[lemontree]

<p>I'm in a food rut!</p>
<p>We are a vegetarian family (me, DH and DS 13mth) with strong vegan leanings.  DS is very active and I only have maybe 30 min to prepare dinner and less time for other meals and snacks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All my cookbooks seem to have yummy ideas that require many ingredients and have so many steps that I am scared to attempt them.  Or I get "lost in the matrix" of online food blogs with photos and again, so many steps that there is no way I could prepare meals and watch my son!</p>
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<p>What are your go to quick or crockpot meals and snacks? I'm looking for simple unprocessed stuff that all 3 of us can enjoy....</p>
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<p>TIA!!</p>

 

[Neuromancer]

<p>Cook small sweet potatoes and top them with black bean chili.  If you have a favorite canned vegetarian black bean chili and the potatoes aren't huge then I think this would be under 30 minutes, but it's not much more than that anyway.</p>

 

[maciascl]

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FQuick-Fix-Vegetarian-Healthy-Home-Cooked-Minutes%2Fdp%2F0740763741%2Fref%3Dsr_1_3%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1290892398%26sr%3D8-3" rel="norewrite" target="_blank">This</a> is a really helpful cookbook, as is this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FVegetarian-5-Ingredient-Gourmet-Nava-Atlas%2Fdp%2F076790690X%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fs%3Dbooks%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1290892501%26sr%3D1-1" rel="norewrite" target="_blank">one</a> for quick meals. I also try to do prep work ahead of time or work in steps. I love <a href="http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/03/homemade-sausages.html" target="_blank">Vegan Dad's sausages</a> or <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html" target="_blank">Fat Free Vegan Ribz</a> for making a little earlier. Then come dinner time I just make the sides. We also eat alot of pasta or rice based meals. Rice can be made ahead in a rice cooker then leftovers are easy to be made into casseroles or fried rice. And pasta is just quick & you can thrown anything into the pan pretty much.</p>
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<p>Sorry nak or I'd write more...</p>

 

[Koalamom]

<p>subbing!</p>

 

[germin8]

<p>Excellent question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>maciascl is right... you have to work in steps for the more complex dishes.  I find myself prepping meals a day before... so cook in bulk and freeze for later!!!  I'm still working on this...</p>
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<p>Sometimes I bake several potatoes and use them later with chili beans or to make breakfast burritos, mashed potatoes or other dishes... they don't have to cook as long when I use them then.  I also find myself making a batch of beans, lentils, or garbanzos and freezing them for later.</p>

 

[catnip]

<a href="http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-curry.html" target="_blank">http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-curry.html</a><br><br>
This, made with quinoa. And you can swap in whatever veggie you have for the pumpkin- cauliflower is really good.<br><br>

 

[lemontree]

<p>Thank you! I ordered both cookbooks from Amazon.</p>
<p>DS loves black beans, so we have been ODing on beans and rice over here.  I think he might be the first baby in history to reject sweet potatoes. And peas.  And green beans....  I make pastas, gnocchi, rice and quinoa, pesto sauce, nut butter and preserves on Ezekiel toast, steamed broccoli, homemade applesauce with spinach, sauteed kale (or baked into kale chips) he will have a few bites of tofu, loves plain yogurt, fruit and cheese</p>
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<p>...I have not attempted a curry or lentil dish in a while...hm.</p>
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<p>I am HORRIBLE at cooking to freeze.  And prepping in steps...I really need to work on this.</p>
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<p>Keep the ideas comin'!</p>