Great, fast, and cheap vegetarian dinner recipes?!

Try making international vegetarian dishes;
Pasta e fagioli soup from Italy is a tomato, pasta, bean and potato soup.
Mexican beans, rice and corn tortillas with salsa, guacamole, etc. Tacos and enchiladas are nice
Gado gado: indonesian salad with rice, cooked veggies and a peanut sauce
Ratatouille on Polenta with a Fried Egg and Parmesan Cheese

Moosewood Cookbook and the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen are good cookbooks
The Vegetarian Epicure is also a great book full of recipes that work.

Good luck. Most of the things that you need to buy for your "veggie diet" can be tucked into your Mom's shopping list.

don't forget fresh fruit and veggies, nuts and cheese.

My favourite recipe is Ratatouille:
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
8 large mushrooms
1 large white onion
28 oz tin of tomatoes - crushed or whole
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning if you don't have thyme, oregano, basil
olive oil
dash of white or red wine - about 1/2 cup
1 tsp.salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
3 cloves of garlic or 1 tsp of garlic powder

Method:
Wash all the veggies and dice them in bite sized pieces. If you have a crock pot you can put all of the ingredients in it and put it on for 6 -8 hours stirring once or twice and you will have a nice vegetable ragout.

OR stir fry the veggies in batches and then put them in a large pot on low heat to keep warm, adding the tomatoes, wine, spices to the pot and then when they are all in there together let them simmer for about 30 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Polenta:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil add 1 tsp of salt and 1 cup of coarse ground cornmeal stirring continually so that there isn't any lumps. Turn the heat down to minimum and keep stirring for 15 - 20 minutes - make this recipe as your "Rat" is cooking. Add some grated parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of butter or margarine. Use a long wooden spoon for this recipe as the corn mush tends to pop and splatter. Grease a glass 10 inch pie plate or other casserole dish and scoop the polenta into it and set aside. It will firm up even more as it cools.

Fried Egg:
In a small skillet, over medium heat, heat a tsp of butter or olive oil or margarine until it is hot but not browned, crack an egg over a small bowl and then add the egg to the hot fat. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the pan and put a lid on it and let it cook for 2 minutes while you are putting a wedge of polenta on your plate and a ladle of ratatouille on top of the polenta. Turn off the heat and top the "rat" with the fried egg and add a nice grating of well aged parmesan or other cheese.

MMMMMMMM.. After you eat this, put the "rat" into a closed container in the fridge, leave the polenta in the pie plate and cover it and put it in the fridge and do the dishes.

This is a good party dish. You can also use the "rat" as a sauce for pasta. For a party, serve it on a very large platter - the turkey platter would be great - make a polenta recipe up - this will serve 6 - 8 people as a main course - and but the polenta on the platter first making sure that it mainly covers the edges - leaving room for your fingers to carry the platter - then top the polenta with the "rat" and bring lots of grated cheese in a bowl to the table. You can offer poached or fried eggs to your guests too - do them just a couple of minutes ahead of time and either place them on the top of the "rat" and polenta or have them separately on another platter. YUM

Ingredients
Salad:
1/4 medium red onion, minced
1/2 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cored
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 jarred roasted sweet red peppers, chopped (about 3&4 cup)
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered, if whole
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted (about 2 ounces)
1/2 to 1 cup freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
For the salad: To mellow the minced onion, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well, pat dry, and put in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the paste in a bowl and add the orange zest, vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.

Using a handheld mandoline or a knife, cut the fennel lengthwise into long, thin slices. Add to the onion and toss with the chickpeas, peppers, artichoke hearts, arugula, parsley, and dressing. Scatter the olives and shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.

Shopsmart: Baby arugula has smaller, more tender leaves and a slightly less peppery and assertive flavor than "grown-up" arugula.

Know-How: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings are a simple way to add texture, taste, and eye appeal to salads. To make them, hold the cheese firmly in 1 hand and run a vegetable peeler firmly across the longest edge of the cheese to peel off long, thin strips.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/antipasti-salad-recipe/index.html

I suggest you make Juiced Yams.Great,fast and cheap vegetarian dinner.Simple and easy to make.




Here is the recipe:






ounce apple juice

1


lrg yam potato skin on



Pam




Preparation





Heat a large non-stick pan. Wash and cut the yam in half lengthwise, spray the cut sides with Pam. Place the cut sides down in hot non-stick pan to brown. When brown pour the apple juice in the pan and cover. Cook over medium high heat. Cook until the yam is tender and the apple juice is reduced and thickened. Careful that the juice does not burn:



Recipe taken here:

http://www.foodista.com/recipe/8V4MYG6V/…

Some of my favorite quick recipes are chili, veggie lo mein, quinoa with sundried tomatoes and spinach (so easy and quick), tofu scramble. You should go to vegweb.com. They have tons of vegan recipes (if you don't want them to be vegan you could easily modify). You can search by category. You will find something you like. You can see what the most viewed and reviewed recipes are (favorites). Good luck!

Noodles and peanuts.

Rice and curry

Potatoes and roast veg.

http://annies-eats.net/2007/10/14/black-…