Calling all vegetarians

mamie329

::sigh:: 

Out of nowhere, last night my DH announced that he wanted to stop eating meat because he loves animals. Mind you, this man is total meat eater. He'd eat hamburgers three times a day if he could.

I'm hoping this is just a phase since I'm not that skilled at menu planning, let alone restrictions like this.

Anyone have any easy meatless meals?  

Leigha12

The other night I sauteed yellow and green squash slices with onion and garlic, and then added in vodka sauce and tossed with pasta. 

Not as easy, but really good: veggie stir fry and veggie lasagna. I can get you the recipes I created later tonight if you want.

stephriz

We're not big meat eaters at our house, so I enjoy a lot of these types of recipes.  Red beans and rice in the crock pot is one of my faves.  Nutritionist Ellie Krieger makes a lot of meatless meals, and I like her recipes.

Here's some I've bookmarked from WC blogs this week:

http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/2010/08/26/spinach-zucchini-and-mushroom-quiche/

(look through the newest recipes on this blog too, because she's got lots of meatless weeknight meals)

http://www.crumblycookie.net/2010/08/19/penne-alla-vodka/

http://annies-eats.com/2009/06/24/szechuan-noodles/

And this WC blogger is a vegetarian:

http://www.lesliesarna.typepad.com/leslie-sarna/

hawkilady

You could always feed him tofu and he'd probably be back to meat in a couple days

We try to do at least one meatless meal per week.  Its generally pasta of some sort or a big salad with hard boiled eggs for protein.  Sometimes we do breakfast for dinner on those nights too.  Things like Spanish omelet (potato-based), quiche, etc would all be good.

Is he still planning to eat fish?  There are tons of quick and easy weeknight meals you could do with shrimp, crab, tilapia and other easy to cook fish.

SBS0628

mamie329:

::sigh:: 

Out of nowhere, last night my DH announced that he wanted to stop eating meat because he loves animals.

Any chance he was drunk? Or kidding? No? ::sigh::

Well, I'm married to a vegetarian, so I've got lots of easy go-to items. I've posted some in my blog and/or on FB, and I'm looking for/will continue to post a lot more. I've actually become pseudo-pescatarian myself (seafood only...and technically, trying to get down to fish only, but it's so hard to give up lobster and shrimp when we go out to dinner...).

Two brands that you will quickly find to be your saving grace: Morningstar Farms and Boca. Both make EXCELLENT "fake meat" products that you can just translate in to your normal recipes. I will be the first to agree that the beef doesn't take like beef (especially the hamburger patties), but you can season it right and get the same texture. We use the "soy beef crumbles" to make tacos, "meat" spaghetti sauce, the stuffed bell peppers I posted, etc. I'm also a big fan of the MSF corn dogs. Yumm. Quorn, in my opinion, makes the best fake chicken products. They have one product called "Naked Chik'n Cutlets" which essentially is like a plain chicken breast. You can use it the same way you'd use normal chicken in any recipe.

The products I've mentioned are all frozen. Sometimes there are fake meat products in the produce section as well -- they don't last as long, but taste good. I like tofu dogs by Smart...something. It starts with Smart. Or maybe it's SoySmart? Whatever, they're pretty obvious.

If he's planning on going vegetarian and not vegan (vegan doesn't use any animal product at all -- no eggs, no milk, no honey, nothing), then I would say amp up your egg/dairy consumption as well as lots of beans and legumes to get protein. We do a lot of "breakfast for dinner" here -- last night we made scrambled eggs with sweet corn and goat cheese served over oven-roasted tomatoes.

Oh, and one big thing -- start checking product labels. As part of my 101 in 1001, I was full vegetarian for three months and discovered lots of hidden meat in things I assumed were vegetarian (like chicken broth as the base for a LOT of meat-less soups...like Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup...oh, how I miss that Broccoli Cheddar Soup...).

Good luck! Let me know if you need more ideas. And I'll keep posting what I cook on FB and my blog! 

mamie329

Great info, ladies! 

I seriously have no idea what brought this about in his head. I'm hoping it passes because I already have enough issues in making dinner. :-/  

hawki, I thought about the feeding him tofu/soy stuff, but he already turned down my suggestion of tofu burgers for tonight.  

mamie329

UPDATE:

I tried talking this over with him this evening.

1. He got the idea from a commercial where there's a talking pig. :-/

2. He was boasting the fact he made it 24 hrs without meat. Then said we should throw in chicken nuggets to the salads I was making. Apparently eating chicken is okay because they're overpopulated (pretty sure he made that up.)

God help me. 

SBS0628

mamie329:

1. He got the idea from a commercial where there's a talking pig. :-/

2. Apparently eating chicken is okay because they're overpopulated (pretty sure he made that up.)

1. Oh. My. Gawh-- hahahahaha. Okay, well, it may seem like a stupid reason, but I will give him credit for his heart being in the right place.

2. The only reason this is true is because they're genetically altered (manufactured, actually) and bred so that we can use them in food (especially fast food and/or frozen foods). You may want to mention that to him

One thing he (you both) might consider if he doesn't want to give up meat entirely is to buy direct from a butcher or farmer and only buy grass-fed/free-range meet. It's more expensive, but it's got less pesticides and it's a legitimate animal (as opposed to what KFC has created and claims is "chicken"...)

mamie329

SBS0628:

One thing he (you both) might consider if he doesn't want to give up meat entirely is to buy direct from a butcher or farmer and only buy grass-fed/free-range meet. It's more expensive, but it's got less pesticides and it's a legitimate animal (as opposed to what KFC has created and claims is "chicken"...)

He loves pesticide and genetically-altered food like whoa. He geeks out if I say we can eat KFC and McDonald's.

And yeah, his heart IS in the right place, but OMG.  

Leigha12

Please don't tell me it was the commercial where the pigs are eating at a restaurant! That one skeeves me out. Makes me want to eat more pork just to get rid of them.

megs1383

hahahahahhhahha, that's awesome.  

keb270

This is so funny. I gave up pork when I was 8 because I read Charlotte's Web. I actually haven't eaten it since then either!

You may want to check out some of the Moosewood Cookbooks. I use them a lot to make meals and they do a good job of balancing veggies with proteins like beans.

daisy21le

Ok, I know that commercial and it's so cute!!

Thanks for plugging my sight already!  I think it may be helpful, because I'm the kind of vegetarian that eats really "normal" stuff.  And I'm also feeding my husband everyday who eats meat.  So almost all my stuff is really easy to toss some meat in for him or you.

Good luck, but don't get too upset with him.  Cooking vegetarian is pretty easy and there are wonderful health benefits!   

daisy21le

Of course I mean "site"!!  Sorry, it's early here : )