meatless monday: feelin' hearty

So, for meatless monday today, I want to tell y'all about the savory and satisfying meatless meal I made last night. It was a recipe in my new Living that just came in the mail last week, and it was delicious. Martha called it "minestrone with parmesan biscuits"--and it ended up being a hearty casserole-type-thing with a thick, bean-and-vegetable soup for the filling and quickly whipped up parmesan biscuits for the topping. You'll have to grab the mag for the actual recipe, but I wager it is somewhere between this:

and this:

It was a perfect fall dish. I sauteed and simmered the veggies in a pot, threw the biscuit batter together, and then plopped it all in a baking dish and threw it in the oven. Surprisingly fast and easy!

What about you? Do you have any surprisingly easy, yet hearty cold-weather dishes up your sleeve? Do tell!

meatless monday: lunch

Hello, and happy meatless monday to you!

Ever since school started, I've been pretty obsessed with lunch. This is most likely because I like to plan my life around food.

When it comes to "going meatless" one day a week, I've been trying to make that an all-day thing (so, not just dinner. But probably "just dinner" is better than nothing at all...). Today, I'm enthralled with these tasty-looking, lunch-possiblities:

Apparently, it is the 40th anniversary of Chez Panisse, and man, did they throw a delectable shin-dig! These little bites would be perfect in my lunch box...

Or, how 'bout an open-faced sammy with brie, apples and arugula?

But seriously. Can I ever turn away from anything with avocado in it? No. So, obviously, this one from Real Simple is calling my name. 

What about you? Do you have a favorite meatless sandwich combo?

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?

meatless monday: strawberries!

Ever since last summer, I've had the gnawing urge to get a strawberry pot. It all started when I was minding my own business, milling about the farmer's market. I was drawn to a farmer who was selling herbs and strawberries in pots. I chatted with him about how much work these plants would be to keep alive, about my "black thumb" and eventually, I walked away in a fit of nervous laughter and excuses.

Obviously, I'm haunted by this exchange. Or, as I often cast it in my memory, a missed opportunity. At this point (having managed to keep the plant alive, of course), I could be up to my elbows in strawberries. Like Tina from blissful eats, I could be making cakes full of the tiny, jewel-like fruits. 

I could be feeding my secret scone-obsession with these pillow-like treats Deb made.

But most of all, I could be re-creating one of my favorite salads of all time. It is not on any website (that I know of). It is a recipe that my friend, Jenni, and I learned while staying at a host-home outside of London.  It was invented by a super-cool, super-creative bartender-girl who had invented it, and who shared it with us:

• Mix of greens (dark, like spinach, with crunchy, like romaine)
• red onion
• ripe strawberries
• fresh feta cheese
• cooked couscous (or I like quinoa)
• plain yogurt (I like the Greek kind)
• Optional additions: greenhouse cucumber--chopped, bell pepper--chopped, drizzle of olive oil

Best. Salad. Ever. Try it, and let me know what you think! 

Meatless Monday: slightly tomato-obsessed

Last week I made this phenomenally easy eggplant parmesan. The original recipe is for one, so I just doubled it and we were set. With a green salad, that was one bright, satisfying dinner! I have some leftover eggplant...so maybe an encore this week?

But really, I am not here to talk about eggplant. I only have eyes for tomatoes, these days. 

Yesterday, I met my friend, Becky, for lunch at a local joint that boasts a Bloody Mary Bar. Yep, like a salad bar, except with vodka. I mixed a lovely, spicy, savory drink and was in heaven! It made me want to try this version, suggested by Martha Stewart.

And for lunch today, just to further the tomato-obsession, I packed a tomato, goat-cheese and basil salad. I can hardly wait to eat it! I sliced up a handful of Campari tomatoes, plucked some basil from the plant on the sill, and crumbled up some goat cheese. Drizzle of olive oil, some salt and peppper, and done. But, there are other tomato-salad combos in the sea...I'd love, for instance, to try this one:

Or, maybe this one:

Oh, tomato! How do I love thee? What is your relationship to the tomato? Do you love it? Hate it? Like it only in sauces? Why or why not?

Meatless Monday...at least, it FEELS like monday!

I have to brag a tiny bit about the utterly meatless creation (ahem, dessert) I made over the holiday weekend (well, thanks to inspiration from Bon Appetit, at least).

The magazine calls for nectarines and blackberries, but the color I used was blue. So, this is my nectarine-and-blueberry cobbler. Can I just say...? Delish. If you're a fan of not-too-sweet desserts, this puppy is definitely for you. 

Friday, I love you

Ah, Friday. A sacred day for many. Today the hubs and I both magically have the day off, and we've spent it gloriously reading, eating eggs and toast, doing laundry and walking to the library. And drinking coffee. Check out this funny (and informative!) video on the subject:



A playful weekend reminder via Anna Garforth:

Pret-A-Voyager is presenting a series featuring all the different androissments of Paris. Don't these photos of the 5th make you just want to hop on a plane?

Oh, man. What scrumptious-looking peaches...and peach-upside-down cake! 

This weekend, I'll be attending a friend's bridal shower, a fun dinner at a new restaurant, and perhaps the hubs and I will check out the hot-air balloon fest. What are you up to this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it's fun and relaxing!

Meatless Monday

Hello, friends!

We are back from our little jaunt up to Manistee, MI. It is kind of magic how even a few days away can refresh mind and spirit...I mean, I have had this feeling of, "aaah..." all day today. Weird, huh? But, it's true. And we've all heard how amazing Europeans are when it comes to things like average vacation days, and how we Americans suck in comparison. But, I just read an article in Whole Living last night about how necessary vacations are, that they even increase overall productivity, motivation and creativity in the workplace...and I believe it. Our trip was nothing special: walks on the beach, cooking food, sitting and reading. Sleep. Repeat. But, those simple, slow, un-plugged activities have recharged me! Hopefully, I'll have some pics to share later this week.

Seeing as today is Monday, and I'm getting back into the groove, I thought I'd share another Meal Plan Monday with you. Except, remember when I shared my summer goals? I'm making it my mission to have one day a week be totally meat-less. Then, I came across this site--sort of a headquarters for such thinking. It got me to thinking about devoting my Monday posts to my meatless endeavors.

Now, don't get me wrong: I love meat. LOVE it. L-O-V-E. I think I'm too French to do without it entirely. I'm too French to give up a lot of things (the reason why I can't ever be vegan, I'm pretty sure).

What I appreciate about the idea of "meatless monday"--or any day--is not only the health benefits of trying to incorporate more veggies and fruit into one's regular diet, but also the environmental benefits of cutting back. This will be our fifth week of going meatless at least one day. So far, it has been easy, and delicious. I try to plan my week's cooking ahead of time, but I'm certainly not bound to a particular day of the week to be "the day." I think that would feel too stifling to me. However, since I usually do my meal-planning on Mondays, I figured I'd share with you, friends, what I'm planning to make, sans meat.

Hence, Meatless Monday.

So, this week, I plan on making:

 Eric Ripert's Baked Eggs and Ratatouille 

(have you seen Avec Eric yet? I love hearing him talk!)

And today, I created a totally yummy sandwich for lunch. Try it an let me know what you think!

How to:  

• Take 2 slices whole grain bread (I used Oat Nut)
• Layer on 1-2 slices of baby swiss cheese
• Toast bread and cheese
• Spread 1 tbs. Strawberry Preserves on 1 pc. of toast (I used Bonne Maman)
• Pick 4-6 leaves fresh basil and place on top of preserves
• Top with final piece of toast

Enjoy!

Speaking of "going meatless," what do you think? I've had many lively discussions about the topic--some people are so into it, they kind of make it seem like if you *aren't* a vegetarian, you're not a very good person. Others are totally the opposite and would eat bloody meat in front of a baby to prove a point.  Where do you fall on the spectrum? 

Meal Plan Monday

Ah. It's good to be back in the mitten. Don't get me wrong, the conference was lovely~lots of interesting sessions and a couple reunions with grad school friends and faculty~the word "refreshing" comes to mind. Now, it is Monday. Time to get back to work! Thankfully, the hubs did the cleaning and I had time yesterday to slowly unpack and "organize my life," which other people may call "getting my sh*t together," or just prepping mentally for the coming week.

Part of organizing my life, for me, entails organizing my food. I love food. I use food metaphors when explaining writing principles to my students. I made special effort to attend a conference session on food writing, where I learned about this fabulous blog. Suffice it to say, I could not feel right about my world if my food was not rightly aligned.

Here is what I plan to cook and eat this week:

This delicious-looking flank steak drew me in at once, and will be a good way to use up the last pound of potatoes.

Since it is spring at last in the mitten, I've become mildly obsessed with seasonal produce, specifically artichokes and asparagus. I am itching to make this textural, springy salad. 

Speaking of an asparagus obsession, how scrumptious do these babies look? Oh man. 

I also need to purchase milk, yogurt, and fruit. We are out of fruit! *gasp* I didn't know what to do without my breakfast banana this morning. I seriously stood in front of the coffee maker, paralyzed. So, to the market I go! What about you? What are you planning on cooking/eating this week?