Need help for a new vegetarian, please?!

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Interestingly, the traditional Mexican peasant food is close to the vegetarian diet. Just use Canola oil or olive oil instead of lard, and foods made with vegetables, beans, cheese, and eggs are vegetarian. Quinoa is an excellent grain and can be used in salads as well as in hot dishes. So can rice.

This is the sort of thing I order in Mexican restaurants, although I admit that if Mexican restaurants are to Mexican food as Chinese restaurants are to the food in China, it may be a stretch.

Ensalada jardin
guacamole
chiles rellenos
burritos
enchiladas
quesadillas stuffed with mushrooms & peppers
chiles poblano
huevos rancheros
tacos suaves

Mexican food is high in grains, legumes and vegetables...you certainly don't need to have animal products. As a vegan (no meat, dairy, eggs or honey) I love Mexican restaurants because there are many choices for me.

Simply remove the meat and replace it with mushrooms or black beans and you're set. That's it. Potatoes, quinoa, rice, nopales, carrots and other vegetables are also great to have.

The Mexican flavors come from things like onions, chilies, tomatillos, hot sauces, cumin, cilantro and coriander...all of which come from the ground, not animals.

take a Cauliflower head, slice it into "steaks" and marinade it in some chili powder, garlic, vegitable oil and lime juice

then grill it until it browns and get some grill marks

then slice it up and use it as a filler in toritillas, with your choice of toppings and extras
or serve it on rice

you can do the same thing with extra firm tofu, but personally, i like the taste and texture of grilled Cauliflower more than tofu

Try "South of the border freshness". It's a Latin American-style vegan recipe book, available online as a pdf. It might be just what you need.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7435106/South-…

i like fake meat tacos with vegetarian refried beans

or buritos

have some fruits n veg items

You could make veggie tacos with black beans, corn, green chili's and salsa or pico d' gallo. Refried beans and cheese. I don't know if eggs are in his diet but one of my favorite breakfast items is a fried corn tortilla with refried beans and an over easy egg on top. Must have salsa with it too.

I don't know how you feel about eggplant but it has become one of my most favorite veggie. It has a very meaty texture and with the right spices could substitute meat. Mushrooms are also very meaty and will absorb spices well. The possibilities are endless. There are many sites that cater to vegetarian cooking You can also go to allrecipes.com and type in your ingredients for suggestions. Best of luck to you. .

Love cooking.