Vegetarian Eats - Saving Money

Over here in South Africa, the one thing that is really cheap is produce. We go to a little produce store by our house weekly and stock up on tons of farm fresh vegetables and fruit. We can buy huge bags of avocados, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut, apples, bananas, naartjies (similar to clementines), etc - all for about 60-80 Rand, which is equivalent to about $9-$11. We can only buy what's in season. So too bad if I'm craving strawberries (I am) because those won't be out for another few months. But it's a great way of eating healthier and saving money. We've decided the last several weeks to go meatless in our groceries to save money even more. We aren't vegetarian but the last few weeks have shown us we could be. Ok, Andy would object to that - he still sneaks out every so often to the meat stand in Masi, the local township, where he can buy a ton of pork for about $3 and have them grill it for him.
Anyway, here are some of the simple meals we've made meatless:

• chili - just canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, canned red kidney beans, sugar, and a taco seasoning packet from the States. 
• vegetable and white bean chowder - I did a play on our white chicken chili, using potatoes instead of chicken, and using canned white beans, chicken stock (I get chicken bouillon cubes cheaply here and use them in just about everything), and adding butternut and frozen corn.
• pasta with veggies - this is a favorite we have been making awhile, and each week we adapt it. We just saute whatever veggies we have and serve over spaghetti. We serve it also with either shredded cheddar cheese or feta. Our favorite veggies to eat this way are mixed peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and baby marrow (mini zucchini). 
• baked veggies with sauce - my mom always baked veggies and served with a cheese roux. So I did the same but did a play on the roux by using an old packet of cream of chicken soup I had in my pantry. I served it over a mix of roasted potatoes, butternut, sweet potatoes, and carrots. It was delicious. I added in some leftover mac and cheese, and liked it with the sauce. It also encourages Norah to eat more veggies when mixed in with pasta and sauce.
• rice and veggies - just sauted a whole bunch of chopped veggies and cooked with rice and stock and curry 

Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds

From Cooking Light. Delicious, healthy, fresh, and even the kids liked it.

Ingredients:

2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1 t minced fresh thyme (or 1/3 of dried)
2 t lemon juice
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t sugar
5 t olive oil, divided
linguine (9 oz)
1 1/2 t minced garlic
3 c chopped zucchini
3/4 - 1 c chicken stock
1 T dried sage and/or thyme OR mint
cheese - parmesan, feta, or other
3 T toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl, toss with 2 t olive oil. Set aside.

Prepare linguine.

In skillet, saute garlic and then add zucchini in remaining olive oil. Cook zucchini about 3 minutes. Add stock, simmer. Then add in linguine, sage, remove from heat and add tomato mixture. Serve with cheese and toasted almonds.

Serves 4.

Butternut Bread Pudding

This is taken from cookinglight.com. I think it is a bit dry and I would like to try it with some other vegetables, but the concept is great. I tried it here in South Africa where butternut is very popular and abundant.

• Ingredients:
• 3  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 3  large eggs
• 2  large egg whites
• 8  ounces  (1-inch) cubed day-old French bread (about 9 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.

Falafel

Falafel is another treat we've come to love from Lazeza restaurant. Andy is usually the one to prepare it. It can be served on pita as a sandwich or alone as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

prepared chickpeas

bread crumbs

cilantro

1 egg

chili powder

garlic

cumin

salt

pepper

oil for frying

pita to serve

pickles, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, etc for serving

Sauce:

plain yogurt

cucumber

tahini

plain yogurt

Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients (and other spices as desired) in food processor. Form into balls. Deep fry in oil till golden brown.

Serve on pita with toppings. Combine the plain yogurt with cucumber or with tahini for sauce.


(Added February 3, 2012)
Here is a SECOND recipe I've used lately for falafel. Especially good when you have no eggs or cilantro! (Found here).

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T dried parsley (or 3 T fresh)
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
*(I also added a little turmeric and a dash of chili powder)
2 T flour
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix ingredients in food processor. Form into balls, slightly flatten, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Fry in 2 inches oil (at 350 F) until golden brown.
Serve hot.

Indian Cauliflower Chickpea Curry Stew

We love chickpeas and curry. Andy would like this with meat, but I really enjoyed it as is, topped with coconut. Found at



Ingredients:

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup(s) brown rice
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon(s) curry powder
Salt
2 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 medium (2-pound) head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup(s) plain low-fat yogurt plus additional for serving

Directions:

In 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add carrots and onion, and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, prepare rice as label directs; keep warm.
Stir ginger, curry, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into carrot mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth; cover and heat to boiling on high. Stir in cauliflower and garbanzo beans; cover and cook on medium 15 to 20 minutes longer, gently stirring every 5 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
To serve, stir chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup yogurt into cauliflower stew. Spoon rice into serving bowls; top with stew. Serve cauliflower stew with additional yogurt to dollop on top if you like. Makes about 8 cups.

Vegetable Pasta Saute

This is a dish my mom invented a few years ago. We went through a phase where we ate it almost every day. Now Andy and I make it from time to time as well. I craved this dish specifically when I came home from a month in Russia a few years ago. When I came home I requested this meal - probably because I went to Russia at a time when very few fresh vegetables were available. You can customize this dish with any kind of pasta or vegetables or spices you want.

Ingredients:

Butter/olive oil to saute
Pasta (spaghetti or fettucine)
Vegetables such as yellow squash, red peppers, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and spinach
Spices such as oregano, basil, and chicken spices (we have a Mediterranean spice mix with a hint of cloves)
White cheddar cheese, shredded (Vermont)

Directions:

Prepare pasta as directed. Meanwhile saute garlic and vegetables in olive oil/butter and with spices, except spinach in saucepan. Add spinach when other vegetables are fully cooked, stir in spinach till wilted. Mix vegetables with pasta, and serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Lentil Burgers

These lentil burgers are so good! My mom used to make these because she and my dad used to be vegetarian. This was one of the vegetarian dishes they kept because it is quite tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c lentils
1/2 lb mushrooms, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 t minced garlic
1 small onion, diced
1 c walnuts, diced
1 t lemon pepper
1 t Spike seasoning
3 t chili powder
1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 c oats
5 T tomato paste
2 beaten eggs
dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Soak lentils 4-6 hours or overnight. Cook in soaking water until tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Add more water as needed (lentils burn easily). Saute veggies and walnuts in olive oil and seasonings. Combine and saute with lentils and oats. Mash gently so vegetable chunks are not lost. Add tomato paste, eggs, Worcestershire. Mix well and form into flat patties. Chill 1 hour. Broil on both sides.

Serve on hamburger buns with mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cheese, etc.

Tofu and Mixed Vegetable Curry

The first time we tried tofu. We both liked it! A Williams Sonoma recipe...

Ingredients:

3 T vegetable oil
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 cloves minced garlic
2 c coconut milk
2 T curry powder
2 c broccoli florets
1 c cauliflower florets
6 oz pressed tofu, cut into 1/2 in cubes
salt to taste
2 c dried white rice
coconut to garnish

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. In large saucepan over medium heat, warm vegetable oil. Add garlic and carrot, saute until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk and curry powder, raise heat to medium-high, bring to a boil. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and tofu, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered til the vegetables are tender (5-7 minutes, longer if using frozen). Season with salt.
Serve over rice, garnish with the coconut.