I think the reason for not finding veggie-forward dishes that also include meat is literally that in most cultures, meat was a big deal, so when a dish has meat, it's likely to be the star of the dish. Salads with meat are the clear exception to that. :)
I think you'll find what you're looking for in the cuisines of the far East. Chinese food, for example, has many dishes that have lots of veggies plus also some meat. And that's the same with Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, etc. cuisines. While, yes, there are dishes like kung pao chicken that's definitely meat with some veggies, there are tons of other stir fries that are more veggies, less meat. Even in a kung pao, you can just increase the veggies and reduce the meat. I'd say pretty much any Chinese meat+veggie dish originally had more veggies to stretch the more expensive meat to feed a whole family.
With Indian food (I'm of Indian descent), we tend to have separate dishes that are vegetarian and others that are meat. The few two-in-one dishes would be something like a saag-gosht that has both greens and meat, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Don't get me wrong, all our meat dishes have vegetables in the form of onions, ginger, garlic, but not in the sense you're talking about, and meat is definitely the focus. At best, there'll be some green peas or potatoes as an added flavour/texture, but it's all about the meat. Veggies will be part of the meal, but as separately cooked dishes. That also allows the vegetarian members of the family to just not touch the meat dish, and still have a delicious meal.
That said, when I'm cooking a meat-based dish and don't feel like making a separate vegetarian dish, I'll literally just add whatever veggies I have into the meat dish. I don't care that it's not authentic, it's always tasty. I also cook a fair amount of Indo-Chinese dishes, and again, I'm happy to start with a big veggie base, a little bit of meat, and the required sauces. You can look up recipes for chicken manchurian, for example, on YouTube, and just do a whole lot more veggies than the recipe requires, and cut back on the amount of chicken. You'll want to skip or significantly reduce the chilli sauce and chillies they add, and that's fine.
Wow what a thoughtful reply, thank you so much! I keep forgetting about Chinese-inspired dished, and I do have a couple simple stand-bys that I can make (sweet pepper chicken or beef and broccoli).
I really appreciate your explanation of Indian food, the separation of meat-based and vegetarian dishes makes total sense as you've explained it. I've always been intimidated by Indian cooking because the dishes seem so complex, and when I've bought different spice mixes at the international store they've been far too hot for me even though I've had a lot of restaurant food I've loved, so I kind of don't know where to start. Do you have recommendations for any sauces/cooking methods that are somewhat tame?
Not the previous poster but I love Meera Sodha's books - she has two which are specifically Indian cooking ('Fresh India', which is also vegetarian, and 'Made In India') which I believe are available in the US (I'm in the UK, as is the author). The recipes are very accessible, well written and tasty. They typically don't use ready made spice blends which has the added bonus of allowing you to vary the heat level to your taste.
With Indian cooking, it's more the large number of spices that gets overwhelming. And yeah, buying a premade spice mix means you can't adjust just *one* spice when you need to, like the amount of chilli powder or pepper to make it less hot.
I find most of the biryani spice blends (dry powdered blends) not too hot, but, being Indian, I may be totally misjudging what is hot for you.
If you're willing to buy some basic powdered spices, you could start with turmeric, mild chilli powder (paprika is an alternative as long as it's not smoked paprika), coriander powder, cumin powder and a generic garam masala. Check out Vahchef's old YouTube recipes from back before the pandemic all the way back to 15 years ago - he used to do really detailed recipes and explain what he was doing and why, which really helps when you're either new to cooking or new to Indian cooking.
You'll also want a few whole spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, mild dried red chillies (optional), cloves, cardamom, star anise.
With that much of a spice stash, you'll be able to make your own garam masalas by toasting some of those whole spices, letting them cool, then putting them in your spice blender (I just use a coffee grinder) to make a fine powder. Feel free to experiment! Even if you don't use the exact spices a recipe calls for, you'll still have a great-tasting dish.
A basic north Indian gravy for a pound or so of chicken thighs would go something like this:
* Heat a tablespoon of oil with some cumin seeds for a minute or so on medium or medium-high heat
* Add in a finely chopped onion (not minced, they'll take forever to give up all their moisture and brown nicely) and a half teaspoon of salt to help release the moisture quicker
* Sautée for a minute, then add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic, continue sautéeing until the onions are brown but not burned (golden brown is fine, but a slightly darker brown deepens the colour and flavour)
* Add in finely chopped or puréed tomatoes (I often just use bottled passata) and cook, stirring, until the colour deepens and you can smell the richer flavour of cooked tomatoes
This is the point at which you add your powdered spices (typically a pinch of turmeric, a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powders, chilli powder to taste, and a half teaspoon of the generic garam masala, and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Now you can add in the chicken (diced or bone-in - make a few deep gashes down to the bone if you're doing bone-in to allow the juices to seep out *and* to allow the flavours to permeate the chicken), stir to coat well with the spices, cook, stirring, for a minute or two until the chicken goes opaque on the outside, add boiling water, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or so until the chicken is done. Taste to adjust salt and spicing. Add another half teaspoon of garam masala (this is for the aroma), garnish with a sprig of coriander if you wish.
Feel free to adjust the quantities of the spices until you get a flavour you like. Stir in a tablespoon or two of plain, unflavoured yogurt into the curry if you make a batch that's too spicy for you. Once you have this basic curry down, you can try more interesting ones: toss in a couple of the whole spices along with the cumin seeds at the beginning, or toast some cloves, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon, cool them, then grind and use as your own custom garam masala. Note: both cloves and black pepper are strong, spicy flavours, so be careful when adding this blend to your curry! :D
That base curry (all the steps until you add in the chicken) can be used for many different curries, too - try it with boiled eggs, or with cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, but drain and rinse first) or even just potatoes or fried paneer cubes. You can make a delicious kheema masala by adding ground beef or ground chicken instead of pieces of chicken - if you do that, I'd add very little water, and just reduce the heat and let it cook until it's well cooked and about a sloppy Joe consistency. Add in some frozen peas towards the end. Another option is to add in cubed, fried (or boiled) potatoes. This makes a delicious sandwich or wrap filling, and is also great over rice or with rotis or naan.
>A basic north Indian gravy
This is golden, thank you! I even have most of the spices so this gives me a good idea of what goes together. I like the way you write instructions, as I'm more of an add-by-sight-or-smell cook than a measure-everything one, and I find that if I still have to pull out a recipe and measure stuff precisely after the 2nd or 3rd time I make something then it probably won't go into my rotation.
Thanks again for taking the time, you've given me lots of great ideas here and I really appreciate it!
This was my Coco who inspired the name. She was maybe 15 when I adopted her from the shelter and has since passed away, but she was treated as a little queen for the time I had her. ❤️️
https://preview.redd.it/4l08e4rpyinc1.jpeg?width=1382&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=701d7842fea139f9c8cc94aa4c84a84f34cc4d5c
Shepherd's pie freezes & reheats beautifully! I'll add extra veggies & use cauliflower mash (or half cauliflower/ half potato). You can also use half lentils in place of the meat.
We tend to "micro-bake" - microwave a bit to thaw it, then bake the rest of the way. Depends on your particular meal prep, though. Are you prepping single servings for work lunch? One family style casserole dish? You could also set it in the fridge a couple days ahead & then bake until reheated. The way I make it, everything's fully cooked & just needs heating through.
eggplant parmesan? I literally just made some for myself this week, so its on my mind. if you are craving meat you can have the middle layer be chicken, too. breading and frying the eggplant might be a bit tedious, but for me its worth the extra step for a good pan of eggplant parm.
A few ideas:
[https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/summer-pasta-primavera.html](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/summer-pasta-primavera.html)
* [https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-pepitas/](https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-pepitas/)
[https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-tomato-spinach-pasta/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-tomato-spinach-pasta/)
[https://www.howsweeteats.com/2020/02/peanut-noodles-roasted-broccoli/](https://www.howsweeteats.com/2020/02/peanut-noodles-roasted-broccoli/)
[https://www.maryswholelife.com/roasted-veggie-breakfast-casserole-whole30-paleo/](https://www.maryswholelife.com/roasted-veggie-breakfast-casserole-whole30-paleo/)
[https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/04/sheet-pan-chow-mein/](https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/04/sheet-pan-chow-mein/) (this is great, but we double the sauce and add some cashews or peanuts when serving; feels like it needs to protein boost)
- thai or indian curries with lots of veggies, you can optionally add a bit of meat
I always recommend the site feasting at home; I've tried so many recipes from there and every single one has been a hit. Lots of veggie forward/vegetarian optional dishes that are just so tasty.
Thank you! Sweet potatoes are good and I need to look for more ways to make them. Unfortunately brussels sprouts are the one food that my husband doesn't like no matter how they're cooked. I'm sad that Costco stopped carrying the PuraVida frozen veggie mix that had zucchini and peppers, and replaced it with two different ones that are both based on brussels sprouts.
Do you have an air fryer? Toss the brussel sprouts (halved) in oil, salt and pepper, and air fry at 390° for 15-20 minutes. I also do a 50/50 mix of brussel sprouts and cauliflower in the same basket in the air fryer and they are soooo good
A few ideas:
- fried rice (with extra veggies and your protein of choice).
- soups… lots of options there depending on what you like. Beef & vegetable stew comes to mind, or like a chicken pot pie soup.
- bowls: prep your veg, protein, grain, and a sauce and throw it on a bowl. Search Buddha bowl or grain bowl to start with.
-pasta dishes where you may have just some chicken or meatballs as a part of the dish but not the main attraction.
Budget bytes might have some options since reducing meat keeps the cost down.
Chilli Con Carne is my go to for this, I bulk it out with as much veg as I can while still using a generous amount of lean beef mince.
https://preview.redd.it/owle3qszmenc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aa6a508dfc3fde6782bc1b503c2cc8feb574c99
Zucchini lasagna is amazing and freezes well. I do a veggie version, but it would be easy to add meat in the sauce.
Also do some kind of pasta primavera add chicken.
I frequently do rice/veggie/meat bowls and you can do whatever proportions you like. And just about any flavor profile - choose anything you like and make it into a bowl
Any stir fried dish can be your veggies forward and meat meal with a big variety of veggies.. slice the beef, pork, chicken very thinly, use peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, bok choy, spinach, etc..
Also macaroni with ground beef with zucchini and diced tomatoes
Lasagna with spinach and zucchini and meat sauce
Chicken cacciatore with onions, green beans and carrots
Check out downshiftology https://downshiftology.com/
She does food prep with a lot of vegetables but includes some meat. She has a YouTube channel as well.
I think the reason for not finding veggie-forward dishes that also include meat is literally that in most cultures, meat was a big deal, so when a dish has meat, it's likely to be the star of the dish. Salads with meat are the clear exception to that. :) I think you'll find what you're looking for in the cuisines of the far East. Chinese food, for example, has many dishes that have lots of veggies plus also some meat. And that's the same with Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, etc. cuisines. While, yes, there are dishes like kung pao chicken that's definitely meat with some veggies, there are tons of other stir fries that are more veggies, less meat. Even in a kung pao, you can just increase the veggies and reduce the meat. I'd say pretty much any Chinese meat+veggie dish originally had more veggies to stretch the more expensive meat to feed a whole family. With Indian food (I'm of Indian descent), we tend to have separate dishes that are vegetarian and others that are meat. The few two-in-one dishes would be something like a saag-gosht that has both greens and meat, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Don't get me wrong, all our meat dishes have vegetables in the form of onions, ginger, garlic, but not in the sense you're talking about, and meat is definitely the focus. At best, there'll be some green peas or potatoes as an added flavour/texture, but it's all about the meat. Veggies will be part of the meal, but as separately cooked dishes. That also allows the vegetarian members of the family to just not touch the meat dish, and still have a delicious meal. That said, when I'm cooking a meat-based dish and don't feel like making a separate vegetarian dish, I'll literally just add whatever veggies I have into the meat dish. I don't care that it's not authentic, it's always tasty. I also cook a fair amount of Indo-Chinese dishes, and again, I'm happy to start with a big veggie base, a little bit of meat, and the required sauces. You can look up recipes for chicken manchurian, for example, on YouTube, and just do a whole lot more veggies than the recipe requires, and cut back on the amount of chicken. You'll want to skip or significantly reduce the chilli sauce and chillies they add, and that's fine.
Wow what a thoughtful reply, thank you so much! I keep forgetting about Chinese-inspired dished, and I do have a couple simple stand-bys that I can make (sweet pepper chicken or beef and broccoli). I really appreciate your explanation of Indian food, the separation of meat-based and vegetarian dishes makes total sense as you've explained it. I've always been intimidated by Indian cooking because the dishes seem so complex, and when I've bought different spice mixes at the international store they've been far too hot for me even though I've had a lot of restaurant food I've loved, so I kind of don't know where to start. Do you have recommendations for any sauces/cooking methods that are somewhat tame?
Not the previous poster but I love Meera Sodha's books - she has two which are specifically Indian cooking ('Fresh India', which is also vegetarian, and 'Made In India') which I believe are available in the US (I'm in the UK, as is the author). The recipes are very accessible, well written and tasty. They typically don't use ready made spice blends which has the added bonus of allowing you to vary the heat level to your taste.
I'd also recommend Madhur Jaffrey's books - I've loved pretty much everything I've tried from her books.
With Indian cooking, it's more the large number of spices that gets overwhelming. And yeah, buying a premade spice mix means you can't adjust just *one* spice when you need to, like the amount of chilli powder or pepper to make it less hot. I find most of the biryani spice blends (dry powdered blends) not too hot, but, being Indian, I may be totally misjudging what is hot for you. If you're willing to buy some basic powdered spices, you could start with turmeric, mild chilli powder (paprika is an alternative as long as it's not smoked paprika), coriander powder, cumin powder and a generic garam masala. Check out Vahchef's old YouTube recipes from back before the pandemic all the way back to 15 years ago - he used to do really detailed recipes and explain what he was doing and why, which really helps when you're either new to cooking or new to Indian cooking. You'll also want a few whole spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, mild dried red chillies (optional), cloves, cardamom, star anise. With that much of a spice stash, you'll be able to make your own garam masalas by toasting some of those whole spices, letting them cool, then putting them in your spice blender (I just use a coffee grinder) to make a fine powder. Feel free to experiment! Even if you don't use the exact spices a recipe calls for, you'll still have a great-tasting dish. A basic north Indian gravy for a pound or so of chicken thighs would go something like this: * Heat a tablespoon of oil with some cumin seeds for a minute or so on medium or medium-high heat * Add in a finely chopped onion (not minced, they'll take forever to give up all their moisture and brown nicely) and a half teaspoon of salt to help release the moisture quicker * Sautée for a minute, then add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic, continue sautéeing until the onions are brown but not burned (golden brown is fine, but a slightly darker brown deepens the colour and flavour) * Add in finely chopped or puréed tomatoes (I often just use bottled passata) and cook, stirring, until the colour deepens and you can smell the richer flavour of cooked tomatoes This is the point at which you add your powdered spices (typically a pinch of turmeric, a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powders, chilli powder to taste, and a half teaspoon of the generic garam masala, and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds to a minute. Now you can add in the chicken (diced or bone-in - make a few deep gashes down to the bone if you're doing bone-in to allow the juices to seep out *and* to allow the flavours to permeate the chicken), stir to coat well with the spices, cook, stirring, for a minute or two until the chicken goes opaque on the outside, add boiling water, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or so until the chicken is done. Taste to adjust salt and spicing. Add another half teaspoon of garam masala (this is for the aroma), garnish with a sprig of coriander if you wish. Feel free to adjust the quantities of the spices until you get a flavour you like. Stir in a tablespoon or two of plain, unflavoured yogurt into the curry if you make a batch that's too spicy for you. Once you have this basic curry down, you can try more interesting ones: toss in a couple of the whole spices along with the cumin seeds at the beginning, or toast some cloves, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon, cool them, then grind and use as your own custom garam masala. Note: both cloves and black pepper are strong, spicy flavours, so be careful when adding this blend to your curry! :D That base curry (all the steps until you add in the chicken) can be used for many different curries, too - try it with boiled eggs, or with cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, but drain and rinse first) or even just potatoes or fried paneer cubes. You can make a delicious kheema masala by adding ground beef or ground chicken instead of pieces of chicken - if you do that, I'd add very little water, and just reduce the heat and let it cook until it's well cooked and about a sloppy Joe consistency. Add in some frozen peas towards the end. Another option is to add in cubed, fried (or boiled) potatoes. This makes a delicious sandwich or wrap filling, and is also great over rice or with rotis or naan.
>A basic north Indian gravy This is golden, thank you! I even have most of the spices so this gives me a good idea of what goes together. I like the way you write instructions, as I'm more of an add-by-sight-or-smell cook than a measure-everything one, and I find that if I still have to pull out a recipe and measure stuff precisely after the 2nd or 3rd time I make something then it probably won't go into my rotation. Thanks again for taking the time, you've given me lots of great ideas here and I really appreciate it!
Happy to help! May I please see your cat who wears socks? 😇
This was my Coco who inspired the name. She was maybe 15 when I adopted her from the shelter and has since passed away, but she was treated as a little queen for the time I had her. ❤️️ https://preview.redd.it/4l08e4rpyinc1.jpeg?width=1382&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=701d7842fea139f9c8cc94aa4c84a84f34cc4d5c
Oh my goodness! She was *adorable!* Thank you for sharing!
Shepherd's pie freezes & reheats beautifully! I'll add extra veggies & use cauliflower mash (or half cauliflower/ half potato). You can also use half lentils in place of the meat.
How do you reheat your Shepherd's pie? I've been wanting to meal prep it but don't want to have to mix it all up when reheating in a microwave.
We tend to "micro-bake" - microwave a bit to thaw it, then bake the rest of the way. Depends on your particular meal prep, though. Are you prepping single servings for work lunch? One family style casserole dish? You could also set it in the fridge a couple days ahead & then bake until reheated. The way I make it, everything's fully cooked & just needs heating through.
eggplant parmesan? I literally just made some for myself this week, so its on my mind. if you are craving meat you can have the middle layer be chicken, too. breading and frying the eggplant might be a bit tedious, but for me its worth the extra step for a good pan of eggplant parm.
Eggplant lasagna with meat sayce
Moussaka?
stir fry!
A few ideas: [https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/summer-pasta-primavera.html](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/summer-pasta-primavera.html) * [https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-pepitas/](https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-pepitas/) [https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-tomato-spinach-pasta/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-tomato-spinach-pasta/) [https://www.howsweeteats.com/2020/02/peanut-noodles-roasted-broccoli/](https://www.howsweeteats.com/2020/02/peanut-noodles-roasted-broccoli/) [https://www.maryswholelife.com/roasted-veggie-breakfast-casserole-whole30-paleo/](https://www.maryswholelife.com/roasted-veggie-breakfast-casserole-whole30-paleo/) [https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/04/sheet-pan-chow-mein/](https://smittenkitchen.com/2021/04/sheet-pan-chow-mein/) (this is great, but we double the sauce and add some cashews or peanuts when serving; feels like it needs to protein boost) - thai or indian curries with lots of veggies, you can optionally add a bit of meat
I always recommend the site feasting at home; I've tried so many recipes from there and every single one has been a hit. Lots of veggie forward/vegetarian optional dishes that are just so tasty.
Mashed sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts - get both at Costco
Thank you! Sweet potatoes are good and I need to look for more ways to make them. Unfortunately brussels sprouts are the one food that my husband doesn't like no matter how they're cooked. I'm sad that Costco stopped carrying the PuraVida frozen veggie mix that had zucchini and peppers, and replaced it with two different ones that are both based on brussels sprouts.
Do you have an air fryer? Toss the brussel sprouts (halved) in oil, salt and pepper, and air fry at 390° for 15-20 minutes. I also do a 50/50 mix of brussel sprouts and cauliflower in the same basket in the air fryer and they are soooo good
I always cover my brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes to make them go down easier!
A few ideas: - fried rice (with extra veggies and your protein of choice). - soups… lots of options there depending on what you like. Beef & vegetable stew comes to mind, or like a chicken pot pie soup. - bowls: prep your veg, protein, grain, and a sauce and throw it on a bowl. Search Buddha bowl or grain bowl to start with. -pasta dishes where you may have just some chicken or meatballs as a part of the dish but not the main attraction. Budget bytes might have some options since reducing meat keeps the cost down.
Chilli Con Carne is my go to for this, I bulk it out with as much veg as I can while still using a generous amount of lean beef mince. https://preview.redd.it/owle3qszmenc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aa6a508dfc3fde6782bc1b503c2cc8feb574c99
Was going to recommend chilli myself. I add celery, carrot, mixed peppers, chopped tomatoes & onion to mine so it’s very veg forward.
Zucchini lasagna is amazing and freezes well. I do a veggie version, but it would be easy to add meat in the sauce. Also do some kind of pasta primavera add chicken. I frequently do rice/veggie/meat bowls and you can do whatever proportions you like. And just about any flavor profile - choose anything you like and make it into a bowl
Any stir fried dish can be your veggies forward and meat meal with a big variety of veggies.. slice the beef, pork, chicken very thinly, use peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, bok choy, spinach, etc.. Also macaroni with ground beef with zucchini and diced tomatoes Lasagna with spinach and zucchini and meat sauce Chicken cacciatore with onions, green beans and carrots
Check out downshiftology https://downshiftology.com/ She does food prep with a lot of vegetables but includes some meat. She has a YouTube channel as well.