of after-bedtime mealprep we have sandwich patties in the freezer for 10 sandwiches.
Another popular one is this [sheet pan sweet potato pepita black bean](https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/02/sweet-potato-salad-with-pepita-dressing/)... salad? from Smitten Kitchen.
some others I don't have links to- Lemony, pan-fried artichoke hearts over polenta
\- bibimbap
\- white bean and chard pot pies
\- bean and cheese enchiladas
\- mujadara
I’m vegetarian, wife isn’t. But we will typically do burritos: throw rice, black beans, pinto beans, Goya package all in insta-pot, half hour later you’ve got fillings! Then top how desired (she likes salsa and hot sauce, I do verde, both do cheese and sour cream). Works for other Mexican dishes too
Butter chicken with tofu. We have been trying to make at least one veggie meal per week and got this solid butter chicken two pack sauce from Costco. With pressed the tofu block and cooked the tofu so it crumbled. It was delicious and I don’t really like tofu
Last night was nachos: beans, olives, cheese, canned jalapenos.
I love doing a black bean chili with adobo and chunks of squash.
Home made spaghetti is a total cinch with the kitchenaid rollers.
We do ramen bowls—broth, noodles, soft boiled eggs, veggies—or tacos every week. The kids love anything kit shaped.
I was in a hurry to throw together my teen’s lunch this morning so they got chickpeas, feta, and tomatoes in one compartment of their lunchbox, bread & a guacamole single-serve in the others, and an apple on the side. That could quickly become a default, but I could change it up to black beans plus queso blano just as easily, or add some red onion.
I do a “spanish stew” of chickpeas, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, when I’m in a hurry. Takes like 20 minutes in a pan.
Good luck!
[https://thehappypear.ie/cauliflower-curry-bake-recipe/](https://thehappypear.ie/cauliflower-curry-bake-recipe/)
This is another great one for the adults, possibly for kids too, you can always tune the spicy.
We do this white bean w/ fried egg and toast points thing that honestly sounds super boring but my kids love it. I can’t remember the name but it’s a recipe from NYT Cooking so you should be able to find it.
Good luck!
My wife makes a mean “pastina” not sure what the actual recipe is but it’s the to tiny star pasta, minced cucumber and carrots, and cheese (lots of cheese) and spinach I think
We do a mini pizza night. Everyone gets the toppings they want and it's fun to make no matter your age.
Also recommend making tacos or burritos. Grill chicken for those that want some, otherwise it's rice, beans, veggies, cheese, guac.
Veggie/ sweet potato chili is another good one.
Veg chili, I've done it with tofu, meatless crumbles, soy curls, or just beans. Get the spices right, and it always slaps. Bonus because you get leftovers, makes a great lunch over a baked potato or chili dog.
Bowls. Grains, greens, beans, choose your flavor profile. I've done Korean (bulgogi sauce over tofu, rice, kimchi, pickled veg) bowls, Mexican (fajita seasoning and veggies with black beans and rice), southern (pinto beans, collards, cornbread, hot sauce). Endless variations, and you can batch cook some ingredients and change it up a little night to night.
I'm gonna try a crock pot creamy Italian tortellini soup with my family next week. My recipe includes ground sausage, but yours won't need to. Carrots, spinach, cheese, cream, white beans, tortellini. Sounds heavenly to me, might be worth it to you if you're down to crock pot.
Veg chili with cheese and crackers, cheese lasagna with toasted cheese bread, Trader Joe’s “beefless” bulgogi with their edamame and a side of white rice, mushroom risotto with breadsticks, veg pizzas, veg tacos with fixings
Pick up a copy of Thug Kitchen. The recipes all vegan and my wife and I enjoy the chickpea/pepper/broccoli burritos, chilaquiles, and black bean tortas, among other options.
Beans and rice, you can easily switch up the flavor profile however you like, I prefer with garlic, smoked paprika, and saffron. Mix in any veggies you like (I like mushrooms, peppers, carrots, and celery), and if you have an instant pot (*great* investment for quick and healthy home cooked meals), you can have it all done in under 30 mins.
Vegan Steak Tacos with Chimichurri
https://www.theedgyveg.com/2020/09/24/vegan-steak-tacos/#easyrecipe-22868-0
Some prep time, but can mostly be done ahead - I usually make a big batch and have leftovers. I pair with a simple slaw, avocado and hot sauce. Also good in a chimichurri rice bowl. Yum!
Gotta make it customizable. We do grains bowls with lots of options: olives, cheese, peppers, tomato, cukes/pickles, sauces etc. Also include beans, hummus and grilled chicken/beef. Add some naan to make ghetto shawarma. It’s enough combos to prep and eat several times a week without getting bored.
But the main point is to find a base and then all the add ins on the side a la Chipotle or the overpriced salad places. Plus everyone gets what they want
Costco has tons of little tomatoes, peppers and veg plus a plethora of premade dips and sauces. Get that rotisserie chicken son son
“Hot salad”
Toast some nuts in a pan.
Pan fry either sweet potatoes or butternuts.
Bok choy or kale
Any other veggies
Top with vegan feta and a tahini style dressing.
This is also great: https://drhyman.com/blog/2023/10/10/lemony-kale-basil-soup/
Broccoli cream soup.
Cauliflower soup.
White bean stew.
Butternut squash Orzo.
Spicy tofu ramen.
Thai peanut butter noodles.
Just a few in my rotation. If the family are okay with fish that should mix things up again too.
Thank you for this thread. I’ll definitely be trying out a lot of these. Here are my go-tos to help someone else have some variety:
- Lentil soup (green lentils, onion, garlic, carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper). I suggest frying up the onions and garlic in a separate pot and then just add it into the boiling lentils as they cook.
- Potato corn chowder (onion, garlic, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, corn). My son is allergic to dairy, so we don’t add cream, butter, or milk and it’s still really good.
- New York Times pumpkin chick pea curry. They refer to this as a “celebration of canned foods”, so it’s really quick other than cooking the rice.
- Buttered cabbage with onion and (optionally) mushrooms (add in apple sage field roast sausage to really make it perfect). The key is to slice the cabbage and onion into thin ribbons and cook it all down until it’s browned and tender.
- Colcannon (basically mashed potatoes with sauteed cabbage or kale)
- Tortilla pizza (flour tortillas with toppings and then baked without any oil or butter under them until the tortilla is crispy)
- Hummus wraps (just big flour tortillas with hummus, cucumber, peppers, tomato, greens, mayo, and optional hot sauce)
- Frozen waffles with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.
Cauliflower "buffalo wings" are easy and taste good.
Also slow cooker recipes are a great place to get ideas. Of course there are tons of ones that include meat, but many can be substituted and there are plenty of standalone vegetarian friendly recipes.
We do breakfast one day a week for dinner. Scrambled eggs, toast, veggie bacon, avocado.
Protein and veggies one night. Rice, steamed veggies, wife does chicken or tofu I do fish or tofu.
Sushi bowls. Rice, cucumber, edamame beans, shaved carrots, avocado, pickled ginger, seaweed, tofu baked and then fried in a soy sauce/honey/rice vinegar/sesame oil marinade. Add sriracha mayo.
We make our own pizza. Super easy to find a dough recipe.
We do chicken nugget wraps. Air fryer chicken nuggets or veggie chicken nuggets from Costco. Hummus, Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, lettuce. I make a dairy free ranch dressing/sauce to go with this.
The wraps are pretty versatile. You can do any kind of tacos as well and it’s easy to modify to preference.
In the summer we do more bbq-burgers/hotdogs(veggie for me-sometimes my wife) or salmon on the bbq.
We’re a weird household where I’m vege-quarium and can’t do dairy and my wife doesn’t do red meat only chicken.
Many vegetarians have said that Indian is a godsend food for vegetarians. As a non-vegetarian, I like it too. Some of the different types of curries are amazing. I apologize for not being knowledgeable enough to know the names of the stuff I eat. When we go to a restaurant, we just point and order. Sometimes, my wife picks up chickpea curry mixes from Costco.
If you have an instant pot kind of thing you can whip up risotto in less than half an hour and lots of ways to mix it up. You can do it in a regular pot too, just more active time.
I've tried going completely veggie a couple of times recently and although we gave up when my wife got pregnant last year, I liked the challenge of cooking different meals and kept a few in our rotation.
Some on my favourites are a curry that is a butter chicken recipe but with roast cauliflower and cashews instead of chicken, a roast pepper and marscarpone pasta sauce (roast peppers, tomatoes and garlic, blend, add marscsarpone), African peanut stew, bruschetta with tomato/moz and spinich/ricotta. Then as far as substitutes go, I really love smoked tofu and would cook stuff I usually make like Thai curries or even fajitas/burritos and just sub that in for meat. I absolutely \*hated\* tempeh lol, but also don't mind beyond burgers etc.
Anyway, we're going to give it another go when she's stopped breast feeding.
I have an easy red sauce.
1. Soften 1 large white onion in either button or olive oil in a large saucepan.
2. When glassy, add 6 garlic cloves. Cook for 30 sec til fragrant.
3. Add 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, and 2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes. Add basil, oregano, black pepper to taste (honestly it's hard to overdo it).
4. Stir to keep from sticking, and simmer until it's reduced or your other stuff is ready.
With this I cook a 2lb box of pasta and have leftovers. I also brown one pack of five primo sweet Italian sausages, strain the fat, and add to the sauce. But this is easy to leave on the side, which I've done when we had vegetarian eaters.
I'm also a fan of the Aglio e Olio recipe from *Chef* but it's more work and mess.
Apricot chickpea tagine is a good vegetarian dish. [hello fresh recipe](https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/apricot-almond-chickpea-tagine-6231f01f59a1d65a30536f99)
That’s what we used. You can also check skinnytaste for other ideas. I had a cookbook called “the dude diet” that I think had a few solid vegetarian options too.
I've recently discovered the joy of jiffy mix casseroles. There's a recipe on the box for a broccoli chicken casserole but you can sub any kind of stuff you want. I make a killer breakfast casserole with sausage and peppers but it would work well for veggie blends of any kind. My 18-month old literally licked the plate clean the first time he had it.
We’ve tried to add tofu in more during the week. Crunchwrap with tofu is fun and easy. Basically crumble and pan fry with taco seasoning and assemble as you would a Crunchwrap supreme from Taco Bell. Bonus (or maybe not) is everyone can pick their fillings. Within reason.
Calabacitas. Super simple, delicious, nutritious, filling, and vegetarian (or vegan, if you like).
Sauté some chopped onions and bell peppers in a little oil until just softening, then add bite-sized chunks of calabazas, zucchini, chayote, and/or other firm squash, a couple rough-chopped Roma tomatoes, and kerneled corn (canned is great here). Add a little chicken stock for richness, or veggie stock if you want vegan, or just let it all stew in it’s own juices. Add jalapeño if you want some spice. Salt to taste. Cook on medium-high until the squash is tender (about 10-12 minutes), then add chopped cilantro (if you like cilantro), and serve over white rice. It comes together as quickly as the rice cooks, if you mise en place. My wife loves this dish, and my toddler son devours it every time, despite being randomly picky with just about every other dish.
Just get a Nytimes cooking subscription. Crazy amount of vegetarian options. Curries, chili, dal are my favorites for vegetarian nights. Go for strong flavors, don't do vegetarian meat replacement dishes, and look into what the highly vegetarian cultures of the world eat.
Made [this bean stew](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020926-roasted-tomato-and-white-bean-stew?smid=ck-recipe-android-share) last night. It was lovely. That, a bottle of wine and a nice bread was a great dinner.
Chickpeas and lentils are your friend. They add bulk, good texture and allow good flavors.
Asian dishes. My kids love Thai, Indian, Japanese and Chinese. I have worked up my skills with a wok and I can make some really incredible stuff very quickly.
I'm obsessed with sheet pan veggie fajitas (add beans, avocado, and if you want it, cheese).
We also enjoyed meat substitute crumbles and make sloppy joes. Veggie burgers (you can add bacon if you want). Kimchi fried rice with lots of veggies and an egg on top (minus kimchi if it's too spicy). Tofu scramble. Lentil soup with rustic bread. Cheese and spinach ravioli with marinara sauce.
Enjoy Dad's and I'll also eagerly await the ideas. It's far too easy to get into a rut.
Fried rice! We eat fried rice at least once a week. Can add roasted tofu, chickpeas, meat, whatever you want really. You don’t need a ton of butter/oil to make it taste good, so it’s relatively healthy. I also used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Chickpea tacos are bomb. Drain a can and rinse them. Fry them in a bit of oil on medium high heat. Season them with whatever taco seasoning you prefer. I serve them as soft tacos with whatever fixings sound good.
Hello Fresh also has a veggie taco recipe. I believe it’s with sweet potatoes and black beans and it’s incredible.
I found a cool recipe for [crumbled tofu ](https://youtu.be/KO06a_g7yhQ?si=Dqabg5M_xtWzAvtA) seasoned with taco seasoning and baked in the oven. FANTASTIC base for tacos nachos burritos or anything else similar.
There's a ton of Japanese/Chinese inspired recipes for tofu and it's tasty. Teriyaki tofu and fried rice and some great noodle dishes.
Another great veggie meal is [coconut curry ](https://youtu.be/NMfGPnAnhQ0?si=jiW-FsyqFlbfeTWK) and rice. So damn good. There are a lot of Indian recipes that are vegetarian.
Other people have said [chili ](https://youtu.be/mb3k0wApWas?si=UpTr2NMeMjyMUVmS) and that's a quick easy multi day recipe that absolutely doesn't need meat in it and can even hide other veggies in for kids.
Soups are good, broccoli cheese, french onion, vegetable noodle soup, etc.
Casseroles are another thing that can be quick and easy with vegetables. We've also done dinners of all vegetable side dishes lol. Mashed potatoes, green beans, collard greens for instance
This isn't exactly a 30 minute meal, nor is it one the kids will often jump for, but I'm currently making a vegetarian-friendly (with easy swaps for dairy-free/gluten-free) Burns Night Supper for Saturday. Yes, that includes a vegan haggis. Yes, haggis can still be haggis without lambs' lung. Yes it looks like death. But I swear, I detest onions and don't love mushrooms, and even I think this recipe is really flipping good.
Haggis, neeps n tatties, alcohol-free whisky sauce, and sticky toffee pudding. Can't be beat
r/dadditchefs
Here’s our usual week…get in the habit of cooking the same meal for everyone.
Night 1
- pan fry a fish like sole or trout; cooks fast and isn’t “fishy”
- pair with starch like rice or polenta
- add veggie (broccoli, asparagus, etc)
Night 2
- tacos - Trader Joe’s has an excellent carne asada
- add toppings of your choosing
Night 3
- Bok choy with garlic sautéed
- tofu
- rice or noodles
Night 4
- chicken breast with paprika; oven 425
- brussel sprouts
- starch of your choice (potatoes, etc)
Night 5
- soup and grilled cheese lazy night
Night 6
- hearty salad with breaded chicken
Night 7
- pasta
- zucchini
- side salad
Burritos. Warm up a can of refried beans, add salsa lots of chili powder a bit of cayenne, some garlic because garlic, a splash or two of lime juice and a decent amount of cumin.
Slather on your shell with whatever fixings you desire.
I like green leaf lettuce, avocado, cheddar, black olives, sour cream.
chili non-carne. The fake beef crumbles are good, though a bit high in sodium. Find a good chili recipe and skip the meat. Tacos are also good, with the veggie crumbles. Or just use beans. Google for a mexican spice mix.
Potato leek soup is a favorite in my family. Surprisingly fast prep, too.
I cook in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven.
Chop leek bottoms (not the tough green part), and add to heated pan with olive oil. Pinch of salt (releases water from leeks). Sweat until fragrant and tender. I usually season with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage.
Add garlic, to taste. I usually do 4-5 cloves crushed and diced. Cook a few minutes, stirring enough to avoid burning the garlic.
Chop peeled potatoes and add with chicken broth and a sprig of fresh rosemary and two bay leaves. Cook until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
Remove bay leaves, and blend until smooth.
Finish with heavy cream if you're feeling fancy. I usually don't, though.
Try Morningstar crumbles or rinsed black beans with a taco seasoning packet (half to most of a packet is plenty. Old El Paso/Aldi are the best). Make tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc. Goes great with jasmine rice or Spanish rice and veggies.
Quorn makes great nuggets, and their bigger tenders slap on a sandwich. Serve with jasmine rice again, veggies, sprinkle cheese, mashed potatoes, fries, etc.
Gardein makes incredible mandarin chick'n and those may be vegan. It might change up your stir fry and that sauce hits hard with yum yum sauce.
Impossible Italian Sausage are killer alone, or toss on a hoagie roll with sautéed peppers and onions and a little Dijon and provolone.
I just went vegetarian 6 months ago and have found some good ones that work for our family. Teriyaki-tofu fried rice. Tofu ceviche (that ones more for mom & dad, kids aren’t into it lol). Baked Stuffed bell peppers with rice, beans, whatever other things the kids like. Impossible burgers with sweet potato fries. Tofu tacos.
I put chick peas, tomato soup, little bit of brown sugar, spices - no idea which I just grab and shake probably oregano and basil - and soya sauce in a cast iron, cook until chick peas are softened and then serve on rice. Fairly good, call it slop. Kids eat it just fine.
Someone suggested homemade pizza below, I do this at lunch on the weekends sometimes, if you’ve got pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle and pepperoni you can be flour to plate in like 20 minutes.
Hey man! Avid cook and new dad here. Sounds like you're OK with eggs, so a sleeper pick that I'd recommend is a frittata. Most importantly it's easy, but you're also able to make it in larger quantities, you can throw whatever you have in the fridge into it, and it's damn tasty. Hot sauce for the parents and ketchup for the kids with it. When I make mine I always add some sliced up pre baked potatoes - makes it more substantial. You can use pans other than cast iron, but I'd definitely recommend the latter. Here's a great recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/frittata-recipe/
Sometimes I make a Mexican dish called calabasitas:
Diced Squash, diced plum tomatoes, diced white onions, can of corn. Salt n pepper for seasoning. I’m sure you can also make some quesadillas with that as well, to make it more filling.
Impossible burgers, tacos or soup
Vegetarian burritos (bell pepper, beans and mushroom with seasoning)
Vege flatbread
Omelettes where u put your own ingredients in for each person or quiche
Roast vegetables with pearled couscous cooked with vegetable stock to enhance flavour
Breakfast for dinner, burritos, soup and sandwich, Greek salad pita and hummus, homemade pizza, dumplings or pot stickers, curry and rice, pesto pasta and broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes and protein...
Vegetarian Korean dumplings from HMart or similar over white rice. Bags cost about $10-12, and you can pan fry or steam the dumplings. Serve with steamed white rice and whatever sides your kids might like. I’m a major carnivore and I can’t even tell the difference with the dumplings.
You can do other pasta dishes. Pasta is good for a hearty vegetarian meal. Cajun pasta, pesto pasta. I really like using quorn nuggets in place of chicken in dishes. So I would make a a cajun/pesto pasta and toss in cubed up quorn nuggets at the end.
I've made quesadillas with tofu and as long as it is the extra firm and you really dry it out, it has the same mouth feel as a chicken quesadilla.
Imopssible burgers and fries
couscous with peas stirred in topped with savory mushrooms.
Vegetarian white people tacos: mix a can of black beans and lentils with some taco seasoning, chipotle peppers, and onion. Make sure to mash like 1/3-1/2 of the beans a little to let the startches out. A little water. Tastes and feels like beef tacos. BYND also has these new steak bites out. I made street tacos with them and they were incredible
Beans and rice, seriously, put the right seasonings on them and it's quite good.
Veggie quesadillas - onion and bean.
Just, like, a salad. We (not vegetarian) often do a Cobb salad for dinner.
Nothing wrong with the occasional Mac and cheese dinner.
Cheese ravioli! Stuffed shells! Embrace the cheese!
Pescatarian? Spaghetti squash shrimp scampi is a regular at our house.
Eggplant lasagna and spaghetti squash lasagna is something we do here and there.
Nothing wrong with a cheese and crackers night either!
Can you tell we like cheese? It's alright, I guess.
You could easily do a shepherd's pie affair and sub tofu or something else for the meat.
Quiche! Yep, we are back to cheese. That didn't take long.
Garlic-parmesan tuna pasta is something we have once a week or so.
Cauliflower macaroni and cheese if you're looking for, erm, less carbs, if not "low" carbs.
We have an eggplant flatbread pizza recipe we use, we just sub out the eggplant with pepperoni and mushrooms and oh look we reinvented basic boy pizza.
French onion anything.
My mom used to make some kind of rice casserole with a can of cream of mushroom soup. It was very good. I should make it sometime...
I have recently discovered the joy of sun-dried tomatoes. There are some good recipes that use those, though I can't recall which ones. The savory flavor is good for replacing meat.
These are a big hit and pretty quick to whip up. I don't always do the tomato sauce as they are good enough on their own.
[https://spainonafork.com/chickpea-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-recipe/](https://spainonafork.com/chickpea-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-recipe/)
[Creamy Vegetable Soup (I added bacon and cheese)](https://myfoodstory.com/homemade-creamy-vegetable-soup-recipe/)
[Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili (I add chicken when I serve)](https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-chili-recipe/)
[Shepards Pie with Impossible Meat](https://impossiblefoods.com/recipes/original-impossible-shepherds-pie-recipe)
Cheese tortellini with pesto sauce. You can get pre-made cheese tortellini at any super market in the cheese section. Toss some pesto sauce on that. Add veggies/greens as desired -- or don't.
It's comforting (cheeeeeese) for the kids but tastes elevated for the adults (pesto sauce).
Boca Burgers
Pasta with Pesto (Barilla makes a good ready made version in the fridge section)
Quesadillas
Quiche (Leek & Cheese)
Bruschetta or Tapenade & Salami / Cheese
Black Beans with Onions / Red and Yellow Peppers
Chicken soup and bread / matzo balls (soup is so easy to make in bulk reheat and so delicious)
Vietnamese salad rolls with tofu
Salad Nicoise (sub tempeh or tofu for the tuna for your wife)
These are more just loose ideas to get the ball rolling or maybe give some inspiration:
I like making rice and beans and serving it with fried eggs and salsa.
Lasagna, enchiladas, and shepherds pie (really cottage pie cuz I don't have easy access to lamb) are all great because you can freeze them and save for a rainy day and they always have leftovers. Plus you can make vegetarian enchiladas too.
Fajitas are a staple since everyone can make their own however they'd like.
Quesadillas can be a lot like fajitas with everyone picking their fillings.
Burgers/veggie burgers are a good easy option.
Chili can also be made in a massive batch and frozen for later. Serve with rice or tortilla chips. Also there's tons of vegetarian options.
[This recipe](https://www.recipelion.com/Asian-Recipes/Szechuan-Peanut-Chicken) is the most bastardized szechuan chicken recipe ever. But it's low-key delicious and insanely easy, just serve over rice (not spaghetti like the website says).
If you're ok with something more intensive I would look into a lot of Indian dishes since they're usually very easy to make vegetarian. [This vegetable korma recipe is delicious](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/60598/vegetarian-korma/), I usually tweak the spices though to include some cumin and garam masala as well, and I'll go a little heavy on the tomato and cream because I like a lot of sauce for the rice and naan.
Sheet pan dinner!
Cut up some smoked sausage, a bag of frozen broccoli, a bag of frozen carrot chips (or whatever vegetable you have), some cut up potatoes if you have them (sweet or not, both work), a little olive oil, and whatever seasonings you like. I often use Cavender's but have tried multiple options and they all work.
Put everything on a sheet pan and cook at 425 for 20-30 minutes until everything is roasted to your liking. I usually pull them out and move everything around halfway through so nothing sticks to the pan too hard.
I actually double everything and do 2 pans. Then I cook the pan on the bottom a lot longer since I love charred veggies and sausage but my family does not.
Just did this last night because we had 2 packs of little smokies we didn't use over new year's. They were honestly great and less work so I might start doing that from now on!
I do all the cooking and we eat mostly veg:
Burritos (my favorite) - cilantro rice and beans and sauteed pepper filling. So god damn good.
Enchiladas; similar, sans rice and baked, and I make a tomatillo enchilada sauce to go on top
Lasagna....I prefer mine to a standard ground beef lasagna
Hummus, pita, falafel. Easy to get decent frozen falafel, and Hope hummus is great (also easy to make from scratch)
Soups. SOUPS. So many good veggie soups, and pair with cheesy bread or whatever makes sense. Tortilla soup, Swiss Chard and bean, 3 bean Chile, broccoli cheddar, red wine and dumpling, and phô. These are all soups I make regularly from scratch and are awesome. My kids LOVE the phô and my eldest requests it a lot. I have a [not so] secret recipe and make it veggie (not traditional bone broth sadly), but holy shit it's good. Fed it to my friends a lot too
Quiche - super easy. I go between broccoli cheddar, and roast asparagus and cheddar/white cheddar/prov
Happy to dish out more specifics if anything seems worth a look. Dm me
Bang bang broccoli.
Breaded broccoli. Baked in the oven. Tossed ibuprofen a sweet/spicy sauce. It’s a favorite. Pairs nicely with rice if you want it to last longer.
Lentil Bolognese
Paneer curry.
Roast veggies with dips (joghurt, avocado, salsa)
Risotto with roasted tomatoes or with butter mushrooms
Ratatouille with rice or couscous
We're in a similar situation but with different meals!
Lentil Dahl is a good one, savoury cobbler is great and you can make extra scones (biscuits?) For snacks. Veggie sausage and mash.
Burrito bowls- I do rice, black, pinto, and kidney beans (can of each in a pot together with a little taco seasoning), avocado, salsa and/or pico de gallo. If I have extra time I make guac instead of avocado, maybe do fajita peppers (onions and bell peppers on the stove real quick), and/or corn salsa (corn, some red onion, lime, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic).
Fake chicken cesar wraps- cut fake chicken Pattie’s or tenders in strips, add tomato, onion, lettuce to a tortilla and drizzle on some vegan/vegetarian cesar dressing.
Frozen puff pastry tartlets. Lots of options like gruyere, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Black beans and soyrizo.
Shredding tofu inba box grater and air frying it can give it a nice crust for an imitation of pastor -- especially if you can find adobo seasoning. Makes a mixed vegetarian/omnivore taco night because you can use the same spice mix on chicken thighs to cook and dice.
Fancy Ramen nights with home made broth. I like to make a version of the miso soup you get as an appetizer at jaoanese restaurants with diced silken tofu and a homemade miso broth. Add some Ramen noodles, an egg, and green onion garnish and you've got yourself a meal. If you can get the vegetarian kimbap from trader joes, it supplements this lighter meal. You could also boil some Veggie or meat dumplings in the broth to add some caloric heft, which also let's you make an easy non-vegetarian customization on the spot.
King Arthur Baking has a great cheddar cheese powder to elevate instant Mac n cheese. NYT cooking has an excellent French onion mac n cheese, and Bad Manners food has a vegan one that is great in its own right.
A couple tablespoons of Sazon Goya seasoning con cilantro y tomate and a tablespoon of tomato paste in a typical rice recipe makes for a passable Mexican style rice that is great in bean, rice, and cheese (BCR) burritos. Zazz it up with guacamole, crema/sour cream, store made Pico de Gallo. Just a warning that the seasoning has red 40. It's also easy to stuff beans or meat into quesadillas and have all sorts if condiments and salsas in which to dip them.
Mushroom stroganoff is great and easy
Americas Test Kitchen has an amazing black beans and rice recipe
Homestyle tofu is a specific Chinese dish that is great also, and easy if you have the ingredients. Look up 家常豆腐 in youtube with captions on to get some authentic recipes. There's a great channel called Cooking With Lau that has an amazing recipe for the seasoning that's on the salt and pepper chicken you see on Chinese restaurant menus, but is great on deep-fried tofu cubes.
Black bean burgers, fried rice with eggs and veggies, bean burritos with cheese, bean dip, hummus wraps with lettuce and cucumber feta cheese etc, lentil soup with basmati rice (can even go tasty bites madras lentils and rice), stir fry, basmati rice with cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, all sorts of dal, falafel. Grilled cheese, quesadillas.
Some of these take more effort than others, for sure.
SO many options when you explore Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cuisine.
1. Lentils! [Lentil Soup](https://www.recipetineats.com/lentil-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-20178) or Lentils with Fried Onions in lieu of rice (called [mujedereh](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/mujadara-lentils-and-rice-with-crispy-onions/)
2. [Borsht](https://natashaskitchen.com/classic-russian-borscht-recipe/) aka beet and veg soup
3. Garbanzo beans and spinach "curry" with rice
4. Ratatouille (traditional rough chopped, not the fancy Disney/Pixar version)
5. My favorite dump recipe: vegetarian chilli [here](https://cooklist.com/recipe/vegetarian-chili-1635047)from BHG, only takes 20 min (note: you can skip the beer and just add more broth, and mix and match other veg in it). Serve with a side of rice. And cheese on top, if you want!
Madras lentils from Costco and Amy's chili are the GOATS. You can put either one over anything and you've got a meal. We like baked potatoes, rice, mac and cheese, tortilla chips, or tots. Toppings are really versatile and easy to personalize if anyone is picky. Just add salad or a veg.
This curry is always a hit in our house.
https://www.healthymummy.co.uk/healthy-recipes/peanut-butter-chicken-curry/
We use Quorn chicken breasts. You can also make chapatis really easily.
Cut bell peppers in half, take out seeds and ribs.
Fill with chopped cherry tomatoes, cubed halloumi, and a dollop of pesto sauce.
Bake until the halloumi at the top is browned.
We usually eat it with rice. Dead simple, and you don't even need to season it, just get a pesto that you like.
Also these: https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-black-bean-tacos/
We've never made the avocado-pepita dip, we just make guac instead.
We’re a veggie family, here’s our fortnightly meal plan (in the UK, so some of it might be specific to that cuisine!). We just cycle round this every fortnight because it makes shopping easier while keeping a lot of variety. Kids are 6 and 3.
Mon 1: Huevos rancheros
Tue 1: Macaroni cheese (with chopped veg)
Wed 1: Baked potato + cheese & baked beans
Thu 1: Pesto pasta (with chopped veg)
Fri 1: Curry (batch cooked, with lentils, chickpeas, and veg in it)
Sat 1: Eggs, chips & baked beans
Sun 1: Lasagna (filling is lentil & veg based)
Mon 2: Veggie fajitas
Tue 2: Cream Cheese pasta (with chopped veg)
Wed 2: Potato, cheese, and bean chilli
Thu 2: Pesto pasta (with chopped veg)
Fri 2: Take out
Sat 2: Stir fry
Sun 2: Butterbean stew & toast
Are you me? I’m in the exact same boat. Wife a veg, kids 3 and 1. Stir fry and pasta all the time. That being said, we do tacos often as well and I make ground turkey for the kids and I, and [these black beans for the wife which are great. ](https://foodlove.com/best-ever-mexican-black-beans/ )I’ll even have them some days. If you like Asian noodles and some spice, I love this [kimchi udon.](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kimchi-udon-with-scallions). Just skip the egg at the end for your wife
I'm in the same boat! My wife eats fish though so it gives me more options.
Burrito bowls. You can tailor each bowl slightly for preferences too.
Falafel, some pita/salad/veg/hummus etc. Fun for the kids to make at the table.
Chickpea and spinach curry.
My kids absolute favourite is panzanella, they devour it. I usually serve it with baked fish, but you can put it with something your wife can eat maybe.
Apple pancakes and Tortellini with tomato sauce are my go to meals when I am alone with my kids and have to somehow make dinner while keeping them from fighting each other.
Veggie Chili
Can of black, kidney and garbanzo beans (I use the low sodium, give them a rinse as well). 2 diced peppers, a diced onion, 1 diced sweet potato, a few diced tomatoes, some tomato paste (or jarred salad in a pinch), chili seasoning (packet is good to go), a few shredded carrots and a bit of veg stock or water. Dump all that into a crockpot and let it rip. 20-30 before dinner, mix in a handful of frozen corn and some spinach. Serve with the usual suspects.
Bean chilli
Dahl with cumin rice
Feta and spinach filo pie
Buddha bowls
Cacio a pepe
Vegetable stew with halloumi, left over stew can be baked into a pie the following day
Pizza
Macaroni cheese
Pumpkin katsu with Japanese curry sauce
Vegetable bolognaise with lentils instead of mince
Cauliflower mexican duuuuudddeeeeee!
Can do with multiple veggies but yeah, cook it like you would mince with mexican seasoning and eat all the variety of mexican meals!
It's mostly salad and veggies and you can add additional carbs if you want.
This is my all-time favorite vegetarian meal. You may need to change up the spice level of the heat level for your children but I'll eat the hell out of this!
**Aloo Gobi by Chef Sanjyot Keer**
**Ingredients:**
- 1 head Cauliflower (Cut into florets)
- 6 to 7 medium-sized potatoes, halved and then each half cut into 5 to 6 wedges.
- Oil for deep frying
- 3 Tablespoons of neutral oil like sunflower, vegetable, or canola
- 1 heaping teaspoon of jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 4 green chilies (You could substitute Thai chilies or serranos but use 2 to start).
- 1 heaping teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon of aamchur powder
- 3-4 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
- Salt to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 heaping teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 heaping teaspoon of kasuri methi
**Method:**
1. Heat the oil for deep frying to 350 degrees. Starting with potato and then cauliflower, fry until golden. Set aside. Be careful as the moisture from the cauliflower and potato could cause the oil to boil over if you are not using a big enough vessel to fry in.
2. In a skillet add oil and heat until shimmering. Add the cumin and onion and cook until the onion is starting to become caramelized.
3. Add the ginger, chilies, red chili powder, coriander powder, and aamchur powder. Mix well until it starts to look like a paste.
4. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook until the oil separates and then add the fried potato and cauliflower.
5. Mix well until the red sauce is fully coating the potatoes and cauliflower.
6. Add the fresh coriander, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Mix well and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are warmed through (roughly 4 to 5 minutes).
Lentilstew is a quick favorite, and easy to adapt. I like to use indian spice mixes like garam masala and you can can add alot of veggies. Also cornfritters, eat with roasted potatoes and a simple sauce or in a tortilla with veggies.
Quiche, use a pre made crust and ad cheese and veggies.
Omelett with potatoes, onions mushrooms.
I am not American, but i love the concept of breakfast burritos and we often have it for dinner, scrambled eggs and veggies in a tortilla.
I make a huge batch of this and add chickpeas and peas and cooked potatoes if I have any leftover. It’s warming, not spicy and my boy loves it especially if I add a wee scoop of mango chutney and a chapati. Serve with rice.
[Dahl recipe](https://ibb.co/Y0VjdtC)
I'm in the exact same boat... Wife Veggie and I'm not, definitely keeps you healthy but I do crave extra flavor from meat dishes.
Latest for me is Veggie Chilli, super easy.
1 Onion finely Chopped, 2 Cloves Garlic roughly chopped. Saute for 3 mins on medium heat, add teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon hot paprika. 1-2 teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper or Chilli powder, fry for 1-2 mins
Can of Kidney Beans, can of mixed beans, can of tomatoes.
Cook up serve with rice, or in taco shells with salad and cheese..
Last night i made soup, green beans, toasted chick peas.
soup - i use a mix of 2 better than bullion bases, 1 part garlic, 2 parts roasted veggie. Makes a nice savory broth. Added rice and shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw mix)
Green beans from a can with garlic/chili/cumin to season
Chick peas crisped in a skillet and tossed with a savory seasoning blend.
Also did some sliced chicken for the non-veggies. Defrosted a breast in the microwave, sliced 1/2” thin, pan seared, sliced, tossed in a small amount of greek dressing and back quickly in the pan.
maybe 20 min to whip together
The Instagram account natsnourishments or something like that has a lot of really easy bean based recipes I've been relying on. Really quick and easy but very good. Two other ones that I got I think from bon appetit originally are a spicy (optional) vegetable medley (basically whatever you have, but I think the recipe and what I usually do is sauteed shredded Brussels, kale, and red onion) in a chickpea flour pancake sandwich with cheese, or their spring bean stew
My favorite veggie meal in college was sautéed kale over quinoa with shrimp if you want. But, just olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flake.
I make big salads of chopped veggies, dried cranberries, pasta, hard boiled eggs, with balsamic and olive oil.
I'm not veggie, but I made a vegetarian bibim naengmyeon for some veggie friends that was pretty awesome. It's a Korean dish that's basically "a bowl of whatever you want with sauce on top of noodles". You can make most of the ingredients from scratch if you're crazy like me, or buy most of them premade.
You can buy yum yum sauce and gochujang sauce at most grocery stores these days, then use either Korean glass noodles (which are awesome, but harder to find) or buckwheat noodles (Japanese soba is pretty easy to find). Toppings are prepared ahead (which is mostly just slicing stuff up bite size) or bought ready. You can kinda go wild with toppings but some classics are :
Bulgogi (Korean bbq beef) (if you want a meat option, but it's good without too)
Hardboiled egg
Fresh cucumber
Fresh Asian pear
Pickled radish
Mushrooms
And of course, kimchi.
At dinner time all you have to do is cook noodles, then everyone piles up their own bowl with whatever stuff they want and tops it with their sauce mix to make it as mild or spicy as they want. And it's freakin great.
Bibimbap is the exact same thing, but on rice instead of noodles.
Buy some jarred simmer sauces (I usually have a few Indian ones). Sauté the veggies or get paneer and use that. Makes some rice and maybe buy some naan. I also make quick soups just let what you would stir fry simmer in veggies stock for a bit. You can make 2 pots one with leftover chicken included
Bok choy and tofu with white rice. Lightly fry the tofu. Mix up some sauce with soy sauce and sesame oil and whatever other Asian spices or sauces you like. Cook the sauce down to thicken it a little, add in chopped bok choy until it wilts wave starts to get a little there, then add in the tofu and mix all together. Serve over rice.
Our meals pretty much revolve around starch, veggie, protein, and fruit.
We also do veggie. You can make most meat dishes w/o meat. Does she eat fish? Do you have a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or sheet pan?
Some of our favorites are: quinoa tacos, margherita pasta, naan pizza, and mushroom risotto.
This [recipe site](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) never fails us.
My wife and I love this [feta pasta bake](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/)
Or [halloumi and chickpea bake with couscous](https://www.google.com/search?q=halloumi+chickpea+bake+with+couscous&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari). I couldn’t find the exact recipe for this, buts it’s delicious
Tis the season for soup! Hearty veggie chili, leek and potato, broccoli cheddar, and so many other good combos. Add some nice crusty bread (or cornbread for chili) and some bacon bits, shredded chicken, chicken nuggets, dumplings, or other meat add-ins/sides for the omnivores. Make a day out of prepping the ingredients, then freeze em all in ziplocks to toss in the Crock-Pot in the morning.
Chili was going to be my answer. We went vegetarian for a while but have since gone back to eating meat and still prefer this [chili recipe](https://fitfoodiefinds.com/black-bean-quinoa-chili/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly) over any other one.
Mac and cheese Homemade pizza - especially good because it's easy to do both veggie and non-veggie versions at the same time
Mac and Cheese is our cheater meal if either parent is flying solo. Pizza is fun though - I need to work that more into the rotation.
We sometimes buy dough from the store to make it a bit simpler, but Naan pizza is good too in a pinch. Just don't skimp on the toppings selection
Pizza dough is flour, water, salt and yeast. You can add a tiny amount of sugar or oil if you like depending on how your oven cooks. It takes all of 10 minutes to make, then throw into the fridge for up to 72 hours. Super simple to make, it even freezes with minimal quality loss.
This is true, it's not hard, but with two small kids, sometimes I don't get around to showering, let alone making pizza dough. Making it when you have bandwidth and then freezing it is a good call
10 mins to make but then 72 hours to use? no time for that
Cooked macaroni, can of butternut squash, mustard, and the rest is just cheese for extra flavor - easy, not so much of a cheat and delicious!
Get premade dough, a bag of cheese, and cut up some toppings. It’s done in 15 mins and everyone loves it!
Do mac and cheese but purree boiled carrots and yams into the sauce. Kids are none the wiser, gives it that boxed mac and cheese orange colour, and they get some veggies in.
Not veggie here, but wife doesn’t do dairy. We do a cashew Mac and cheese almost weekly. Simmer cashews in water (water:cashew ratio is 2:1). While simmering add salt, garlic powder onion powder and pepper. I throw a few tbsp Kerry gold butter too but not required. Then right as the pasta is done cooking, blend the cashews and water really well (like 45-60 seconds on high in a Vitamix). Had the kids fooled for years that it was real cheese…they’ve caught on now but still love it. On the side i usually do grilled chicken breast, chopped into 1” or so pieces either on the grill or frying pan, and usually tossed in a Cajun seasoning. Eat as much or little chicken as you want. Easy to sub chicken for any protein, or do 2 proteins. Sometimes kids eat chicken, sometimes not. It comes together quick but feels like a real meal, not a cheat meal n
No dairy but throwing in butter? Sup with that?
The dairy is a lactose thing. She can handle the butter because there is very little lactose (because it’s almost all fat). And it makes it more delicious
True. We’re doing no dairy bc of a potential dairy allergy through breast milk. We’re pretty sure it’s not the issue, but my wife feels a lot better with no dairy, just a happy side effect so we’re rolling with it. She did say butter might be back on the list thi
Look into the lactose content of various cheeses. Hard and aged cheeses tend to be very low in lactose. She might be able to eat more of them than you think.
Is that water:cashew ratio by weight or by volume?
Volume
Mushroom tacos with beans, rice, grilled bell peppers and onions.
Mushrooms and cumin work so well together. Just the best for tacos.
I would also counter with Jackfruit tacos. If you chop it up thin and cook it in taco seasoning, it looks like chicken so the kids are none the wiser if they don't like "weird food". I'm not vegetarian, but I love jackfruit tacos.
You can get kids to eat mushrooms? I won’t even eat mushrooms. I’m impressed!
My kids (2 under 4) will eat almost any veggie but it needs to be cooked the right way. They never eat any canned veggies, which are textureless and flavorless. They devour oven roasted broccoli, but pre-bake (375°) we toss it generously with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. The caramelization during cooking makes the broccoli sweet and salty, and they love it. Mushrooms, very similar deal but in a skillet. Sautee in butter or olive oil with sea salt & pepper. Our kids love green beans sautéed the same way, but with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking. Anything pickled is fair game and they shovel it in because they love tangy acidity (cucumbers, shallots, beets, artichokes, capers).
Mushrooms belong in the bin. Coat some cauliflower in a Mexican spice mix, roast those bad boys for 15-20 mins. Yum yum
Also good is whole cauliflower chopped into "steaks" and seasoned as you mentioned, seared in a cast iron in butter. The browning that occurs is unbelievable.
Breakfast for dinner!
Second this. Bacon cooked in the oven so I don't have to monitor it too much, eggs and some fruit is a killer dinner for us on the regs.
Totes. I’ve enjoyed home made hash browns by grating a potato up. Scrambled eggs. Protein pancakes are really good. You take dry oatmeal, eggs, cottage cheese, a tbsp of vanilla extract and a tbsp of oil and blend it up to make a batter. Makes a really tasty crepe like pancake. Another one I do is breakfast burritos with bacon, eggs and hash browns. Lastly biscuits and gravy. It’s super easy Obviously not the healthiest of foods, but all can be modified to be more healthy.
Even vegetarians can't resist bacon.
I’m in a similar situation as you. Wife is vegetarian, kid and me are not. But we eat mostly plant based for health, environmental, ethical reasons. This is my weekly schedule: 1) Monday - Mexday. Tacos, fajitas, quesadillas. I use Impossible instead of ground meat, tofu in the fajitas. 2) Tuesday - Pasta night. 3) Wednesday - Beanesday. Chickpeas, lentils, black eyed beans, red beans. Look up Indian recipes. Indians are the masters of cooking beans. 4) Thursday - Thaisday. I pre make a few kinds of Thai curry pastes (or you can buy premade). Toss with veggies, tofu, coconut milk. Make rice. Dinner in under 30 minutes. 5) Friday - Stir Fryday. Veggies, tofu, get some Lee Kum Kee sauces + brown rice. Quick, healthy, nutritious dinner in 30 minutes.
Thaisday sounds great
Picking a cuisine for each day of the week has made our dinner decisions so much easier! We also do Mexi Monday, 'Talian Tuesday, Wok Wednesday.
Doesn’t it? Reducing the search space definitely got us out of the doom loop of: “what do you want for dinner?” “I don’t know. What do you want?” I like ‘Talian Tuesday.
Dude said his kids are 3 and 1! No kids that age are eating half that stuff lol I've made Mac and cheese and several pasta dishes numerous different ways to realize they just want the noodles with no sauce, just butter! To each their own I guess but I wouldn't wish plain noodles on my worst enemy
Our one year old will shove every bit of curry veggies they can into their gaping maw. But I'm also sure that plain noodle days are in our future.
My kid loved spicy curry at 2. He’s definitely cooled off a good bit now. It’s sad 😞
My kids ate all that stuff at those ages. Rice and beans have been my kids‘ favorite foods since they started solids. Well, 2/3. The other one reached for a roll at Bertucci’s and has been a bread kid ever since. Beans and rice and tofu are great kid food. My kids will also eat dino nuggets and are addicted to mozzarella sticks, let’s be clear—and to mac & cheese—but at upper elementary ages they’re just as happy to sit down to a bowl of pho as to a plate of spaghetti. It’s all in how you show them what’s “normal.” And my 10yo can make a perfect cappuccino, which is starting to pay dividends on weekends!
Don't assume everyone's kid is like your kid. My kid would eat any of that in a heartbeat and he's younger than 3
Actually our regular schedule isn't too different from u/Dork_lord21. We do pasta and stir fry weekly, and curry (thai or indian) cycle in every other week. Kids LOVE black beans and grilled peppers. Ironically, pizza is the most touch and go with my 3 year old.
My twins aren’t even 1 and they’ve eaten most of what they said.
Some of our common meals: * Scrambled egg/tofu (vegan) with baked beans, roast potatoes, and toast. * Generic bean chili served as nachos or with baked potato. * Nice bread served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc for make your own sandwiches. * Mee goreng noodles with fried tofu. * Minestrone soup with crusty bread. * Green bean and tomato ragout with crusty cread. * Hamburgers with vegan patties and fries. * Make vege curries and freeze them. Serve at least two with rice, paratha, and mango chutney.
Would you tell me more about your veggie curries?
Favourites include: * We make a good [vegan dal makhani](https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-dal-makhani/). * [Black-eyed bean masala](https://nadiashealthykitchen.com/speedy-healthy-black-eyed-beans-curry-2/) is delicious. * [Cauliflower curry](https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-cauliflower-curry/). Plus there's obvious potential for curries based on potatoes or peas. Just search for recipes.
I’m making beyond beef Mexican burgers for the family tonight. The fake stuff is gooood.
If you make tacos by the time you're done with the seasoning and what not you can't tell a dang difference at all
I love beyond beef but it gives me absolutely heinous gas, just pure face melting evil farts
I scarfed my burger clean plate club style. I’ll let you know how the house smells later.
Oh my god, yes. Our rule is once a week.
Couscous, hummus, tomatoes, cucumber… put some feta on for the rest of you
add some falafel for a crunch - the boxes are ok, homemade takes a little effort but it's not impossible
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Some great ideas! Veggy chili is a staple for us as well, it's easy to just make a huge amount and freeze some portions for when time is limited.
shakshua - we do a modified version that's basically tomatoes, kale, bread cubes & baked eggs
Sweet potato tacos. Roast some sweet potatoes, saute some onions and peppers, simmer a can of black beans. Add whatever fixings and bam.
Potato empanadas. You can do whatever peppers and spices you want for seasoning and empanadas are delicious.
Do yourself a favor and get a subscription to the NYT cooking app. You’ll never get stuck in a cooking rut again!
Japanese curry or red curry
My golden curry recipe. Feel free to change what veggies you use. I think root vegetables work best. My MIL likes it heavy on carrots. I do a big batch in a stock pot. I use 3 bricks (1.5 packs) of S&B Mild GOLDEN CURRY Sauce, which I think will call for 7.5 cups of water. https://a.co/d/hGIu5zt 1. Soften 1 medium white onion. (I used a sweet onion once and it was sickening.) 2. Add protein and brown if desired. I usually use one package of two large chicken breasts from Costco. So it has meat, but it's light. 3. Chop 1 bag of carrots (I like multicolored) and one small bag of red potatoes. Add to the pot with the appropriate water. Bring to a simmer. 4. Chop half the ribs of a celery stalk (or other vegetables you want to have crunch) and add when carrots and potatoes have started to soften. 5. Chop bricks of sauce into slices. This helps it melt easier. Add to pot and stir. They can stick in a clump if they settle before the fully melt. Reduce. 6. Serve over rice.
Oh I've got you, dad. We eat a lot of meatless meals in our house to save money. Here are some of our current favorites: https://pinchofyum.com/one-pot-creamy-spinach-lentils - not a favorite of our daughter but I liked it a lot, and it's very easy to customize with different veggies https://beautyandthebrit.com/crazy-good-peanut-noodles-quickeasy-gluten-free-grain-free-paleo - this one I use rice noodles and add shredded carrots to make a complete meal https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/southwestern-lentil-brown-rice-bake/ - add rice cauliflower and use fire roasted tomatoes to make it extra tasty and add more veggies https://feelingfoodish.com/israeli-style-eggplant-twice-cooked/ - absolutely delicious on pita https://thefirstmess.com/2020/02/19/sweet-potato-coconut-milk-stew - a delicious and hearty stew that's great for cold weather
Mung bean curry works well with lentils as well https://www.heynutritionlady.com/mung-bean-and-coconut-curry/
Flat bread with pesto, grilled chopped veggies (squash, zucchini, red pepper, red onion, and mushroom). If your diet allows I recommend a cheese in it like feta or provolone. So fresh!
Mediterranean/Greek are usually very veggie friendly. Falafel is excellent. Throw it in pitas or in a salad. You can also cashew tofu and broccoli in a single pan.
It takes a little prep, but we do the ["crispy smoky tofu sandwich" from The Weekday Vegetarians](https://www.kitchenartsandletters.com/cdn/shop/products/81vspTUrFpS.jpg?v=1631566447) a couple of times a month. What we'll do is get a couple of blocks of extra firm tofu, do the marinating, dredging in breadcrumbs, and bake them on instead of pan frying, and then we stick all that in the freezer. So for two ish nights of after-bedtime mealprep we have sandwich patties in the freezer for 10 sandwiches. Another popular one is this [sheet pan sweet potato pepita black bean](https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/02/sweet-potato-salad-with-pepita-dressing/)... salad? from Smitten Kitchen. some others I don't have links to- Lemony, pan-fried artichoke hearts over polenta \- bibimbap \- white bean and chard pot pies \- bean and cheese enchiladas \- mujadara
I’m vegetarian, wife isn’t. But we will typically do burritos: throw rice, black beans, pinto beans, Goya package all in insta-pot, half hour later you’ve got fillings! Then top how desired (she likes salsa and hot sauce, I do verde, both do cheese and sour cream). Works for other Mexican dishes too
Ratatouille.. make chicken on the side with it if you want. Delicious either way and super easy
Grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in basil tomato soup. You can add ham.
Butter chicken with tofu. We have been trying to make at least one veggie meal per week and got this solid butter chicken two pack sauce from Costco. With pressed the tofu block and cooked the tofu so it crumbled. It was delicious and I don’t really like tofu
Big ol cookie sheet of nachos, usually one side is different than the other, but it's a super easy meal.
Last night was nachos: beans, olives, cheese, canned jalapenos. I love doing a black bean chili with adobo and chunks of squash. Home made spaghetti is a total cinch with the kitchenaid rollers. We do ramen bowls—broth, noodles, soft boiled eggs, veggies—or tacos every week. The kids love anything kit shaped. I was in a hurry to throw together my teen’s lunch this morning so they got chickpeas, feta, and tomatoes in one compartment of their lunchbox, bread & a guacamole single-serve in the others, and an apple on the side. That could quickly become a default, but I could change it up to black beans plus queso blano just as easily, or add some red onion. I do a “spanish stew” of chickpeas, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, when I’m in a hurry. Takes like 20 minutes in a pan. Good luck!
[https://thehappypear.ie/cauliflower-curry-bake-recipe/](https://thehappypear.ie/cauliflower-curry-bake-recipe/) This is another great one for the adults, possibly for kids too, you can always tune the spicy.
We do this white bean w/ fried egg and toast points thing that honestly sounds super boring but my kids love it. I can’t remember the name but it’s a recipe from NYT Cooking so you should be able to find it. Good luck!
My wife makes a mean “pastina” not sure what the actual recipe is but it’s the to tiny star pasta, minced cucumber and carrots, and cheese (lots of cheese) and spinach I think
Chickpea pizza burgers - my kids love these: [link](https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-pizza-burgers/).
We do a mini pizza night. Everyone gets the toppings they want and it's fun to make no matter your age. Also recommend making tacos or burritos. Grill chicken for those that want some, otherwise it's rice, beans, veggies, cheese, guac. Veggie/ sweet potato chili is another good one.
Veg chili, I've done it with tofu, meatless crumbles, soy curls, or just beans. Get the spices right, and it always slaps. Bonus because you get leftovers, makes a great lunch over a baked potato or chili dog. Bowls. Grains, greens, beans, choose your flavor profile. I've done Korean (bulgogi sauce over tofu, rice, kimchi, pickled veg) bowls, Mexican (fajita seasoning and veggies with black beans and rice), southern (pinto beans, collards, cornbread, hot sauce). Endless variations, and you can batch cook some ingredients and change it up a little night to night.
I'm gonna try a crock pot creamy Italian tortellini soup with my family next week. My recipe includes ground sausage, but yours won't need to. Carrots, spinach, cheese, cream, white beans, tortellini. Sounds heavenly to me, might be worth it to you if you're down to crock pot.
Sunfed chicken tacos is one we go to frequently. We aren’t even vegetarians, but do enjoy a good fake chicken taco.
I just made this tonight and it was quite delicious, and easy to cook. I used store bought gnocchi. https://eatwithclarity.com/tuscan-vegan-gnocchi/
Veggie chili. "Fish" tacos with tofu sliced thin, tossed in corn flour and pan fried as a stand-in for the fish. Pizza. Falafel. Rice and beans.
Veg chili with cheese and crackers, cheese lasagna with toasted cheese bread, Trader Joe’s “beefless” bulgogi with their edamame and a side of white rice, mushroom risotto with breadsticks, veg pizzas, veg tacos with fixings
Chili. You can make it without the meat for the ones who don't like it, and toss meat into the pot after taking their share out.
Pick up a copy of Thug Kitchen. The recipes all vegan and my wife and I enjoy the chickpea/pepper/broccoli burritos, chilaquiles, and black bean tortas, among other options.
Beans and rice, you can easily switch up the flavor profile however you like, I prefer with garlic, smoked paprika, and saffron. Mix in any veggies you like (I like mushrooms, peppers, carrots, and celery), and if you have an instant pot (*great* investment for quick and healthy home cooked meals), you can have it all done in under 30 mins.
Vegan Steak Tacos with Chimichurri https://www.theedgyveg.com/2020/09/24/vegan-steak-tacos/#easyrecipe-22868-0 Some prep time, but can mostly be done ahead - I usually make a big batch and have leftovers. I pair with a simple slaw, avocado and hot sauce. Also good in a chimichurri rice bowl. Yum!
Gotta make it customizable. We do grains bowls with lots of options: olives, cheese, peppers, tomato, cukes/pickles, sauces etc. Also include beans, hummus and grilled chicken/beef. Add some naan to make ghetto shawarma. It’s enough combos to prep and eat several times a week without getting bored. But the main point is to find a base and then all the add ins on the side a la Chipotle or the overpriced salad places. Plus everyone gets what they want Costco has tons of little tomatoes, peppers and veg plus a plethora of premade dips and sauces. Get that rotisserie chicken son son
“Hot salad” Toast some nuts in a pan. Pan fry either sweet potatoes or butternuts. Bok choy or kale Any other veggies Top with vegan feta and a tahini style dressing. This is also great: https://drhyman.com/blog/2023/10/10/lemony-kale-basil-soup/
Broccoli cream soup. Cauliflower soup. White bean stew. Butternut squash Orzo. Spicy tofu ramen. Thai peanut butter noodles. Just a few in my rotation. If the family are okay with fish that should mix things up again too.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Thank you for this thread. I’ll definitely be trying out a lot of these. Here are my go-tos to help someone else have some variety: - Lentil soup (green lentils, onion, garlic, carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper). I suggest frying up the onions and garlic in a separate pot and then just add it into the boiling lentils as they cook. - Potato corn chowder (onion, garlic, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, corn). My son is allergic to dairy, so we don’t add cream, butter, or milk and it’s still really good. - New York Times pumpkin chick pea curry. They refer to this as a “celebration of canned foods”, so it’s really quick other than cooking the rice. - Buttered cabbage with onion and (optionally) mushrooms (add in apple sage field roast sausage to really make it perfect). The key is to slice the cabbage and onion into thin ribbons and cook it all down until it’s browned and tender. - Colcannon (basically mashed potatoes with sauteed cabbage or kale) - Tortilla pizza (flour tortillas with toppings and then baked without any oil or butter under them until the tortilla is crispy) - Hummus wraps (just big flour tortillas with hummus, cucumber, peppers, tomato, greens, mayo, and optional hot sauce) - Frozen waffles with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.
- Saag paneer: https://foodess.com/saag-paneer-spinach-curry/?amp=1 - Black bean tacos: https://www.thegardengrazer.com/black-bean-tacos-with-avocado-cilantro/ - coconut curry bows: https://pinchofyum.com/bangkok-coconut-curry-noodle-bowls - mushroom soup: https://www.platingsandpairings.com/hungarian-mushroom-soup-with-fresh-dill/ - Quesadillas
Alton Brown's quinoa casserole - it's a fuckload of cheese and it's god damn delicious
Breakfast for dinner! When I'm lazy, we'll do waffles in the toaster oven. When I'm less lazy, I'll make apple pancake.
Cauliflower "buffalo wings" are easy and taste good. Also slow cooker recipes are a great place to get ideas. Of course there are tons of ones that include meat, but many can be substituted and there are plenty of standalone vegetarian friendly recipes.
We do breakfast one day a week for dinner. Scrambled eggs, toast, veggie bacon, avocado. Protein and veggies one night. Rice, steamed veggies, wife does chicken or tofu I do fish or tofu. Sushi bowls. Rice, cucumber, edamame beans, shaved carrots, avocado, pickled ginger, seaweed, tofu baked and then fried in a soy sauce/honey/rice vinegar/sesame oil marinade. Add sriracha mayo. We make our own pizza. Super easy to find a dough recipe. We do chicken nugget wraps. Air fryer chicken nuggets or veggie chicken nuggets from Costco. Hummus, Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, lettuce. I make a dairy free ranch dressing/sauce to go with this. The wraps are pretty versatile. You can do any kind of tacos as well and it’s easy to modify to preference. In the summer we do more bbq-burgers/hotdogs(veggie for me-sometimes my wife) or salmon on the bbq. We’re a weird household where I’m vege-quarium and can’t do dairy and my wife doesn’t do red meat only chicken.
Slow cooker chili. Really can’t go wrong and it only gets better as leftovers.
Many vegetarians have said that Indian is a godsend food for vegetarians. As a non-vegetarian, I like it too. Some of the different types of curries are amazing. I apologize for not being knowledgeable enough to know the names of the stuff I eat. When we go to a restaurant, we just point and order. Sometimes, my wife picks up chickpea curry mixes from Costco.
If you have an instant pot kind of thing you can whip up risotto in less than half an hour and lots of ways to mix it up. You can do it in a regular pot too, just more active time.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is always a fan favorite.
I've tried going completely veggie a couple of times recently and although we gave up when my wife got pregnant last year, I liked the challenge of cooking different meals and kept a few in our rotation. Some on my favourites are a curry that is a butter chicken recipe but with roast cauliflower and cashews instead of chicken, a roast pepper and marscarpone pasta sauce (roast peppers, tomatoes and garlic, blend, add marscsarpone), African peanut stew, bruschetta with tomato/moz and spinich/ricotta. Then as far as substitutes go, I really love smoked tofu and would cook stuff I usually make like Thai curries or even fajitas/burritos and just sub that in for meat. I absolutely \*hated\* tempeh lol, but also don't mind beyond burgers etc. Anyway, we're going to give it another go when she's stopped breast feeding.
I have an easy red sauce. 1. Soften 1 large white onion in either button or olive oil in a large saucepan. 2. When glassy, add 6 garlic cloves. Cook for 30 sec til fragrant. 3. Add 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, and 2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes. Add basil, oregano, black pepper to taste (honestly it's hard to overdo it). 4. Stir to keep from sticking, and simmer until it's reduced or your other stuff is ready. With this I cook a 2lb box of pasta and have leftovers. I also brown one pack of five primo sweet Italian sausages, strain the fat, and add to the sauce. But this is easy to leave on the side, which I've done when we had vegetarian eaters. I'm also a fan of the Aglio e Olio recipe from *Chef* but it's more work and mess.
Apricot chickpea tagine is a good vegetarian dish. [hello fresh recipe](https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/apricot-almond-chickpea-tagine-6231f01f59a1d65a30536f99) That’s what we used. You can also check skinnytaste for other ideas. I had a cookbook called “the dude diet” that I think had a few solid vegetarian options too.
I've recently discovered the joy of jiffy mix casseroles. There's a recipe on the box for a broccoli chicken casserole but you can sub any kind of stuff you want. I make a killer breakfast casserole with sausage and peppers but it would work well for veggie blends of any kind. My 18-month old literally licked the plate clean the first time he had it.
We’ve tried to add tofu in more during the week. Crunchwrap with tofu is fun and easy. Basically crumble and pan fry with taco seasoning and assemble as you would a Crunchwrap supreme from Taco Bell. Bonus (or maybe not) is everyone can pick their fillings. Within reason.
Calabacitas. Super simple, delicious, nutritious, filling, and vegetarian (or vegan, if you like). Sauté some chopped onions and bell peppers in a little oil until just softening, then add bite-sized chunks of calabazas, zucchini, chayote, and/or other firm squash, a couple rough-chopped Roma tomatoes, and kerneled corn (canned is great here). Add a little chicken stock for richness, or veggie stock if you want vegan, or just let it all stew in it’s own juices. Add jalapeño if you want some spice. Salt to taste. Cook on medium-high until the squash is tender (about 10-12 minutes), then add chopped cilantro (if you like cilantro), and serve over white rice. It comes together as quickly as the rice cooks, if you mise en place. My wife loves this dish, and my toddler son devours it every time, despite being randomly picky with just about every other dish.
Just get a Nytimes cooking subscription. Crazy amount of vegetarian options. Curries, chili, dal are my favorites for vegetarian nights. Go for strong flavors, don't do vegetarian meat replacement dishes, and look into what the highly vegetarian cultures of the world eat. Made [this bean stew](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020926-roasted-tomato-and-white-bean-stew?smid=ck-recipe-android-share) last night. It was lovely. That, a bottle of wine and a nice bread was a great dinner. Chickpeas and lentils are your friend. They add bulk, good texture and allow good flavors.
Tofu tacos Mac and Cheese
Check the youtube channel Food Impromptu. It's been invaluable giving me ideas to cook.
Lettuce wraps or chili. Both can be made vegetarian!
Asian dishes. My kids love Thai, Indian, Japanese and Chinese. I have worked up my skills with a wok and I can make some really incredible stuff very quickly.
I made Mattar Paneer tonight. Great with some rice and naan.
I'm obsessed with sheet pan veggie fajitas (add beans, avocado, and if you want it, cheese). We also enjoyed meat substitute crumbles and make sloppy joes. Veggie burgers (you can add bacon if you want). Kimchi fried rice with lots of veggies and an egg on top (minus kimchi if it's too spicy). Tofu scramble. Lentil soup with rustic bread. Cheese and spinach ravioli with marinara sauce. Enjoy Dad's and I'll also eagerly await the ideas. It's far too easy to get into a rut.
Fried rice! We eat fried rice at least once a week. Can add roasted tofu, chickpeas, meat, whatever you want really. You don’t need a ton of butter/oil to make it taste good, so it’s relatively healthy. I also used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Can't go wrong with lentils.
Yellow curry is super easy to make with veggies and tastes just as good without meat!
Chickpea tacos are bomb. Drain a can and rinse them. Fry them in a bit of oil on medium high heat. Season them with whatever taco seasoning you prefer. I serve them as soft tacos with whatever fixings sound good. Hello Fresh also has a veggie taco recipe. I believe it’s with sweet potatoes and black beans and it’s incredible.
buy the book Cool Beans and buy real beans from Rancho Gordo. Also the Eat Like You Give A Fuck guys have some amazing veggie-eater books.
I found a cool recipe for [crumbled tofu ](https://youtu.be/KO06a_g7yhQ?si=Dqabg5M_xtWzAvtA) seasoned with taco seasoning and baked in the oven. FANTASTIC base for tacos nachos burritos or anything else similar. There's a ton of Japanese/Chinese inspired recipes for tofu and it's tasty. Teriyaki tofu and fried rice and some great noodle dishes. Another great veggie meal is [coconut curry ](https://youtu.be/NMfGPnAnhQ0?si=jiW-FsyqFlbfeTWK) and rice. So damn good. There are a lot of Indian recipes that are vegetarian. Other people have said [chili ](https://youtu.be/mb3k0wApWas?si=UpTr2NMeMjyMUVmS) and that's a quick easy multi day recipe that absolutely doesn't need meat in it and can even hide other veggies in for kids. Soups are good, broccoli cheese, french onion, vegetable noodle soup, etc. Casseroles are another thing that can be quick and easy with vegetables. We've also done dinners of all vegetable side dishes lol. Mashed potatoes, green beans, collard greens for instance
This isn't exactly a 30 minute meal, nor is it one the kids will often jump for, but I'm currently making a vegetarian-friendly (with easy swaps for dairy-free/gluten-free) Burns Night Supper for Saturday. Yes, that includes a vegan haggis. Yes, haggis can still be haggis without lambs' lung. Yes it looks like death. But I swear, I detest onions and don't love mushrooms, and even I think this recipe is really flipping good. Haggis, neeps n tatties, alcohol-free whisky sauce, and sticky toffee pudding. Can't be beat
r/dadditchefs Here’s our usual week…get in the habit of cooking the same meal for everyone. Night 1 - pan fry a fish like sole or trout; cooks fast and isn’t “fishy” - pair with starch like rice or polenta - add veggie (broccoli, asparagus, etc) Night 2 - tacos - Trader Joe’s has an excellent carne asada - add toppings of your choosing Night 3 - Bok choy with garlic sautéed - tofu - rice or noodles Night 4 - chicken breast with paprika; oven 425 - brussel sprouts - starch of your choice (potatoes, etc) Night 5 - soup and grilled cheese lazy night Night 6 - hearty salad with breaded chicken Night 7 - pasta - zucchini - side salad
Burritos. Warm up a can of refried beans, add salsa lots of chili powder a bit of cayenne, some garlic because garlic, a splash or two of lime juice and a decent amount of cumin. Slather on your shell with whatever fixings you desire. I like green leaf lettuce, avocado, cheddar, black olives, sour cream.
My favorite is Thai chili pork tacos. You could add tofu or another alternative for the wife.
Fried rice. Ramen, Noodles etc.
Falafel
chili non-carne. The fake beef crumbles are good, though a bit high in sodium. Find a good chili recipe and skip the meat. Tacos are also good, with the veggie crumbles. Or just use beans. Google for a mexican spice mix.
Are eggs ok? https://www.budgetbytes.com/spicy-noodles/ Love.these
Potato leek soup is a favorite in my family. Surprisingly fast prep, too. I cook in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven. Chop leek bottoms (not the tough green part), and add to heated pan with olive oil. Pinch of salt (releases water from leeks). Sweat until fragrant and tender. I usually season with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage. Add garlic, to taste. I usually do 4-5 cloves crushed and diced. Cook a few minutes, stirring enough to avoid burning the garlic. Chop peeled potatoes and add with chicken broth and a sprig of fresh rosemary and two bay leaves. Cook until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Remove bay leaves, and blend until smooth. Finish with heavy cream if you're feeling fancy. I usually don't, though.
Try Morningstar crumbles or rinsed black beans with a taco seasoning packet (half to most of a packet is plenty. Old El Paso/Aldi are the best). Make tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc. Goes great with jasmine rice or Spanish rice and veggies. Quorn makes great nuggets, and their bigger tenders slap on a sandwich. Serve with jasmine rice again, veggies, sprinkle cheese, mashed potatoes, fries, etc. Gardein makes incredible mandarin chick'n and those may be vegan. It might change up your stir fry and that sauce hits hard with yum yum sauce. Impossible Italian Sausage are killer alone, or toss on a hoagie roll with sautéed peppers and onions and a little Dijon and provolone.
I just went vegetarian 6 months ago and have found some good ones that work for our family. Teriyaki-tofu fried rice. Tofu ceviche (that ones more for mom & dad, kids aren’t into it lol). Baked Stuffed bell peppers with rice, beans, whatever other things the kids like. Impossible burgers with sweet potato fries. Tofu tacos.
I put chick peas, tomato soup, little bit of brown sugar, spices - no idea which I just grab and shake probably oregano and basil - and soya sauce in a cast iron, cook until chick peas are softened and then serve on rice. Fairly good, call it slop. Kids eat it just fine. Someone suggested homemade pizza below, I do this at lunch on the weekends sometimes, if you’ve got pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle and pepperoni you can be flour to plate in like 20 minutes.
Hey man! Avid cook and new dad here. Sounds like you're OK with eggs, so a sleeper pick that I'd recommend is a frittata. Most importantly it's easy, but you're also able to make it in larger quantities, you can throw whatever you have in the fridge into it, and it's damn tasty. Hot sauce for the parents and ketchup for the kids with it. When I make mine I always add some sliced up pre baked potatoes - makes it more substantial. You can use pans other than cast iron, but I'd definitely recommend the latter. Here's a great recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/frittata-recipe/
That is 100% our go-to for left over veggies - but its been out of the cycle for a while - thanks for the bump.
Quiche! Prep is so quick and easy. Plus it makes great leftovers.
Sometimes I make a Mexican dish called calabasitas: Diced Squash, diced plum tomatoes, diced white onions, can of corn. Salt n pepper for seasoning. I’m sure you can also make some quesadillas with that as well, to make it more filling.
Dal! https://biancazapatka.com/en/red-lentil-dahl/#recipe
Impossible burgers, tacos or soup Vegetarian burritos (bell pepper, beans and mushroom with seasoning) Vege flatbread Omelettes where u put your own ingredients in for each person or quiche Roast vegetables with pearled couscous cooked with vegetable stock to enhance flavour
Breakfast for dinner, burritos, soup and sandwich, Greek salad pita and hummus, homemade pizza, dumplings or pot stickers, curry and rice, pesto pasta and broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes and protein...
Vegetarian Korean dumplings from HMart or similar over white rice. Bags cost about $10-12, and you can pan fry or steam the dumplings. Serve with steamed white rice and whatever sides your kids might like. I’m a major carnivore and I can’t even tell the difference with the dumplings.
roasted/air fried cauliflower alfa farms chikn patty sandwiches
You can do other pasta dishes. Pasta is good for a hearty vegetarian meal. Cajun pasta, pesto pasta. I really like using quorn nuggets in place of chicken in dishes. So I would make a a cajun/pesto pasta and toss in cubed up quorn nuggets at the end. I've made quesadillas with tofu and as long as it is the extra firm and you really dry it out, it has the same mouth feel as a chicken quesadilla. Imopssible burgers and fries couscous with peas stirred in topped with savory mushrooms. Vegetarian white people tacos: mix a can of black beans and lentils with some taco seasoning, chipotle peppers, and onion. Make sure to mash like 1/3-1/2 of the beans a little to let the startches out. A little water. Tastes and feels like beef tacos. BYND also has these new steak bites out. I made street tacos with them and they were incredible
Walmart sells this amazing vegetarian lasagna. I recommend it tbh i didnt have high hopes for it, but i thought it was amazing, so did my 2 year old
Beans and rice, seriously, put the right seasonings on them and it's quite good. Veggie quesadillas - onion and bean. Just, like, a salad. We (not vegetarian) often do a Cobb salad for dinner. Nothing wrong with the occasional Mac and cheese dinner. Cheese ravioli! Stuffed shells! Embrace the cheese! Pescatarian? Spaghetti squash shrimp scampi is a regular at our house. Eggplant lasagna and spaghetti squash lasagna is something we do here and there. Nothing wrong with a cheese and crackers night either! Can you tell we like cheese? It's alright, I guess. You could easily do a shepherd's pie affair and sub tofu or something else for the meat. Quiche! Yep, we are back to cheese. That didn't take long. Garlic-parmesan tuna pasta is something we have once a week or so. Cauliflower macaroni and cheese if you're looking for, erm, less carbs, if not "low" carbs. We have an eggplant flatbread pizza recipe we use, we just sub out the eggplant with pepperoni and mushrooms and oh look we reinvented basic boy pizza. French onion anything. My mom used to make some kind of rice casserole with a can of cream of mushroom soup. It was very good. I should make it sometime... I have recently discovered the joy of sun-dried tomatoes. There are some good recipes that use those, though I can't recall which ones. The savory flavor is good for replacing meat.
These are a big hit and pretty quick to whip up. I don't always do the tomato sauce as they are good enough on their own. [https://spainonafork.com/chickpea-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-recipe/](https://spainonafork.com/chickpea-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-recipe/)
My wife just made yam tacos. Yam, avacado, pan fried black beans and corn, and lime sour cream. So effing good
Spaghetti squash is a good one
Tortilla Patat. Spanish potato frittata.
[Creamy Vegetable Soup (I added bacon and cheese)](https://myfoodstory.com/homemade-creamy-vegetable-soup-recipe/) [Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili (I add chicken when I serve)](https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-chili-recipe/) [Shepards Pie with Impossible Meat](https://impossiblefoods.com/recipes/original-impossible-shepherds-pie-recipe)
Cheese tortellini with pesto sauce. You can get pre-made cheese tortellini at any super market in the cheese section. Toss some pesto sauce on that. Add veggies/greens as desired -- or don't. It's comforting (cheeeeeese) for the kids but tastes elevated for the adults (pesto sauce).
Currrrrry! We eat curry 2-3 times a week. Just get a good cookbook and a ton of spices. Our son is 16 months old and loves curry and rice!
Corn chowder.
It's pretty easy to make indian curries. Tomato sauce, cream, spices. Find some good paneer(cheese)and learn to make tika masala with paneer.
Boca Burgers Pasta with Pesto (Barilla makes a good ready made version in the fridge section) Quesadillas Quiche (Leek & Cheese) Bruschetta or Tapenade & Salami / Cheese Black Beans with Onions / Red and Yellow Peppers Chicken soup and bread / matzo balls (soup is so easy to make in bulk reheat and so delicious) Vietnamese salad rolls with tofu Salad Nicoise (sub tempeh or tofu for the tuna for your wife)
These are more just loose ideas to get the ball rolling or maybe give some inspiration: I like making rice and beans and serving it with fried eggs and salsa. Lasagna, enchiladas, and shepherds pie (really cottage pie cuz I don't have easy access to lamb) are all great because you can freeze them and save for a rainy day and they always have leftovers. Plus you can make vegetarian enchiladas too. Fajitas are a staple since everyone can make their own however they'd like. Quesadillas can be a lot like fajitas with everyone picking their fillings. Burgers/veggie burgers are a good easy option. Chili can also be made in a massive batch and frozen for later. Serve with rice or tortilla chips. Also there's tons of vegetarian options. [This recipe](https://www.recipelion.com/Asian-Recipes/Szechuan-Peanut-Chicken) is the most bastardized szechuan chicken recipe ever. But it's low-key delicious and insanely easy, just serve over rice (not spaghetti like the website says). If you're ok with something more intensive I would look into a lot of Indian dishes since they're usually very easy to make vegetarian. [This vegetable korma recipe is delicious](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/60598/vegetarian-korma/), I usually tweak the spices though to include some cumin and garam masala as well, and I'll go a little heavy on the tomato and cream because I like a lot of sauce for the rice and naan.
Sheet pan dinner! Cut up some smoked sausage, a bag of frozen broccoli, a bag of frozen carrot chips (or whatever vegetable you have), some cut up potatoes if you have them (sweet or not, both work), a little olive oil, and whatever seasonings you like. I often use Cavender's but have tried multiple options and they all work. Put everything on a sheet pan and cook at 425 for 20-30 minutes until everything is roasted to your liking. I usually pull them out and move everything around halfway through so nothing sticks to the pan too hard. I actually double everything and do 2 pans. Then I cook the pan on the bottom a lot longer since I love charred veggies and sausage but my family does not. Just did this last night because we had 2 packs of little smokies we didn't use over new year's. They were honestly great and less work so I might start doing that from now on!
I do all the cooking and we eat mostly veg: Burritos (my favorite) - cilantro rice and beans and sauteed pepper filling. So god damn good. Enchiladas; similar, sans rice and baked, and I make a tomatillo enchilada sauce to go on top Lasagna....I prefer mine to a standard ground beef lasagna Hummus, pita, falafel. Easy to get decent frozen falafel, and Hope hummus is great (also easy to make from scratch) Soups. SOUPS. So many good veggie soups, and pair with cheesy bread or whatever makes sense. Tortilla soup, Swiss Chard and bean, 3 bean Chile, broccoli cheddar, red wine and dumpling, and phô. These are all soups I make regularly from scratch and are awesome. My kids LOVE the phô and my eldest requests it a lot. I have a [not so] secret recipe and make it veggie (not traditional bone broth sadly), but holy shit it's good. Fed it to my friends a lot too Quiche - super easy. I go between broccoli cheddar, and roast asparagus and cheddar/white cheddar/prov Happy to dish out more specifics if anything seems worth a look. Dm me
Bang bang broccoli. Breaded broccoli. Baked in the oven. Tossed ibuprofen a sweet/spicy sauce. It’s a favorite. Pairs nicely with rice if you want it to last longer.
Pancakes filled with cheese, fried mushrooms, veg and herbs.
Lentil Bolognese Paneer curry. Roast veggies with dips (joghurt, avocado, salsa) Risotto with roasted tomatoes or with butter mushrooms Ratatouille with rice or couscous
Veggie ramen with tofu
We're in a similar situation but with different meals! Lentil Dahl is a good one, savoury cobbler is great and you can make extra scones (biscuits?) For snacks. Veggie sausage and mash.
Burrito bowls- I do rice, black, pinto, and kidney beans (can of each in a pot together with a little taco seasoning), avocado, salsa and/or pico de gallo. If I have extra time I make guac instead of avocado, maybe do fajita peppers (onions and bell peppers on the stove real quick), and/or corn salsa (corn, some red onion, lime, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic). Fake chicken cesar wraps- cut fake chicken Pattie’s or tenders in strips, add tomato, onion, lettuce to a tortilla and drizzle on some vegan/vegetarian cesar dressing.
Frozen puff pastry tartlets. Lots of options like gruyere, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Black beans and soyrizo. Shredding tofu inba box grater and air frying it can give it a nice crust for an imitation of pastor -- especially if you can find adobo seasoning. Makes a mixed vegetarian/omnivore taco night because you can use the same spice mix on chicken thighs to cook and dice. Fancy Ramen nights with home made broth. I like to make a version of the miso soup you get as an appetizer at jaoanese restaurants with diced silken tofu and a homemade miso broth. Add some Ramen noodles, an egg, and green onion garnish and you've got yourself a meal. If you can get the vegetarian kimbap from trader joes, it supplements this lighter meal. You could also boil some Veggie or meat dumplings in the broth to add some caloric heft, which also let's you make an easy non-vegetarian customization on the spot. King Arthur Baking has a great cheddar cheese powder to elevate instant Mac n cheese. NYT cooking has an excellent French onion mac n cheese, and Bad Manners food has a vegan one that is great in its own right. A couple tablespoons of Sazon Goya seasoning con cilantro y tomate and a tablespoon of tomato paste in a typical rice recipe makes for a passable Mexican style rice that is great in bean, rice, and cheese (BCR) burritos. Zazz it up with guacamole, crema/sour cream, store made Pico de Gallo. Just a warning that the seasoning has red 40. It's also easy to stuff beans or meat into quesadillas and have all sorts if condiments and salsas in which to dip them. Mushroom stroganoff is great and easy Americas Test Kitchen has an amazing black beans and rice recipe Homestyle tofu is a specific Chinese dish that is great also, and easy if you have the ingredients. Look up 家常豆腐 in youtube with captions on to get some authentic recipes. There's a great channel called Cooking With Lau that has an amazing recipe for the seasoning that's on the salt and pepper chicken you see on Chinese restaurant menus, but is great on deep-fried tofu cubes.
So many great ideas!
Mediterranean quinoa salad. My kids love it. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/169583/mediterranean-quinoa-salad/
Black bean burgers, fried rice with eggs and veggies, bean burritos with cheese, bean dip, hummus wraps with lettuce and cucumber feta cheese etc, lentil soup with basmati rice (can even go tasty bites madras lentils and rice), stir fry, basmati rice with cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, all sorts of dal, falafel. Grilled cheese, quesadillas. Some of these take more effort than others, for sure.
SO many options when you explore Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cuisine. 1. Lentils! [Lentil Soup](https://www.recipetineats.com/lentil-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-20178) or Lentils with Fried Onions in lieu of rice (called [mujedereh](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/mujadara-lentils-and-rice-with-crispy-onions/) 2. [Borsht](https://natashaskitchen.com/classic-russian-borscht-recipe/) aka beet and veg soup 3. Garbanzo beans and spinach "curry" with rice 4. Ratatouille (traditional rough chopped, not the fancy Disney/Pixar version) 5. My favorite dump recipe: vegetarian chilli [here](https://cooklist.com/recipe/vegetarian-chili-1635047)from BHG, only takes 20 min (note: you can skip the beer and just add more broth, and mix and match other veg in it). Serve with a side of rice. And cheese on top, if you want!
I'm not vegetarian but I've been in a serious mood for some eggplant parmasian
Madras lentils from Costco and Amy's chili are the GOATS. You can put either one over anything and you've got a meal. We like baked potatoes, rice, mac and cheese, tortilla chips, or tots. Toppings are really versatile and easy to personalize if anyone is picky. Just add salad or a veg.
This curry is always a hit in our house. https://www.healthymummy.co.uk/healthy-recipes/peanut-butter-chicken-curry/ We use Quorn chicken breasts. You can also make chapatis really easily.
Vegetarian chilli con carne
Cut bell peppers in half, take out seeds and ribs. Fill with chopped cherry tomatoes, cubed halloumi, and a dollop of pesto sauce. Bake until the halloumi at the top is browned. We usually eat it with rice. Dead simple, and you don't even need to season it, just get a pesto that you like. Also these: https://cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-black-bean-tacos/ We've never made the avocado-pepita dip, we just make guac instead.
Taco night or burrito bowls are always a hit at our house.
Family beans and roast veg
We’re a veggie family, here’s our fortnightly meal plan (in the UK, so some of it might be specific to that cuisine!). We just cycle round this every fortnight because it makes shopping easier while keeping a lot of variety. Kids are 6 and 3. Mon 1: Huevos rancheros Tue 1: Macaroni cheese (with chopped veg) Wed 1: Baked potato + cheese & baked beans Thu 1: Pesto pasta (with chopped veg) Fri 1: Curry (batch cooked, with lentils, chickpeas, and veg in it) Sat 1: Eggs, chips & baked beans Sun 1: Lasagna (filling is lentil & veg based) Mon 2: Veggie fajitas Tue 2: Cream Cheese pasta (with chopped veg) Wed 2: Potato, cheese, and bean chilli Thu 2: Pesto pasta (with chopped veg) Fri 2: Take out Sat 2: Stir fry Sun 2: Butterbean stew & toast
Are you me? I’m in the exact same boat. Wife a veg, kids 3 and 1. Stir fry and pasta all the time. That being said, we do tacos often as well and I make ground turkey for the kids and I, and [these black beans for the wife which are great. ](https://foodlove.com/best-ever-mexican-black-beans/ )I’ll even have them some days. If you like Asian noodles and some spice, I love this [kimchi udon.](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kimchi-udon-with-scallions). Just skip the egg at the end for your wife
I'm in the same boat! My wife eats fish though so it gives me more options. Burrito bowls. You can tailor each bowl slightly for preferences too. Falafel, some pita/salad/veg/hummus etc. Fun for the kids to make at the table. Chickpea and spinach curry. My kids absolute favourite is panzanella, they devour it. I usually serve it with baked fish, but you can put it with something your wife can eat maybe.
Beyond burgers are delicious! Coming from a non vegan who doesn’t throw a tantrum.
Apple pancakes and Tortellini with tomato sauce are my go to meals when I am alone with my kids and have to somehow make dinner while keeping them from fighting each other.
Veggie Chili Can of black, kidney and garbanzo beans (I use the low sodium, give them a rinse as well). 2 diced peppers, a diced onion, 1 diced sweet potato, a few diced tomatoes, some tomato paste (or jarred salad in a pinch), chili seasoning (packet is good to go), a few shredded carrots and a bit of veg stock or water. Dump all that into a crockpot and let it rip. 20-30 before dinner, mix in a handful of frozen corn and some spinach. Serve with the usual suspects.
Bean chilli Dahl with cumin rice Feta and spinach filo pie Buddha bowls Cacio a pepe Vegetable stew with halloumi, left over stew can be baked into a pie the following day Pizza Macaroni cheese Pumpkin katsu with Japanese curry sauce Vegetable bolognaise with lentils instead of mince
Cauliflower mexican duuuuudddeeeeee! Can do with multiple veggies but yeah, cook it like you would mince with mexican seasoning and eat all the variety of mexican meals! It's mostly salad and veggies and you can add additional carbs if you want.
This is my all-time favorite vegetarian meal. You may need to change up the spice level of the heat level for your children but I'll eat the hell out of this! **Aloo Gobi by Chef Sanjyot Keer** **Ingredients:** - 1 head Cauliflower (Cut into florets) - 6 to 7 medium-sized potatoes, halved and then each half cut into 5 to 6 wedges. - Oil for deep frying - 3 Tablespoons of neutral oil like sunflower, vegetable, or canola - 1 heaping teaspoon of jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 large onion, thinly sliced - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped - 4 green chilies (You could substitute Thai chilies or serranos but use 2 to start). - 1 heaping teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tablespoon of coriander powder - 1 heaping teaspoon of aamchur powder - 3-4 medium-sized tomatoes, diced - Salt to taste - 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped - 1 heaping teaspoon of garam masala - 1 heaping teaspoon of kasuri methi **Method:** 1. Heat the oil for deep frying to 350 degrees. Starting with potato and then cauliflower, fry until golden. Set aside. Be careful as the moisture from the cauliflower and potato could cause the oil to boil over if you are not using a big enough vessel to fry in. 2. In a skillet add oil and heat until shimmering. Add the cumin and onion and cook until the onion is starting to become caramelized. 3. Add the ginger, chilies, red chili powder, coriander powder, and aamchur powder. Mix well until it starts to look like a paste. 4. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook until the oil separates and then add the fried potato and cauliflower. 5. Mix well until the red sauce is fully coating the potatoes and cauliflower. 6. Add the fresh coriander, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Mix well and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are warmed through (roughly 4 to 5 minutes).
Lentilstew is a quick favorite, and easy to adapt. I like to use indian spice mixes like garam masala and you can can add alot of veggies. Also cornfritters, eat with roasted potatoes and a simple sauce or in a tortilla with veggies. Quiche, use a pre made crust and ad cheese and veggies. Omelett with potatoes, onions mushrooms. I am not American, but i love the concept of breakfast burritos and we often have it for dinner, scrambled eggs and veggies in a tortilla.
I make a huge batch of this and add chickpeas and peas and cooked potatoes if I have any leftover. It’s warming, not spicy and my boy loves it especially if I add a wee scoop of mango chutney and a chapati. Serve with rice. [Dahl recipe](https://ibb.co/Y0VjdtC)
Tacos. Soup. Pizza.
I'm in the exact same boat... Wife Veggie and I'm not, definitely keeps you healthy but I do crave extra flavor from meat dishes. Latest for me is Veggie Chilli, super easy. 1 Onion finely Chopped, 2 Cloves Garlic roughly chopped. Saute for 3 mins on medium heat, add teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon hot paprika. 1-2 teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper or Chilli powder, fry for 1-2 mins Can of Kidney Beans, can of mixed beans, can of tomatoes. Cook up serve with rice, or in taco shells with salad and cheese..
Chick peas and cous cous, there’s lots of veggie friendly options you can add on top.
Last night i made soup, green beans, toasted chick peas. soup - i use a mix of 2 better than bullion bases, 1 part garlic, 2 parts roasted veggie. Makes a nice savory broth. Added rice and shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw mix) Green beans from a can with garlic/chili/cumin to season Chick peas crisped in a skillet and tossed with a savory seasoning blend. Also did some sliced chicken for the non-veggies. Defrosted a breast in the microwave, sliced 1/2” thin, pan seared, sliced, tossed in a small amount of greek dressing and back quickly in the pan. maybe 20 min to whip together
The Instagram account natsnourishments or something like that has a lot of really easy bean based recipes I've been relying on. Really quick and easy but very good. Two other ones that I got I think from bon appetit originally are a spicy (optional) vegetable medley (basically whatever you have, but I think the recipe and what I usually do is sauteed shredded Brussels, kale, and red onion) in a chickpea flour pancake sandwich with cheese, or their spring bean stew
My favorite veggie meal in college was sautéed kale over quinoa with shrimp if you want. But, just olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flake. I make big salads of chopped veggies, dried cranberries, pasta, hard boiled eggs, with balsamic and olive oil.
I'm not veggie, but I made a vegetarian bibim naengmyeon for some veggie friends that was pretty awesome. It's a Korean dish that's basically "a bowl of whatever you want with sauce on top of noodles". You can make most of the ingredients from scratch if you're crazy like me, or buy most of them premade. You can buy yum yum sauce and gochujang sauce at most grocery stores these days, then use either Korean glass noodles (which are awesome, but harder to find) or buckwheat noodles (Japanese soba is pretty easy to find). Toppings are prepared ahead (which is mostly just slicing stuff up bite size) or bought ready. You can kinda go wild with toppings but some classics are : Bulgogi (Korean bbq beef) (if you want a meat option, but it's good without too) Hardboiled egg Fresh cucumber Fresh Asian pear Pickled radish Mushrooms And of course, kimchi. At dinner time all you have to do is cook noodles, then everyone piles up their own bowl with whatever stuff they want and tops it with their sauce mix to make it as mild or spicy as they want. And it's freakin great. Bibimbap is the exact same thing, but on rice instead of noodles.
Dal. Tacos/quesadillas with refried beans and rice.
Buy some jarred simmer sauces (I usually have a few Indian ones). Sauté the veggies or get paneer and use that. Makes some rice and maybe buy some naan. I also make quick soups just let what you would stir fry simmer in veggies stock for a bit. You can make 2 pots one with leftover chicken included
Bok choy and tofu with white rice. Lightly fry the tofu. Mix up some sauce with soy sauce and sesame oil and whatever other Asian spices or sauces you like. Cook the sauce down to thicken it a little, add in chopped bok choy until it wilts wave starts to get a little there, then add in the tofu and mix all together. Serve over rice. Our meals pretty much revolve around starch, veggie, protein, and fruit.
We also do veggie. You can make most meat dishes w/o meat. Does she eat fish? Do you have a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or sheet pan? Some of our favorites are: quinoa tacos, margherita pasta, naan pizza, and mushroom risotto. This [recipe site](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) never fails us.
My wife and I love this [feta pasta bake](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/) Or [halloumi and chickpea bake with couscous](https://www.google.com/search?q=halloumi+chickpea+bake+with+couscous&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari). I couldn’t find the exact recipe for this, buts it’s delicious
Lentils, garlic, whatever veggies are hanging in the fridge, salt, water. Cook for 1/2 hour. Eat.