Hi everyone.

As a new lacto-ovo, I'm having a difficult time on days when I have a lot to do and don't have much (or any) time to cook. When I do cook (which is several times a week) I try to make more than I'll eat and refridgerate or freeze the leftovers so later I can have a quick microwave meal. But when the fridge resources run out, I don't know what to do to get filling meals without overloading on eggs or cheese.

Help?

legumes!! make LOTS of beans and rice and use those as starters for burritos, rice and beans, etc.. fried rice w/an egg (i know, with the eggs.. but when i was l/o this was how fried rice was made)

nuts and nut butters, hummus.. keep these on hand with whole grain breads and tortillas (even if the bread is kept frozen) for quick cold meals

frozen veggies.. just as a last resort, whole fruits, oatmeal (a big bowl of oatmeal with some EB and maple syrup is really filling)

canned beans are good to have on hand in teh cabinet, cous cous and brown rice (i buy boil-in-bag brown rice)..

have to tried increasing how much food you're making to make up0 for the difference between getting to cook and running out of food?..

frozen veggies as a last resort? :eek:

whats wrong with frozen veggies?

-Peanut butter sandwiches are yummy and fast.
-make a smoothie
-frozen veggie tv dinners (Amy's brand is good)
-make one big meal on the weekend and freeze it

I keep several backup dinners on hand for those nights when I either don't want to cook, don't have time, or don't have fresh food. I usually have:

Frozen black bean or spinach tamales- add tortilla chips and guacamole
Canned chili and corn muffin mix- add cheese or guaco
Spaghetti and jarred pasta sauce- add canned artichoke hearts and olives

I also sometimes have a package of frozen cheese ravioli- add olive oil, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts

(That's in addition to the leftovers I've frozen from when I cooked on the weekend.)

Check out some cookbooks. Vegetarian Times has a series called Low Fat & Fast--all the meals can be assembled in 30 minutes or less and most can be made without eggs or dairy. I believe vegweb.com has a section of recipes called Quick & Easy or something similar, too.

What I love to do when there's no leftovers is made a quick tossed salad and nuke a potato. It's simple and easy and you can make so many variations.

I have heard that frozen veggies may be better than fresh because they are flash frozen right after harvesting, whereas fresh veggies may take a while by the time they are picked, shipped, time spent in the supermarket before you buy them, etc. Unless you are able to buy them from a small market that grows their own produce.

Yes that is true about blanching and flash freezing when they are freshly picked. I couldn't live without my frozen veggies. They are a life saver. I don't have to worry about spoilage either. Sometimes, I just nuke a bag of frozen veggies. In fact, for lunch today, I ate a whole bag of peas & carrots. One of my personal favorites. I do buy the organic type. They have great sales and I stock up.

I keep several backup dinners on hand for those nights when I either don't want to cook, don't have time, or don't have fresh food.

That was what I was going to suggest. Also try to plan ahead, if you have extra time one night, do some preparation for dinner the next night ie) cut the vegies or cook the rice etc. depending on what you are making.

I freeze alot of meal- it's a very convenient option.

frozen veggies as a last resort? :eek:

whats wrong with frozen veggies?

most of the frozen veggie blends i've eaten are really mushy.. so i only use them as a last resort :)

most of the frozen veggie blends i've eaten are really mushy.. so i only use them as a last resort :)

I'm also usually unhappy with frozen vegetables. They tend to wind up mushy, tasteless, and barely choke-down-able. :sick: Nearly as bad as canned, IMO.

You guys aren't cooking your frozen veggies right at all, then!

Sautee on med. high heat in just a few drops of water or veggie broth in a non-stick pan.
Keep stirring and testing and serve as SOON as they are tender crisp - usually just a few moments... Sprinkle with garlic and lemon pepper or a seasoned salt or just plain of course...

As tasty as fresh, and as some mentioned, just as good for you - often better.

You guys aren't cooking your frozen veggies right at all, then!

Sautee on med. high heat in just a few drops of water or veggie broth in a non-stick pan.
Keep stirring and testing and serve as SOON as they are tender crisp - usually just a few moments... Sprinkle with garlic and lemon pepper or a seasoned salt or just plain of course...

As tasty as fresh, and as some mentioned, just as good for you - often better.

I agree w/ TFS! I love frozen peas cooked this way! yuuuummm.

You guys aren't cooking your frozen veggies right at all, then!



i'm not the one cooking them :( your suggestion sounds realy yummy but i live in a dorm and eat in a dining hall and we're only allowed to have a hotpot, coffe pot, and blender in our rooms :( :(

Canned veggies have lost so many of the nutrients but I've heard time and time again that frozen is just as good or better then unfrozen (notice I dont say fresh because unfrozen and fresh mean 2 differant things). I usually steam my frozen veggies and they are never soggy..unless of course I oversteam them : )

i'm not the one cooking them :( your suggestion sounds realy yummy but i live in a dorm and eat in a dining hall and we're only allowed to have a hotpot, coffe pot, and blender in our rooms :( :(

That's more then I was allowed when I dormed...

I think that's why I'm off campus now tehe:sunny:

Peanut butter sandwich, peanut butter and crackers, soy nuts or regular nuts, carrot sticks or baby carrots, cooked chickpeas that you can add lemon juice and garlic, lettuce wraps with hummus, pasta is always quick and easy with some Earth balance and fake or real parmesan cheese. My favourite quick meal is a plate of pita bread, hummus, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, celery sticks, mushrooms. It's a nibble-fest.

It's nothing special, but here's how I do it:

Frozen veggies are my mainstay. I keep a few single veggies types and a few veggie blends on hand at all times so I'm never bored. I also try to keep at least a couple of baggies of cooked brown rice in the freezer at all times (I cook a big pot 1-2 times a week and break it down to smaller sizes for freezing and brown rice reheats beautifully).

In canned foods, I'll keep canned beans, canned tomatoes and tomato paste for making quick sauces in the pantry. I can eat quick and well in a short amount of time and it's a pretty wide variety, too - depending on the veggies I have in my freezer and the beans I have in my pantry. I just grab a handful or so of whatever sounds good at the moment, toss it in my bowl, heat for a few minutes (5 on my nuke) give a squeeze of lemon on top and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and I'm good to go. :hungry: