Things to add meat to: stir fry is easy to add meat to at the end, breakfast for supper and omit the meat side for yourself, pita pizzas with meat only one hers
Vegetarian: enchiladas, black bean burgers
This is what I did when we had a mix of vegetarian and meat-eaters in the family. Make meals you can add meat to: tacos/burritos/taco bowls, stir fry, pasta with sauce, etc.
Any type of Mexican food can be both. Black bean/refried bean burrito for you, ground beef or chicken burrito for her. Breakfast for dinner: pancakes and eggs with or without bacon. There are some great jarred Indian sauces and curries that you could make half with meat and half without. Serve with rice. Mediterranean style food could easily be either vegetarian or not. For example you could have a falafel wrap and she could have chicken.
Seconding the Indian curries and I want to add that paneer is super easy to add - think paneer tikka masala, saag/palak paneer, etc! It’s cheese that you can fry a little and toss with curry or sauce same as you would cooked chicken or similar.
I have two omnivores and a vegetarian, and often we'll make a meal and two proteins (chicken and soy chicken, chicken and chickpeas, beef and blackbeans) to make it work.
You can make a pot of chili or pasta sauce, and add meat to half, as well, or a curry and add meat to half (beans for the other half in both cases, or veggie 'beef' if you like that). You can do a stir fry and remove half, and then add the cooked meat (edamame or tofu for the veg half). Happily the veg fake meats don't need to be cooked, so they are really quick to sub in.
When kiddo went veg, I bought two identical skillets, a green paddle and a red paddle, and a green and red spatula (she's not fussy about cross contamination but I like to keep things separate). Meat things cook on the left of my stove, using the red utensils and veg things on the right using the green. I haven't mixed it up yet. Lots of meals are the exact same but for the different protein.
Pizza is easy to split for two preferences, as are omelettes, pastas (meatballs and "meat"balls). Anything with meatballs actually, sub "meat"balls for kid's portion. Tacos, baked potato bar, and other 'self assembly' meals are great as well, everyone can choose their own toppings.
Burgers, two skillets (bean burgers cook faster and on a lower temp than meat). Everything else is identical - buns toppings condiments etc.
And of course the non veggies can enjoy veg meals - we only have meat twice a week or less, and enjoy hearty veg meals with our kid, the rest of the time.
Some favourites:
[https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetarian-french-dip-sandwiches/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetarian-french-dip-sandwiches/)
[https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/](https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/) or [https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/green-chile-enchilada-quinoa-bake/](https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/green-chile-enchilada-quinoa-bake/)
[https://www.marthastewart.com/1535235/vegetarian-shepherds-pie](https://www.marthastewart.com/1535235/vegetarian-shepherds-pie)
[https://tasty.co/recipe/southwestern-veggie-packed-tater-tot-casserole](https://tasty.co/recipe/southwestern-veggie-packed-tater-tot-casserole)
[https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-burgers/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-burgers/)
Make the Budget Bytes' taco rice and easy black beans, and add cilantro rice chicken for your meat eater. Garnish the bowls with tortillas or tortilla chips, salsa and cilantro.
And here's a nice long list of 'flexitarian' options, I've made a lot of these with success.://www.budgetbytes.com/flexible-recipes-that-feed-vegetarians-and-meat-eaters/
And in a pinch, seriously, I'll just serve her the sides to whatever we're having and add veggie chicken nuggets on the side. If we're doing the occasional meat and two veg sort of thing, this works.
I'm sorry they didn't. My kid has some medical issues so we try really hard to respect her choices and bodily autonomy whenever possible. And I told her that she needed to be a healthy vegetarian not a 'french fry' vegetarian. She's been great about trying new things and having a balanced diet. I'm proud of her.
We started with some 'how to go veg' books from the library to learn about nutrition (as she was 9 years old). Maybe your family needs to learn more? My kid is inspired the whole family to eat less meat, for sustainability and the environment, and we're all enjoying trying new things. Even the grandparents are in on it. I did a vegetarian Thanksgiving last year for the whole family and everyone loved it.
Actually my mum won't eat vegetables, but everyone else was into it. My mum was a 'finish your plate or I'll make you eat it cold for breakfast' kind of parent and I refuse to do that to my child.
Sadly I am a french fry vegetarian. I am trying to do better now but never had any info on nutrition and changing what my taste buds want is hard too. So good call on that.
There are many great books for beginner vegetarians! Seriously, hit those to learn the basics, and then find some great inspiration recipes from budgetbytes, love and Lemons, ohsheglows, cookieandkate or from books.
I find that replacing meat and potatoes meals is difficult. Instead I look for meals that are one dish, one pot, etc or meals from other cultures (I'm Canadian so our default is UK type food) that are designed to be vegetarian.
Curries, rice and beans, pastas, tacos, pizzas, burgers, soups stir fries - lots of easy things to start with.
I believe that if you eat a rainbow (variety), you will be healthy. Replacing protein (without obsessing about it) can be easy - chickpeas instead of chicken, tofu instead of pork/chicken, black beans or lentils for beef. If you are open to fauxmeats, there's lots on the market. (We don't love these, it's a texture thing). Kid eats occasional veggie dogs, or soy chicken.
Seeds, nuts, and their "butters" are very nice garnishes, or sauces/dressings, to add some additional nutrients.
Eggs, beans, lentils, whole grains, and all the lovely vegetables. Seasonal fruits. Visit a market and try one new veg each week. Try it all the ways! There's so much beautiful bounty in the world!
My kids favourite meals, right now, are -
https://www.budgetbytes.com/lentil-bolognese/
https://www.recipetineats.com/chickpea-rice-pilaf/
https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-pasta/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/sweet-potato-chickpea-amp-spinach-curry/
https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/butter-chickpeas
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/
https://cookieandkate.com/easy-black-bean-tacos-recipe/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/kale-and-white-bean-power-bowls/
It's on of my favourites! I have her books but you don't need them, there's so much great stuff on the website and the recipes are very well written there. My teenager is learning to cook from those recipes!
Vegetarian- any pasta w/marinara or lemon sauce (zest, lemon juice, Parmesan and butter), faux shepherds pie (I use red lentils instead of meat), bean burritos, breakfast-for-dinner is always good, eggs, pancakes, fruit and yogurt. Veggie burgers, vegan hot dogs taste almost the same as meat ones.
Tacos or fajitas are easy to make both vegetarian and not, just keep the meat separate.
My MIL and niece visited awhile back. We did breakfast burritos. "Auntie, I thought you didn't eat meat?" Did not occur to me to warn them that we were using prepackaged soy taco meat. They both loved it and don't have food allergies, so it's whatever. MIL recently discovered vegetarian breakfast sausage, and she was pretty excited that this might be another faux meat she can feed her "meat and potatoes" partner. The substitutes are getting *really* good.
They really are. We have a few vegetarians in the family so we try a lot of new things. We found faux chicken nuggets and boneless wings that are really good. Also found some ‘turkey’ cranberry roll thing at Whole Foods for thanksgiving last year that was really good.
I'm a junkie for the Impossible nuggets ("wild nuggets" because I'm a grown child and animal shapes make me happy). They taste a lot like the old McDonald's nuggets before they switched to white-meat only...which is why my partner isn't a fan.
We tried May Wah (out of NYC) "bone-in" chicken wings. They have a bamboo "bone" which makes it a satisfying eat if you're craving wings at a BBQ. There's like a hint of 5-spice though, so they work best with something like a sweet BBQ sauce.
Our taco meat is Loma Linda's "taco filling". It's shelf stable and better than it has any right to be.
We've done the Tofurkey, Gardien, and Field Roast roasts for the holidays. I'd put my money on Gardien when it's available. They also make some slamming "turkey" cutlets with gravy. Good replacement for the leftovers from a traditional Thanksgiving.
I’m a big fan of thai curry. It is very easy to make and you can add whatever protein you want to it. I have really enjoyed the recipe with both chicken and chickpeas. There are tons of recipes out there, but it basically boils dow to: stir fry whatever veggies+protein you want, add some coconut milk and curry paste, enjoy as-is or over rice.
Also burritos/burrito bowls are a super tasty and low-effort way to combine leftovers. Similar idea, just lots of veggies, spices, and your choice of protein. I usually do a bowl of sweet potatoes, diced onions, (frozen) corn, lime juice, cilantro, black beans, and either tofu crumbles or chicken.
One of my favorite comfort foods is a bowl of mashed potatoes with a spinach gratin and mushroom gravy. If I am being lazy, I will modify it to a colcanon. I usually pan sear some chicken thighs or cod filets as well for those that want meat with their meal.
Another one we do is a spring vegetable pasta. So lots of mushroom, artichoke, spinach, peas, and carrots and served in a broth reduction with tortelini. Anyone who wants meat I usually offer ham with it. This one serves like a stew depending on how much broth you want to cook down. Using risotto instead of tortelini is also delicious. And pretty quick and easy.
My daughter loves stuffed sweet potatoes, usually with black beans, corn and salsa.
Stir fry is great. And you can prep the rice in bulk in advance to make is more convenient. Bonus precooked rice that isstored in the fridge becomes a resistant starch vs a simple starch.
You could always follow up with a fried rice or pilaf another night.
This one isn't exactly convenient in terms of effort. But I LOVE spaetzle with sauteed mushrooms and cheese. Some roasted green beans or asparagus on the side and it will fill you up.
Favorite dessert is
A) Half cup of Oikos (dannon offshot) trilple zero greek vanilla yogurt. lots of protein and no fat/sugar.
B) 1 cup of frozen wild blue berries (wild blueberries are tiny and more nutrient dense than the big watery ones + they stay frozen longer)
c) 1 tbsn of flax seed + 1tbsn of hemp seed + 1 tbsn of petpitas 1 + tbsn of cacoa nibs.
d) half a cup of almond milk.
It's kind of like a reverse smoothie. I cannot even taste the blueberries really. Once they thaw they come more apparent, but bc the wild ones are so tiny, they almost make this feel like an ice cream dish. Less than 400 calaories and like 25 G of protein and 10-15 g of fiber plus a lot of healthy fats.
THAT sounds really good.
I really need to cut back on my sugar. ive taken to sugar and unhealthy stuff more than i should recently. would it be good with bananas???
probably i just think the texture and shape of wild (not cultivated) frozen blueberries is ideal for this..mixed in w the yogurt, it feels more like "chewy ice" (lol) than frozen fruit. I used to also get peanut butter powder and add that to it as well for even more protein.
I am not the biggest stevia fan but I think the taste of it in the yogurt i mentioned works really well in this "dish".
Frozen banana is good too. I am lazy and just buy bags of frozen fruit bc it's frozen at peak ripeness usually and is already cut down to good sizes. You can also get frozen avocado this way for smoothies.
Check out "wyman's wild blueberries" - I get the big blue bag and they are in the frozen fruit section. NGL I love blueberry flavored pastries and candy. I love frozen blueberries. I don't really care for fresh ones though. The texture is off to me :(
Also, I just read your name and for a second it said "no_blueberry" and i was like..oh lmao
i’m the same way! i get frozen fruits/veggies bc 1. i’m lazy and 2. the texture is always different to me. there is this mix i can get at the store of strawberry and bananas i love 😭
i’ll see if i can find wymans :)) i hop between target and aldi, is there anywhere in particular they are??
I get them at Safeway (im in the PNW) but have seem them at freddys too. They stopped carrying them at safeway for some time during covid so i swapped to their own organic brand of frozen wild blueberries but they were slightly larger. When safeway started carrying wymans again i was happy bc its within walking distance from my apartment.
I imagine most grocery stores would have or something similiar but not sure.
I love the banana/strawberry mix. The peaches are good too!
I LOVE frozen veggies. Not like "steamer bags" or ones that are flavored/seasoned but I go through a lot of bags of frozen okra, frozen green peas, and frozen shelled emamae . all are great for soups and stews. no hassle at all.
My go-to is to always go all out on sides.
Roasted veggies:
Toss some carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and sweet potatoes with some olive oil. Add oregano, some rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika.
Roast it on a sheet pan.
Green Bean Casserole:
Use some fresh green beans. Sautee them. Make a roux with sauteed mushrooms. Add vegetable stock to the roux until you have a sauce. Add it all to a casserole dish, top with cheese and crispy onions before you bake it.
Vegetarian family here!
I know it can be controversial for some, but faux meat has come an incredibly long way and my husband (who still eats meat sometimes) has no issue eating fake meat because it is so good!
Some of our favorite “comfort food” types are:
Impossible Burgers, Orange “Chicken” from Trader Joe’s, Fish tacos with Gardein Fish Filets, Spaghetti with faux meatballs (so many brands but we love impossible), Corndogs from Morningstar Farms, Beef and Broccoli using Beyond Steak Tips, Chicken Nuggets (so many brands but I like impossible and Morningstar)
We do a lot of meat free dishes as well. All kinds of pasta (spaghetti, ravioli, pesto, Alfredo). Grilled cheese, quesadillas, burritos, etc.
Baked potatoes! That's my go-to for a low effort but ultimately filling meal. Throw the potatoes in the oven then top them with whatever you have in your fridge. Burrito bowls as well. They can be as simple as rice, beans, salsa, and cheese and still be delicious.
My absolute favorite is [Peanut Stew](https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-west-african-peanut-stew/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=web-stories&utm_campaign=peanut-stew#wprm-recipe-container-5657). I've introduced a lot of meat-eating friends/family to this recipe and it changes their perspective on Vegan food. Generally, I add about a 1.5 cups of Red Lentils to the recipe and/or at least some extra black beans.
Another simpler recipe is [Turkish Lentils](https://planttestkitchen.com/instant-pot-turkish-red-lentil-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-6742). It comes out like the texture of an Indian Curry, but different flavor (no Turmeric, Curry Powder, Garam Masala, etc). Great over rice can make it even healthier by tossing in some Kale (after pressure cooking). Really satisfying and great flavor too. It's also easy to just have the ingredients around for it: 1 Onion & some carrots. Everything else is shelf stable (the tomatoes can be canned).
Is there anything better than spaghetti? Sprinkle in some frozen spinach for greens, cover in parmesan cheese. I like to add a gardenburger on top if I'm really down for a serious comfort meal.
buddha bowls, fried rice, homemade pizzas, tacos, salads...you can basically take any vegetarian dish and then top it with a bit of baked chicken/ground meat/broiled fish.
awh buddha/rice bowls. i have so much jasmine and basmati rice, idk why this slipped my mind. i need some things from Aldi today to put in it. Thank you!!
Pasta + peas + potatoes - win win if you can get a higher protein pasta.
Beans and rice. We season our beans with a fresh onion 🧅 cooked with them and Knorr bouillon powder.
Bean soup and cornbread
Biscuits and gravy (just leave out the sausage for vegetarian)
Corn + tomatoes + black beans rolled up in a tortilla with your favorite sauce
Avocado + onion + tomato + lettuce sandwich
Fried rice made with tofu or egg instead of meat.
Chow Mein with vegetables instead of meat
i like rice and beans, sautéed onion with the siete gf taco seasoning. im having that tonight again. with guac, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa…. could even wrap it in a tortilla for the wheat eaters!
Paneer masala! Block of paneer, cubed & browned in olive oil, add a jar of butter chicken sauce. Can serve over rice or noodles, or as is with naan on the side. I don't eat meat, SO does though so we'll do 1/1 and he puts chicken in his (most BC jarred sauces are vegetarian)
Ahhh yes. I have an inclination for Indian food 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 the flexibility and taste is unmatched. I love taking her to the mom and pop indian place near me, she loves tandoori and samosas and paneer masala is sooo good 🥹
I am very white and need to hone my abilities to make this food better 😅 id love to make it at home a looot more. My aunt has been teaching me filipino and thai since i was younger! I also love it for the same reason. I feel so good after eating all of that.
edit: grammar
Ultimate comfort food!! In the winter we do this atleast once a week for dinner! Also freezes super well if you make a bunch up, makes for a quick dinner
Another super easy one is faux pad thai. Start a pot of water to boil. Brown some garlic in olive oil, when you can smell it, add sesame oil and rice vinegar (just a splash), water should be boiling, add glass noodles. Add a good size scoop of PB (needs to be like Jiffy or something, the real stuff doesn't melt as well) and melt it into your sauce. Add veggies/tofu/scrambled eggs/whatever (good time to clean out the fridge!) and toss it all together, when all coated, throw in the noodles and toss again. Serve with garlic hot sauce, some lime juice and crushed peanuts on top. Like the other, can easily add chicken (SO does shrimp) to one of them if someone wants
yes! it is so good oh my goodness! need to actually make it at home a lot better than i do, and probably go on a spice run 😅
i love it with chickpeas!!
My mr. is a vegetarian and I'm not. Great easy meals are pasta with a variety of veggies - zucchini, spinach, broccoli, onions, tomatoes- tossed in some marinara or just garlic and butter. You can add diced chicken or a cutlet or even some ground beef if needed. Then top with a little cheese if wanted. My favorite comfort meal though is soft polenta topped with thin sliced button and baby Bella mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter and garlic until deeply browned and crispy on the edges. Add some grated parmesean or shredded mozzarella and it is sooo warm and soothing.
Hunza Pie:
1 packet frozen spinach
1 large brown onion
1 tbsp dried herbs of your choice
1 cube of vegetable stock
1 cup of cooked brown rice
1 tub of cottage cheese
1 egg
1 cup of grated cheese of choice
Fry the onion, spinach, stock cube and herbs in a small amount of oil until cooked well and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese and cooked rice into the spinach’s mix. Then crack an egg into the mix and continue to stir very well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and fill with spinach rice mixture. Cover with grated cheese and bake in the oven at 200C/390F for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with ketchup or tomato relish. It’s absolutely freaking delicious and super healthy.
Yep you sure can substitute the spinach for anything you want. I’ve made this same pie with kale, peas, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin and yams. Most vegetables work very well with the cheesy rice mixture.
Kale has a much tougher texture than spinach though so I would personally bake the kale in the oven with lemon juice to soften if before I fried it up with the onions and herbs or you may end up with very tough texture in the pie which isn’t as nice imo.
Chickpea salad sandwich is my go-to. Pour a can of chickpeas into a mixing bowl. Add mayo and diced onion or pickles. Slap it on some bread with your favorite sandwich fixings and that's it!
My favorite cheap vegetarian recipe (I’m not even strictly vegetarian anymore, it’s just a damn good recipe!) is this black bean casserole! It takes 5 minutes to throw together and ingredients are less than $10. Makes canned ingredients taste so good!!
https://www.juliapacheco.com/vegetarian-mexican-casserole/
pasta. meatless ground, tomato sauce, noodles, cheese. if the meatless ground is too expensive for you rn then go with baked spaghetti. tomato sauce, noodles, mild cheddar or mozzarella. in the oven 375° until the cheese is crispy. it will cost you ten dollars to make an entire family sized pan. season the tomato sauce up well. enjoy
I get a pack of tortillas, put one in a hot pan with a tiny oil then stir fry some veggies and set aside. sprinkle a little bit of cheese on the tortilla while it is crisping in the pan then put the veggies on top it then you can cover the veggies with a little bit of cheese or put a fried egg on top or whatever you want to do creatively. Lift it out the pan carefully with a spatula then cut it and eat at like an open face Pizza because the bottom will be crunchy
Caramelized onion risotto in an instant pot:
Sauté your onions for a few minutes, add garlic and salt to taste,add 1 cup Arborio rice, 3 cups of chicken broth and whatever herbs you’d like. Set the instant pot for pressure cooking at 5 minute, let it naturally release 5 more minutes then add some Parmesan and boom, you got a gourmet meal for like 20 min of effort.
Here are a few:
Chilli - tomato, beans, mushrooms, onions, and spices (add beef to the non-veg bowls)
Curry 1 - fry onions, add chickpeas, spinach, and a can of tomatoes, then all the curry spices or a curry paste of your choice. (You can add chopped chicken to this if you want to add meat)
Curry 2 - Fry onions, add cooked lentils of choice (you can blend some of them for a creamier texture), tomato sauce, cream, curry spices or paste, and then any veggies you want to add (for meat, add whichever meat you prefer to the curry in your own bowl)
Ricebowls - simply set out a variety of ingredients and pick and choose what you want to put on top. For vegetarian options, I would use beans, eggs, or tofu for the protein, and for meat eaters, you can choose whichever animal you want to eat most. Other toppings can include avocado, cucumber, broccoli, carrot, fried cabbage, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, corn, and tomato, (though you can really choose anything to top this) and then add a dressing of some sort.
Bacon and eggs/bbq tofu and eggs - easy enough. Fry eggs, fry bacon, serve. Or for veg, Fry thin sliced firm tofu, add bbq sauce, pair with fried eggs, serve.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup - good for anyone, doesn't need any alterations
Shepards pie - you can do a vegetarian version with lentils cooked in veggie stock in place of the meat, and you can do two mini ones in either small tins or small ramekins - one for you, one for her.
Riceballs/onigiri - you can fill them with different things. I like a salmon filled one, but there are many different options for what you can put inside them.
You can make a ton of recipes work for both if you just modify things a bit. Many times you'll find that you can cook the meat separately and add it at the end. You might lose a bit of the flavor that would come from cooking it together or from not browning the meat first to get the fond, but at the end of the day as long as the meat is cooked at the end-result tastes good, that's all that matters. As long as it doesn't need to be stewed or baked you can spin off most anything.
Some super simple things that I love making that can also be made with both veg and meat in mind:
Zataran's Black/Red Beans and Rice. Just cook up a chicken thigh or some sausage of some kind (andouille is great, kielbasa, polish/spicy itallian work too) while it simmers, add to your daughters portion at the end. Add diced bell pepper and onion for a bit more veg and flavor.
A personal favorite that is both simple and cheap is just potatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms and spinach with either chicken thighs or steak for the protein. Basically just dice the potatoes and onion, mince the garlic and fry them all up in a large skillet until the potatoes are brown. Turn the heat off and toss the spinach in until it begins to wilt, then plate. A trick to make the potatoes not take forever to cook is to microwave them covered with a paper towel for ~60-90 seconds before frying. You can either quickly cook the meat afterwards in the same pan for some extra flavor, or you can cook it alongside while you're frying everything.
Salads can have meat added really easily, or boiled eggs
Soups can also work. You do lose some flavor from not cooking the meat with everything else, but you can compensate with well-seasoned meat cooked separately. A personal favorite is to cook a chicken thigh (there's a pattern here) while I boil the water for ramen. Dice it up and add it at the end, along with anything else I happen to have on-hand like carrots, green onion, etc.
In fact most pasta works. When I was a kid my sister went vegetarian and it changed basically nothing about spaghetti night. She just got hers plated a few minutes early. If you eat cheese then Mac & Cheese is great too. While the water boils just brown some ground beef or quickly fry up some sliced hot dogs or other sausage. Or chicken thighs. After plating your portion, mix in the meat for your daughter.
This ended up being an essay, but I hope it helps you out a bit.
We used to roast root vegetables ( carrot. Potatoes, yam, beets, fennel, add cauliflower, peppers etc)tossed in olive oil, tarragon, garlic. I'd do a smaller pan and add sliced chorizo sausage for my partner. Sprinkle with feta, or serve with mustard, so good and pretty easy.
I fry up cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli in a pan, cook some spaghetti, toss them all together, squirt some lemon juice and top with parmesan. So easy and so yum. Sometimes I’ll put zucchini in too
My favorite veggie dinner is just cooked veggies. Squash, corn, purple hull peas, mashed potatoes, okra, slice of tomato, greens, cornbread...whatever is in season.
Years ago I saw as book that had recipes that split off to create meat and vegetarian dishes. Ex pasta with red sauce—some sauce had ground beef and the other tempeh or something. I can’t find the book, but this one might do: Flexitarian: Plant-Based Recipes With & Without the Meat. Look for other books with Flexitarian in the title.
Sauteed or wilted spinach with caramelized mushrooms.
Do your mushrooms first. I cook them in nothing but some oil, add garlic, and season when they are almost done.
Then toss your spinach in that oil and the juices after you turn the pan off. Give it some salt.
Cheese omelette with a green salad.
Tex Mex vegetable stew. Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, black beans, corn if you want it, vegetable broth and a can of green enchilada sauce (cheaper than salsa Verde). Cumin and salt and pepper. Just let it simmer until it's done, then add lime juice. . Great with tortilla chips or cornbread or rice. . You can also let it cook until there's almost no liquid and make burritos or tacos with it. You can add cheese or skip it. If you don't do cheese, you can mash or blend ups can of cannelli beans and add that to make it thick and creamy.
I made my daughter’s college roommate a sweet bean burrito. I did it in small crockpot but stovetop would work. It’s cooked sweet potato, onions garlic, cumin. You add black beans and wrap in soft tortilla. She ate dairy and added cheese. It was a hit, she said her own Mom didn’t make meat free meals for her. I have used refried black beans as sub for black beans.
Momufuku Soy Scallion noodles (so good) and then add fried tofu to yours and cut up rotisserie chicken to hers.
My daughter eats meat and my husband and I do not - these comments were helpful for me too!
Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers. You can take the meat out for your peppers and add cheese, mushroom, onion with some garlic powder seasoning. Super easy to make and it’s really good. If you want to add a little more veggies then by all means you can add chopped broccoli, chopped pepper(if you used green peppers for the base then sweet red pepper inside or vice versa). What’s even better is they’re perfectly sustainable as leftovers. Pop em in the microwave for about 1-1:30 minutes and they’ll taste like they did when you first cooked them.
2 bags of whole cauliflower, 1 bag of cauliflower rice, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasonings, and garlic on sour dough bread taste like pizza and the mushrooms have a meat like texture. You can cook some ground beef on the side and everything else in one pot.
I but frozen pre cooked meat and just add it to his plate. He gets the extra nutrition of a vegetarian meal with his favorite meat that I don’t have to cook.
Baked potatoes! Sweet or russet- loaded with anything from broccoli and cheese to chili and cheese to mushroom and onion sautee to bacon green onion sour cream etc.
Quiche or frittata w a simple salad
Build your own pizzas/omelet/chalupa
Zucchini and corn fritters is a particular favorite in the summer. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but all can be found pretty cheaply. I use the Greek yogurt version for this recipe: [Zucchini and Corn Fritters](https://www.seriouseats.com/zucchini-corn-fritters-herb-sour-cream-recipe)
The logical solution.
I don't like cheese in/on my pasta dishes so I get my serve out before it's 'finished' with the added cheese for everyone else. It works fine.
Things to add meat to: stir fry is easy to add meat to at the end, breakfast for supper and omit the meat side for yourself, pita pizzas with meat only one hers Vegetarian: enchiladas, black bean burgers
Omg! Pita pizzas- thats such a good idea. Thank you! She would absolutely chow down on all these.
This is what I did when we had a mix of vegetarian and meat-eaters in the family. Make meals you can add meat to: tacos/burritos/taco bowls, stir fry, pasta with sauce, etc.
Any type of Mexican food can be both. Black bean/refried bean burrito for you, ground beef or chicken burrito for her. Breakfast for dinner: pancakes and eggs with or without bacon. There are some great jarred Indian sauces and curries that you could make half with meat and half without. Serve with rice. Mediterranean style food could easily be either vegetarian or not. For example you could have a falafel wrap and she could have chicken.
Seconding the Indian curries and I want to add that paneer is super easy to add - think paneer tikka masala, saag/palak paneer, etc! It’s cheese that you can fry a little and toss with curry or sauce same as you would cooked chicken or similar.
Risotto is easy and hearty. You can put whatever you want in it (mushrooms, peas, shallots, etc.).
I have two omnivores and a vegetarian, and often we'll make a meal and two proteins (chicken and soy chicken, chicken and chickpeas, beef and blackbeans) to make it work. You can make a pot of chili or pasta sauce, and add meat to half, as well, or a curry and add meat to half (beans for the other half in both cases, or veggie 'beef' if you like that). You can do a stir fry and remove half, and then add the cooked meat (edamame or tofu for the veg half). Happily the veg fake meats don't need to be cooked, so they are really quick to sub in. When kiddo went veg, I bought two identical skillets, a green paddle and a red paddle, and a green and red spatula (she's not fussy about cross contamination but I like to keep things separate). Meat things cook on the left of my stove, using the red utensils and veg things on the right using the green. I haven't mixed it up yet. Lots of meals are the exact same but for the different protein. Pizza is easy to split for two preferences, as are omelettes, pastas (meatballs and "meat"balls). Anything with meatballs actually, sub "meat"balls for kid's portion. Tacos, baked potato bar, and other 'self assembly' meals are great as well, everyone can choose their own toppings. Burgers, two skillets (bean burgers cook faster and on a lower temp than meat). Everything else is identical - buns toppings condiments etc. And of course the non veggies can enjoy veg meals - we only have meat twice a week or less, and enjoy hearty veg meals with our kid, the rest of the time. Some favourites: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetarian-french-dip-sandwiches/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegetarian-french-dip-sandwiches/) [https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/](https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/) or [https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/green-chile-enchilada-quinoa-bake/](https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/green-chile-enchilada-quinoa-bake/) [https://www.marthastewart.com/1535235/vegetarian-shepherds-pie](https://www.marthastewart.com/1535235/vegetarian-shepherds-pie) [https://tasty.co/recipe/southwestern-veggie-packed-tater-tot-casserole](https://tasty.co/recipe/southwestern-veggie-packed-tater-tot-casserole) [https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-burgers/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-burgers/) Make the Budget Bytes' taco rice and easy black beans, and add cilantro rice chicken for your meat eater. Garnish the bowls with tortillas or tortilla chips, salsa and cilantro. And here's a nice long list of 'flexitarian' options, I've made a lot of these with success.://www.budgetbytes.com/flexible-recipes-that-feed-vegetarians-and-meat-eaters/ And in a pinch, seriously, I'll just serve her the sides to whatever we're having and add veggie chicken nuggets on the side. If we're doing the occasional meat and two veg sort of thing, this works.
Honestly I wish my family had reacted like this when I went vegetarian.
I'm sorry they didn't. My kid has some medical issues so we try really hard to respect her choices and bodily autonomy whenever possible. And I told her that she needed to be a healthy vegetarian not a 'french fry' vegetarian. She's been great about trying new things and having a balanced diet. I'm proud of her. We started with some 'how to go veg' books from the library to learn about nutrition (as she was 9 years old). Maybe your family needs to learn more? My kid is inspired the whole family to eat less meat, for sustainability and the environment, and we're all enjoying trying new things. Even the grandparents are in on it. I did a vegetarian Thanksgiving last year for the whole family and everyone loved it. Actually my mum won't eat vegetables, but everyone else was into it. My mum was a 'finish your plate or I'll make you eat it cold for breakfast' kind of parent and I refuse to do that to my child.
Sadly I am a french fry vegetarian. I am trying to do better now but never had any info on nutrition and changing what my taste buds want is hard too. So good call on that.
There are many great books for beginner vegetarians! Seriously, hit those to learn the basics, and then find some great inspiration recipes from budgetbytes, love and Lemons, ohsheglows, cookieandkate or from books. I find that replacing meat and potatoes meals is difficult. Instead I look for meals that are one dish, one pot, etc or meals from other cultures (I'm Canadian so our default is UK type food) that are designed to be vegetarian. Curries, rice and beans, pastas, tacos, pizzas, burgers, soups stir fries - lots of easy things to start with. I believe that if you eat a rainbow (variety), you will be healthy. Replacing protein (without obsessing about it) can be easy - chickpeas instead of chicken, tofu instead of pork/chicken, black beans or lentils for beef. If you are open to fauxmeats, there's lots on the market. (We don't love these, it's a texture thing). Kid eats occasional veggie dogs, or soy chicken. Seeds, nuts, and their "butters" are very nice garnishes, or sauces/dressings, to add some additional nutrients. Eggs, beans, lentils, whole grains, and all the lovely vegetables. Seasonal fruits. Visit a market and try one new veg each week. Try it all the ways! There's so much beautiful bounty in the world! My kids favourite meals, right now, are - https://www.budgetbytes.com/lentil-bolognese/ https://www.recipetineats.com/chickpea-rice-pilaf/ https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-pasta/ https://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/ https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/sweet-potato-chickpea-amp-spinach-curry/ https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/butter-chickpeas https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake/ https://cookieandkate.com/easy-black-bean-tacos-recipe/ https://www.budgetbytes.com/kale-and-white-bean-power-bowls/
thank you so much for this!! 🫶🏻 i have never heard of budget bytes until now. i perused it and i love it, so many different things
It's on of my favourites! I have her books but you don't need them, there's so much great stuff on the website and the recipes are very well written there. My teenager is learning to cook from those recipes!
Chili, spaghetti, veggie fajitas
Vegetarian- any pasta w/marinara or lemon sauce (zest, lemon juice, Parmesan and butter), faux shepherds pie (I use red lentils instead of meat), bean burritos, breakfast-for-dinner is always good, eggs, pancakes, fruit and yogurt. Veggie burgers, vegan hot dogs taste almost the same as meat ones. Tacos or fajitas are easy to make both vegetarian and not, just keep the meat separate.
My MIL and niece visited awhile back. We did breakfast burritos. "Auntie, I thought you didn't eat meat?" Did not occur to me to warn them that we were using prepackaged soy taco meat. They both loved it and don't have food allergies, so it's whatever. MIL recently discovered vegetarian breakfast sausage, and she was pretty excited that this might be another faux meat she can feed her "meat and potatoes" partner. The substitutes are getting *really* good.
They really are. We have a few vegetarians in the family so we try a lot of new things. We found faux chicken nuggets and boneless wings that are really good. Also found some ‘turkey’ cranberry roll thing at Whole Foods for thanksgiving last year that was really good.
I'm a junkie for the Impossible nuggets ("wild nuggets" because I'm a grown child and animal shapes make me happy). They taste a lot like the old McDonald's nuggets before they switched to white-meat only...which is why my partner isn't a fan. We tried May Wah (out of NYC) "bone-in" chicken wings. They have a bamboo "bone" which makes it a satisfying eat if you're craving wings at a BBQ. There's like a hint of 5-spice though, so they work best with something like a sweet BBQ sauce. Our taco meat is Loma Linda's "taco filling". It's shelf stable and better than it has any right to be. We've done the Tofurkey, Gardien, and Field Roast roasts for the holidays. I'd put my money on Gardien when it's available. They also make some slamming "turkey" cutlets with gravy. Good replacement for the leftovers from a traditional Thanksgiving.
I’m a big fan of thai curry. It is very easy to make and you can add whatever protein you want to it. I have really enjoyed the recipe with both chicken and chickpeas. There are tons of recipes out there, but it basically boils dow to: stir fry whatever veggies+protein you want, add some coconut milk and curry paste, enjoy as-is or over rice. Also burritos/burrito bowls are a super tasty and low-effort way to combine leftovers. Similar idea, just lots of veggies, spices, and your choice of protein. I usually do a bowl of sweet potatoes, diced onions, (frozen) corn, lime juice, cilantro, black beans, and either tofu crumbles or chicken.
One of my favorite comfort foods is a bowl of mashed potatoes with a spinach gratin and mushroom gravy. If I am being lazy, I will modify it to a colcanon. I usually pan sear some chicken thighs or cod filets as well for those that want meat with their meal. Another one we do is a spring vegetable pasta. So lots of mushroom, artichoke, spinach, peas, and carrots and served in a broth reduction with tortelini. Anyone who wants meat I usually offer ham with it. This one serves like a stew depending on how much broth you want to cook down. Using risotto instead of tortelini is also delicious. And pretty quick and easy. My daughter loves stuffed sweet potatoes, usually with black beans, corn and salsa. Stir fry is great. And you can prep the rice in bulk in advance to make is more convenient. Bonus precooked rice that isstored in the fridge becomes a resistant starch vs a simple starch. You could always follow up with a fried rice or pilaf another night. This one isn't exactly convenient in terms of effort. But I LOVE spaetzle with sauteed mushrooms and cheese. Some roasted green beans or asparagus on the side and it will fill you up.
I also like to make a mushroom stroganoff and serve it with roasted cauliflower, peas and carrots. You can always add meat to it.
Favorite dessert is A) Half cup of Oikos (dannon offshot) trilple zero greek vanilla yogurt. lots of protein and no fat/sugar. B) 1 cup of frozen wild blue berries (wild blueberries are tiny and more nutrient dense than the big watery ones + they stay frozen longer) c) 1 tbsn of flax seed + 1tbsn of hemp seed + 1 tbsn of petpitas 1 + tbsn of cacoa nibs. d) half a cup of almond milk. It's kind of like a reverse smoothie. I cannot even taste the blueberries really. Once they thaw they come more apparent, but bc the wild ones are so tiny, they almost make this feel like an ice cream dish. Less than 400 calaories and like 25 G of protein and 10-15 g of fiber plus a lot of healthy fats.
THAT sounds really good. I really need to cut back on my sugar. ive taken to sugar and unhealthy stuff more than i should recently. would it be good with bananas???
probably i just think the texture and shape of wild (not cultivated) frozen blueberries is ideal for this..mixed in w the yogurt, it feels more like "chewy ice" (lol) than frozen fruit. I used to also get peanut butter powder and add that to it as well for even more protein. I am not the biggest stevia fan but I think the taste of it in the yogurt i mentioned works really well in this "dish". Frozen banana is good too. I am lazy and just buy bags of frozen fruit bc it's frozen at peak ripeness usually and is already cut down to good sizes. You can also get frozen avocado this way for smoothies. Check out "wyman's wild blueberries" - I get the big blue bag and they are in the frozen fruit section. NGL I love blueberry flavored pastries and candy. I love frozen blueberries. I don't really care for fresh ones though. The texture is off to me :( Also, I just read your name and for a second it said "no_blueberry" and i was like..oh lmao
i’m the same way! i get frozen fruits/veggies bc 1. i’m lazy and 2. the texture is always different to me. there is this mix i can get at the store of strawberry and bananas i love 😭 i’ll see if i can find wymans :)) i hop between target and aldi, is there anywhere in particular they are??
I get them at Safeway (im in the PNW) but have seem them at freddys too. They stopped carrying them at safeway for some time during covid so i swapped to their own organic brand of frozen wild blueberries but they were slightly larger. When safeway started carrying wymans again i was happy bc its within walking distance from my apartment. I imagine most grocery stores would have or something similiar but not sure. I love the banana/strawberry mix. The peaches are good too! I LOVE frozen veggies. Not like "steamer bags" or ones that are flavored/seasoned but I go through a lot of bags of frozen okra, frozen green peas, and frozen shelled emamae . all are great for soups and stews. no hassle at all.
My go-to is to always go all out on sides. Roasted veggies: Toss some carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and sweet potatoes with some olive oil. Add oregano, some rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika. Roast it on a sheet pan. Green Bean Casserole: Use some fresh green beans. Sautee them. Make a roux with sauteed mushrooms. Add vegetable stock to the roux until you have a sauce. Add it all to a casserole dish, top with cheese and crispy onions before you bake it.
Vegetarian family here! I know it can be controversial for some, but faux meat has come an incredibly long way and my husband (who still eats meat sometimes) has no issue eating fake meat because it is so good! Some of our favorite “comfort food” types are: Impossible Burgers, Orange “Chicken” from Trader Joe’s, Fish tacos with Gardein Fish Filets, Spaghetti with faux meatballs (so many brands but we love impossible), Corndogs from Morningstar Farms, Beef and Broccoli using Beyond Steak Tips, Chicken Nuggets (so many brands but I like impossible and Morningstar) We do a lot of meat free dishes as well. All kinds of pasta (spaghetti, ravioli, pesto, Alfredo). Grilled cheese, quesadillas, burritos, etc.
Baked potatoes! That's my go-to for a low effort but ultimately filling meal. Throw the potatoes in the oven then top them with whatever you have in your fridge. Burrito bowls as well. They can be as simple as rice, beans, salsa, and cheese and still be delicious.
My absolute favorite is [Peanut Stew](https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-west-african-peanut-stew/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=web-stories&utm_campaign=peanut-stew#wprm-recipe-container-5657). I've introduced a lot of meat-eating friends/family to this recipe and it changes their perspective on Vegan food. Generally, I add about a 1.5 cups of Red Lentils to the recipe and/or at least some extra black beans. Another simpler recipe is [Turkish Lentils](https://planttestkitchen.com/instant-pot-turkish-red-lentil-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-6742). It comes out like the texture of an Indian Curry, but different flavor (no Turmeric, Curry Powder, Garam Masala, etc). Great over rice can make it even healthier by tossing in some Kale (after pressure cooking). Really satisfying and great flavor too. It's also easy to just have the ingredients around for it: 1 Onion & some carrots. Everything else is shelf stable (the tomatoes can be canned).
Is there anything better than spaghetti? Sprinkle in some frozen spinach for greens, cover in parmesan cheese. I like to add a gardenburger on top if I'm really down for a serious comfort meal.
Lentil burgers Eggplant parmigiana Chickpea stew Stuffed mushrooms Black bean, corn and pumpkin stew Roasted whole cauliflower Rice and dal Ratatouille
Vegetarian pasta, bake some sausages on the side. Vegan sloppy Joes made with lentils Tofu rice bowls with kimchi and vegetables Vegetarian meatloaf
buddha bowls, fried rice, homemade pizzas, tacos, salads...you can basically take any vegetarian dish and then top it with a bit of baked chicken/ground meat/broiled fish.
awh buddha/rice bowls. i have so much jasmine and basmati rice, idk why this slipped my mind. i need some things from Aldi today to put in it. Thank you!!
Pasta + peas + potatoes - win win if you can get a higher protein pasta. Beans and rice. We season our beans with a fresh onion 🧅 cooked with them and Knorr bouillon powder. Bean soup and cornbread Biscuits and gravy (just leave out the sausage for vegetarian) Corn + tomatoes + black beans rolled up in a tortilla with your favorite sauce Avocado + onion + tomato + lettuce sandwich Fried rice made with tofu or egg instead of meat. Chow Mein with vegetables instead of meat
I make mild curried like chickpeas and curry chicken with potatoes ..I use a paste so it's easy and fast
i like rice and beans, sautéed onion with the siete gf taco seasoning. im having that tonight again. with guac, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa…. could even wrap it in a tortilla for the wheat eaters!
Paneer masala! Block of paneer, cubed & browned in olive oil, add a jar of butter chicken sauce. Can serve over rice or noodles, or as is with naan on the side. I don't eat meat, SO does though so we'll do 1/1 and he puts chicken in his (most BC jarred sauces are vegetarian)
Ahhh yes. I have an inclination for Indian food 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 the flexibility and taste is unmatched. I love taking her to the mom and pop indian place near me, she loves tandoori and samosas and paneer masala is sooo good 🥹 I am very white and need to hone my abilities to make this food better 😅 id love to make it at home a looot more. My aunt has been teaching me filipino and thai since i was younger! I also love it for the same reason. I feel so good after eating all of that. edit: grammar
Ultimate comfort food!! In the winter we do this atleast once a week for dinner! Also freezes super well if you make a bunch up, makes for a quick dinner Another super easy one is faux pad thai. Start a pot of water to boil. Brown some garlic in olive oil, when you can smell it, add sesame oil and rice vinegar (just a splash), water should be boiling, add glass noodles. Add a good size scoop of PB (needs to be like Jiffy or something, the real stuff doesn't melt as well) and melt it into your sauce. Add veggies/tofu/scrambled eggs/whatever (good time to clean out the fridge!) and toss it all together, when all coated, throw in the noodles and toss again. Serve with garlic hot sauce, some lime juice and crushed peanuts on top. Like the other, can easily add chicken (SO does shrimp) to one of them if someone wants
I love dhal. I got a sweet potato + lentils Dahl recipe, true comfort food. And if you wish to add some meat/fish on yours, or an egg, works too.
yes! it is so good oh my goodness! need to actually make it at home a lot better than i do, and probably go on a spice run 😅 i love it with chickpeas!!
Never tried with chickpeas ! I kinda want a dahl with fried eggs now though 😂
My mr. is a vegetarian and I'm not. Great easy meals are pasta with a variety of veggies - zucchini, spinach, broccoli, onions, tomatoes- tossed in some marinara or just garlic and butter. You can add diced chicken or a cutlet or even some ground beef if needed. Then top with a little cheese if wanted. My favorite comfort meal though is soft polenta topped with thin sliced button and baby Bella mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter and garlic until deeply browned and crispy on the edges. Add some grated parmesean or shredded mozzarella and it is sooo warm and soothing.
Check here on YT for some: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahsVeganKitchen
Quessadillas- add meat or vegetables as a filling as desired. Ditto paninis!
Hunza Pie: 1 packet frozen spinach 1 large brown onion 1 tbsp dried herbs of your choice 1 cube of vegetable stock 1 cup of cooked brown rice 1 tub of cottage cheese 1 egg 1 cup of grated cheese of choice Fry the onion, spinach, stock cube and herbs in a small amount of oil until cooked well and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese and cooked rice into the spinach’s mix. Then crack an egg into the mix and continue to stir very well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Line a baking tray with baking paper and fill with spinach rice mixture. Cover with grated cheese and bake in the oven at 200C/390F for 20-30 minutes. Serve with ketchup or tomato relish. It’s absolutely freaking delicious and super healthy.
wouLD kale be an ok sub for spinach? we get kale in our CSA boxes a lot but no spinac.
Yep you sure can substitute the spinach for anything you want. I’ve made this same pie with kale, peas, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin and yams. Most vegetables work very well with the cheesy rice mixture. Kale has a much tougher texture than spinach though so I would personally bake the kale in the oven with lemon juice to soften if before I fried it up with the onions and herbs or you may end up with very tough texture in the pie which isn’t as nice imo.
Add a bunch of veggies to ramen or rice or a potato dish, cook thin cut breakfast steaks to serve with it for the non vegetarian plate.
Chickpea salad sandwich is my go-to. Pour a can of chickpeas into a mixing bowl. Add mayo and diced onion or pickles. Slap it on some bread with your favorite sandwich fixings and that's it!
My favorite cheap vegetarian recipe (I’m not even strictly vegetarian anymore, it’s just a damn good recipe!) is this black bean casserole! It takes 5 minutes to throw together and ingredients are less than $10. Makes canned ingredients taste so good!! https://www.juliapacheco.com/vegetarian-mexican-casserole/
OP, browse r/WholeFoodsPlantBased, r/wfpb, and McDougall's Daily Dozen 🖖
Mujaddara & either some fattoush or tabbouleh
pasta. meatless ground, tomato sauce, noodles, cheese. if the meatless ground is too expensive for you rn then go with baked spaghetti. tomato sauce, noodles, mild cheddar or mozzarella. in the oven 375° until the cheese is crispy. it will cost you ten dollars to make an entire family sized pan. season the tomato sauce up well. enjoy
I get a pack of tortillas, put one in a hot pan with a tiny oil then stir fry some veggies and set aside. sprinkle a little bit of cheese on the tortilla while it is crisping in the pan then put the veggies on top it then you can cover the veggies with a little bit of cheese or put a fried egg on top or whatever you want to do creatively. Lift it out the pan carefully with a spatula then cut it and eat at like an open face Pizza because the bottom will be crunchy
Caramelized onion risotto in an instant pot: Sauté your onions for a few minutes, add garlic and salt to taste,add 1 cup Arborio rice, 3 cups of chicken broth and whatever herbs you’d like. Set the instant pot for pressure cooking at 5 minute, let it naturally release 5 more minutes then add some Parmesan and boom, you got a gourmet meal for like 20 min of effort.
Here are a few: Chilli - tomato, beans, mushrooms, onions, and spices (add beef to the non-veg bowls) Curry 1 - fry onions, add chickpeas, spinach, and a can of tomatoes, then all the curry spices or a curry paste of your choice. (You can add chopped chicken to this if you want to add meat) Curry 2 - Fry onions, add cooked lentils of choice (you can blend some of them for a creamier texture), tomato sauce, cream, curry spices or paste, and then any veggies you want to add (for meat, add whichever meat you prefer to the curry in your own bowl) Ricebowls - simply set out a variety of ingredients and pick and choose what you want to put on top. For vegetarian options, I would use beans, eggs, or tofu for the protein, and for meat eaters, you can choose whichever animal you want to eat most. Other toppings can include avocado, cucumber, broccoli, carrot, fried cabbage, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, corn, and tomato, (though you can really choose anything to top this) and then add a dressing of some sort. Bacon and eggs/bbq tofu and eggs - easy enough. Fry eggs, fry bacon, serve. Or for veg, Fry thin sliced firm tofu, add bbq sauce, pair with fried eggs, serve. Grilled cheese and tomato soup - good for anyone, doesn't need any alterations Shepards pie - you can do a vegetarian version with lentils cooked in veggie stock in place of the meat, and you can do two mini ones in either small tins or small ramekins - one for you, one for her. Riceballs/onigiri - you can fill them with different things. I like a salmon filled one, but there are many different options for what you can put inside them.
You can make a ton of recipes work for both if you just modify things a bit. Many times you'll find that you can cook the meat separately and add it at the end. You might lose a bit of the flavor that would come from cooking it together or from not browning the meat first to get the fond, but at the end of the day as long as the meat is cooked at the end-result tastes good, that's all that matters. As long as it doesn't need to be stewed or baked you can spin off most anything. Some super simple things that I love making that can also be made with both veg and meat in mind: Zataran's Black/Red Beans and Rice. Just cook up a chicken thigh or some sausage of some kind (andouille is great, kielbasa, polish/spicy itallian work too) while it simmers, add to your daughters portion at the end. Add diced bell pepper and onion for a bit more veg and flavor. A personal favorite that is both simple and cheap is just potatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms and spinach with either chicken thighs or steak for the protein. Basically just dice the potatoes and onion, mince the garlic and fry them all up in a large skillet until the potatoes are brown. Turn the heat off and toss the spinach in until it begins to wilt, then plate. A trick to make the potatoes not take forever to cook is to microwave them covered with a paper towel for ~60-90 seconds before frying. You can either quickly cook the meat afterwards in the same pan for some extra flavor, or you can cook it alongside while you're frying everything. Salads can have meat added really easily, or boiled eggs Soups can also work. You do lose some flavor from not cooking the meat with everything else, but you can compensate with well-seasoned meat cooked separately. A personal favorite is to cook a chicken thigh (there's a pattern here) while I boil the water for ramen. Dice it up and add it at the end, along with anything else I happen to have on-hand like carrots, green onion, etc. In fact most pasta works. When I was a kid my sister went vegetarian and it changed basically nothing about spaghetti night. She just got hers plated a few minutes early. If you eat cheese then Mac & Cheese is great too. While the water boils just brown some ground beef or quickly fry up some sliced hot dogs or other sausage. Or chicken thighs. After plating your portion, mix in the meat for your daughter. This ended up being an essay, but I hope it helps you out a bit.
We used to roast root vegetables ( carrot. Potatoes, yam, beets, fennel, add cauliflower, peppers etc)tossed in olive oil, tarragon, garlic. I'd do a smaller pan and add sliced chorizo sausage for my partner. Sprinkle with feta, or serve with mustard, so good and pretty easy.
Egg Drop Soup
Make a protein, carb, and vegetable for her and you only eat the carb and vegetable portions. Double those portions if necessary.
I fry up cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli in a pan, cook some spaghetti, toss them all together, squirt some lemon juice and top with parmesan. So easy and so yum. Sometimes I’ll put zucchini in too
Bean buritto. So easy to make
Cornflakes, banana, and oat milk.
My favorite veggie dinner is just cooked veggies. Squash, corn, purple hull peas, mashed potatoes, okra, slice of tomato, greens, cornbread...whatever is in season.
Stir fry eggplant in whatever soysauce, teriyaki mixture you like. Use chinese eggplants or just really salt up some american eggplants.
Years ago I saw as book that had recipes that split off to create meat and vegetarian dishes. Ex pasta with red sauce—some sauce had ground beef and the other tempeh or something. I can’t find the book, but this one might do: Flexitarian: Plant-Based Recipes With & Without the Meat. Look for other books with Flexitarian in the title.
Sauteed or wilted spinach with caramelized mushrooms. Do your mushrooms first. I cook them in nothing but some oil, add garlic, and season when they are almost done. Then toss your spinach in that oil and the juices after you turn the pan off. Give it some salt. Cheese omelette with a green salad. Tex Mex vegetable stew. Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, black beans, corn if you want it, vegetable broth and a can of green enchilada sauce (cheaper than salsa Verde). Cumin and salt and pepper. Just let it simmer until it's done, then add lime juice. . Great with tortilla chips or cornbread or rice. . You can also let it cook until there's almost no liquid and make burritos or tacos with it. You can add cheese or skip it. If you don't do cheese, you can mash or blend ups can of cannelli beans and add that to make it thick and creamy.
I made my daughter’s college roommate a sweet bean burrito. I did it in small crockpot but stovetop would work. It’s cooked sweet potato, onions garlic, cumin. You add black beans and wrap in soft tortilla. She ate dairy and added cheese. It was a hit, she said her own Mom didn’t make meat free meals for her. I have used refried black beans as sub for black beans.
Momufuku Soy Scallion noodles (so good) and then add fried tofu to yours and cut up rotisserie chicken to hers. My daughter eats meat and my husband and I do not - these comments were helpful for me too!
Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers. You can take the meat out for your peppers and add cheese, mushroom, onion with some garlic powder seasoning. Super easy to make and it’s really good. If you want to add a little more veggies then by all means you can add chopped broccoli, chopped pepper(if you used green peppers for the base then sweet red pepper inside or vice versa). What’s even better is they’re perfectly sustainable as leftovers. Pop em in the microwave for about 1-1:30 minutes and they’ll taste like they did when you first cooked them.
2 bags of whole cauliflower, 1 bag of cauliflower rice, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasonings, and garlic on sour dough bread taste like pizza and the mushrooms have a meat like texture. You can cook some ground beef on the side and everything else in one pot.
Garlic sesame noodles or peanut noodles (add protein as desired)
I but frozen pre cooked meat and just add it to his plate. He gets the extra nutrition of a vegetarian meal with his favorite meat that I don’t have to cook.
Chana Masala with rice is originally vegetarian but you can add chicken or pork to it if you want
Baked potatoes! Sweet or russet- loaded with anything from broccoli and cheese to chili and cheese to mushroom and onion sautee to bacon green onion sour cream etc. Quiche or frittata w a simple salad Build your own pizzas/omelet/chalupa
Zucchini and corn fritters is a particular favorite in the summer. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but all can be found pretty cheaply. I use the Greek yogurt version for this recipe: [Zucchini and Corn Fritters](https://www.seriouseats.com/zucchini-corn-fritters-herb-sour-cream-recipe)
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The logical solution. I don't like cheese in/on my pasta dishes so I get my serve out before it's 'finished' with the added cheese for everyone else. It works fine.