Welcome to the FreeConferenceCall.com virtual kitchen of meatless meals! In case you haven’t heard, #MeatlessMonday is a global movement with a simple message: Once a week, cut the meat. Five weeks ago, at our headquarters in Long Beach, California, we joined the meatless Monday movement with six employees. How does it work? We each take turns bringing meatless meals to = feed the whole group — all in an effort to launch better eating habits, get inspired by a meatless diet and give our bodies a break from saturated fat. Plus save the planet.
It’s been delicious. And as a testament, our little group is growing. So in case you need your own Meatless Monday inspiration, we’ve included our first round of recipes below. Recreate ‘em exactly or tailor to your tastebuds — just get cooking!
Haley's #MeatlessMonday: Veggie Tacos
Use your favorite veggies (I used zucchini, squash, cauliflower and potatoes).
Preheat oven to 425.
Lay cauliflower evenly over a sheet pan and drizzle olive oil, salt & pepper over it.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes (give it a toss halfway through).
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning:
In a separate bowl, mix homemade seasoning together. (If you aren’t this aggressive, just use packaged taco seasoning from grocery store)
1 teaspoon of chili powder
¼ teaspoon of garlic seasoning
¼ teaspoon of onion powder
¼ teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of paprika
1 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
Optional: Pinch of red chili flakes (depending on how hot you like it)
Instructions
Dice the zucchini, squash and potatoes into very small pieces.
Saute veggies in a large pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for 10 minutes (or until veggies are soft). Add in cooked cauliflower to mix. Sprinkle homemade taco seasoning over and stir until all veggies are covered.
Place corn tortillas in a foil packet in oven to warm (for 10 minutes). Assemble and top with your favorite toppings!
Joey's Meatless Monday Recipe: 30-Minute Thai Green Curry with Avocado Ingredients
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled and grated
4 tablespoons green curry paste see note*
1 medium crown broccoli chopped into florets
1 large carrot peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
1 California avocado sliced
Roasted Chickpeas:
1 14-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For Serving:
1 lime cut into wedges
1 fresno chili sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
1. Roast the Chickpeas:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss everything using your hands to ensure the chickpeas are well coated. Roast 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy.
Note: you can also skip the roasting process and simply add the chickpeas to the curry at the end of the cooking process to save time.
2. Prepare the Curry:
Prepare the rice according to package instructions (note: to speed up the rice cooking process, either choose a rice that cooks quickly, such as white rice, or use a rice cooker).
Add 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Then add the ginger and curry paste and stir until well-combined. Cook 2 minutes, until ingredients are very fragrant.
Add the chopped broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, and the remaining coconut milk, and stir everything together.
Cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables have reached desired doneness.
Add the sliced avocado to the curry and gently stir to combine. Cook just until avocado is heated through. Serve the green curry with cooked rice, and lime wedges. Garnish with chopped fresno chili (skip for mild curry) and fresh basil.
*Use homemade green curry paste or store-bought green curry paste.
Kelsey's Meatless Recipe: Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
Olive oil
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can or bag of corn
1 zucchini (diced)
1 onion (diced)
6 bell peppers
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, core and deseed bell peppers. Fill a large saucepan with water - bring to a soft boil. Place bell peppers into boiling water until par-boiled (3-4 minutes, tender but not soft). Remove bell peppers from water and place on a lined baking sheet or lined baking pan standing up.
In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup uncooked quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cover. Check occasionally until water is absorbed.
In a large pan, drizzle olive oil. When oil is warm, add diced onions. Let onions cook until translucent. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Then add beans and corn. Once quinoa is done, add to pan and stir. Make taco seasoning according the packet (usually adding water) then pour over mixture and stir until coated.
Fill par-boiled peppers with quinoa mixture and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until desired texture of bell peppers. Top with cheese, salsa, and/or guacamole!
Kelly's Meatless Monday Meal: Cheesy Zucchini Quiche
Ingredients
2 zucchini
½ onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 TB butter (roughly)
salt and pepper
organic unroll and bake pie crust
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375F.
Allow crust to reach room temperature then arrange into pie dish or quiche pan.
Prep zucchini: Thinly slice into a bowl, sprinkle salt and toss thoroughly with your fingers, let sit for 20-30 minutes. Soak up extra moisture from zucchini with paper towels. Saute onion and zucchini slices in a little butter in large pan for a couple minutes.
In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese. Place half the zucchini slices in your pie dish and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on top of them. Arrange a second layer of zucchini slices and pour the milk mixture over them. Finish the quiche with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake the zucchini quiche about 50-60 minutes until it sets and the top of the quiche is golden brown. If necessary, cover edges with foil to prevent crust from burning. Remove from the oven and serve either warm or cold.
We'll be back with more meatless recipes soon. Until then, happy Meatless Monday cooking!