“Are you a vegetarian?” people ask when they find out my family eats healthy home-cooked meals. The answer is “Nope. I love a good steak, don’t you?” Filet Mignon cooked with a warm, pink center or a lamb roast dripping with gravy. Furrowed brows and double-blinks are what I usually receive in reply.
Meat (particularly of the red variety) has a bad reputation: high consumption is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.1 On the other hand (or shoulder) fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are associated with good health: plant-based diets decrease the risk of these cardio-metabolic diseases by maintaining adequate weight and glycemic levels and reversing atherosclerosis, high lipid levels, and high blood pressure.2
Seems like a no-brainer, right? Eat vegetarian to be healthy. But what if you’re a meat and potatoes kind of guy (or gal—like me)? What if eating salad with low-fat dressing doesn’t satisfy your hunger and makes you feel like a rabbit grazing on clover or a cow chewing on cud?
The good news is you don’t have to eat vegetarian to reap the benefits. Simply put, it’s the abundant consumption of fruits and vegetables not the absence of meat that make vegetarians healthier.3
So add some plant-protein based meals to your weekly menu. That’s it.
But what about their satiability? (You don’t want to be hungry two hours later.) And what about the flavor? (You don’t prefer savory or grassy tastes.)
I’ve got you covered!
Here is my on-going list of the best vegetarian recipes that so filling, flavorful, and facile, that they’re both meat-loving man and woman approved.
They are in alphabetical order by recipe name. All recipes are gluten free with dairy free options available.
Black Bean and Pepper Jack Burgers (adapted from https://www.finecooking.com/recipes/black-bean-pepper-jack-burgers.aspx)
I made this for a friend who wouldn’t normally eat a veggie burger. “Remember when you made those black bean burgers?!” she frequently recalls. Needless to say, she LOVED IT.
Serves 4 (as a main dish)
INGREDIENTS
· ½ cup rolled oats*
· 1 can black beans or 1.3 cups dried black beans soaked overnight
· 1 large egg
· 1 teaspoon ground cumin
· ½ teaspoon sea salt
· ½ cup (2 ounces) grated pepper jack cheese#
· 1 large scallion, minced
· 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
· 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
· Buns or bread of choice
· 1 jar of mango salsa
· Avocado slices for garnish
*Ensure the oats state “gluten free” if your dietary needs require it #Omit the cheese if dairy free and top the burgers with Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack slices instead (when serving)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. If using dried beans that were soaked overnight, strain the old water and put the beans in a pressure cooker with new water. Cook according to the machine’s directions. (If using canned beans, go straight to step 2.) 2. Put the oats in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add half the beans (with no liquid) and mix to a coarse paste. Add the egg, cumin, and salt and process until all smooth. Stir in the remaining beans, cheese, scallion, and cilantro.
3. Heat the avocado oil in a pan until shimmering. While the oil is warming, wet your hands and form four ½ inch thick patties with the bean mixture. Cook the burgers on one side for 2-3 minutes and then flip carefully and cook another 3-5 minutes until they are browned on both sides and feel firm when pressed with a fingertip.
4. Serve the burgers on buns with salsa and avocado slices.
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Black Bean, Quinoa, and Corn Salad with Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette (adapted from https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/black-bean-corn-salad-chipotle-honey-vinaigrette.html)
This dish was a crowd-pleaser at my family reunion. Meat eaters in my vegan-majority family were licking their spoons, asking for seconds. The secret is in the dressing!
Serves 6 (as a main dish)
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SALAD
· 1.25 cups quinoa (uncooked)
· 2 ears fresh corn or 1 small bag frozen
· 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small/medium)
· 2 (14.5 oz) can black beans or 1.5 cups dried (before cooking) and prepared ahead of time
· 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
· 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro
· 1 avocado for garnish
FOR THE DRESSING
· 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
· 2 tablespoons lime juice (bottled or from 1-2 limes)
· 2 tablespoons raw honey
· 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil
· 1 large garlic clove
· 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
· 3/4 teaspoon cumin
· 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
· 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2 peppers, not 2 cans; use smaller peppers and if they are all large, use only 1-1/2)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put the uncooked quinoa in fine mesh strainer and rinse under cool water for 90 seconds (to remove the saponins and increase digestibility). Put the rinsed quinoa in a pot and add 2.25 cups of water. Bring to a boil on the stove; then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir/check occasionally. The quinoa is done when it looks fluffy and all the water is absorbed (much like rice). While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe.
2. Get a HUGE bowl out. All ingredients will go here. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cob. If using frozen, cook it according to the instructions on the bag. (It is safe to eat raw corn, but food manufacturers prefer consumers cook frozen vegetables before eating them.) Add to the bowl.
3. Chop the onion, red bell pepper, and cilantro and add to the bowl. Drain the canned black beans or previously-prepared black beans and add to the bowl. (You could also cook the black beans in an electric pressure cooker at the beginning of this recipe prior to preparing the quinoa.)
4. When the quinoa is cooked, add it to the bowl. Mix everything.
5. Put all ingredients for the dressing into a mini food-processor and puree until smooth. Pour over the contents in the bowl and mix again.
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Sweet Vegetarian Chili (adapted from The Stevia Cookbook by Ray Sahelian , M.D. and Donna Gates)
I’ve made this for my church’s dinners, for family who comes to dinner, and friends who just had a baby. Everyone loves it. It’s sweet and savory, light and hearty. Plus, it’s filled with loads of vegetables.
Serves 8 (as a main dish)
INGREDIENTS
· 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
· 2 medium onions, diced
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 medium green bell peppers, diced into 1” pieces
· 3-4 medium to large carrots, diced
· 3-4 medium to large yellow squash, diced
· 10 cups water
· 3 cans pinto, kidney, or chili beans or 3 cups soaked overnight
· 6 ounce can of tomato paste or ¾ cup ketchup
· ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
· 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
· 3 Tablespoons sea salt
· 2 Tablespoons paprika
· 2 teaspoons chili powder
· 1 teaspoon dried oregano
· 7 to 9 drops liquid stevia
· Garnish ideas: cheese*, corn chips, rice, avocado
*Follow Your Heart Shredded “Parmesan” is my favorite dairy free option
INSTRUCTIONS
1. If using dried beans that were soaked overnight, strain the old water and put the beans in a pressure cooker with new water. Cook according to the machine’s directions. (If using canned beans, go straight to step 2.)
2. Put the avocado oil into a 4-quart pot and heat over medium-low until the oil shimmers. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is golden brown.
3. Add the peppers, carrots, and squash and cook until soft. 4. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover, but stir frequently. Continue simmering for up to 2 hours or until the chili is at the thickness desired.
5. Spoon into bowls and add garnishes if desired.
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Tuscan Bean, Tomato, and Parmesan Casserole (adapted from The Everything Gluten Free Cookbook by Rick Marx and Nancy T. Maar)
This is a family favorite; it’s vegetarian comfort food. Warning: it contains bacon, so it’s not exclusively vegetarian, but the majority of the protein comes from the beans; hence, it’s mostly plant-based and therefore made this list. Omit the bacon if you must—although the amount required is small at one piece per serving—but I recommend using bacon drippings as the cooking oil for full flavor. (Don’t worry: science says lard will not kill you.)
Serves 4-6 (as a main dish)
INGREDIENTS
· 4 slices bacon
· ¼ cup avocado oil
· 4 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
· 2 cans white kidney beans or navy beans or 1.5 cups dried, soaked overnight
· 16 ounce can of seasoned, diced tomatoes
· 1 medium zucchini, chopped
· 1 small bunch of basil, chopped
· 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
· ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
· 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
· 1 teaspoon sea salt
· ½ cup Parmesan cheese*
· 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces*
*Omit if dairy free or try Follow your Heart “Parmesan” and Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter instead
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Fry the bacon to the crispness desired. Put the bacon aside whether using it in the recipe or omitting it. Sauté the garlic, onion, and fennel in the same pan in the bacon fat until softened.
3. Put the sautéed vegetables in a casserole dish and mix in the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, red pepper flakes (if using), and salt.
4. Break the reserved bacon into pieces and sprinkle it along with the Parmesan and butter pieces on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
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Although I seek meat, my body also feels its best when I balance animal-protein meals with plant-protein meals, so I prepare both for my family. If you want to eat more plant-based meals, try adding one vegetarian meal per week for one month and see how you feel. Your health, wallet (plants are less expensive than meat!), and taste buds will thank you.
Keep checking back for updated recipes—or feel free to share your favorite vegetarian meals.
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References