Here are some ideas!

• Peas and rice. It’s a Caribbean coconut rice with beans in it and very good. Coconut is a great source of vegan fat, which increases your calories on the cheap.

• Chili.

• Basically any Indian dal. Chickpea dishes, black dal, red beans, toor dal.

• baking your own bread is pretty easy so long as you have a pot you can put in the oven - or if you can spritz with water every 5-10 minutes.

• tofu can be reasonably priced and is delicious. Make east Asian food with it. Fry it in a little oil the lazy way - cut into triangles, let it fry for 5-10 minutes per side.

• pasta dishes can be reasonably priced

• pb&j is underrated

• Mexican rice and frijoles negros

• making your own seitan is reasonably doable, just get some broth (better than bouillon is yummy) and vital wheat gluten, combine, knead, and steam. It can then be used as a meat substitute, like in a pasta dish. Put some fennel and a couple other spices in it and you have a sausage substitute that you can brown and incorporate into a pasta with peppers. You can also make tacos and burritos with it.

• Don’t sleep on soups. A nice Greek chickpea soup is so easy. Chop up carrots, celery, onions, and fry a bit too develop flavor. Then add water and your broth mixture, cooked chickpeas, salt, olive oil, black or white pepper, and lemon to taste.

• thai curries are actually very easy and go great with fried tofu and veggies.

• there’s a ton of Chinese stuff that’s good. Just like with Indian food, could probably write books on good vegan options. Various styles of tofu, noodles, vegetables, dumplings…

• Soy curls are really good, they’re basically tvp with a better texture. Just soak em and then flavor with broth, use as a substitute for chicken. Good in salads, good deep fried, good dry fried with a bunch of spices (like for tacos), good with sesame soy sauce.