Meatless Mondays in February
with some unusual meals making the cut :)
As I look back at the month of February, I can safely say it was a weird one for Meatless Monday, but that's ok! A couple snowstorms threw us off and then we traveled last week, but we were still able to stick to our (at least) one day a week with no meat. Remember, I'm trying to prepare an actual vegetarian recipe for our Monday dinners (not just cook up a box of mac and cheese)!
Here were our February Meatless Masterpieces:
February Week 1: Easy Vegetarian Chili with Quinoia via Teach Eat Love. This has BY FAR been my favorite Meatless Monday meal. And to be honest, I didn't think I would even like it! I'd never had a vegetarian chili that I liked... until now! There was something about the way the textures worked together that made it so good--the corn and the quinoa gave it a little "Pop!" Since the kiddos have yet to get excited about Meatless Monday, I told them that they didn't need to like it, but they needed to try all 5 beans and pick their favorite... and it worked... I think they even took a few extra bites than I asked! There was enough leftover for me to have for lunch the next day and then freeze for another entire meal for all of us. Also, I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and it was SO good (Ben couldn't even tell it was yogurt, but I don't know if he'd admit it if asked).
February Week 2: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese via Love & Lemons. As requested, I made the girls some mac and cheese with veggies (whiny request: "Why can't we just have macaroni and cheese?"). WISH = GRANTED. This was a neat spin on mac and cheese, and it is really packed with cauliflower! Janine provides vegetarian and vegan substitutions, which is great! But since I don't see myself giving up cheese any time soon (well, EVER), we used sharp cheddar, and it helped disguise the cauliflower taste for the kids. Another fun way to squeeze in the veggies!
February Week 3: I was too tired to whip up an actual recipe this week (too many snow days, I think), so I grabbed these Engine 2 Veggie Burgers and a salad from Whole Foods (they had a coupon for the burgers, so I took it as a sign). Up to that point, I hadn't really found a frozen veggie burger that I loved, but these were SOOOO GOOD. Even Ben admitted it :). They're pricer than some of the other options, but definitely worth it, in my book! I put cheese on top (yes, I put cheese on whatever I can), put them on whole wheat buns, threw some cranberries, seeds, and avocado on the salad, and everyone was happy. The kids split one burger between the three of them, and it worked out fine. So I didn't whip up an actual recipe, but there was some prep involved ;)
February Week 4: Monday was our travel day, so we spent all afternoon/evenings in airports! To avoid the hassle, expense, and {often} extra calories of airport food, I packed some Go Picnic snacks for the ride. And yes, they do have "meat" options (salami, pepperoni), so I was thoughtful in my "meatless" decision. I especially like these as an on-the-go option because they offer some healthier choices than other packaged meals, plus they fit easily into a carry-on bag (I just found out they just started carrying Almond Butter ones--yum!)!
All-in-all, a good month of Mondays ;)
 | |
| Light Fettuccine Alfredo via Cooking Classy |
Do you have a Vegetarian Recipe that works for kids and adults alike? I'd love if you'd share! Leave me a comment in the post or write me an email. Maybe I'll make it next month!
Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest to keep up with our Meatless Monday adventures!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.