Edamame

One of my favorite snacks is edamame. Now you can go out and buy the immature soy beans and go through the whole cooking and cooling process or you can just go to the grocery store and buy it frozen. I usually pick up a bag at my local Trader Joe's for $1.99. I like a little extra flavor to my edamame so I'll pour the pods in a bowl and douse them liberally with lemon juice and salt and put the bowl in the fridge to thaw out. After they have soaked overnight the tang of the lemon juice and salt really seeps in. You can also dump the edamame on a plate and nuke them in the microwave with the salt/ lemon concoction on it for a quick snack.

Tofu Stir Fry

I don't know why I thought a stir fry would be expensive or difficult but once I tried it I realized it was neither. Nothing except for the stir fry sauce cost more than two dollars and the sauce was only two and some change.

Ingredients:
3 Cups rice (I love long grain brown)
1 bag frozen stir fry veggies
10 oz firm tofu cut into cubes
2 Tsp olive oil
a bottle of stir fry sauce

Directions:
Cook the rice according to the package directions (if you have to use instant knock yourself out but the regular rice is so much cheaper and it is easy to make with a rice cooker). Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the tofu. Cook until the outsides become golden brown then add the bag of stir fry veggies. Stir constantly for about three to four minutes (until veggies become hot). Carefully drain the oil from the pan then add however much stir fry sauce you want and heat the whole mixture up for a minute or two then just plop however much you want on top of rice. I got a good four meals out of this for under 8 bucks.

Mexican Rice

I love this Mexican rice. It is simple to make and delicious. To save time I'll use my rice cooker and run errands while the rice is cooking up.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups water
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded lettuce

Directions:
1. In a saucepan bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in taco seasoning, kidney beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper and lettuce.
3. Cook over medium heat until heated through.


You can make this rice for under six bucks if you shop right. Pick up some tortillas and you have the fixings for a good leftover burrito. I also like to sprinkle a lot of Mexican Cheese blend on top of my rice so I have a sort of Mexican Salad.

Welcome

Welcome to Veggie Eats. I am not a vegetarian but I am dating/ living with one. One of the biggest problems I have is coming up with dinners that are affordable and easy to make. I'll be listing the meals I have found/ created/ borrowed here to make quick, easy, affordable vegetarian meals.