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.