2012 resolution #3: make more grain, bean and vegetable-based family meals

I give myself a pat on the back when it comes to exposing my children to a variety of tastes, textures and ingredients. It's something I am good at, backed by my "rainbow plate" mantra (being mindful and trying to get several different colors on my children's plates). But one of my food resolutions for 2012 is to expand my repertoire of whole grain, vegetable and/or bean-based meals. I still plan to keep the meals simple, and ideally they'll be meals my whole family will enjoy (so I don't become a short-order cook). To keep me on track, I'm linking some of my tried-and-true, favorite vegetarian meals to this post for easy reference. And, I've updated my list of "sites that inspire me" to include blogs that have the meatless gig down pat, in addition to ones that make me smile, swoon or think. (To see my list of favorite sites simply scroll down the right hand column of full plate.) Hope this list list of my own tried-and-true veg recipes proves as helpful to you as it is to me....I look forward to adding on to it in this New Year!

Soups and Stews

• Vegetable Soup
• Fall Veggie Soup
• Comforting Barley Stew
• Beans & Greens Soup (leave out the pancetta and add in fresh herbs)
• Beans & Greens Soup II (smoother)

Tacos, Quesadillas, Pizza Night...things like that

• Vegetarian Taco Night
• Black Bean Cakes
• Citrus-Infused Black Beans (put with a topping bar of bell peppers, avocado chunks, sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc...)
• Make-Your-Own Pizza (leave out the pepperoni)

Pastas, Risotto and Comforting Casseroles

• Peanut Noodles with Shredded Veggies
• Lemony Pasta with Chickpeas and Feta
• Jingle Bell Pasta
• Spicy Soy Chorizo Sauce
• Rotini with Cilantro-Walnut Pesto
• Farro and Butternut Squash Risotto
• Spinach Risotto (semi-homemade)
• Polenta and Soy Chorizo Casserole
• Greens and Cheese Pie
• Spinach Lasagna
• Baked Rigatoni with Soy Sausage
• Savory Pumpkin-Sage Cannelloni (totally decadent; for special occasions...)

Make-Ahead Salads

• Quinoa Salad with Giada's Basil Sauce 
• Quinoa Salad with Roasted Veggie & Feta
• Quinoa Salad with Fresh Mint and Lentils
• Wheatberry Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
• Lentil-Cucumber Salad
• Black Bean-Corn-Jicama Salad
• Crunch Rainbow Salad with Yogurt Dressing
• Raw "Detox" Salad

Sauces and Dressings

• Walnut Sauce
• Homemade Pesto
• Orange-Yogurt Dressing

If any of you readers have other vegetarian sites that inspire you, I'd love for you to leave them in a comment, as I am always excited to discover other like-minded bloggers and new recipe ideas!