Meatless Meals

I am not a vegetarian. I love meat. But, I also love my veggies and, from time to time, both for health and financial reasons, a meatless meal is a good idea. Now, in the warm summer, that can take the form of a good salad, b ut when it's cold out, you need something warm and hearty.

There are a few vegetables that can take the center stage in a meal. First, beans; pintos, northern, black, any will do.. They provide a world of vitamins and minerals and a good bit of protein. They can be mixed with any combination of other vegetables and herbs and, besides being healthy, they are cheap. In the old days, we used to soak the dry beans overnight, then boil them until tender. Don't bother. Simply use canned beans; they are just as good and you can still mix them with anything and get a good flavor. I do not recommend frozen; they have no texture and come out like little rocks.

Mushrooms are another option. You do not have to use the expensive varieties. They are great, but you get good flavor from the plain old button  mushrooms. Remember, they cook quickly and they will absorb a lot of liquid.  Again, they have a meaty texture and will blend well with almost anything.

Then we have eggplant. This vegetable has a wonderful meaty texture and taste. Grilled, it is very nice. Like mushrooms, it will take a lot of liquid and if you saute it, it will take as much oil as you give it. Too many people think immediately of eggplant Parmesan, which is a fine dish, but let me give you a simple option. Peel and chop your eggplant into about 1 inch cubes ( it doesn't have to be exact). Boil in salty water until almost tender. Drain and set aside. Saute some celery and onion until tender and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, crumble a sleeve of Saltine crackers, add eggplant, celery and onion, then enough cold milk to make the whole thing a bit soupy. Add black pepper and thyme to taste. Then, stir in two beaten eggs and pour into a greased baking dish. Cover and cook at 325 about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and top with bread crumbs and grated cheese (whatever you like) and put it under a broiler until the crumbs start to brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve. It should have the texture of a good turkey stuffing and, oddly enough, everyone I've served it to agrees that it tastes like baked oysters.

Meat gets expensive and, while it is good for you, here and there, it is nice to serve an inexpensive, tasty, healthy meal centered around vegetables.

Food - Simple Can Be Great

We all love to eat. In fact, we generally eat too much. That aside, we often make a really big deal out of meals. Cooking shows and recipe books are filled with elaborate meals involving exotic ingredients and multiple steps. That is fine, on occasion, but it is just too much for everyday life.

Often, as an alternative, we turn to take out and frozen food. Again, that is fine, here and there, but a steady diet of that is boring and pricey.

As a third alternative, we often turn to, well, junk. Boxed mac and cheese, spaghetti, hot dogs, stuff like that. Now, such foods are cheap, and, as with any food, alright at times, but they lack nourishment.

There are alternatives, simple, tasty easy meals. The simplest are the ones you cook in one pot, stews, soups, etc. You can put darn near anything you want in them, add water or broth, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer. In one pot, you cook your meat, veggies, and carbs and it always comes out tasty.

One example is a simple dish, the kind once known as peasant food. If that is an accurate description, then I proudly declare that I am a peasant. I am talking about beans and rice. Just cooks some beans in water, if you want to start with dry beans, but, I am lazy and use canned beans. Any kind, they are all good. Add some meat, bacon, sausage, ham hocks, or, if watching your fat intake, smoked turkey. Add onions, peppers (hot, sweet or both), garlic, rice and let it simmer. Or, use potatoes instead, For more flavor, add a can of dice tomatoes. You can also add celery, cabbage, whatever you want. Just let it simmer for a while and you have an excellent, health, tasty meal.

Really you can put just about anything you want in the pot and it will come out well. If you have a crock pot, life is even easier since you can put it on before you go to work and it will be perfect when you get home. There you have it, good, healthy, simple and very inexpensive.