There was a point when I was younger where it felt like we were eating barbecued chicken 3-4 times a week. I mean, to this day I just can't eat bbq chicken. But because meat was often central in our meals growing up, when my husband and I were first married I realized that I had hardly any idea how to make a meal without meat as the focal point. I had informally decided to just try to mix it up by cooking less meat when I was thrown a very unexpected curveball--my husband told me he wanted to go vegan. Just like that, out of nowhere.
We immediately cut meat out of our meals. And I. Was. STUCK. I only cut out meat myself (because I refused to give up cheese!) but I suddenly was thinking about meals with this "vegetarian" label hanging over me and I felt so overwhelmed. Thank God for Pinterest! I was able to realize that I actually had a number of meat free meals in my rotation that I had never labeled as such.
But I found out I wasn't the only one who thought this way. I had quite a few people asking what we were even eating or what they could possibly cook for a vegetarian friend stopping by. If you're interested in becoming vegetarian or even introducing more meatless meals to cut down your environmental impact, it is a simple switch! Pasta is such a simple way to start off meatless without sacrificing variety, but since you probably don't want to be having pasta heavy meals 7 days a week, I have compiled some of my favorite vegetarian fall backs. Let me know which one you try on your next Meatless Monday!
1. Pumpkin coconut chickpea curry
This curry is one of my repeat favorites. It makes a lot so it's perfect for big groups too and it always gets rave reviews. Pro tip: don't skimp on the lime juice at the end--it makes a huge difference!
The nice thing about this recipe is that apart from chopping carrots and onion, it's basically just throwing together a bunch of cans and spices and letting them meld together in the pan.
2. Mushroom risotto
Risotto is such a lovely slow meal with amazing pay off. I love the pace of the constant slow stirring. It really slows me down and is so enjoyable. After you've set aside the wine called for in your recipe, you can turn down the lights, pour yourself a glass, and listen to some music while you prepare this amazing dish. Risotto is another dish with endless flavor opportunities so once you've tried one you can always search for more. One of my favorites involves lemon and leek! (Also, there are like 12 million recipes for mushroom risotto on Pinterest and I don't have a favorite so good luck!)
3. Creamy potato soup
This is the simplest weeknight meal, especially for cold winter days! I'll leave you guys with a recipe you can follow, but once you make it one time, you won't need a recipe anymore. I usually just toss my potatos in the crockpot with some veggie broth all day. After I have blended most of them up, I add in all my spices and some cream cheese. Then simply top this however you'd top a loaded baked potato--green onions, cheese, sour cream, whatever your heart desires! Also...there is clearly bacon in this picture, no denying it. This was definitely not a vegetarian moment for me...
4. Shepherd's pie
Another thing my husband introduced me to was shepherd's pie. All my life I'd avoided it because I'd just been too thrown off by the name. I knew they called it "pie" and there was meat involved. But that was the full extent of my knowledge. You guys....shepherd's pie is the ULTIMATE.
First of all, it is the heartiest most comforting meal on a cold night. It only involves two pots, and it is endlessly customizable. This is another of those dishes that once you make it once, you'll never need a recipe. Traditional shepherd's pie has lamb or ground beef, but I typically make ours with lentils, portabella mushrooms, carrots and onions. I have even made a
lentil version with spiced sweet potatoes on top. You simply can't go wrong! Again, I don't have a recipe here. I have only used a recipe the first time I made this with meat.
I'll be honest, I haven't used the recipe linked at the beginning because like I said, you don't necessarily need one. But glancing at it, it looks like a good one to start with! In the future I'd like to share my "recipe" for shepherd's pie and I'll come back and link it here!
5. Breakfast
Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal to go out and eat. But breakfast for dinner? That is one of my favorite comfort food meals. I'm not even sure what it is, but something about it is so exciting and nostalgic for me.
Breakfast is also a super simple way to just...not cook a side of bacon or sausage. Voila, vegetarian! Seriously though, there are so many options here. Pancakes, eggs, eggs benedict (sans ham), toast, hashbrowns, waffles, french toast. Endless possibilities!
6. Sweet potato veggie burgers
These are SO simple and delicious, you will not regret it! For a while we bought cheap frozen veggie patties and just ate those. But one of my complaints about vegetarian/vegan foods (that aren't simply whole, plant foods), is that they are so processed. Prior to becoming (mostly) vegetarian, I worked hard to cut down on processed foods so suddenly buying processed vegetarian foods really bothered me. These are a super flavorful alternative to those frozen patties. And after you eat your burger for dinner, you can freeze the leftover patties for the same ease you get from the store based versions!
7. Mushroom stroganoff
Like I said, pasta is a very simple way to go vegetarian by simply switching your meat with any number of vegetables options. I don't want people to get stuck in a rut though so I made a point of only choosing one pasta dish--but this is one of my favorites.
Using portabella mushrooms in place of beef is a super simple switch if you're cutting down on meat. This stroganoff is so flavorful and hearty, you won't even miss the beef!
