Check out the moosewood cookbooks. My favorite.

It's worth learning how to cook tofu well- it can be really delicious when done right.

My family loves this recipe for red lentil & tofu. I now double the recipe and make it at least once week, with brown rice.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Lentil-and-Tofu-Curry-101780

We've also been enjoying channa dal with coconut milk. I add a bunch more spices. I've read that channa dal are lower on the glycemic index so trying to eat more of them.

http://www.twobluelemons.com/2011/10/chana-dal-w-coconut-milk.html

Lots of good recommendations here. Can DH eat chickpeas or are those out with his tree nut sensitivity? I just did chickpea, spinach & feta dish for dinner tonight that is fabulous. Also has tomatoes in it.

Mushroom stroganoff is a favorite in the colder months.

The Inn at Little washington has a fabulous recipe for Apple Rutabaga soup. http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/recipes.shtml Just sub veggie stock for the chicken stock, and I also sub veggie stock for the cream.

If you do eat sandwiches, be sure to grill extra veggies on the weekend. I created my best lunch of the summer out of leftover homemade pesto, 2 slices of grilled eggplant, 2 slices of grilled squash, some grilled onions and a smear of goat cheese. Put it on some good bread and enjoy. Now I'm sad that winter is coming....

Anonymous wrote:Check out ohsheglows.com. It's vegan but you can add in butter or cheese as you like. It's delicious!

I was going to recommend the Oh She Glows cookbook. Great recipes!

I've been trying to do vegan with the exception of 1-2 non-vegan meals/week . It was a little tough at first, but now I'm finding it much easier and really not even missing meat much anymore. I do a lot of stir fries with tofu and various veggies, red beans & rice without sausage (DH was opposed to the no-sausage but he loves this dish), burritos with homemade refied beans, guacamole and salsa (could also add corn and other veggies), lots of lentil and bean curries, salads with chickpeans, nuts & various veggie toppings, pastas with vegan pesto or marinara, and soups (thai chicken noodle with veg broth and tofu instead of chick broth & chicken, white bean soup, split pea soup, etc.).

I've never had a weight problem but wanted to be healthier. Since my first child was born 6 years ago, I've been napping almost every day. Now, even if I lie down to try to rest, I can't fall asleep. I generally have more energy and feel better and have grown to love eating this way.

Anonymous wrote:I would try to incorporate more tofu, squash, mushrooms, beans, lentils and eggplant as the central components of dinners at first. You don't have to switch completely immediately.

Please don't incorporate more tofu.

No brainers:

Baked potato and salad. Cheese on both.

Pizza and salad.

Chili.

Tacos with beans or Morningstar farms faux ground beef.

Spaghetti. There are veggie meatballs.

Vegetable stirfry or curry. Tofu optional.

Rice and beans.

Soup and salad or bread.

Rotate through the following "themes" for each night and and eat the leftovers or a pbj/grilled cheese for lunch the next day. I've given you 13 here, so just pick one each day and go out every other week!

Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, french toast, smoothies, whatever with some fruit. Be fancy and get a box of soy sausage if you want).

Soup and good bread (salad too if you want)

Eggs: egg salad sandwich, scrambled eggs with veggies, quiche (buy premade crust, check to see if it has lard if you care about that), shakshusha/eggs in purgatory

Pasta: lasagna, baked ziti, pasta salad, or just pasta with sauce

Veggie burgers: easy to make yourself if you have a food processor. Serve with salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, etc.

Curry (include chickpeas or lentils) with rice or naan

Fried rice or stir-fry over rice (go for a can of coconut milk and some thai chili paste for something different)

Mexican-ish: burritos, quesadillas, rice & bean bowls with veggies

Tofu/fake meat night: Fun to experiment, though not the healthiest to eat every night. I like quorn and morningstar farms the best.

Pizza: get a pizza stone. Trader Joe's and safeway sell pre-made dough.

Thanksgiving side dishes: stuffing, cranberry sauce, greens, sweet potatoes, etc. I don't miss turkey when I get all the other good stuff.

Grains/beans/veggie bowl: you can make lots of different combinations. Really, anything with this combo can be a good meal. Put a fried egg or some cheese on top for some extra fat, protein, and taste.

Ethiopian food. Plenty of places in DC to buy injera and berbere. I like to make some cooked greens (gomen), some spicy lentils (misir wot), and some cabbage and carrots (atakilt wot) to eat with it. It doesn't taste like a restaurant (probably less butter and salt, though) but it's something different.

Check out ohsheglows.com. It's vegan but you can add in butter or cheese as you like. It's delicious!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks, all! To reply to some PPs, my DH is totally one who craves variety. Very frustrating! I would happily eat the same thing four nights in a row. We also both tend to think of meals as meat & veggies, which is why I was thinking this would be hard for us. Both my mom and my MIL (as far as I can tell) tended to cook meals that were: meat, starchy side, and vegetable, and we frequently do the same ourselves.

Appreciate the rec on Bittman. I have his standard How to Cook Everything and have put it to good use.

We are interested in doing this for varying reasons. DH is increasingly bothered by the way the food industry treats animals, and would prefer to pay a lot more for meat that had a good life before it got to our plate, than to continue to search out Perdue bargains, etc. To keep costs reasonable for us, we need to cut down on consumption in order to follow his conscience. For my part, I tend to concur with his feelings, and also think it's generally healthier to eat meat in smaller portions and less frequently.

Consider investigating local options for meat, if that is something that's important to you. We used to live in Old Greenbelt and saw these folks at the farmer's market there: http://www.fergusonfamilyfarm.com/ We got a TG turkey from them and occasionally other things as well. I am mostly vegetarian but when I do eat meat (occasionally make a goulash or an Irish stew in the winter and the soup that's sausage/kale/white beans), I try to get it from a local producer.

Otherwise, yes, eating more vegetables can be expensive. If I were you, I'd focus on non-American cuisine and try to get away from the "meat and a vegetable" model and do it one dish at a time. I have the Bittman book and it's okay, though honestly I find his recipes a little bit bland and boring.

Buy a deep freeze, then a quarter or half a steer from a local farm. Some places let you visit and see how they're raised. I have family friends who farm (cattle, hogs, and chicken) and their food is so worth it. They aren't local or I'd give you their website. Then you can eat your favorite foods, ethically sourced, find vegetarian recipes, and support small family farmers.

12:49 mmm, thanks. It sounds delicious.

OP here. Thanks, all! To reply to some PPs, my DH is totally one who craves variety. Very frustrating! I would happily eat the same thing four nights in a row. We also both tend to think of meals as meat & veggies, which is why I was thinking this would be hard for us. Both my mom and my MIL (as far as I can tell) tended to cook meals that were: meat, starchy side, and vegetable, and we frequently do the same ourselves.

Appreciate the rec on Bittman. I have his standard How to Cook Everything and have put it to good use.

We are interested in doing this for varying reasons. DH is increasingly bothered by the way the food industry treats animals, and would prefer to pay a lot more for meat that had a good life before it got to our plate, than to continue to search out Perdue bargains, etc. To keep costs reasonable for us, we need to cut down on consumption in order to follow his conscience. For my part, I tend to concur with his feelings, and also think it's generally healthier to eat meat in smaller portions and less frequently.

Sorry didn't mean to repost previous post. The coconut curry I make is really simple:
Onion, ginger, garlic, hot peppers, coconut milk, cubed sweet potatoes, chickpeas, basil

I usually cycle through the following and use whatever veggies are in season:
Risotto
Some sort of soup: carrot, kale and white bean, ginger squash, potato and leek
Pasta with veggies and Parmesan
Quinoa and bean salad with hummus and roasted veggies
Stir fry with tofu
Coconut Thai curry with chickpeas
Some sort of casserole with veggies, cheese, and white sauce with salad
Mozzarella tomato eggplant sandwiches
Veggie burgers