A friend asked today what they can eat if they want to avoid meat, but also can't eat peanuts, soy, or a lot of wheat. The answer is: so many things! Here are some of my favorites.

• Roasted vegetables. Yum, yum, yum. Search the web for "how to roast" + a vegetable of choice and you'll find how long and what temperature to use. The basic idea is to toss some chopped up raw vegetables with oil and some spices (my go-tos are thyme, basil, garlic powder, and salt; you can experiment with your favorite flavors) and spread them out on a pan, then cook in the oven for the recommended amount of time/the vegetables look and smell done.

• Some of the things I've listed in Easy Vegetarian Lunches, particularly sweet potatoes & hempseed, chickpea salad, and black bean quesadillas.

• Refried bean & cheese quesadillas. These are best if you have access to an oven. I spread refried beans (from a can) on a tortilla, top with shredded cheese and a bit of garlic powder & onion powder, and then another tortilla on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they look as crispy as you like. So simple to prepare, so filling, and so tasty.

• The Pioneer Woman's Veggie Chili. I've made this dozens of times now and while it takes time to prepare (mostly due to all the veggie chopping - if you have a food processor that will speed things up!), it makes a large batch that keeps well in the fridge or freezer. Don't be shy about making it as spicy or not-spicy as you like, and adding in whatever other vegetables you have on hand.

• Anything from Budget Bytes. Check out the Vegetarian section and the Vegetarian meal prep section.

• For cookbooks, consider books by Isa Chandra Moskowitz like Vegan With a Vengeance or the Veganomicon. I have Veganomicon and love the tone as well as every recipe I've tried. One of my favorites is a chickpea "cutlet" that has an amazing chewy texture that can be hard to get in non-meat dishes. My partner also really likes the Thug Kitchen books.

• Curries! There are so many different kinds and it's easy to find ones that don't contain meat.

• This Moroccan tagine will blow your mind.

• Veggie burgers by formula. These are super fun to make partly because of how creative you can be. (Before I discovered this forumla, 'creative' was never a way I'd felt in the kitchen.) It's easiest if you have a food processor for chopping up beans, but it's doable with a knife, too!

• Eggplant ratatouille. This recipe is for an Instant Pot, but if you don't have one there are other recipes out there that you can try. I love making this as a topper for pasta or rice, like you'd use a more traditional marinara & meat sauce. 'Lentil bolognese' is another way to satisfy a red-sauce craving, and so is a simple mix of sauteed or roasted vegetables mixed with a jar of sauce!

• Summer Vegetable Tian Another recipe with a lot of chopping, this is pretty simple to throw together (and you can chop the veggies on the weekend for easier weeknight prep) and so delicious.

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