I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked the questions: “Where do you get your protein?” or “Aren’t you going to be hungry after just that?”
And so on.
So many people think that it is impossible to eat a vegetarian (or vegan) meal and feel full after. It is honestly quite frustrating, because I think most people simply aren’t educated on the matter. I work really hard to make sure my meals are healthy and have a lot of nutrients and protein involved! I have been cooking at home a lot lately and I have even got my meat obsessed roommate to share some vegetarian meals with me. Here are three of our favorites:
Spanish Roasted Sandwiches
*from vegetariantimes.com
My roommate and I were so full after this one! The combination of the goat cheese and roasted peppers is awesome! The eggplant also provides a nice meaty texture. It was delicious! For this one, I didn’t add the mushrooms or zucchini, as I am not a big fan of either, but I thought the eggplant and onions were enough. We also added sprouts instead of lettuce!
Serves 4
30 minutes or fewer
- 2 yellow squash or zucchini, sliced lengthwise (1 lb.)
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise (1 lb.)
- 1 medium red onion, sliced (1 cup)
- 4 large button mushrooms, sliced (6 oz.)
- 2 roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbs. whole natural blanched almonds
- 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, chopped (1 tsp.)
- 1 5.3-oz. log goat cheese, softened
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
- 4 multigrain rolls, split horizontally
- 4 green leaf lettuce leaves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread squash, eggplant, onion, and mushrooms in single layer on 2 baking sheets, and spray with cooking spray. Roast 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender.
- Place roasted red peppers, almonds, vinegar, and garlic in bowl of food processor. Purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mash goat cheese and basil in bowl.
- Spread bottom halves of rolls with goat cheese mixture. Top each with lettuce leaf. Divide vegetables over lettuce. Spread roasted red pepper mixture on top halves of rolls, and press together to adhere.
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Spanish-Style Frittata
*From Fresh & Fast Vegetarian by Marie Simmons
This one was a great example of something that tastes really light and healthy, but really fills you up! I loved the addition of the potatoes– I wanted to eat them by themselves after they were done cooking. The paprika also adds a nice kick and truly gives it a Spanish flavor. I had a lot leftover, so saved it in the fridge for a few days. It made a great breakfast!
Serves 4
30 minutes
- 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. Yukon gold, red-skinned or round white potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4 -in. dice (about 21/2 c.)
- •1/2 c. chopped red onion
- •1/2 tsp. coarse salt
- •1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 broccoli stalk, cut into 1-in. pieces (about 2 c.)
- 1/2 c. jarred piquillo peppers or roasted red pepper, drained, patted dry and chopped
- 6 eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheeses (I used Manchego for a Spanish flavor)
Directions:
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Add oil. When oil is hot enough to sizzle a piece of potato, spread potatoes in pan. Cook potatoes, turning occasionally with a wide spatula, until they are evenly browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and paprika.
- Meanwhile, bring medium saucepan half full of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and shake dry. Add broccoli and peppers to skillet, distributing them evenly on top of potatoes.
- In small bowl, whisk the eggs, 2 tablespoons water and a grinding of black pepper until frothy. Pour eggs over vegetables. Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Cook over medium to medium-low heat, tilting pan to allow uncooked eggs in the center to run under the set eggs around the edges, for 5 minutes. Cover and cook until eggs are evenly set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cut into wedges and serve directly from the pan.
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Black Bean Chili
*from Fast & Fresh Vegetarian by Marie Simmons*
This was absolutely delicious! I love sweet potatoes and this was a really interesting and different take on them. The chili was a great source of protein with the beans and added a great kick. I also loved the addition of the sour cream and avocado, it made it really luxurious! My roommate loved this one too and I don’t think she missed the meat at all!
Serves 4
45 minutes
- 4 small sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Sour Cream
- 1 avocado, sliced
Directions:
- Heat a large baking sheet by placing it in the oven and preheating the oven to 450°F for 10 minutes. Brush cut sides of sweet potatoes with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Remove the hot pan from the oven, and place the sweet potatoes cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the potatoes with a spatula and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- While the potatoes are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive and the onion in a large Dutch oven or skillet. Cook the onion on medium-low heat until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, and add the chili powder and cumin to bloom for about 20 seconds.
- Add the black beans, tomatoes, chipotle chili and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- Assemble the potatoes by scraping the flesh of the potato with a fork and topping the potato with the chili and the sour cream. Add the sliced avocado and serve.
I hope that you try these recipes and love them as much as I did. Even if you are not a vegetarian, it can be nice to change things up in the kitchen and cook without meat. I’m sure you could even add some sort of meat to these recipes as well, if you can’t live without it.
Happy cooking!