BBQ Veggie Burger with Carmelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1/2 an onion
• 1 veggie burger
• 1 slice of your favorite cheese
• 2 tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

Directions

• chop up 1/2 an onion into desired size
• place in pan on stove at medium heat with olive oil
• in a separate pan heat veggie burger on medium heat as well
• flip burger after 5 minutes
• place slice of cheese on top of burger until melted
• plate your burger and pour the BBQ sauce on top of the cheesy burger
• pour caramelized onions on top and enjoy!

Spinach Mozzarella Panini

(If you don't have a panini maker a pan on the stove on medium heat works too)

Ingredients

• 2 slices of yummy bread 
• (Trader Joe's) spinach dip (optional)
• Fresh Mozzarella
• 1 cup uncooked spinach
• olive oil

Directions

1. Turn on panini maker or stove to medium 
2. lightly brush olive oil on the two slices of bread
3. flip over and spread spinach dip on bottom slice
4. spread half of the mozzarella evenly on bread
5. put desired amount of mozzarella on spinach and add the rest of the uncooked spinach on top
6. put other piece of bread on top with the oiled side up
7. cook until golden brown
8. cut sandwich in half and watch as the mozzarella deliciously spreads apart
9. eat!

Spinach Mozzarella Panini

Fast, easy, and healthy! This sandwich is a great source of iron and calcium. Enjoy!

A Delicious Way to Get Essential Vitamins

The fiber in the avocados and tomatoes will keep you full and satisfied without all the calories of a large meal!

Avocado, Tomato, Mozz Salad

Ingredients

• Mozzarella (the mozzarella balls from the olive bar at your local super market is the cheapest way to go)
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Tomato
• Balsamic Dressing

1. Wash tomato and dice into bit size pieces, and place them in a salad bowl
2. Cut avocado in half, take out the pit, cut into bite size pieces inside of shell, then scoop out the insides into the salad bowl
3. Either cut up fresh mozzarella into bite size pieces or place mozzarella balls into bowl
4. Pour 2 tbsp of balsamic dressing into bowl and mix up the salad
5. Add dash of salt (optional)
6. Enjoy!

Great source of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, fiber, vitamin A, and Iron

Homemade French Fries!

Ingredients

• 1 Yukon Gold Potato
• 1/4 cup of EVOO 
• salt
• basil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Poke holes in the top of your potato with a fork and place in microwave for two minutes to soften
3. Chop up potatoes into desired french fry size
4. Place chopped potatoes on a nonstick cookie sheet and drizzle EVOO over them
5. Next, sprinkle desired amount of salt and basil on potatoes
6. Mix up the fries with your hands so that the potatoes are covered in oil and salty goodness
7. Place cookie sheet in the middle rack of your oven and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Every 5 minutes take the fries out of the oven and flip them over with a spatula.
9. After twenty minutes let the potatoes cool, then sprinkle a little bit more salt on the fries, squirt a little ketchup on your plate, and enjoy another delicious vegetarian delight! 

Not Your Average Veggie Burger

Ingredients

• 1 veggie burger (I used Trader Joe's brand)
• 1/2 an onion
• 1/4 cup of peanuts
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• A slice of your favorite cheese
• a flour wrap (these can be found in the international food isle of your grocery store near the taco making stuff)

(This would be good with avocados or guacamole, but I didn't have any in the house)

1. In a skillet heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat
2. chop up 1/2 an onion and cut up your veggie burger into desired size
3. pour peanuts into a ziplock bag. close the bag, and with your weapon of choice whack the bag until the peanuts are broken into little pieces. (This is the fun part and cheaper than therapy!)
4. place onions, burger, and peanuts into skillet and cook on medium until onions look caramelized. (occasionally flip and stir the mixture)
5. after about 3 minutes, place a slice of cheese on top of the mixture and let it melt.
6. scoop up everything in the frying pan with a spatula and place it in the middle of your wrap (you can place the wrap in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm it if you'd like)
7. wrap it up! 
8. eat.

A Little Asian Inspiration for Around $5

Ingredients (You do not need to use the exact brands I listed. Store brands taste great too and are cheaper!)

• Uncle Ben's Microwave Rice (Any flavor is fine, but make sure to read the ingredients, some are made with chicken broth)
• Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Frozen Vegetables 
• Nuts (the 99 cent ones that you find in convince stores are the cheapest way to go here)
• 1/2 an onion
• Soy Sauce (steal some packets from your dining hall if you go to college...shh you didn't hear it from me)

1. Microwave the rice and veggies as directed on bag

2. While they are in the microwave dice up a 1/2 an onion (size and amount is determined by preference)

3. Pour rice, onions, and veggies in a frying pan and sprinkle in your nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds etc...get your head out of the gutter!)

4. Set your stovetop to medium heat and pour in about a 1/4 cup of soy sauce, again amount is determined by your preference

5. Occasionally stir and flip with a rubber spatula until some rice is crispy.

6. Pour onto plate and tada! You have a healthy, cheap, and yummy dinner, and it only took you 5-10 minutes to make!

P.S. Experiment with the ingredients. In the past, I have used tofu instead of nuts for protein, and teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce, so have fun in the kitchen and eat up!

Fish are Friends not Food

     When contemplating becoming a vegetarian, many hesitant carnivores do not give up ingesting cows because they think that being a vegetarian is costly. Little do these contemplators know, being healthy does not mean that you have to shop at Whole Foods (not that there's anything wrong with Whole Foods, I love that place), but being a vegetarian can be easy and affordable too! A year ago I made it my New Years resolution to become a vegetarian. With a stable balance of eating right and exercising, I successfully lost 15 pounds in a healthy way and without even trying (This was over a few months, so don't be disappointed when the pounds don't shed off the day you stop eating meat). 

     The first few months of becoming a vegetarian are not easy. Don't get me wrong, from time to time I would crave a juicy bacon burger from the Cheesecake Factory, or pork fried rice from the chinese restaurant down the street, but once I began to find substitutions for these unhealthy pleasures, I realized this whole vegetarian thing isn't too hard after all. 

     Do you think that this is something that you could try? Follow me as I post affordable and easy recipes that can be made in a jiffy and you'll be surprised how many yummy things you can make without consuming meat!