We eat a lot of beans, mushrooms and nuts and seeds instead of meat, and most of the time it’s cheap, easy and delicious.

Beans are great for salads, soups, sauces and wraps. Our favorites:
-Azuki beans (brown and black)
-Garbanzo (and hummus)
-Black (and black soy)
-Soy beans (and soy milk and tofu/tempeh/miso/natto)
-Kidney beans (and refried)
-Peas, Lima Beans, Black-eyed Peas etc.

There are MANY types of mushrooms you can buy, and some people even pick their own.
We eat the following types, and organic when we can get it:

-White
-Portabella mushrooms (baby or large)
-Shiitake (dried or fresh)
-Porcini, chanterelle, oyster, straw, etc.

Don’t forget the food processor, beans and mushrooms are very friendly that way.

For nuts and seeds, we enjoy:

-Walnuts, Almonds (and cheese/milk/butter), Pumpkin/Squash Seeds
-Sesame Seeds (and butter and oil)
-Occasional brazil, macadamia, cashews, pecans, etc.

If you stock your kitchen with these foods (from Whole Foods, Natural Import Co., even Ocean State Job Lot!)
and get plenty of whole grain noodles, tortillas, wraps, breads and flours, you can have a lot of fun.

Mexican Quesedillas (serves two)
Two round whole wheat tortillas
Three slices almond cheese
One TS hummus (or 10 garbanzo beans)
One TS refried beans (or 10 kidney/black beans)
One TS vegenaise (optional, you can also use soy sour cream)
One TS water or veg. broth
A bit of onion or scallion, chopped
A bit of green cabbage or broccoli, chopped
Spray canola oil or for better health, sesame oil
Sea salt, pepper, cumin and dill to taste

Heat a pan, add the oil and onions, then spices after one minute, then other veggies, let cook two minutes
Add veg broth or water, shut off and cover for two minutes.

Spread other ingredients on a tortilla, then add vegetables, add another tortilla, and clean and dry pan
before you turn it on medium high, spray it again, and place in quesadilla for frying. Before turning over (about two minutes),
spray top of quesadilla, then turn, cover and reduce heat to medium low). Done in about three minutes.

Cut with knife or pizza cutter, and serve with salsa/soy sour cream and a nice salad. WOW!! (the kids will love it too!!)