Meatless Monday: leftovers!!!

Hey friends, happy Monday! I'm having a splendid start to my week, and I hope you are, too. It's almost finals-time at my university, and my students are working on their final portfolios for my classes. I plan to be really, really productive this week, and next. Lots of incisive grading, student-conferences, and efficient planning for and working on my own research projects. And that is why it is leftover week.

My dear friend, Jamica, had a bunch of us over for a potluck this weekend. She made three incredible soups, and we all supplied salads, bread, cheese and wine. I'm so grateful that she let me steal some of her delicious lentil soup--it is going to be our hearty meatless dinner tonight!

But don't get me wrong, with the proximity to holiday feasts of all kinds, I have a fridge full of leftovers that are going to be re-purposed as fantastically quick dinners this week! Here is my game plan:

• Tonight: Jamica's lentil soup with greek yogurt, rice and greens
• Tuesday: turkey shepherd's pies
• Wednesday: roasted chicken breasts with sweet potato gratin
• Thursday: chicken barley soup
• Friday: Girls' Night! (so, basically eating wine and cheese for dinner)

What about you? Do you like leftovers, or detest them? Any creative leftover-makeovers you love?

Meatless Monday: sneaky meatless

I have to confess: I have been having a lot of fun trying meatless dishes! (especially since I've decided that desserts totally count;) Last week I made these lentil fritters, and man, let me tell you...they were so satisfying, I forgot they were meatless! Thus, the lentil has become one of my "sneaky meatless wonders"--if I want to feel full, I cook with them.

Another sneaky meatless wonder is the beautiful and aptly named graffiti eggplant:

I use 'em in eggplant parmesan, which is a lovely comfort-food, which also happens to be meatless. 

What about you? Do you have any meat-substitutes that satiate? What are they?