Favorite Meatless Meat Meals

Life as a vegetarian can sometimes be as easily frustrating as it is driving behind the endless number of senior citizens on the road.  Especially when you don't live in an alternate lifestyle friendly place like DC or NYC.  My boyfriend and I try to come up with sustainable and tasty meals as best we can, but often flop after all of those tiring days at work.  We yearn to be more creative, and one day we will be, but for now, these are my favorite "meaty" staples eaten every week.

Tortilla-less fajita medley

Seitan is a really delicious alternative to chicken, especially mixed with a blend of chili powder, hot red peppers, salt, pepper, and oregano.  We stir fry the seitan with peppers and onions and all of the above seasonings.  While that cooks, we heat up a can of cuban style beans from Trader Joe's and Seeds of Change Spanish Rice.  I always like to top my dish off with some shredded cheese.  Yum.










Teriyaki flavored tofu atop pearled couscous, kale, and sauteed mushrooms

I never cooked tofu until living with my boyfriend, who freed me from my fear of it.  He showed me the right way to soak up all the water it absorbs and how to slice it nice and thin so it gets even firmer.  We use extra firm tofu, ALWAYS.  I hate squishy food.  We pour Whole Foods Teriyaki sauce on it and bake it in the oven for about a half an hour.  While that's baking, I steam up some kale and throw some mushrooms in a wok with salt, pepper, and garlic.  The more garlic, the better, in my opinion!



"Almost" Grandma's Italian Style dinner

I don't make my own pasta.  I don't concoct my own sauce.  And I definitely don't grind my own sausage like my grandma used to.  However, Trader Joe's has a tomato sauce that is flavored so deliciously it tastes just like it was home made.  Now, I know that sausage doesn't look oh so appealing.  But let me tell you, for a vegetarian who used to love sausage, this Trader Joe's brand fills that void.  It tastes just like real sausage.  I think my next venture is to make a peppers and onions sandwich with it.