ISO Simple, Quick, Decent Protein?

[WildOrchid310]

Hi all,

I went vegetarian earlier this year and am currently struggling to find some decent recipes. I've been pretty bad about just throwing a quick salad together or just making a cheese quesadilla. I desperately need more variety! And definitely more protein... but preferably not beans because, well, I just don't like them... :S

Also, simple and quick is ideal! I'm in x-ray school right now so time and money are precious commodities. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever, I'm not a vegan, I do eat eggs, and I love spicy food.

That's it, Thanks!

 

[larry_stewart]

Im vegetarian also ( have been for 25 + years )
I also do eat eggs / cheese
Im not necessarily Veg for health reasons, so some of my suggestions may not be the healthiest suggestions. if you're more interested in healthier suggestions let me know, and Ill dig deep for other things.

Have you tried any of the Morning star farm products ( found in most major grocery stores frozen section ( green box or bag)).

-Grillers are their veggie burgers, pretty good substitute for hamburgers, can get creative with how you top them. Barbecue sauce + cheddar cheese, sautéed mushrooms and onions, guacamole tomatoes onions hot sauce, classic ketchup-lettuce -pickles-cheese..., marinara sauce + Mozarrella cheese....

-Crumbles are their ' chopped meat' which can be substituted as ground beef in lasagna, tacos, sloppy joes, stuffed cabbage, chili, ' meat ' sauce
***Will nit stick together so trying to make meatballs, meat load ... will not work unless you get creative by adding eggs, cheese ....***

-Sausage links - can be used as a side for breakfast with eggs, in addition I've made sausage peppers onions with them on a hero bread, or cut up and put in a jambalaya.

One thing everyone must take into account when using/ eating/ cooking with any substitute meat products. they rarely taste like their meat counterpart, almost always have different cooking methods / qualities than their meat counter part, and are really meant to be something you can use instead of, not a replacement. Most people try them and then will comment something stupid like " this doesn't feel, taste, look ... like meat". Well, guess what ? its not . Just have to be creative.

I can go on forever, as i have 26 + years of veg experience, but as i mentioned earlier, if you are looking for more health conscience ideas, I'd have to put more thought into it and get back to you.

let me know.
larry

BTW, was in Eastern Tennessee a few weeks ago, had a great time, very nice area of the country.

 

[taxlady]

I was a vegetarian a long time ago. I had a homemade "ground beef substitute". I don't like beans either, but this doesn't taste like beans. Cook some beans. Put them through a meat grinder, not too fine. Fry it up in some good oil with chopped onions. This can be used in spaghetti sauce or tacos (be sure to season with "taco seasonings"). It won't work in meatloaf or meatballs, but when you need loose ground beef, it works well.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Hi all,

I went vegetarian earlier this year and am currently struggling to find some decent recipes. I've been pretty bad about just throwing a quick salad together or just making a cheese quesadilla. I desperately need more variety! And definitely more protein... but preferably not beans because, well, I just don't like them... :S

Also, simple and quick is ideal! I'm in x-ray school right now so time and money are precious commodities. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever, I'm not a vegan, I do eat eggs, and I love spicy food.

That's it, Thanks!

1. Boil pasta until tender. Drain, add olive oil, fake bacon bits, and a raw egg. Fold the egg into the steaming, hot pasta and let the residual heat cook the egg while you are stirring it. You now have Spaghetti Carbonara.

2. Boil navy beans until tender. Mash, and add egg, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and canned milk (if you can use dairy products). Pour this into a pre-made pie crust and bake into a bean pie. The flavor and texture are like pumpkin pie, but high in proteins.

3. Combine 2 cups of re-hydrated texture-vegetable protein with 6 oz. tomato puree, 2 tbs, chili powder, 1 raw onion, finely diced, 1 tsp. paprika, and a half tsp. salt. Use as taco or burrito filling, or even as a rice topping.

4. Combine 2 cups of re-hydrated texture-vegetable protein with 6 oz. tomato puree, three heaping tbs. of brown sugar, one minced onion, 2 tbs. sweet pickle relish, 1/4 tsp. cloves, and a half tsp. salt. Heat and serve as sloppy joes.

5. 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbled and combined with 1 cup brown rice, 1 lb. sauted mushrooms, shelled and skinned peanuts, Maggi sauce, black pepper, sage, salt and pepper to taste, 2 raw eggs, and chopped onion, all coated with melted butter, and a half-cup of water to make dressing.

6. Pad Tai

7. 1 cup re-hydrated TVP, 8 oz. sliced and chopped water chestnuts, 8 0z, chopped bamboo shoots, 1 peeled and chopped onion. 1/2 tsp. dried ginger, dash of Chinese Five-Spice powder, 2 cups fresh beans sprouts, 1 package egg-roll skins.

8. Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese filled home-made ravioli.

9. There are some wonderful cheese macaroni recipes on DC.

10. Split pea soup.

Hope that helps a little.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Selkie]

Go to Yahoo or Google and do searches for "Pegan" and "Paleo-Vegan." It's a dietary method that includes some animal protein, but is geared toward a 90-95% vegetarian diet. It's based on the natural diet of early man. There's a lot of explanatory material out there with some wonderful recipes. Good luck to you!

 

[GotGarlic]

Do you dislike beans just by themselves, or also when they're part of a larger dish? You can dress up beans with other flavors, like adding salsa and lime juice to refried beans or making a big pot of minestrone with a lot of vegetables and cannellini beans, or hummus or falafel with chickpeas.

 

[CWS4322]

I am not a vegetarian, but I go meatless for days on end. Protein sources for me are:


Eggs
Chickpeas (hummus, chickpea hash, etc., etc.)
Beans (I like all kinds)
Cheese
Yogurt
Nutritional yeast
Veggie burgers--I love them
Quinoa
green peas
tofu
edamane
nuts and nut butters
leafy greens
seeds--sesame, sunflower, poppy (I also like chia seeds)
rice milk, soy milk, etc.
unsweetened cocoa powder
Kefir
Yogurt cheese
Nori (don't know if that is protein, but I love it)