Here’s a fun little fact: October is National Vegetarian Month!
(source)
As a long-time vegetarian, I’ve talked to many people about a meatless lifestyle. Some say, ”Oh I could never be a vegetarian. How do you do it?” while others are more open to trying out vegetarianism, but express concern for not knowing where to start. I think that sometimes people are so used to meat being a main part of their meals, they just can’t picture eating dinner without that piece of chicken, steak, or pork as the main focus. For any readers who fall into the category of veg curious people, or just don’t think meat is necessary in every meal, I hope that my blog provides some appealing vegetarian recipes to you!
In recognition of a month that strives to raise awareness of a lifestyle I embrace, I thought it’d be fun to provide a whole week’s worth of meals that are some of my go-to dinners when I want to whip up something with little effort. These meals are easy, healthy, and tasty, and if you’re looking to go vegetarian even for a night or two a week, they can provide you with a place to start!
Meal Idea #1 – Quinoa with sauteed veggies, pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese:
All you need per serving:
- 1 cup of quinoa/rice blend
- 1 cup of broccoli
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 2 TBSP pine nuts
I like to use the Near East brand quinoa blend shown above. While the quinoa is cooking, I saute the broccoli and red bell pepper. Once the quinoa is done, I combine it in a bowl with the veggies. Then I add feta cheese to kick up the flavor, and sprinkle pine nuts into the mix for some added crunch and good fat.
Meal Idea #2 – Veggie & cheese flatbreads:
Another meal I frequently throw together is a personal pizza of sorts. It all depends on what I’m in the mood for and what I have handy in my kitchen. The beauty of this type of meal is that there aren’t ingredient requirements – you can just throw in whatever you have available. I nab whole wheat pocket breads at my farmer’s market, and I know they also sell them at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. The flatbreads shown above are:
- Arugula, feta & cherry tomato mini pizza
- Zucchini, tomato, spinach & shredded mozzarella combo flatbread
- South of the border personal pizza
Meal #3 – Brown rice & black beans:
I’ll admit that black beans aren’t too visually appealing. However, brown rice + black beans are a complete protein. This means that when you eat this combo, you’re nourishing your body with all 9 essential amino acids. I like to dress up my brown rice and beans with sliced avocado, tomato, salsa, bell pepper, and/or shredded cheddar or Mexican-style cheese. Healthy? Check. Yummy? Check. And this meal will take you under 10 minutes to put together!
Meal Idea #4 – Pasta with broccoli, garlic & oil:
This easy breezy recipe can be found here.
Meal Idea #5 – Caprese salad with a twist:
Caprese salad is one of my favorite things to eat. I like to combine the usual suspects of a caprese salad – tomato, mozzarella, red pepper, olive oil and balsamic – and add some avocado into the mix for some added yumminess. One of my first blog posts was the recipe for this salad, which you can view here.
Meal Idea #6 – Grilled portobello:
Portobello mushrooms are a ”meatier'” vegetable that could easily make you forget the real meat missing from your meal. They’re easy to dress up and grill or bake. The above photo is grilled portobello with arugula and tomato.
Meal Idea #7 – Panini:
Another one of my go-to dinner ideas is to make a panini. In fact, I made a couple for dinner this evening, and paired them with corn on the cob. All you need for sure is bread or rolls, and the rest you can improvise. The panini recipes above shown above are:
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