Curry supreme at Bliss. Photos by Lilly Frances.

Just because we don’t enjoy eating a slab of steak with blood still running through it (not to mention dripping on your shirt) doesn’t mean we vegetarians should have to choose between a handful of nuts or some $40 organic tofu platter for dinner. Luckily, we live in Brooklyn, a vegetarian’s paradise where there is no shortage of restaurant choices, and where foodies come from around the world to taste our fakin’ egg and cheese sandwiches (and steal some fashion ideas). If you haven’t yet, you may consider switching over to the dark side (vegetarianism, that is) after reading about these ridiculously cheap and tasty meat-free treats. So grab $10, a date, and an extra pair of socks because these meals will be sure to knock your first pair off.

1. Tofu Teriyaki – $10 at Dao Palate
329 Flatbush Avenue (Park Slope)
Let Buddha guide you to Nirvana with this dish. You will feel one with the universe while nibbling on strips of tofu filet and broccoli in teriyaki sauce over a bed of bean sprouts & onion. Typical pan-asian cuisine served in an elegant setting, what more could a vegetarian crave?

2. Prosperity Lunch Combo – $10 at Rockin’ Raw
178 North 8 Street (Williamsburg)
Come in weekdays until 4:30 to get your tongues on this great deal. The combo includes your choice of the soup of the day or a mixed greens salad, with mint lemonade or hot tea, plus one of six go-to meals each with an unconventional twist: How about a Rosemary Rawsted Wrap with seasoned mushrooms, peppers, onions with sprouts, avocado and pumpkin-seed cheese? Just as delicious are the pizzas (with pesto, avocado, and rawmesan), the eggplant burger, the chipotle “crab cab” sandwich, the “BLT” (with zucchini bacon), and the egg salad wrap. After trying Peruvian-New Orleanian raw food, you will be inspired to broaden your horizons.

3. The Curry Supreme – $9.50 at Bliss
191 Bedford Ave (Williamsburg)
The ultimate spot for simple, healthy food. You can’t go wrong with organic tofu, brown rice and mixed vegetables sautéed with garlic and rich coconut curry sauce. Don’t forget to try Bliss’s juices. Cash only!

4. Szechuan Style Soy Seitan – $8.95 at Vegetarian Ginger
128 Montague St (Brooklyn Heights)
For those of you not familiar with veggie-lingo, seitan is the meat substitute that we feed on! When prepared just right like it is here, it gives the satisfaction and taste we crave from chicken. The spicy Kung Pao sauce, as mouth watering as it is, is only a part of the reason to try this place.  Big portions and great wait staff seal the deal; a lot of bang for your buck. With lots to choose from, this place is even great for meat eaters.  Plus, the peanut butter bomb cake is the BOMB. Still a skeptic?  I dare you to try it.

Veggie Specials Burrito at Los Pollitos.

5. Veggie Specials Burrito – $7 at Los Pollitos II
148 5th Ave (Park Slope)
Good Mexican food is a MUST for vegetarians: We need those beans! We could probably live without all that sour cream and guac, but why would we when it is SO cheap and SO delicious? Each burrito is stuffed with all the necessary ingredients: rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, and your choice of spinach or mushrooms.  The fun, laid-back atmosphere of this joint only adds to the excitement when you find out you can add pumpkin flower to your burrito!  Don’t forget to order a margarita, from 11:30am-7pm daily, they are only $5.

What’s your favorite cheap veggie dinner in Brooklyn? Tell us in the comments!

Our pick: Prime Meats for $16 a plate.

If you’re in the city this Thanksgiving and don’t feel like wrestling with a 20-pound bird (or haven’t wangled an invitation you’re excited about), keep in mind that plenty of restaurants will be in full swing. Sure there’s the River Café for the $125-a-head crowd and Dressler’s $90-a-plate feast, but we found seven places where you can get turkey (or possibly tofurkey) and fixins for under $25—booze not included. If you’ve heard of any deals we missed, please put them in the comments. And since working on Thursday is pretty much no fun, don’t forget to be extra thankful with the wait staff…

Manhattan Three Decker Diner 695 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint (718) 389-6565
Cost: $16.95 per person
This prix fixe includes a full turkey dinner (with sides), dessert, coffee, and wine. Wine in a diner… hmmm. They also sell whole turkeys to take home, just in case you want massive leftovers.

Prime Meats 465 Court St., Carroll Gardens (718) 254-0327
Cost: $16 per person
It’s not exactly a prix-fixe meal, but for just $16 you can get a turkey plate that includes soft-pretzel stuffing, honey-roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. They’re also offering spiked cider, hot buttered rum and mulled wine, though it’ll cost you extra.

Purity Diner 289 7th Ave., Park Slope (718) 840-0881
Cost: $14.95 per person
The best deal in town—this turkey dinner includes classic side dishes, like sweet potatoes and creamed spinach, a beverage, and a slice of pie.

Red Bamboo Brooklyn 271 Adelphi St., Fort Greene ,718) 643-4806
Cost: approximately $20 (menu not set at time of publishing)
For a vegetarian option, head to Red Bamboo Brooklyn. Though the menu hasn’t been set (call ahead for details), expect dishes similar to their Manhattan counterpart, where they’re serving bamboo herbed faux-turkey with veggie sides and a dessert.

Turqua Grill І 9604 3rd Ave, Fort Hamilton І (718) 238-8885
Cost: $24.99 per person for 3 courses
Go a bit non-trad at this Turkish restaurant where you can choose between entrée selections like turkey shish kabob or a turkey gyro, and end with a special pumpkin desert.

Union Smith Café, 305 Smith St., Carroll Gardens І (718) 643-3293
Cost: $25 per person
This bistro serves classic American food year-round, so expect traditional dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a dessert.

Vegas Diner, 1619 86th St, Bath Beach/Dyker Heights, (718) 331-2221
Cost: $18.95 per person
This place is huge with some fantastic diner decor. It won’t give you a cozy, homey feel, but it will provide all the old-school classics: turkey dinner, stuffing, and all the fixings.

Buttermilk Channel, photo by Marie Viljoen

The white, fluffy tire-man of a food critic has made his picks, and next year, he’ll be saving like the rest of us. The 2010 Michelin Guide to New York City Restaurants went on sale Tuesday, and the new edition features a list of great NY cheap eats in addition to the usual high-quality star-rated destinations. The recession-themed  “Bib Gourmand” list includes 85 restaurants with the Michelin inspectors’ rating for good value (two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less). Brooklyn naturally makes a great showing in the category, with 17 “value” spots from Bensonhurst to Williamsburg. Here’s the full list of Bib Gourmand-rated eateries in the borough.

Baci & Abbracci, 204 Grand St., 718-599-6599

Belleville, 330-332 5th St., 718-832-9777

Brooklyn Star, 33 Havemeyer St., 718-599-9899

Buttermilk Channel, 524 Court St., 718-852-8490

Char No. 4, 196 Smith St., 718-643-2106

Egg, 135 N. 5th St., 718-302-5151

Franny’s, 295 Flatbush Ave., 718-230-0221

The Good Fork, 391 Van Brunt St., 718-643-6636

Kif, 219 Dekalb Ave., 718-852-7273

Marlow & Sons, 81 Broadway, 718-384-1441

Mesa Coyoacan, 372 Graham Ave., 718-782-8171

Motorino, 319 Graham Ave., 718-599-8899

Prime Meats, 465 Court St., 718-254-0327

Rye, 247 S. 1st St., 718-218-8047

Sette Enoteca & Cucina, 207 Seventh Ave., 718-499-7767

Thomas Beisl, 25 Lafayette Ave., 718-222-5800

World Tong, 6202 18th Ave., 718-236-8118