Preparation for Meatless Monday – A Few Easy Recipes

Just this week in Boise, the temperatures took a major nosedive. Fall is definitely in the air! Have you experienced the same in your neck of the woods? If so, what better time to step into healthier habits!

Fall is a great time to take small steps towards a healthier lifestyle. If your big goal is to eat healthier, then Meatless Monday’s are a great way to start. If you missed my post on Monday, check out the reasons why you should adopt this easy, healthy tradition in your household!

Today, I am including a few great meatless meals our family enjoys.

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Szechuan Tofu Stir-fry

The first is a Szechuan stir-fry. I used to love eating Szechuan dishes in Seattle, where wonderful Thai and Chinese restaurants are in abundance, but this time I decided to make it myself. I used this recipe on EatingWell.com and varied it slightly. The original recipe calls for green beans, but since no one in my family likes them but me, I substituted sugar snap peas. (I also didn’t have Chinkiang vinegar on hand and used balsamic instead). I also doubled the amount of ginger because the Neely’s love their ginger.

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Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I made the second dish for lunch, but these spinach-stuffed mushrooms would be good for dinner if you had a nice tossed salad on the side. I got the recipe from our local co-op but changed a few things to make it taste even fresher.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 large portabella mushrooms
  • 1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 TBSP sliced almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a handful of fresh spices if you have them)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup cheese (use any you like, or even a combination, including swiss, feta, or gruyere)

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until softened. Add the spinach until just wilted. Add spices and almonds. Then add the cheese and stir gradually until it’s melted.

Scrape out the inside of the mushroom cap and pour the cheese/spinach mixture inside.

Bake, cap side down, 20-25 minutes on 350.

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Black Bean Wraps

These are a standby for lunch or quick-dinner-before-soccer-or-football-practice dinner.

Add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 chopped clove of garlic to a can of beans. Cook over low heat about 10 minutes and add 1/2 lime.

Serve with tortillas and add your favorite toppings. I always add guacamole, but I also like home-made salsa, cojita cheese, shredded lettuce and/or sour cream, all depending on what I happen to have in the frig.

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You might also enjoy these recipes:

Pasta with marinara sauce and veggies
Tofu enchiladas

Melinda Hinson