Vegetarian Dinner #3.. Homemade Corn Tortillas YUM!

On my meal plan I had bean and rice tostadas. I decided to make that tonight, except due to time constraints we had tacos. I made homemade corn tortillas with my daughter (which was a fun activity). I used the mix from the bulk section at the co-op. They turned out wonderful. I worried they would be dry but they were the best corn tortillas I ever had. I put "refried" vegetarian beans (Amy's Organic) and brown rice on the tortillas and let everyone add their choice of toppings, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro and my son requested I make salsa, so I whipped up a quick batch of that too. Tacos are always a hit in our house and for some reason the family seems to hover in the kitchen. I like to think it's to visit with me but I really know that it's the shredded cheese, warm tortillas, salsa and other things they pick from when I am not looking ;)

Vegetarian Dinner #2

Tamale Lentil Casserole

I can't really say it was close to a tamale, but it was good. I pretty much followed the recipe but I didn't use the packaged seasoning I used my own individually jarred herbs... Oregano, Ancho Chili Powder, New Mexico Chili Powder, Cumin, Coriander, Salt and Pepper. I am heavy handed on the seasoning (not salt) for my vegetarian meals because I feel that richly seasoned dishes makes you feel satisfied.

I also used Bobs Red Mill Cornbread Mix and followed the cornbread directions on the back of that package and added about 1/2 c cheddar cheese. I think I needed to add more olive oil, as it was a bit dry. Overall, this was a good dinner and we have enough left over for tonight.

This dinner cost me about $12 total (not including the herbs/spices). I also have about 1 1/2 cups of lentils and some cornbread mix leftover that I can use for lunch this week.

Polenta Pizzas with a Garden Salad

Tonight is our busy night, so this dinner was quick!

Already made organic polenta sliced into 3/4 inch thick rounds. Sprinkled with Italian seasoning and sauted on both sides. Then topped with a fresh sliced Mozzarella and your favorite red sauce.

Garden salad with beets, walnuts, red onions, carrots, cilantro and lime vinaigrette ( I had this for lunch too)

Lime Vinaigrette
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp of honey
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 - 1/2 c good quality olive oil ( I always use Olinda Ridge Master Blend )

dash of salt and pepper

Whisk and serve ;)

This dinner cost about $15.

7 Vegetarian Meals

Over the past year or so our family has tried to eat meat only two or three times a week. Mostly due to the quality of meat and fish that is affordable for a family of 5. We would like to eat only organic sustainably farmed meat and fish, but for us that costs about $20-$30 per meal and that doesn't include the cost of the grains and vegetables served alongside. So this week I decided to test out how well our family does with a vegetarian menu. I discovered that since we aren't buying meat I was able to buy some delicious cheeses... another benefit to this change. I am also trying to buy as locally and organically possible. I shopped primarily at the farmers market and the co-op.

Our breakfasts consist mostly of oatmeal, cereal and bananas. We are also big fans of pancakes. Our lunches are still hummus, sliced vegetables, fruits, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, cheeses and yogurts. We also have smoothies for an afternoon pick-me-up.

I have the following planned for dinner this week:

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

Tamale Lentil Casserole

Black Bean and Brown Rice Tostadas with Homemade Corn Tortillas with Homemade Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

African Potato Stew

Asian Noodle Salad

Polenta Pizzas with a Garden Salad and Homemade House Dressing

Red Beans and Rice with Naan Bread from Trader Joes... if anyone has a delicious recipe for this bread please share!

The first four recipes are from this website :

http://www.mormonchic.com/recipe/recipebox/pages/vegetarian.asp

The recipes will only be used as inspiration I will blog the changes I make.

The corn tortilla recipe is from:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004141how_to_make_corn_tortillas.php

I am also baking fresh whole wheat bread today. The recipe is from a dear friend of mine...she is truly a supermom and you can meet her here:

http://organicsupermom.blogspot.com/2009/04/bread.html


I will hopefully post pictures and definitely recipes as the week goes on. OH... and I spent about $100 on groceries for the week, but we have a well stocked pantry of staples (ex: garlic, onion, brown rice, beans etc.)

There's much more preparation time needed for this menu that is the only concern I have, but with organization, time and patience I think it will go well.

Happy Cooking!