It was not that many years ago that when a person mentioned that they were a vegetarian, people automatically pictured a “hippie” lifestyle complete with tofu, bell bottoms and making love instead of war. Luckily, times have changed and vegetarians have made their way into mainstream cooking. It is quite unusual these days not to find several vegetarian meals available at most restaurants. Many people have chosen this meatless diet by either personal choices or health reasons. Being a vegetarian does not mean that you have to stick to bland and flavorless dishes. There are plenty of vegetarian dinner ideas that are full of spice and flavor and you will find yourself not missing the meat in the dish at all!
A delicious meatless meal is spicy layered Mexican dish. Simply layer corn tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, tomato sauce and Mexican spices (such as a taco seasoning pack), alternating the layers several times. Once you are finished layering, bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and it is heated through. Add your own touches once it is on your plate such as sour cream, guacamole, fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro or olives to make this a regular fiesta in your mouth! If you enjoy meat substitutes such as soy “meat”, you can also brown that up and put it in your dish to add a little more protein to the dish.
Pasta is a vegetarian’s dream. You can make so many different vegetarian dinner ideas using pastas using a large variety of ingredients. Italian dishes are easy to make without a meat or protein option. Fresh pasta with a simple tomato sauce and fresh basil is a great meal that is quick to make and satisfying to eat. Tossing your pasta with some extra virgin olive oil and some hearty vegetables such as zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onions and fresh lemon will give you a tasty earthy meal. Give your pasta dish an Asian twist with yaki soba noodles and quick stir fried veggies such as red peppers and bok choy, tossed with some sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic. All you need is some chopsticks and you have an authentic healthy vegetarian meal in a flash!
