Mostly Vegetarian Monthly Meal Plan

SUBMITTED BY: Stephanie

MOSTLY VEGETARIAN MONTHLY MEAL PLAN (for the freezer)

Here’s one of my plans:

This is only main dishes. I always serve greens, salad, muffins, etc. to go with my meals.

Enjoy! I hope this can help someone eat a few meatless meals.

The Full Month Plan:
1. Meatless Tamale Pie
2. Popeye Pie
3. Lentil Stew
4. Scalloped Potatoes (served with Mixed veggie dish, no recipe)
5. Crockpot mac and cheese
6. Lentil Rice Casserole
7. Split Pea Soup
8. Lentil Soup
9. Black Bean Quesadillas
10. Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
11. Eggplant Parmesan
12. BBQ Eggplant with Couscous
13. Brown Lentil Bake with Pineapple
14. Vegetable Barbecue Couscous
15. Nutty Pasta Twists
16. Broccoli and Chickpeas with Rice
17. Chile Relleno Puff
18. Spaghetti
19. Chicken TVP potpie
20. Potato Cheese Soup
21. Baked Potatoes with Chili and Cheese
22. Black Bean Soup
23. Biscuit Taco Casserole
24. Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust
25. Risotto Primavera
26. Sweet and Sour Tofu
27. Stir-Fry with Rice
28. Homemade Gardenburgers
29. Beans and Rice, broccoli cornbread
30. Polenta Pizza Casserole

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Here are a few recipes to get you started:

Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust
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Crust:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive or veg oil
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine in order listed. Run on dough cycle. When done, fix as desired and bake 18 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

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Biscuit Taco Casserole

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(Pillsbury bake off recipe, originally called for 1/2 lb ground beef, but I substitute beans)
16 oz jar medium taco sauce
12 oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced, black olives
8 oz beans (refried, pinto, black, etc; doesn’t matter)
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

Heat oven to 400. Lightly grease 13×9 inch pan. Spread taco sauce on bottom of dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in taco sauce; turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with 1/2 to 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the olives; mix gently. Bake at 400 F for 15 to 18 minutes or until bubbly. Meanwhile, in large skillet saute beans, peppers, and mushrooms until veggies are done. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over mixture in casserole. Top with bean mixture. Bake an additional 6 minutes. Freeze before baking and then bake when serving.

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Popeye Pie

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12 oz frozen, chopped spinach
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup celery, chopped

Thaw and press our liquid from spinach. Mix remaining together and fold in spinach. Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate. Freeze. To serve: Thaw. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut in 6 wedges and serve.

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Lentil Stew

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( I think I got this from The Dollar Stretcher)
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
7 cups water
2 tsp veg or chicken broth granules
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup small macaroni
2 carrots, sliced
16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon thyme

In large soup pot, saute onions in oil over medium-high heat unti tender. Add water, broth, and lentils. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils and carrots are tender.

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Scalloped Potatoes (Mom’s recipe)

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8 potatoes, peeled and sliced layered in casserole dish with 1 onion, sliced into rings and separated. In bowl, mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can milk. Blend. Pour over onions and potatoes. Stir. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

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Crockpot Mac and Cheese

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8 oz box macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons oil
13 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup milk
3 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix all. Put in ziploc. When time to serve, thaw and put in crocpot for 3-4 hour on low.

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Lentil Rice Casserole

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3 cups chicken broth, or use water and 1 tb veg. seasoning
3/4 cups lentils, uncooked
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Blend all together in a casserole dish. Bake covered, for 1 1/2 hours at 300. Cool then freeze. When serving, thaw and reheat. During the last few minutes of cooking, you may top with shredded cheese, I don’t.

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Black Bean Quesadillas (Woman’s Day or Family Circle)

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8 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup medium salsa
15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed, and lightly mashed
1 cup shredded cheese (they use Muenster, I use cheddar or Monterey)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Enchilada sauce

Lay 4 tortillas in greased baking dish. Add salsa, beans, cheese, onions, and salt. Put 4 tortillas on top of those. Add enchilada sauce on top. Freeze. To: serve: bake at 350 until cheese is melted and heated through.

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Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie (vegetarian resource group)

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4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup potato water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
8 oz steamed tempeh OR 1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vegetable seasoning
paprika

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and add just enough water to cover. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain potatoes, reserving liquid. Mash cooked potatoes with hot water, salt, and onion powder. Add additional liquid if desired. Set aside. Combine tempeh OR beans, corn, and peas in a 9 in pie pan. In a separate bowl, whisk together peanut butter, water, and seasoning until smooth. Pour sauce evenly over vegetables. Top with mounds of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Freeze. To serve: Thaw. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes start to brown. Serve hot orat room temperature.

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Easy Curried Lentil or Pea Soup (McDougall Cookbook)

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10 cups water
2 cups lentils or green split peas
1 chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
2 cups cooked rice

Start by cooking the lentils and onion OR split peas and onion in the water over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add curry powder and the rice and cook for 30 minutes longer.

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Barbecue Eggplant with Couscous–Serves 2-3

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1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ rounds. Place in broiling oan. Brush each slice liberally with barbecue sauce. Cover every exposed area. Broil for approximately 5 minutes, then flip, brush other side with BBQ sauce; then broil another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil water for couscous (need box of couscous, make all). Add couscous. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with salad. This is one of those quick meals. I eat this the nite I cook.

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Meatless Tamale Pie

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Fry 3 large onions with 4 peeled, diced carrots. Add 3 cans beans and 1 lb frozen corn kernels. Throw in 1-8oz can tomato sauce and 1 TB each cumin and chili powder. Put everything in big casserole dish and top with corn bread batter. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

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Split Pea Soup (Ecological Cooking)

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1 lb green split peas
2 quarts water
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt, to taste

Place all ingredients in a lg. pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, on high heat for 20 minutes. Lower heat and simmer, covered, approximately 1 hr or until peas are soft. Remove bay leaf and beat with a wire whisk or process in blender until smooth. Freeze. Thaw and heat through.

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Eggplant Parmesan

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2 cups water
1 cup bulghur
3/4 cup egg substitute or 3 eggs
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1 tablespoon oil
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1-8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat water to boiling in large saucepan; remove from heat and stir in bulghur. Let stand uncovered 30-60 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Mix bulghur, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, and basil. Heat oil in skillet over low heat. Place half of the eggplant slices in skillet; top with bulghur mixture. Arrange remaining eggplant slices over bulghur, top with tomato sauce. Cover and cook 30-35 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Serves 6.

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Brown Lentil Bake with Pineapple (Vegsource–Deborah)

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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups brown lentils, cooked
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1-8 oz can pineapple rings

Heat oven to 350. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion. Add garlic, lentils, parsley, herbs, and soy sauce. Mash. Mix in 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Put in Baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover. Top with pineapple and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

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Vegetable Barbecue Couscous

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(My own creation–I don’t freeze this; but keep it in refrigerator for the week)
1 bag frozen black bean, broccoli, corn, and red pepper mix
1/2 bottle barbecue sauce
cooked couscous

Cook vegetables in water for about 7 minutes, or until tender. Add barbecue sauce. Heat through. Add cooked couscous.

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Nutty Pasta Twists

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6 oz rotini pasta
1/4 cup drained, rinsed canned kidney beans
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp onion; minced fine
1 garlic clove, minced fine
2 tablespoons water

Cook pasta until tender. Drain and rinse in colander and let cool to room temp. Mash beans with spoon until smooth. Stir in peanut butter, water, honey, soy sauce, onion, and garlic. Add pasta and toss to coat evenly.

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Broccoli and Chickpeas with Rice – Serves 2-3

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Saute 1/2 a chopped onion. Add 1 cup of broccoli florets and 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas. Season with tamari or soy sauce and lemon to taste. Thicken liquid with flour and cold water. Serve with rice.

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Chile Relleno Puff (Miserly Moms)

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1-7 oz can whole green chiles
8 oz Monterey jack cheese
6 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Grease a small baking pan. Lay down the chiles and cover with half of the cheese. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over chiles. Top with rest of cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

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Spaghetti with Zucchini Sauce (Miserly Moms–I love this book)

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1 (28-32 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb zucchini, sliced and cut in half
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 lb spaghetti noodles

Cook noodles and set aside. Combine zucchini and sauce in a saucepan and heat until zucchini are cooked. Toss with noodles and cheese.

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Chicken TVP Potpie

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prepared pie crust in pie pan
1 cup veg chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 stalks celery, cubed
1 cup chicken TVP, cubed
2 tablespoons roux (1 tablespoon butter plus 1 Tablespoon flour, melted together)
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all in a pan (besides crust, of course) and stir over medium heat. Put in pie crust and put crust on top. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Potato Cheese Soup (Miserly Moms)

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1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
1 cup water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cheese
1 onion, diced
1tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, melt butter and fry onion until light brown. Stir in the flour and salt and pepper. Stir forming a roux paste. Add water, stirring constantly. When mixed, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir while it thickens and the cheese melts.

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Baked Potatoes with Chili and Cheese

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For this I cheat. I freeze 1 can vegetarian chili and freeze separately
1 cup grated cheese for topping.

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Black Bean Soup (Miserly Moms, again)

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2-15 oz cans black beans
1-15 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 can veg broth plus 1 veg. chicken bouillon cube
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper
1 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons lime juice

Combine in a large pan and simmer until cooked through. Add lime juice after cooked. Serve with rolls or rice.

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Risotto Primavera

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2 tablespoons olive or veg oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into julienne strips
1 cup uncooked arborio or regular medium-grain white rice
2-15 oz cans chicken broth or use veg broth plus chicken buoillon powder
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup frozen peas
1 zucchini, cut into julienne strips
8 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a 3-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and carrot in oil, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stir in rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice begins to brown. Pour 1/2 cup of the broth over rice mixture. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking 15 to 20 minutes, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and creamy; add broccoli, peas, and zucchini with the last addition of the broth. Sprinkle with cheese.

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Sweet and Sour Tofu (Michelle from Vegsource)

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1 lb tofu, water packed

Deep fry in oil until golden brown or 4 minutes, then drain. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and stirfry 1 cup EACH green and red peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks. Mix together, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/3 cup each vinegar and ketchup and 1/2 cup water. Then add to veggies; cook until mixture thickens and then add to tofu. Serve over rice.

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Stir Fry with Rice (Deborah from Vegsource)

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1 bag frozen stir-fry veggies
1 tablespoon smoked sesame oil
1 cup broth
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tb soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
meat substitutes, shredded (amt and type your choice, I use chicken TVP)

Heat sesame oil over medium heat in lg pan. Add veggies and stir fry until they begin to soften. Add meat subs and continue to stir fry. Add soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Contine to cook mixture to desired amount of doneness. Mix cornstarch with broth and add to pan. Stir constantly until thickened. Serve over rice or noodles.

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Gardenburgers (Top Secret Recipes Lite by Todd Wilbur) – Makes 6 patties

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2 tablespoons bulghur
1 lb mushrooms, quartered (4 cups steamed)
1 cup diced onion (1/2 cup steamed)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash pepper
2 tb cornstarch
olive oil cooking spray

Add 1/4 cup boiling water to the bulghur in a small bowl and let sit for about 1 hr. Steam the mushrooms for 10 minutes or until tender; then remove them from steamer; and replace with onion. Steam onions for 10 minutes or until pieces are translucent. Keep these separate and set aside. Add 1/2 cup of water to the oats and let them soak for 10 minutes, until soft. Drain any excess water from bulghur and oats, the combine grains with mushrooms, rice, cheeses, and spices in blender or food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times until ingredients are chopped fine, but not pureed. Pour mixture into a bowl with the onion and cornstarch, and mix well. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and set a large skillet over medium/low heat. SPray the skillet with spray. Measure 1/2 cup at a time of the mixture into the pan and shape with a spoon into a 3 3/4 inch patty that is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cook the patties in batches for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until light brown on the surface. When all of the patties have been cooked in skillet, arrange them on a lightly sprayed cooking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the oven. Be sure to turn them over halfway through the cooking time. Freeze when they have cooled. To serve: Can be reheated in pan; grilled; microwaved or microwaved for 30 to 35 seconds and then toasted.

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Beans and Rice – Serves 4-6 (Ecological Cooking)

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3/4 cup red beans, rinsed well
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Place beans and water in lg pot. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in rice and tamari. Bring back up to boil. Reduce heat to low again, cover and simmer for 1 hr. Fluff with a fork. Serve hot.

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Broccoli Cornbread

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1/2 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 pkg frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
3/4 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
1 package cornbread mix

Mix margarine, onions, salt, cheese, broccoli, and beaten eggs. Stir in muffin mix. Pour in a 9×13 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes; or until brown.

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Polenta Pizza Casserole

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Prepared polenta, broiled in baking dish until browned. Add pizza sauce, and whatever topping you want. Freeze. Thaw. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake 18-20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.

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There you go!!

SUBMITTED BY: Stephanie

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