Vegetarian chili. I subtract the meat and add potatoes, corn, quinoa, beans, pasta, basically anything I have on hand.
Not so healthy, but am eating the leftovers right now. Nachos with beans, either refried or black. Tomatoes, green onions, a can of green chilis, black olives if desired, chopped up avocados or guacamole. A grated medium cheddar is best in my book. Layer the ingredients on a cookie sheet covered with tortilla chips, adding about three layers and ending with cheese. Bake at around 350 to 400 degrees till the cheese is bubbly. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
The crockpot eggplant parm above sounds amazing.
In summer my meals tend to be salad greens with a marinated salad, and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Hummus is a vegetarian favorite protein. I had a curried cauliflower salad a few weeks back, and potato salad with lots of eggs as well as a spinach tortiliini salad this week. As corn comes in, adding an ear of corn is a welcome addition.
So many delicious sounding ideas! Thank you…and keep ‘em coming. ?
@momo2x2018 - I love veggies and could totally do this; DH is not a super adventurous eater. But he’s trying and fortunately will try whatever I make. I think I’ve just been making what I know he likes up til now, which means meat. He’s onboard with it!
@thumper1 what is the consistency of the eggplant when done. Not liquidy? Is the overall dish not too “soupy”??? I actually like to leave some skin on the eggplant. I like the bite of it.
@helpingmom40 : Regarding your post #1 in this thread:
Are you taking orders & do you deliver ? Do you plan to franchise ?
With respect to vegetarian food:
Morning Star Farms Veggie Sausage Patties are good. Microwavable. Has both “original” and “hot & spicy” flavors.
Could be added to any meals. Might be a good addition to veggie tacos.
@abasket don’t skip the step where you Salt the eggplant, let it sit, and then dry it out. That prevents it from becoming soggy when cooked in the crockpot.
Honestly, it was a similar consistency to baked with eggplant fried…and so much easier!
I peeled the eggplant…but I suppose you don’t have to. Regardless…don’t skip that step with the salting, sitting and drying out.
@Publisher I wish! I just love to cook. With only kid off to college in a few weeks, I was thinking of trying one of the meal companies like Fresh Direct but DH says he will be disappointed.
Two foods that could yield decent income are anything sold by a “taco truck” and potato pancakes.
A few months ago, I researched franchises and was surprised to learn that a Taco Bell franchise was much more expensive than that of other common fast-food establishments.
Back in 2007 when I was still teaching and one of my districts went through a fiscal crisis, I joked that I was going to retire and launch a banh mi truck business. I should have done it. I had a pulse on a trend. 
I make a taco bowl with spicy pinto beans, Mexican corn, radishes, avocados, pepper jack cheese, red onions, jalapenos and salsa over arugula.
This sounds so easy and delicious and may be my Meatless Monday dinner tomorrow!
Came in my NYT Cooking “What To Cook This Week” email - it’s basically a caprese salad with white beans and balsamic. You can of course guess/eyeball these ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, cheese and half the basil. Gently toss together.
Add the olive oil and season the mixture well with salt and pepper. Gently stir to combine.
Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and top with the remaining basil. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Add a drizzle or so more of oil and vinegar if needed. Finish with flaky salt.
Disclosure: I haven’t made this (yet). But the Washington Post claims it is delicious:
Greek Lentil and Spinach Soup
Ingredients
• 1 pound brown or large green lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 10 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium Yukon Gold, russet or red potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 10 ounces baby spinach, chopped
• 1 small butternut squash (1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, with leaves, sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• Directions
• In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, combine the lentils, stock or water, jalapeño, coriander, cumin, oregano and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
• Add the potatoes, spinach and butternut squash, re-cover and cook another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they soften, 3 minutes. Add the mixture to the soup, deglazing the skillet with a little bit of the broth from the soup, then add the deglazed contents back to the soup pot. Add the salt and pepper, taste, and add more if needed. Pick out and discard the bay leaves.
• Thinly slice one of the lemons and cut the other into wedges. Just before serving, stir the lemon juice into the soup. Serve the soup hot, with a lemon slice floating atop each bowl. Pass lemon wedges at the table.
•
Pesto
Crustless Quiche
There are lots of meatless dishes that I adore. Alas, many of them are not so healthy. So it’s been fun to read all of the idea.
Normally I don’t use crockpot in summer, but the eggplant dish sounds great. Perhaps I will try using it at outlet on back patio.
Risotto ( must use arborio rice), good chicken stock, saffron, and good reggiano parmigana cheese. Cheap cheese equals a bad taste. Otherwise, it’s simple. Add frozen/leftover veggies. Asparagus, zucchini and summer squash are favorites. Easy to make.
^^^ @Happytimes2001 do you have an exact recipe??
@abasket Well, I’m one of those pinch of this and that but here goes.
16oz of arborio rice( I just pour in 1/2 the container), some butter on the bottom of the pan to melt( 4 tablespoons), add a shallot or two diced ( one of my kids is allergic to onions but you can use a small onion too). Brown shallot/onion. Add rice 30 seconds til it gets white/opaque. Then add bouillon in small batches of 2 cups, very hot. I put the chicken bouillon in a pyrex in the microwave to heat), I add 8-12 cups of chicken bouillon. I use the thick kind in a jar ( consume style). You can use Knorr chicken stock cubes as well or even from a can. After the 2 cups bouillon, I add another 4 cups then let cook ( don’t stir it much at all). When it’s close, I have a 2 cup container of chicken bouillon that has had 3 pinches of saffron sitting for about 10-15 minutes), I add it last to top it off ( and keep the saffron flavor). You can use cheap saffron ( Spanish). If adding frozen asparagus or fresh veggies or both you have to time so the veggies are overcooked. Risotto should be pretty soupy (maybe with an extra 1/2 cup liquid). Then add in parmigano. Also add in kosher salt and black pepper. Serve after 5-10 minutes. Works great when the family is busy. We also add chicken cut up.
Warning smells like heaven and will attract family members once you add the saffron. Really good dish if the kids are doing sports. LMK if you have questions.
Instant Pot is great for risotto. Plenty of recipes if you Google. We like mushroom, and a lemon-lime that is great with fish.
We aren’t vegetarians, but we tend to eat a lot of meatless dinners. Here are my go to meals:
Smitten Kitchen has a couple of recipes involving zucchini–zucchini and crispy garbanzo beans; zucchini quesadillas (Smitten Kitchen as a lot of meatless meals)
Winter harvest salad that has farro, feta or ricotta salata, dates or dried cherries, kale, red onion
Good country bread, toasted with olive oil and salt, drizzled with a flavored balsamic (if you want), then toppings like grilled peaches with burrata, in season tomatoes with basil and garlic, sautéed broccolini with provolone, roasted figs with honey
Marcella Hazan’s tomato, onion and butter sauce with pasta–if you haven’t tried this, you won’t believe how such a simple recipe can be so perfect and delicious
Fried rice with tofu
ratatouille with good bread and salad
Also from Smitten Kitchen, a roasted eggplant pasta with a sun-dried tomato-walnut pesto that is delicious (the pesto is good on its own as a spread)
In the fall/winter, baked potatoes with the works
Roasted sweet potatoes with brown butter
@MorseLewis, we just started making that Marcella Hazan’s tomato, onion, and butter sauce! It’s da bomb.
@college_query, I follow Pinch of Yum, too! Another good food blog (along with Smitten Kitchen, Serious Eats, etc.) is Vanilla and Bean.