I've finally had some time to check into this thread. I'm a 30 year vegetarian. Veggie good/healthy and veggie quick are often not very compatible. When I was younger, I had a lot of time to cook. I guess I did't have much of a life and was happy to spend my weekends and evenings cooking. Even back then I didn't like "veggie burgers" very much. They are a pain to make, and they just don't taste all that great to me, plus for me, my dislike for homeade veggie burgers is a texture thing. They are usually made with beans or tofu, already quite mushy, then with eggs and some type of starch as a binder. Then fried, and they end up greasy and mushy, IMHO. I've seen recipes using different techniques to try and counter the greasy, mushy factor, but to heck with it, now I just buy the packaged veggie burgers which are very quick, and sooooo much better that what I could make from scratch. The commercial veggie burgers are made from either wheat gluten, or textured vegetable protein from soy, which gives them the "meat like" texture. You can mess with wheat gluten and seitan and soy flour at home, but these products are not common things that you can pick up in any grocery store. Adventists do a lot with fake meat, but all their products have MSG in them so I don't like them. I am allergic to MSG. So if you buy commercial "fake meat" products, watch out for MSG as an ingredient if you are allergic. Some people are sensitive to any type of gluten. I too do not like the taste of red meat. It is too rich and heavy for me, and the decaying blood taste which is what so many people like, is just a big yuck for me. I also am not a fan of the "grilled" smoke taste. The reason I go into this, is there are some brands of veggie burgers that go out of their way to include grilled and fleshy tastes in their "burgers" and since I don't like those tastes in the first place, I don't like those brands of veggie burgers. My favorite brand is Morningstar Farms. As Haus Proud says, they have a lot of tasteful varieties. I like the garden burger and the roasted vegetable ones, and the italian style ones. I don't like anything that has "grill" in the description. So now my ideas diverge. There's good veggie "patties" but I rarely eat them because they are not fast food for me. Fast for me, btw, means I can get it on the table about 15 min. after I get home late, late from work. For me that means cooking on the weekends and reheating or thawing during the week. Fried veggie patties are just OK reheated. So one way to go with this is "fast, healthy vegetarian" and the other way is "good vegetarian pattie kinds of things." Not the same, IMHO. Good vegetarain pattie kinds of things--falafel, beanburgers, tofu sloppy joes. I buy Fantastic brand falafel mix or some special mixes I get in the middle eastern market. Fast vegetarian sandwiches--tofu salads (I make tuno salad, hamless salad, and eggless salad with tofu). Hummus and other bean spreads make good sandwiches. I also like fake lunch meat. It doesn't taste all that much different from the real, which has loads of chemicals and fillers in it already. I buy Yves brand fake ham, which looks and tastes like bologna. I make fake ham and swiss cheese on rye. I think they even make fake pastrami, but since I don't like real pastrami I don't get it. If she eats fish, then tuna salad is good. I used to make homeade hummus, but now I buy it premade. Other grab and go: emapanadas, pocket pies made with eggs, cheese or fake meat. I buy these but you can make them. Pasties, calzone, even egg rolls are all variations on this theme. I'm dough challenged so don't make them very often, but I like eating them. If you wanted to be a real great mom, make your daughter some calzones and put a bunch in the freezer for her to heat up. Something else I buy frozen are little pot pies, Amy's brand. I love those! I also get lots of veggie frozen dinners. They are not that cheap but most are very good. I hardly ever get them because I can't afford them, so that would be another way to treat your daughter. Here's my recipe for beanburgers. I made it years ago when I was young and had time on my hands. I think the original recipe came out of "Seventeen" magazine, so I think I made these back when I was just about that age. Beanburgers 1 cup dried lentils 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 3 TBLSP wheat germ 1 TBLSP vinegar 1 TBLSP mustard (I don't know if this is dried or prepared. I would use dijon unless I was prepared to loose a batch and try dried) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 egg beaten (these days I'd use two egg whites to cut fat) 3 TBLSP butter or margarine (or olive oil probably) 6 sliced american cheese 6 whole wheat rolls Rinse lentils. Cook with 5 cups cold water until soft. (about 50 min.) Drain. (And down goes all the nutrients. I'd rather use less water, like two cups. And soak the lentils in water overnight to make them cook faster. Drain the soaking water, which does drain away some nutrients, but makes the beans less likely to cause gas.) Combine the lentils with the next 8 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal parts. Form into patties. Fry in the butter or oil for 3 min. on each side. Place cheese on patties, cover skillet, cook until cheese melts. Serve on toasted buns with whatever condiments you like. Note: I suspect these may be on the mushy side, but such is the nature of a bean burger. PUt some crunchy things on the burger, like iceberg lettuce and pickles. Tomato is good too, but only if in season. This is an interesting recipe out of "Moosewood REstaurant Lowfat FAvories" that I have been wanting to try. I've not made it though. Middle Eastern CAnnellini patties 2 tsp. olive oil 2 cups minced onion 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1 tsp. salt 1 cup minced bell peppers 2 tsp. ground cumin 4 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans (Two 20 oz. cans, drained) 1 cup minced fresh parsley. 2 cups cooked brown rice 1 TBLSP fresh lemon juice ground pepper to taste (I'd use white pepper) Add the olive oil to a nonstick pan. Saute the onions until soft. Add the garlic, peppers and cumin and saute a little longer, until the peppers are soft. (ABout 5 more min, stir frequently). REmove from heat and set aside. Thoroughly mash the beans in a large bowl. Add the brown rice, parsley, lemon and pepper. Combine the sauteed onion mixture with this mixture. Add the pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 18 small patties, about 2.5 inches across. Prepare a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat the skillet to med. and cook the patties until they are golden brown on one side (about 5-10 min.) Turn over and cook on the other side, about 5 min. longer. Serve hot or at room temp.

This is the recipe I used when I had vegetarian guests at the cottage.....which is probably why cheese enchiladas came to mind! LOL I subbed veg broth for the chicken broth, frozen spinach instead of fresh and flour tortillas instead of corn so I just rolled them I didn't dip in oil. Enchiladas - Cheese And Spinach Servings 4 Poblano chile peppers, about 1 pound 4 Lb fresh spinach, stems removed and well rinsed 4 Tbl unsalted butter, plus 4 tablespoons 1 Cup chopped yellow onions 1 Tbl chopped garlic 2 Tsp chili powder 3/4 Tsp salt 1/4 Tsp ground black pepper Pinch cayenne 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup 2 Cup half-and-half 1 Cup cubed queso fresco or queso blanco 2Cups cubed Pepper Jack 1 Cup grated cotija or Parmesan 2 Tbl vegetable oil 12 corn tortillas 1 Cup chicken stock 1 Cup heavy cream Roast the peppers by placing them on an open gas flame, turning them frequently with tongs until all sides are charred black, about 7 to 10 minutes. (Alternately, the peppers can be roasted under a broiler, or on top of a gas or charcoal grill.) Place the blackened peppers in a plastic or paper bag, and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers, split in half lengthwise, and discard the seeds and the stems. Roughly chop and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In 3 batches, add the spinach and blanch for 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and shock in an ice bath. Remove and squeeze out the excess. Chop and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until very soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the flour and cook, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon, to make a light roux, 2 minutes. Gradually add the half-and-half, and cook, stirring, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir to incorporate. Remove from the heat and fold in half of the chopped chiles. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Fold in the cubed queso fresco and both Pepper Jacks, and set aside. In a bowl, combine the grated Pepper Jack and cotija. Set aside. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium temperature. One at a time, add the tortillas to the hot oil and cook, turning, until soft and pliable, 15 seconds per side, adding more oil as needed. Remove from the pan and place on a work surface. Place about 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll up into a cylinder. Place, seam side down, in a single layer across the bottom of a 9 by 13- inch casserole dish. In a saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and cook, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon, to to make a light roux. Slowly add the chicken stock and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining poblano peppers and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the filled enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover evenly with the grated cheeses. Return to the oven and bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are completely warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Falafel is fairly easy to make, but you do have to fry it. An Indian garbanzo stew is tasty, and I think everyone would like it. Here is the falafel recipe that I make: Falafel from Fava Beans 1 cup dried fava beans (~2-1/3 cups soaked) 1 yellow or white onion 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1/2 cup fresh parsley 2 tbsp dried parsley 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 cup garbanzo flour 1/4 cup kasha or bread crumbs, as needed Oil for deep frying (I use grapeseed) The fava beans can be prepared ahead of time; I usually prepare a large quanity and freeze them in 2 to 2-1/2 cup quantities. To prepare them, first wash them thoroughly, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for about two minutes, and then rinse them and wash them again. At this point, you may be able to remove more of the shells. They will have to be thoroughly rinsed at this point, and you may have to do this several times to remove all the bubbles. Then return them to the pan, cover with water and bring to a boil again. After the second boil, allow them to sit for at least an hour off the heat to soak. Then drain all the water and rinse them again. After they are drained, remove the remaining shells. Put the drained beans in a large food processor, and purée. Add the onion, garlic, and fresh parsley in a food processor and process until the onion is minced (or you could mince these by hand). Remove to sa large bowl and add the salt, cumin, coriander, baking powder, and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add the garbanzo flour and combine. Add the kasha or bread crumbs last, just enough to soak up excess moisture. Allow this mixture to stand for 1 hour. If the dough is too dry, you can add a few drops of water; if it is too wet, you can add more garbanzo flour. Form into little patties 1/3 inch thick and 1-1/2 inches round. Or, you can form them into balls the size of walnuts. Deep-fry in a wok at 350-375ð until toasty brown and crunchy on the outside, about 4 minutes. NOTE: While the falafel batter is resting, prepare tahini-lemon sauce and chop a couple of cucumbers and tomatoes. Tahini-Lemon Sauce 2/3 cup tahini 2/3 cup yogurt 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/3 cup lemon (about 2-3 lemons) 3 green onions, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup parsley, stems removed dash of salt 1/8 tsp cayenne (or less, to taste) 1/8 tsp paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Put all ingredients in a small food processor and combine until onions and parsley are finely minced. Store in the refrigerator. I sometimes add Romaine lettuce to the pita bread and a bit of mayonnaise or Greek salad dressing. *Note: Garbanzo beans can be substituted for fava beans, or you can used canned fava beans, which will require more bread crumbs or garbanzo flour to offset the extra moisture. ...

Veggie stuffed portobellos Pasta with tomato basil butter Lemon spinach salad (or arugula) Sol's Frozen Lemon Souffle Lots of wine and good music! Look great to me!. Once the planning hits the brain for timing....nice and fresh. I do like a good salad stater with raw veg, like a small grilledWatermelon Greek Salad with avocado, or just thin sliced golden beet/radish salad. (even still having the later more assertive arugula)... Add cubed watermelon to this and maybe some cucumber and feta...