Meatless Mondays {Series}

I’m often asked when and why I became a vegetarian. The truth is I didn’t really have a real reason at the time. About eight years ago, I was coming off the heels of my worst heartbreak. I was lost. I was pissed. I wanted to feel like somebody else for a little while.

I’m originally a Texas girl and like most good Texas girls, I was raised on steak with a side of steak. I had a hard time imagining many meals where a big slab of meat wasn’t at the center, but I was determined to give it a try. So I dragged my puffy eyed depressed self to the grocery store where, among other things, I bought my first block of tofu. And my great vegetarian experiment began. After that first month which wasn’t so hard, it seemed easy enough to see how long I could continue.

What I didn’t anticipate then was all of the beautiful foods I would learn to cook with that I had never even considered trying before. It is a myth that the vegetarian diet is narrow and boring; in reality, my diet is far more varied and colorful now.

And eight years later and forty pounds lost, I’m happy to give you the first installment of our CMB Meatless Monday series.

It was not easy picking just a few of my favorite recipes, but after taking a poll from the family, these recipes consistently made the top of everyone’s list. I have two young boys, so I aim for quick, healthy, and kid approved meals. 

A day in the kitchen with a lazy vegetarian Mom:

Breakfast: Tofu Scramble and Drop Biscuits

Tofu Scramble: This recipe is slightly adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen (which I cannot recommend enough for tons of delicious vegan recipes, check it out!

Ingredients:

• 1 block of extra firm tofu (drained); a tofu press works great for this, or simply cover the tofu with a paper towel and pile weight on top of it to drain the water out of it
• spice blend: 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 3 tablespoons water. Stir the spice blend together in a small cup, add the water, and set aside.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves or more fresh garlic (to taste)
• 1/4- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Optional add-ins: I usually add around a cup of crumbled veggie sausage, half can of black beans (drained), diced avocado, and about a cup of hash browns or roasted red potatoes and diced tomatoes. It pairs well with just about any vegetable though: mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, you name it!

Instructions:

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic in olive oil for around a minute. Break the tofu into large pieces (I usually mash with a serving fork) and sauté in garlic and oil for around six minutes, letting the tofu get browned and a little crispy. The leftover water should cook out of the tofu; if too much collects at the bottom of the pan however, turn up the heat to evaporate. Stir in the spice blend. Add the nutritional yeast, and some fresh black pepper to taste. Stir in any additional vegetables or toppings and enjoy!

You can use this basic scramble recipe in dozens of ways. Serve with biscuits and gravy, wrap in burritos, put on a sandwich, the possibilities are endless. My kids love it, and my husband who has always been a little skeptical of tofu, is a big fan of this recipe.

Drop Biscuits: Biscuits are one of those things that I just always felt I should know how to make when I became a mom. Luckily, I found and adapted this super easy and quick recipe that ensures I will never a use a mix or biscuit can again. Around our house we have a tradition of ‘Biscuit Fridays’ but what the heck, we’ll have biscuits this Monday too!

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup nondairy milk for vegan biscuits (regular milk works great too; I sometimes use 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1/3 cup organic buttermilk)
• 1/3 cup canola oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 475F. Lightly grease a baking/cookie sheet. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until combined. In a separate bowl stir wet ingredients together before adding to flour mixture (add a little extra milk if dough appears too dry). The dough will be thick and sticky, not smooth like cake batter. Using a spoon to scoop desired size batter onto baking sheet, spacing batter about 1 1/2 inches apart. Optional: I sprinkle a little sea salt and pour a little melted Earth Balance on the tops of each biscuit. Bake for eight minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Serve warm with jam, honey, or classic gravy. (Click here for super easy and tasty vegetarian gravy recipe and do add the Siracha for spicy gravy magic!!)

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Lunch: Chickpea/Avocado Smash on Multigrain Toast

This in one of my all-time favorite energy and nutrition packed meals when I need something fast! The kids love it too!

Ingredients:

• 1 can organic garbanzo beans (drained)
• 1 avocado
• 1 carrot (diced)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

Optional add-ons: diced tomatoes, sprouts, hot sauce

Instructions:

Mash garbanzo beans and avocado until slightly chunky. Stir in lemon juice and diced carrot, adding garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread onto toasted multigrain bread, enjoy! The tasty spread can also be used for dipping.

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Dinner: Minestrone

This beautiful and delicious soup is perfect for this chilly rainy season. It’s a staple in our house during the colder months. It comes together super quickly, it’s healthy, and it keeps for several days. Serve with crusty baguette or grilled provolone sandwiches!

Ingredients:

• 14 cups water
• 7 veggie bouillon cubes (I use Edward & Sons Not Chik’n cubes)
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes (I pulse in the blender for a smoother texture)
• 1 can organic kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can organic cannellini beans (drained)
• 1 box small shells pasta
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 small zucchini (diced)
• 2 large red potatoes (skin on and diced)
• 2 links of veggie Italian sausage (I use LightLife, usually found near the tofu in your local supermarket)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 bunch kale
• fresh Parmesan cheese to taste (grated)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil sprigs  

Instructions:

Boil water; when water comes to a rolling boil, add bouillon cubes. Reserve 1/2 cup broth and set aside. Add potatoes and pasta keeping at a rolling boil for around 8-9 minutes, then turning the heat down to simmer. Stir in tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Add the butter and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add the carrots, beans, and zucchini and let the soup simmer for around 5-10 minutes. In a separate pan, bring a tablespoon of olive oil to medium heat adding the kale. Lightly salt and add the juice of the other half lemon. Add the reserved veggie broth, and sauté until wilted. Add kale and veggie sausage to soup, allowing another five minutes or so to simmer. Grate fresh Parmesan before serving, and add a little crushed red pepper for a kick! Enjoy!

Join the fun and let us know how your Meatless Monday goes! And for more information on how even one day a week without meat can positively impact your health, your pocketbook, and the environment please click here!