Meatless Monday, halfway

Hey friends! I hope that wherever you are, you're having as gorgeous a Monday as we are here in the Mitten. It has been cheerfully sunny all day, and I'm happy about it. Also, I may be in denial about the stack of to-be-graded papers that is really not shrinking as fast as it needs to. Ok, maybe not at all.

But of course, we are in denial, and so we will turn our attention to far more entrancing matters, like dinner.

Doesn't this meatless pasta dish look incredible? Penne, cauliflour and cheesy, mustard-y goodness. I'm totally sold on this one.

Ok, so I know that this lovely-looking salad isn't completely "meatless" (there's tuna in it), but it just is so pretty. Also, I'm sure that you could sub out the tuna and add in more greens, or maybe a different type of bean, to round it out. This is a dinner that just screams spring, don't you think?

What about you? What are you planning for dinner this week?

Meatless Monday: lemons and legumes

Hey all! Glad to be back posting another Meatless Monday. I confess, our diet has been pretty crazy this past week: Jake is working on thesis stuff, and I'm trying to grade my butt off so that I can truly have a real break over spring break. I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the grading tunnel! So, in that spirit, here are the meatless meals I'm planning to try this week:

Definitely still yearning for comfort food (the grading is halfway done...but still only halfway!), and so I am excited to try these black bean, avocado and goat cheese beauties.

And because the grading still calls, I'll need to make a big batch of something that we can eat off of for a couple of days, like this Moroccan chickpea salad. It looks so fresh, yet filling.

Still, what's a springy, comfort-food-ish week without desserts? (which, we all know, make the perfect antidote for stressed people;) I'm dying to try this lemon yogurt cake from Ina Garten, it will hit just the right note, I think.

What about you? Making any cool meatless dishes this week?

Meatless Monday: prep work and Punjabi food

So, over the weekend, I decided to try the method outlined in this article for what promises to be a week's worth of healthy dinners. I went shopping, got everything set, and now look forward to "easy" and "delicious" meals that aren't too much of a hassle to put together (thanks to the plan-ahead stuff).

Luckily for my meatless initiative, there are two meatless options in the plan. I'm actually pretty excited for the english muffin pizzas. I'd forgotten about the "muffin-pizza" as a culinary genre. Weirdly, though, I couldn't find eggplant at the store, so I'll be subbing in zucchini instead, which I think will be just as yummy.

The other option on the program for this week is a vegetable curry. Which is great, since I'm pretty comfortable with curries as a general rule. I used to work as a home-health-care aid for an adorable elderly couple who happened to be from Punjab. Savitri usually wanted me to help her make meals, and so I absorbed a lot from her about spice-ratios and the building blocks of curries, dahl and sarson da saag. One of her daughters even let me in on one of the key tenets of "the curry way": constant stirring of the spices, tomato, onion and herbs to make the paste. Every time I make Indian food, smelling the roasting spices in the pan and the sharp coriander leaves, I think of Savitri and her family and my time working for them.

What about you? Do you have a dish or a type of food you make that has a story behind it? Do you always make brownies, or spaghetti the same way because of how your grandmother made it? Do tell.

Meatless Monday: tostadas

For Christmas, my sister-in-law got me this cookbook:

It is apparently a seminal vegetarian tome. One of the best things about it, I think, is the fact that each recipe is handwritten, with cheerful illustrations to boot. Thanks, Rach!

I particularly enjoy this funny little picture, with a weird mouth demonstrating how to eat a tostada:

Which inspired me to add this delectable-looking recipe to our week's meal plan.

Happy Monday, all!

(belated) Meatless Monday

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I just had to share with you my latest meatless food-obsession: black beans!

While we were in the UP (that's "upper peninsula" for you non-michiganders...), we had lunch one day at Border Grill. I had the veggie-taco-bowl. It was, in a word, awesome. And one reason why it was so great was the fact that I didn't miss the meat. I mean, at all. There were black beans galore, and that seemed to do the trick.

So, tonight, I think I might need to try these for dinner:

I mean, black beans and goat cheese??!! (you had me at goat cheese, but these tortas look mouthwatering!)

Then again, this guacamole salad from the Barefoot Contessa seems like a no-fail.

Do you have any good black-bean recipes?

Meatless Monday: heat wave cookin'

Whew! I don't know about you, but at this point, I only want to eat popsicles! Here are some quick-to-make, little-to-no heat required meatless options:

This little Greek Lentil Salad looks so light and summery to me. Plus, I'm almost always in the mood for feta cheese. 

One of my favorite DIY summer treats is frozen banana bites. I originally tried them using this recipe from bon appetit. And, as long as you let yourself use only stuff you have on hand for the coating (no fussing over particular ingredients!), they are so easy to throw together. I tossed some into the freezer yesterday, coating them all with chopped macadamia nuts. My favorite part, though, is how the frozen bananas taste uncannily like ice-cream. 

Stay cool, my friends!

Meatless Monday

Happy Monday, friends! I am fixin' to head home, dodging some raindrops along the way. I am thankful it is rainy here in the Mitten today, because the pre-rain is so, so sticky.

Blech.

But now, the rain brings a sweet coolness to the air, and the dull ache in my head subsides.

Ah.

image source

Tonight, I had had the mind to make the Barefoot Contessa's Middle Eastern Salad.  For humid weather, it's the best: lemony-herby-crunchy-cool.

But now that it's raining and chilly, I am thinking something more along the lines of this Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili. 

That might take too long, though. I might have to whip up some popcorn to hold me over. My newest obsession? One of these mini-bags with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. 

Also, I have a pint of blueberries I need to use up. I saw these bars on Martha Stewart's website and now my mouth is watering. Except, I don't have any buttermilk. Any suggestions for what to make with blueberries?

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Meatless Monday

Hey all~

Hope you are having a fabulous start to your week! Today, it is 82 degrees in our part of the Mitten, and I'm feeling like not turning on the oven this week, maybe sticking my head in the freezer every hour or so. We keep open windows and good-old-fashioned ceiling fans in our little home, so when it gets muggy, I get to making salads. A lot.

Today is also Day 2 of a 10-Day Reboot I'm challenging myself to accomplish. When sitting down to contemplate and commit to this challenge, I pushed myself to define why I want to do such a thing. Isn't it a bit hocus-pocus? I asked myself, I mean, don't you just want to roll your eyes and say you don't give a crap? And I do (in part) wish I was cooler than this. But, I also know myself, and my penchant for shirking--or flat out rebelling against--discipline. I love a good fad...but give me, oh, three days, and I'm about done. Ready for a glass of wine or two, and reflection on how interesting it was to try that.

Hence, the 10-Day Fad. I mean, Reboot Detox Challenge Extravaganza!!!!

Over the next 9 days, I would like to grow. Spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally. (shouldn't be too hard at all!) I'd like to develop some healthy habits to take with me into my first year of teaching at a new school, and beyond. Well, I'll let you know how it goes.

But now, to focus on food. I've been perusing the Detox Menu plan, and I'm honestly not sure how closely I'll be able to follow it. (It calls for skipping caffeine: already I've failed! and will continue to...Me, in the morning, without coffee? no.)

However, I was immediately drawn to this amazing looking salad:

I am pretty sure I'm gonna have to make this for dinner tonight. 

...and I think I need a ginger smoothie right now! Stat! (where is my smoothie boy?)

So, what do you think about "detox diets"? Are they worth all the trouble? (it sure seems like trouble to me...) Could you go ten days without caffeine, or carbs? Why or why not?

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

A few posts ago, I casually let it slip that we are going up north in...well let's see...less than 2 weeks now!!!

Ahem.

Not that I'm excited or anything. 

I'm currently so *not* excited, that I've already begun compiling a meal-plan for our weekend. Here are some excerpts:

Ciabatta French Toast and Berry Smoothies

Hollumi and Tomato Stacks and Lemon-Oregano Chicken

Steak Hash with Eggs (mine will likely not be poached!)

Mmmh. I am getting SO hungry(...and excited)!

 But tell me, friends, what sorts of foods do you like to prepare on vacation? Any easy-to-pack, easy-to-make suggestions? 

p.s. loved this article about packing healthy food for a weekend getaway...

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? 

how does one celebrate?

Today is Monday, and thus, I would normally be contemplating meals to make this week, trying to decide on fun things to try. Today, though, I have no thought of cooking. I may very soon have *extremely* good tidings to share, tidings which deserve celebration--wine--twirly skirts--and definitely, definitely no cooking for oneself. 

So, what would I do to celebrate something great with myself, the hubs, and maybe some family and friends thrown in?

I'd drink a bottle of this delicious wine from 45 North vineyard, located directly on the 45th parallel on the Leelanau peninsula. 

I'd wear this dress. 

With these shoes (because, nerdily, I've always wondered if cole haans are comfier than your average shoe...)

...and, let's face it, since we're talking about the mitten in early "spring," this cardi as well. 

we'd eat at this little noshy place,

and see this movie at this historic theater. 

Or, maybe I'd just cajole the hubs to hop in the car and run away with me to this serene-looking, eco-friendly hotel. 

What about you? What are your ideas for the perfect celebratory evening/day/weekend?