My experience doesn't match msazadi's. I know vegetarians who are foodies. One is in my kitchen at the moment making cornbread. Two nights ago he made ravioli with a citrus sauce. For Thanksgiving, the meat eaters amongst us went to my DIL's sisters house for turkey lunch. In the evening we hosted a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. My DS invited an fellow grad student and her room mate (both Indian and vegetarian). We wanted to make something they would like without doing Indian food. This Tunisian Chickpea Soup from Olive Trees and Honey went over well. Spicy enough to be familiar to them without attempting to be Indian. 1/4 c olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 1 small (~10 oz) celery root, peeled and chopped or 2 stalks celery chopped 2-4 cloves garlic minced ~ 10 c water 1 lb (2 1/3 c) dried soaked chick peas 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp cumin seeds or 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 to 2 tbsp harissa or 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp salt or 2 tsp kosher salt ground black pepper 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro, mint or parsley 2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 c plain yogurt 3 to 4 c french bread cubes or pita bread (optional) (I didn't) 3 to 4 c French bread cubes or pita bread In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and saute until softened, ~ 10 min Add water, chick peas and bay leaves. Boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer until tender, ~ 1 1/2 hours Toast cumin seeds (if using) in a dry skillet until lightly browned - shake or stir - don't burn them. Grind. Add cumin, harissa or cayenne, salt and pepper to soup. Cover and simmer 15 min. Discard bay leaves. Coarsely mash the chick pease a bit with a wood spoon, potato masher or stick blender. Can be stored in fridge and reheated for serving. Add the cilantro and lemon juice and heat through before serving. If desired, add 1/2 cup bread pieces to each bowl and ladle soup over. Drizzle with olive oil. (We were having falafal and pita bread after plus I made cranberry walnut whole wheat bread so we didn't do bread in the soup bowls. I didn't drizzle the oil and it was fine.) Moroccan variation in case you have non-spicy types - omit cumin and harissa. After mashing the chick peas, add 2 lb stemmed chopped spinach or chard or frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry and the lemon juice, cover and simmer 2 to 4 min. Home made pita and falafel were great but not low effort. About half the falafel recipes used soaked and ground chick peas. The other half used soaked, cooked and mashed chick peas. I did a half batch each way - the ones using soaked and ground but not pre-cooked chick peas came out much better - very good flavor and texture. Sephardic Leek and Cheese Casserole also from Olive Trees and Honey - a very good book if you want to expand your vegetarian repertoire - is good and pretty easy. It reheats well so you could make it ahead. Too late for Jessy I'm afraid. 1/4 c olive oil 3 lb leeks ( 1 1/2 lb if you do the zucchini varient), white and light green parts only cut into thin lengthwise slices and washed 1 large onion chopped (optional - I've always used it) 1 c water 2 cups (~1 lb) grated zucchini 2 tsp salt or 4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta or 1 c (8 oz) farmer or pot or 1 c grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese or a combination (I've always done the feta) 1 c shreded kashkaval, Goueda, Muenster or Cheddar (did this the first time and thought it didn't add much - other times I've done just the feta) 5 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp olive oil ground black pepper to taste or 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/4 c chopped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil a 9 " square or 8 by 11 inch baking dish or two 9-inch pie plates. In a large sauce pan (she must have really large sauce pans - I use a small soup pot), heat oil over medium heat. Saute leeks and onion until softened. Add water, zucchini if using, 1 1/2 tsp salt or 3 tsp kosher salt, cover and simmer until leeks are tender (about 15 min). Drain Combine cheeses, eggs, remaining salt, pepper and dill or nutmeg. Add leek mixture. Put in baking dish. Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Variant - you can leave out the cheese msazadi and cook 2 lb peeled, diced russet potatoes with the leeks. Kind of mash it after the draining step. I usually still put in the feta or you can put in 1/2 c Parmesan cheese. Really fancy and a good side dish for the meat eaters would be a nice Biryani. I have made one with cashews and pistachios in the top layer of rice but it was more work. There are some simpler ones on line.

I have never made lasagna without cheese, but I don't see why you couldn't make a pasta layered with sauce. If you don't want to or can't eat cheese maybe you could try one of those soy cheese products. I never have used them but they are supposed to be interchangable with regular cheese. With your one risotto recipe you can come up with a zillion combos. I have two recipes that are standbys and I've gotten to the point where I simply add whatever veggies sound good that day. The formula for the rice is the most important thing. Combos: mushrooms onion asparagus or broccoli tomato shredded carrot --------------- tomato artichoke hearts peas onion --------------- broccoli onion --------------- Shepherd's pie should also freeze well minus the potatoes that go on top. When ready to eat you can just whip up the mashed potatoes and add them before reheating in the oven. Shepherd's Pie 3 small potatoes 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp. dried basil 2 Tbs. margarine or butter 1/4 tsp. salt 2-4 Tbs. milk (more if needed) 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup) 1 Tbs. oil 1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 14oz can chopped tomatoes, drained 1 10oz pkg. frozen whole kernel corn or mixed veggies 1 8oz can tomato sauce 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1 cup shredded cheddar (opt) Peel and boil potatoes until soft. Mash, add margarine, basil, salt and gradually add in milk. In medium saucepan cook onion and carrot in hot oil till onion is tender but not brown. Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, frozen veggies, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Heat until bubbly. Transfer mixture to an 8x8x2" square baking dish. Drop mashed potatoes in mounds over top. Sprinkle with cheddar if desired. Bake, uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or till heated through and cheese begins to brown. Makes 4-6 servings

Okay, 2 questions. What are "serranos" and what are "shmatas"? I thought "shmatas" were rags. Thanks, Jillis!

Vegetarian Couscous Casserole Charleston (SC) Post & Courier (Makes 6 servings) 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup couscous 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 8 3/4-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed 7-ounce jar roasted peppers in water, drained and cut into strips 1/3 cup green onions, minced 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno pepper, minced 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 teaspoon cumin Nonstick cooking spray 6 cups fresh spinach leaves, cooked Bring water and salt to a boil in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add couscous and stir well. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add black beans, corn, water chestnuts, roasted peppers, onions and jalapeno peppers. Stir gently. Combine cheese, vinegar, oil and cumin. Stir into couscous mixture. Spoon into an 11x7x2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes. To serve, spoon couscous mixture onto individual servings of spinach.  Nutrition facts per serving: 252 calories, 39 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fat, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 14 grams protein, 7 grams fiber, 460 milligrams sodium.