Now, more than ever, families as a whole are becoming more health conscious. Almost a century after the Great Depression, where we'd have to grab whatever we could find and make a soup out of it, there are now multitudes of food choices. Grocery stores have whole sections devoted to organic produce, aisles devoted to gluten free products, and an influx of plant based replacements for carbs. Vegtarians have many meatless options available. Some may say now is the best time to be a vegetarian.
Growing up, my mom was a vegetarian, and I remember her bringing her own food with her to cookouts or parties, because chances were that there'd never be anything she could eat. Some of her favorite haunts were Subway (Veggie Burger), and then other local eateries catered to vegans and vegetarians. If she wasn't eating out, then we'd make our own veggie burgers at home, and a wide variety of crock pot meals. Lentils, chili, and vegetable stews that were quite tasty. If only we had kept those recipes.
Now though, in the year 2018, there's no lack of vegetarian options. A restaurant with no vegetarian options is now looked at as antiquated. The internet, as well, is overflowing with blogs and recipes by many creative, modern-day vegetarians. These would be good to keep on hand in a meatless household, especially during a season where big meals and hearty recipes are important. Here are a bunch of delicious looking meals that will fill and warm tummies on cold nights.
Cajun Peppers and Grits
Shrimp and grits is a delicious Southern dish that is deceptively simple to be so filling. This recipe replaces the shrimp with peppers, while maintaining the Cajun spice. One could eat this first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
Get the recipe here.
Mini Pumpkin Pot Pie
Who doesn't love a good pot pie? Pumpkin is a nourishing and smooth harvest vegetable, and tastes great when baked. Whether used as a part of a savory or sweet pie, the flavor stands on its own.
Get the recipe here.
Lentil Baked Ziti
Every time I go to Maggiano's, or any other Italian restaurant, the chances of my ordering ziti are high. From the first time I tasted it, I was in love. No matter who makes it, ziti is a dish that one can't really go wrong with. This particular ziti contains lentils, in place of the traditional meat sauce. I would imagine it gives a really good texture when draped in tomato sauce. An especially hungry diner may not even know the difference between this and a beef version of the dish.
Get the recipe here.
Portobello Steaks With Whiskey Peppercorn Sauce
I'm not much of a steak person, but it's hard to imagine that a mushroom would mimic the taste of a steak. For years, I've heard how great the mushroom is at giving one that meaty texture and taste. Whether or not this dish tastes like meat, it looks appetizing. Mushrooms in themselves are pretty tasty, and paired with some flavorful mashed potatoes and a robust gravy — a winning combination!
Get the recipe here.
Shepherd’s Pie
Originally a lamb dish (which is kind of ironic, given the name), this yummy stew is topped with mashed potatoes and filled with all sorts of vegetables. Rumor has it that European wives of the 1700s used to make this pie from leftovers that their husbands no longer wanted. Even though this dish skips the lamb, its filled with enough delicious ingredients that won't let us miss anything.
Get the recipe here.
Vegetarian Pulled 'Pork'
This kosher take on pork barbecue is made out of an especially intriguing ingredient. Should I reveal it? No … click the link and see what super cool ingredient this recipe allows us to sample.
Get the recipe here.
Mushroom Wellington
This oversized pastry is another food with origins across the Pond. A unanimous decision about exactly which country made it first has not been reached. However, I've seen a lot of references state that France's "filet de beouf en croute" (or beef filet in a crust) has been around for quite a while. In the end, this is just a fancy sandwich, in my opinion. Jam-packed with mushrooms, spinach, and onions, and then baked to perfection in a gorgeous crust — I'm sure even children will love this.
Get the recipe here.
Smothered 'Chicken' and Gravy
Another soul food-inspired dish is this smothered tofu with gravy. Before my mom turned vegetarian, she loved smothered chicken with rice, and I’m sure there are many other former carnivores out there who’d loved to have a delicious and flavorful alternative.
Get the recipe here.
Smoky Vegan Red Beans & Rice
Red beans and rice is normally viewed as a side dish to a main entree. However, the two by themselves actually make for a quite filling course, while still being easier to digest than if we were eating it with a number of other proteins.
Get the recipe here.
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Mushrooms are all over the list, aren’t they? There are just so many different types of mushrooms and so many ways to cook and prepare them. These smaller mushrooms are smothered in a balsamic garlic sauce and grilled for lots of smoky and probably a little spicy flavor.
Get the recipe here.
Rainbow Vegetarian Pad Thai
I’ve never ventured to make Pad Thai at home before, but what better time than the present. It’s called rainbow because of all the colorful veggies and herbs used, even though I could imagine if one wanted even more colors, peppers of other colors could be added. That would be a true rainbow — but I digress. Something else I found pretty impressive is that this recipe only takes five minutes after prepping.
Get the recipe here.
Vegetarian Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Peppers with Blistered Tomatoes
Peppers seem like they were created to be stuffed. When cutting one open, there’s all that empty space, just waiting to be filled. I’d imagine the possibilities of what to fill them with are endless. In this scenario, the peppers are stuffed with spinach and ricotta. Sort of like a healthier version of Stromboli.
Get the recipe here.
Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash With Cranberries and Kale
This meal speaks to the fall harvest. It’s all the fall colors in one and even is filled with a grain that one would harvest around this time of year, quinoa. I especially am intrigued by the kale and cranberries being together in this squash, as I love kale and cranberries mixed with squash. There’s a vegetable mix I usually buy from Wegman’s with that mixture bar is simply delicious. So I have high hopes for this entree.
Get the recipe here.
Hearty Spaghetti With Lentils & Marinara Sauce
What’s a home without a spaghetti recipe? Cold, I tell you! Spaghetti is classic food that can literally be thrown together in minutes and fill one’s tummy just as quick. This lentil-based tomato sauce and pasta aims to give us that same sensation.
Get the recipe here.
Creamy Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup
When I think of white beans, or any type of beans, I think of a staple food that is great to have around for those broke days. Or those days where we’re just busy and want to throw something easy on. This dish uses one of the more popular beans from down South, the white bean, and makes it into something that looks super delicious and hearty.
Get the recipe here.
Vegan Lentil Salisbury Steak
We saw the imitation T-bone steak with the Portobello mushroom earlier, now were seeing a different kind of steak. Although Salisbury isn’t really a steak at all, it can be eaten just like one, with gravy and potatoes. It’s also just as filling. This version is made from lentils but claims to be delicious and also has lots of yummy flavors due to the seasoning.
Get the recipe here.
Spicy Almond-Crusted Tofu Nuggets
Let’s say, one day we’re out with friends who are not vegetarian or on any diet restriction, and we rise up to a place like Popeyes. That order some chicken strips and instantly that smell is wafting through the car and now, we can’t think about anything else but those strips. A great way to reward oneself for showing such self-control is maybe with these almond-encrusted tofu nuggets. They may or may not have a similar taste to the originals, but they will more than likely satisfy the craving!
Get the recipe here.
Pumpkin Curry
The world’s favorite fall vegetable comes back with more ideas on how to cook her. I’m sure many pumpkins get ruined or wasted this time of year, but here we have yet another idea about how to use the interior. This soup makes the meat of the vegetable into a curry, which is perfect for knocking cold out of our system.
Get this recipe here.
Creamy Cauliflower Pasta with Garlic & Roasted Tomatoes
Pasta is the perfect food to cuddle up with on a cold night, whether you have a human to cuddle with or not. It’s just fun to grab and watch Netflix with. Here’s a pasta that I know my daughter will love, full of creaminess but also lots of veggies.
Get the recipe here.
Spanish 'Beef' Stew
Beef stew is one of my favorites. Full of potatoes, carrots, and tender meat with a smoky gravy — it’s just so wonderful to have around in winter. Making it is a whole other story, though. This recipe, although it takes an hour, is actually the only one from this list that uses vegetable protein as a meat substitute. From my experience, the vegetable protein chunks usually taste the most like meat and absorb a sauces flavor and texture more than any of the other stand-ins. This sounds promising.
Get the recipe here.
Butternut Squash Baked Ziti
These oversized pasta shells are stuffed with all sorts of vegetable and nutty goodness. In addition to squash and spinach, which are so good for us, a cashew cream is used to bind everything together. Even vegans can eat this dish.
Get the recipe here.
