Vegan Dinner Tonight?

here is a simple one we love... take two cans of garbonzo beans....drain the water and rinse them.

add one can of stewed tomatoes, chunks is the ones i like with the italian spices. use the liquid.

add a half of bag of fresh spinach. warm it up and its fantastic. you cannot get a healthier dish. we eat it with canned fruit and salad. or just eat it .....its awesome!!!!!!

cheap too!!!

1

A vegetarian diet, like any other diet, can be safe or it can be harmful. I would suggest getting a book about veganism (Veganism for Dummies or something would work) and read over it so you have an idea of what to watch for. Then, tell her that SHE has to read it as well. Quiz her about her nutrient needs and ask her what she will eat daily to make sure she's got her bases covered. If you think it would help, ask her to come up with a her menu for the week to plan ahead. You should also make sure that she knows some basic food preparation skills if you haven't already, because your next big announcement is: "Okay. I'm not going to make a completely separate meal for you." That is perfectly fine. If you can make two versions easily, or can make it so the family can add an animal ingredient or not at the table, that's fine. (For example, if you are having spaghetti, leave a serving of sauce plain and put the meat in with the rest. Use olive oil instead of butter to toss the pasta. If you are making baked potatoes, bring them to the table hot and pass the butter and sour cream there.) However, at 15, she is definitely too old to expect you to make something totally different. Grab a copy of The Flexitarian Table. It is a great cookbook with families like yours, where some people eat meat and others don't. Most of the recipes in there are designed with ovo-lacto vegetarians in mind, but you should be able to make many of them vegan without too much trouble. It will cut way down on time, and the family can eat almost the same thing. You and your daughter can cook family dinner together (she can use tofu and you can use chicken) sometime. (The menus are seasonal and generally contain one main dish, a side, and some sort of salad.)

Mock Meatloaf [6 servings]

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced (optional)

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 packages beef–flavor Gimme Lean Beef

1/4 cup oatmeal, dry

2 slices white bread, crumbled

3 Tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. pepper

Coating ingredients:

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sauté the onion and green pepper in the oil over medium heat until soft. Combine in a bowl with the ground beef alternative, oatmeal, bread, ketchup, garlic salt, and pepper. Thoroughly mix with a spoon or your hands.

Press the mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the coating and set aside.

Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a baking sheet. Spread the coating over the entire loaf. Cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.

How about Black Beans and Rice with a mixed green salad.

Saute' garlic and onions with olive oil in a pan then add a can of black beans do not drain, add 1 cup of rice and 1 & 3/4 cups of veggie stock or water, pinch of salt and pepper, bring to a simmer cover with a tight lid, turn stove down to med. low and cook for 20 min- 30 mins. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro and you favorite mix of salad on the side.

Spicey rice noodles

w/ cabbage &peanuts:

1 # rice noodles soak 20 min. in cold water

or 2 min. in boiling then put in cold water

(rinse in warm water before serving)

Saute in order.

½ c peanut oil

1 onion

2 T gingerroot

3 garlic

½ jalapeño (more or less to taste)

1 red bell pepper

2 # cabbage shredded

3 oz snow peas

Add Mixed Sauce:

¼ c hoisin

¼ c soysauce

2 t vinegar

2 t sesame oil

1 ½ t sugar

¼ t pepper

Serve topped with:

1 c fresh bean sprouts,½ c ch.peanuts, 2 scallions, ¼ c fresh basil, lime wedge

You can of course substitute any cooked noodle for the rice noodles

Cajun Blackened tofu stroganoff

Coat bite size extra firm tofu with mixed:

1 T salt-free Cajun spice, 2 T flour, 2 T cornstarch and 1 T brown sugar

Crispy Fry, in HOT cast iron pan, turning as sides darken

Set aside.

Saute

8 oz mushrooms

1 shallot

1 T butter

remove

add to pan

2/3 c dry white wine

reduce by ½ 2-3 min

Add til thickened

1 T broth powder

1 ½ c soy milk

2 T cornstarch

1 T capers (optional)

S and P to taste

Add mushrooms

Spoon sauce over cooked pasta and top with tofu

I am not vegan...but these looked good.

Make some veggie fajitas. Saute a variety of onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushroooms, and squash. Serve with tortillas, refried beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole and the salad you have to use up. Quick, easy, and all those spices will recharge your appetite!

here are some dinner ideas that i love to make:

-a fresh vegetable lasanga (made with vegan whole wheat noodles, vegan cheeses, tomatoes, and fresh marinara sauce)

-asian lettuce wraps with stir fry vegetables, brown rice, big romaine lettuce leaves, chopped nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc. this is if you like nuts, for a little protein additive), and sauce of your choice (i like soy sauce personally)

-vegetable teryiaki bowl made of brown rice, mixed veggies of your choice, and teryiaki sauce

-spinach enchiladas made with 100% organic vegan corn torillias with a green tamillio sauce or a good salsa and gauacamole or avacado slices as a garnish and black beans as a side dish

-vegetable quasadillas (with or without vegan cheese, your choice) with 100% vegan corn tortillas and salsa, pico, and guacamole as a garnish

-fresh vegetable pasta, steam mixed vegetables of your choice, vegan whole wheat pasta, and oil and vinagar with herbs and seasoning, or whatever sauce you would like to add

This version of a meatless lasagna combines five different vegetables and three-types of cheese.

1 package (about 8 ounces) dry lasagne noodles

4 carrots (about 3/4 pounds total), cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 zucchini (about 1 pound total), cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 medium-size onion, chopped

1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon each dry basil, dry thyme, and dry oregano

1 (30-ounce) jar marinara sauce

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 cups (12-ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pan, bring 3 quarts water to boil over high heat. Add noodles and carrots; cook for 6 minutes. Add zucchini; continue to cook until noodles are barely tender to bite, about 4 more minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set noodles, carrots, and zucchini aside, keeping noodles and vegetables separate.

In pan used to cook noodles, combine oil, onion, mushrooms, basil, thyme and oregano. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until onion is soft and liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marinara sauce.

In another small bowl, mix spinach and ricotta cheese.

Spread a third of the sauce over bottom of a shallow 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish. Arrange half the noodles over sauce. Over noodles, evenly layer half each of the carrots, zucchini, spinach mixture and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (At this point, you may cover and refrigerate until next day, if desired.)

Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, in a 400*F (205*C) oven until lasagne is bubbly and heated through, about 25 minutes. If refrigerated, bake, uncovered, in a 350*F (175*C) oven until bubbly and heated through, about 50 minutes.

Let lasagne stand for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

i love vegatables