Plant-based Meals

Whether you have lactose intolerance or fish/egg allergies or are just trying to change things up, when you can’t do meat it’s a good idea to get friendly with your plant-based proteins. Here are some delicious options that are great for both your health and your wallet . Give them a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

1. Chic-pea pasta with sauce and grilled veggies:

Walmart carries chic-pea pasta, while trader joes carries lentil pasta. Both are high protein, which reduces the need to have cheese. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce and roasted veggies and olives and you will just be happy. If you can have dairy, add some parmesan or feta for extra flavor and nutrition.

2. Falafel with the works:

Take out your favorite brand of frozen falafel balls or venture to make your own – you can even bake them as patties for a change! https://toriavey.com/toris- kitchen/falafel/

Then chop an Israeli salad, mix tahini paste well with lemon, water to make a thin Israeli techina (this is really fun to mix if you’ve never tried it before – it gets really thick before it gets thin). Serve with pita and hummus. If you don’t have store- bought hummus, you can make your own easily by putting a can of chicpeas in a container, adding oil, salt garlic and lemon and blending with an immersion blender.

3. Vegetarian chili over rice:

   This is a staple in our house, and I haven’t yet met someone who didn’t love it. It’s basically a very hearty minestrone-ish soup with lots of beans, which I serve over rice to make it more of a meal-food instead of a soup.

Instructions: Sautee onions, diced carrots and celery, add tomato sauce garlic cumin, diced zucchini, canned corn or peppers or mushrooms if you’d like and then dump in as many canned beans as you can! You can use raw beans, but they will need to cook for longer. Cook a whole pot and freeze extra for a rainy day, or just eat it the whole week.

Note: you can add vegetarian or real ground meat to add even more protein and flavor.

4. Tofu stir-fry

   If you’ve never tasted this versatile plant-based protein – now is the time! Tofu is cheap, nutritious, and surprisingly well accepted if you face your fear and actually taste it! Buy extra-firm tofu - It is found next to the dairy section in stores and looks like a block of feta cheese. Cut it into cubes and marinate in soy sauce, garlic, oil and honey. Add cornstarch to prevent it from getting soggy and bake on high until crispy.

https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/

5. Vegetarian hot dogs or Burgers:

   Just buy some buns, slice some pickles and call it a day. Or you can add a soup, or fries. These guys are easy and satisfying meal for both kids and adults.

For fresh refrigerated burgers, Trader Joe’s is the place to go. For frozen burgers try heaven and earth’s veggie burgers (they are soy-free). Walmart sells soy-dogs.

6. Quesadilla roll-ups:

   Spread out a tortilla, and place some shredded cheese toward one side. Spoon black beans and then tomato sauce or salsa on top. Finish with an additional sprinkle of cheese, and roll the tortilla closed, folding the sides in. bake on 425 for about 7 min. These became a favorite in our house when we needed lunch options for my son with multiple food allergies. We made his with dairy-free cheese, and used regular cheese for the rest of the family.

   
   

7. Red-lentil soup and bread:

   Here is a recipe for a delicious high-protein lentil soup that pairs well with bread, avocado toast or bruschetta. You can top the soup with a dollop of silk soy or regular yogurt too. Use a whole grain bread to maximize protein.

   https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-red-lentil-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-21239

I hope these ideas have inspired you to add something new to your meatless-repertoire! But of course, don’t forget about eggs dairy and fish completely for all those that can have them.

Best,

Noa