If you eat meat a few times a week...

What do you cook when you eat non meat meals? I am at a loss of what to cook that doesn't have meat in it. I have lost my mojo.

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

french onion soup
omelets with potatoes
crab and corn chowder
salmon
fried fish
gnocchi with gorgonzola
lentil soup

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

gnocchi usually w/pesto
pasta with broccoli rabe, asparagus or something like that with lemon/garlic/olive oil
caprese paninis
homemade pizza

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Assuming you meant vegetarian when you said meals without meat (so I won't count fish/seafood meals), we probably have some sort of pasta or grain based dish without meat once a week -

So it could be recipes like penne a la vodka (I have a quick, WW recipe I use a lot), fettucine with porcini mushroom sauce (a cooking light recipe), homemade mac and cheese, or just simple pasta with marinara. All of the above served with a side salad.

I have a slow cooker recipe for pearl barley risotto with butternut squah that I like a lot.

Lasagna or lasagna rolls

Eggplant dish - I have a WW recipe for a healthy version of eggplant parm where you don't bread the eggplant but you roll up a ricotta and goat cheese mixture inside the eggplant slices and bake them in a baking dish with marinara and mozzarella/parmesan.

I often make quiches with leftover veggies and cheese (or just stuff I have lying around) and have that with a vegetarian soup or salad.

Stuffed vegetables - Like I made a cheesy orzo stuffed tomato dish a couple of weeks ago that was good. Could also do stuffed peppers stuffed with just veggies, breadcrumbs, rice, cous cous, etc.

We also do a pizza night once a week, so that's a meatless night (as we usually either get margherita pizza, grandma's, or a plain thin crust pie) and have a side salad. But you could do an at home version - even english muffin pizzas (could be made healthy with whole grain english muffins and part-skim mozz).

Another easy, kid-friendly thing is grilled cheese with tomato soup (or french fries, sweet potato fries, etc.).

If you eat meat a few times a week...

Spinach quiche
Baked cheese ravioli with mozzarella

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

I usually make some sort of protein with every meal, but growing up we only had a couple of meals with protein and the rest were non meat stuff.

Ex:
2 meals a week would be some sort of soup/stew made from either lentils, navy bean or fava bean

1 meal would be be a saute spinach and rice mix

1 meal would be pasta dish with either red sauce made with mushrooms or just olive and cheese

1 meal would be baked lima beans with assorted veggies and some rice on the side.

If my mom had time she would make us stuffed tomatoes and peppers, stuffed with rice and herbs and some baked potatoes on the side.

hope this gives you some ideas.

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Black Beans and Rice
A spanish Quinona recipe that is all vegeterian
Pizza! (sometimes plain, sometimes with peppers and onions!)
Minnestrone Soup

Message edited 10/24/2012 11:17:22 AM.

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

I am a fan of Boca meatless crumble. It mimics the texture of ground beef that I use in vegetarian chili, stuffed peppers, meat sauce and even meatless stroganoff.

I also like pastas, pizzas, bean burritos, beans and rice, stuffed or marinated portabellos and savory bread puddings or casseroles.

I have stopped eating beef, pork & poultry.. but my kids still eat it, so I will often just eat the side dishes that I prepare for their meals. It's surprisingly filling!

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

pasta fagioli (pasta with kidney beans)

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

-tons of bean and pasta soups
-my favorite is a burrito bowl with all the fixins
-if you like skinny taste, she does meatless mondays and that can give you some inspiration

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Usually a pasta.

Tonight I'm making pasta with broccoli, sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Otherwise its Cheese Quesadillas or some kind of soup (baked potato soup is DH's fav)

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

A small amount of Tofu, lentils or beans would be the protein substitute for me.

However, growing up in a veg culture and being a veg myself for 5 years, I personally don't think it's the healthiest way to eat meals (esp a western influenced diet).

I don't believe in all the "meat" substitute likes soy crumbles, etc.

I think eating pasta and rice isn't so healthy either. Doesn't leave much!

My suggestion for those veg meals would be salads and cooked veggies with nuts, seeds and beans for your protein.

Message edited 10/24/2012 3:26:06 PM.

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

I am a vegetarian and here are some of my go-tos:

Vegetarian chilli ( use organic tofu and black beans along with an assortment of veggies)

Organic tofu ( don't eat it unless it is organic, you don't want to ingest GMO soy) and veggie stirfry with brown rice

Roasted chickpeas in a spinach salad with sliced avocado and a little bit of grated cheese

Burrito "bowl" ala Chiptole : brown rice, beans of your choice salsa and or guacomole, if desired. I usually top with a little bit of fat free sour cream and season with lime juice and cilantro

Whole grain or brown rice pasta tossed with roasted/ sauteed veggies of your choice

Baked peppers stuffed with quinoa and topped with bread crumbs and/ or cheese.

Falalafel with an Israeli salad

These are a few things we have as a special treat as they are pretty fattening even if made " skinny"
- Skinny taste mac and cheese
- ST baked ziti
- St spinach rollup lasagna
- Cheese tortellini
- Cheese ravioli
* all served with some sort of veggie, usually roasted or sauteed.

If you want to include seafood/ fish I have copied and pasted some of these recipes from the other thread.

Herb Crusted Fish:
Take almost any kind fish that you like, drizzle with a little olive oil, lemon then season with salt/ fresh cracked pepper. In bowl mix together panko bread crumbs and add herbs of your choice ( I like parsley , basil oregano etc) . Add the break crumbs to the cut of fish. Spread evenly. Put under the broiler for 10-15 minutes depending on the size/ thickness of the fish. Always a hit!

Broiled Spicy Shrimp:
Marinate shrimp in olive oil, lemon juice and lime juice. Remove from zip lock bag. Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and light dusting of red pepper flakes. Put under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes.

Message edited 10/24/2012 10:49:59 PM.

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Shrimp Scampi
Eggplant Parm
Raviolis with Sauce
Soups (lentil, potato leek, butternut squash, etc.)
Zucchini Pie
Zucchini with olive oil and garlic over pasta

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...

Re: If you eat meat a few times a week...