Meatless Monday: Wee Britain Fry-up

Remember Wee Britain?


On the genius television show Arrested Development, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) found himself falling in love with a woman from Orange County's "British district," otherwise known as "Wee Britain."  It was a magical place where British folk had things their way, and ate at an American-themed restaurant called "Fat Ammy's," where the bread basket was filled with doughnuts.

If you know anything about the traditional English breakfast - or fry up -- you might find it ironic that the British would polk fun at American-style portions. A fry up usually consists of eggs, sausages and bacon (sometimes multiple kinds), fried bread, beans, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms.


I like to think that in Wee Britain, however, some sort of California health consciousness might have rubbed off on the English expats, and that a Wee Britain fry up might be something like the healthy version English breakfast I've devised. 

I eat this almost every morning, lately, and it's quick to put together. It's high in fiber and protein, too - the trick to making this healthy is using only one egg, one veggie sausage, and one piece of bread. But go nuts on the spinach.


Recipe: Wee Britain Fry Up


Ingredients (for one person)
One piece of Ezekiel Seven-Grain Bread (you could use another kind, but why would you? This bread is absolutely delicious and it's nice and firm when toasted, so it's a good vehicle for your egg)
A large handful of baby spinach or other greens
One egg - crack into a mug or small bowl. Scramble with a fork and add salt and pepper.
One Morningstar Veggie Sausage pattie
2 Slices of Tomato


Put the bread in the toaster.
Mist a small saute pan with olive oil and turn on medium-high heat. Add the greens.
When the greens have gotten a little wilted, pour in the egg.
Put the sausage on a plate and microwave.
When the egg is almost done, put the tomato in the pan.
Get the toast, and put everything on your plate. I like to just pile stuff on the toast as I eat it.
Yum!

Meatless Monday* - The Spice Rack

The other week I caught some of The Splendid Table on public radio. A caller was asking the host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, how to cook fresh food that was still economical.

Lynne's answer was dear to a green foodie's heart: try the cuisines of other countries, and stick to the "peasant food." If you look up peasant food on Wikipedia, you'll find this definition: dishes specific to a particular culture made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients and usually prepared and spiced to make them more palatable.

Peasant food is usually, in today's parlance, "plant-strong." i.e., if I'm a peasant, I'm not going to be able to afford filet mignon, so I'm going to eat some veg.

Happily, this style of eating is not only easy on the pocketbook, but also easy on the Earth. Diets low in large mammals put less of a strain on the land. And, as the wikipedia article points out, if the spice is right, this kind of eating is also delicious.

But wait, you might be thinking. Spices seem mighty expensive.

That's true. There's an investment in spices, but one jar can last a long time. Here are a few tips for buying spices that will help your wallet and the planet:

• To find cheaper spices, try ethnic markets. For example, cumin is cheaper if you buy it in a packet labeled comino (which is the Spanish word for cumin.) Why? It probably has to do with racism and imperialism. Or something.
• "Healthy" markets like Whole Foods usually have spices in bulk. This allows you to buy spices in small amounts. So even if you normally eschew the prices at these stores, they are worth a trip for spices that you don't use often. (This vocabulary moment was brought to you by the letter E and words that rhyme with "bless you".)
• Organic spices are becoming more available. If you can, buy these. Remember, spices are an investment.
• When it's an option, buy spices in glass jars rather than plastic. Plastic is a chemical stew that includes petroleum products. Glass takes more energy to produce initially, but I find that glass items find more uses in my home, and I can feel sure that glass is not leeching chemicals into my life. Archer Farms spices (the Target "fancy" brand) come in glass bottles that are super-cute and make adorable bud vases or additions to your next Joseph Cornell rip-off.

So now, I'm sure you're totally convinced that peasant food, deliciously-spiced, is the way to go. But if your typical cuisine is American, with a side of Italian and the occasional taco, what should you buy?

I have three staples in my cooking: Mexican -- which, as Kasper pointed out on The Splendid Table -- is much more vibrant than the Tex-Mex most of us are familiar with -- Indian, and Mediterranean (Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern). I arrange my spices by these cuisines, rather than alphabetically (or, you know, the alternative, which is NOT organized. NO... that would never be me.) I also tend to cook a lot of Asian food, but those spices tend to be in the fridge, rather than the spice rack. Another post...

Indian
Quick curries are one of the staples of my house. There's nothing easier than whipping up a spur-of-the-moment curry, vegetarian or not, and pouring it over some rice. Nothing easier.

Spices in the Indian cupboard:
Curry powder: Really a blend of several spices, including turmeric and pepper.
Garam masala: Another spice blend. This one is peppery and cinnamony. I basically put it in everything.
Turmeric: Turmeric makes things YELLOW! So be careful with it; it can stain. It's also believed to be a magic health herb -- when I'm sick, I sometimes put a teaspoon of turmeric in hot water with a little lemon for a drink that soothes a sore throat and a sicky sad-face.
Other spices: Paprika, ginger, coriander, and saffron (saffron is quite expensive, so if you can't afford it, you can usually go without. But you only use a few threads at a time, so a single jar can go a long way.

Click here to find Indian vegetarian recipes.

Mexican
I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD.

No, I don't mean Taco Bell or Taco Time. I mean Mexican food. Most "Mexican" food that Americans are familiar with is actually Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex is delicious in it's own right, but nothing compares with actual Mexican food.

Spices for Mexican cooking:
Cumin (or comino): My friend Kelly says, "you can never have too much comino", and she's from South Texas, so she knows what she's talking about. Lots of people have a strong reaction to comino -- some people say it smells like feet. But have no fear. Cumin tends to be at the heart of a lot of Mexican dishes. It's also featured in Indian cuisine, so it's a good purchase to begin your spice rack. AND it's delicious.
Peppers: I like to have many different pepper-based spices on hand. Cayenne is extremely spicy. Ancho is dried poblano, and it has almost a floral note. Crushed Red Pepper includes some seeds, the hottest part of the pepper. It's especially good in chili and also features in some Italian cooking.

Click here for vegetarian Mexican recipes, and here for one of my all time favorites: Ancho Lentil Tacos from the Post-Punk Kitchen a fusion recipe, as you might imagine.

Mediterranean
"Mediterranean" encompasses many cuisines: Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern. And all of them promise wonders for your Meatless Monday.

Spices for your Mediterranean Feast:
Oregano: A staple of Italian cooking
Bay Leaves: Put one or two in your soups or stews to add flavor - but don't eat them. They're sharp!
Rosemary: Yep. They are basically pine needles. Crush them up to add a fragrant bite to your cooking. Delicious when paired with lemon.
Fennel seed: Fennel has a sort of licoricey taste to it, but it's often the "secret" ingredient to Italian favorites
Thyme: Thyme is often used in meats, but for your meatless dishes, it is superb with fresh tomatoes and olive oil.
Other Herbs to have on hand: Garlic and basil are best when fresh, and they are a critical addition to your Mediterranean delights.

Click here for vegetarian Mediterranean recipes.

With a well-stocked spice rack, "eating like a peasant" doesn't have to be a negative.

*Meatless Monday is a movement to spread awareness of the health and environmental benefits plant-strong eating, by encouraging people to eat meatless meals on Mondays.

Meatless Monday* - Chipotle Black Beans, AKA, my personal crack

If you read food blogs, you've probably come across someone who rhapsodizes about the now-famous Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. It's a recipe that could not be simpler - canned tomatoes, an onion, butter. I know several people who are obsessed with it. I mean, why not? It's a recipe with three ingredients that tastes delicious.

I have my own similar obsession. It's a recipe that I make whenever I can't think of anything else to eat, when I need some comfort food, when I want to eat something really delicious, or basically any time.

Now, it's not the greenest recipe because all of the ingredients come in cans. But then again, cans are recyclable. And this recipe is vegetarian, and you can make it greener by buying the organic canned black beans.

It is ... Chipotle Black Beans!

(I usually use them to make bean tacos, which are my favorite food on earth, but you can use them as a base for soups, an enchilada filling, a side dish, or just slap them on a tortilla and eat).

Chipotle Black Beans

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans

1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I like to use the San Marcos brand).

Step 1:

Open the cans. Drain one can of the beans and don't drain the other one.

Step 2:

Put the black beans in a pot. Add some of the chipotle peppers to the beans and stir. How many peppers you add depends on how much you like spiciness. If you don't like things too naughty, just add 1 or 2 peppers and a little of the sauce. If you're a real champion with an iron stomach, add the whole can. I usually add about half the peppers and as much sauce as I can scoop out.

Step 3:

Place the pot over medium-high to high heat. When the beans boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4:

When you uncover the pot, you'll probably see that the peppers have inflated and floated to the top. Scoop these out and discard. Re-cover and simmer for 25 minutes or more.

Step 5:

Remove the pot from heat. Uncover and let rest for about 5 minutes. The beans should have sort of a gummy, sticky, gooey texture. Awesomeness. That's it! You're done!

How to make bean tacos:

When I was a teacher, a lot of my students' moms made brought their kids bean tacos for lunch. My favorite days were when one of the mom brought me some too! This recipe is inspired by those lunches.

Heat some oil in a pan. Fill a flour tortilla with chipotle black beans, smashed avocado, and some shredded cheese. Put in the pan and heat, flipping once. For a mind-blowing experience, sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the outside of the taco, pre-flip. Flip it very fast, to have a crispy cheesy delicious coating on your tortilla.

* Meatless Monday - a movement to increase awareness of greener eating by encouraging people to eat meatless every Monday.

Meatless Monday* Meets Auntie Chronicles - Veggie Kids Edition

Well, it's another Meatless Monday and I've been thinking a lot about kiddos! As an auntie extraordinaire, I like to help out with the care and feeding of my little "nieces" and "nephews" whenever I get the opportunity.

Most of my friends, including the ones who are parents, are flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans, or some variation on that theme. They all have a variety of reasons for choosing to limit animal foods in their diets - including ecological and moral reasons (and aren't those really the same?). And those who are parents want to raise kids who have similar earth-lovin' values.

But is a vegetarian diet good for kids? you might be wondering. YES! Being a flexi or a veggie at any age takes planning. I cook poultry only once a week and eat meat-free the rest of the week. That means I have to carefully plan to get the protein and nutrients I need to stay healthy and feel energetic. So do parents of flexi or veggie kids. In fact, most people who have chosen to limit their intake of animal products want to be more intentional about what they put in their bodies, so it goes with the territory.

(In case you don't believe that kids can be healthy and have limited - or no - animal products in their diets, click here)

Since most veggie and flexi parents have answered the health question to their satisfaction already, a bigger question is often, how to I get my kids to eat this stuff in a world of beanie-weenies?

It's tough. My nephew ate very limited meat as a young child (it also keeps kiddos safe from nasties like E.coli, which is why many parents limit ground meat in particular -- my nephew didn't try a hamburger for a large part of his childhood). He had only ever eaten vegetarian chicken nuggets ... but once he started school and tried the real thing, he didn't want to see the "fake meat" kind anymore.

There are a few tasty ways to begin introducing vegetarian foods to picky kids, however. Here are a few suggestions for veggie foods that kids seem to love. (It's important to remember also, that vegetarian processed food is still processed, and while it is better for the planet, you still want to eat them in moderation). If you're just trying out Meatless Monday for the first time, these might be great places to start.

Morningstar Sausage Patties and Corn Dogs:

Corn dogs are so delicious! I love the Morningstar brand - to me, it tastes exactly like a regular corn dog. The sausages are also a great breakfast, especially on an English muffin.

Gardein Chicken Tenders

These are AWESOME! They are low in calorie, so they make a great protein snack, and they are quite similar to regular old disgusting chicken nuggets, without the disgustingness. In fact, I think I am going to eat some after I post this.

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)

If your kiddo will eat chili, tacos, or other foods with ground meat, TVP is an easy substitute. It is made with soy flour and looks like Grape-Nuts before it's cooked. Afterward it just looks like ground meat. I especially like to throw it into my regular chili recipe. Bob's Red Mill has lots of recipes for kid-friendly foods like Sloppy Joe's and Shepherd's Pie made with TVP.

Black beans

For some reason, kids who are otherwise picky eaters will often eat black beans. Sometimes just black beans. Blogger Heather Armstrong has often written about the fact that her daughter, who is a bit particular about her food, will eat black beans any time. My nephew will also eat black beans straight from a can. Luckily, they are super-healthy, and can be prepared lots of other ways besides just putting them in a bowl. I like them in a tortilla with some avocado. Yum.

Quorn Crumbles

Don't tell your family that Quorn is made from a fungus. If it helps, don't think about it yourself. Quorn is a "mycoprotein", but all you really need to know is that you can put the crumbles in all sorts of things, like spaghetti sauce or tacos, and they will appear to be meat.

Seitan

Seitan is a protein made from wheat gluten. Yes, I know that gluten is the devil these days, but seitan is delicious and it substitutes well in any recipe that you usually make with chicken, including casseroles.

Field Roast Sausages

I've written about Field Roast products before. I've even given a recipe that's very kid-friendly, a Pasta Bake that is cheesy and delicious. Not only are these sausages tasty, but they have the density of actual meat, so they are also great for dads who might not be on board with the Meatless Monday plan, as well as the kids.

Do you have favorite kid-friendly vegetarian dishes?

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness of sustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

Meatless Monday* - The Salad-Hater's Guide to Veg

Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the carrots.

OK. I don't love carrots. I never have. And I don't like peas either. Or green beans. A sad little pile of random veg on the side of my plate is the worst. But I was taught to eat my vegetables, and that you should have salad with dinner every night. For years, I simply accepted these facts, and used the strategy my mom taught me when I was little: eat your veggies first to "get them out of the way."

Little did I know, I was missing out on a world of veggie goodness. I realized last night, as I was chopping sweet potatoes, onions, jalapenos and red pepper for the beautiful "Red Lentil Thai Chili" from the Post-Punk Kitchen, that my relationship to veggies has changed for the better. And it happened when I realized: hey, I'm adult. I don't have to eat salad!

Sustainable eating means less meat, more of everything else. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But attempting to eat more sustainably doesn't mean that you are now relegated to rabbit food.

If you think that you're a veggie hater (or live with one), here are a few ways to get more veggies in your diet:

• Give yourself a pass on the things you really don't like. Within reason. While you shouldn't cross the entire plant spectrum off your shopping list, choose a two or three things that you won't force yourself to eat. For me, it's those dastardly peas and iceberg lettuce.
• Expand your color palette. I used to work with a woman who said she wouldn't eat anything green - meaning vegetables. Luckily, veggies come in so many other colors! If you have had bad experiences with green vegetables (like the soggy green beans in your elementary school cafeteria... which I *cough, cough* actually kind of like) start experimenting by trying to bring other colors to your plate. I'd recommend starting with orange. Just trust me on this one.
• Get rid of the veggie sides. Remember what I said about the heap of veg on the side of my plate and how much I dislike that? Well, it turns out that I like almost all vegetables when they are cooked in a soup, stew, pasta sauce, etc. The truth is, you can put more veggies in almost any recipe. Sure, some nutrients get cooked out, but it's better than no nutrients. Just remember that if you add veggies to a recipe, particularly a baked recipe like lasagna, you are also upping the amount of liquid. Adjust any liquid content slightly.
• Go ethnic. I don't know if Americans invented the plate with the meat, the potatoes or bread, and the cooked vegetable side, but we sure did perfect it. Most ethnic cuisines, however, incorporate healthy and tasty vegetables into main dishes and don't relegate them to sides. It's only their Americanized versions that remove the veggies.
• Go local. Farmer's markets and co-ops often have an array of interesting vegetables that are seasonal to your area (I know, I know, for those of you in colder climes, the farmer's market might be closed right now). Community-Sponsored Agriculture, or CSA, is another great way to experiment. You pay for a weekly or monthly "share" from local farmers, and then you receive a box filled with goodies. You never know what you might get, so you have to experiment!

How do you feel about veggies?

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness of sustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

Meatless Monday* - Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Do you ever daydream about food? Well, I do. But because I'm a big food nerd, I don't daydream about chocolate or mac & cheese. For about a month, I've been thinking about curry butternut squash soup. I'd never had it before, and I didn't have a recipe for it -- it just sounded like a great idea.

And it's exactly the sort of thing to start off the New Year: healthy and sustainable. The big secret, however, is that even though it will help you keep both your health and green resolutions, you'll feel as though you're still eating decadent holiday fare.

This soup is a mash-up of several different recipes, and has a velvety, rich texture due to the fact that you add pureed butternut squash and yogurt. The puree adds a robustness that makes you forget that this food is vegetarian.

Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients**

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 tbsp. curry powder

1 medium-large butternut squash. Cut off the top third and hold on to it -- you're going to use it in a minute. Peel, de-seed, and cube the remaining 2/3.

1 red or yellow pepper, chopped

Red chili flakes, pepper, salt, or other spices you desire

1/3 c. plain or Greek yogurt (skip this if you'd like to make a vegan version)

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. brown sugar

32 oz. container of vegetable broth

1/3 c. basmati or brown basmati rice

Bay leaf

1/3-1/2 c. dried currants

Garnishes:

Chutney

Yogurt

Toasted, slivered almonds

Step 1

Cut the top third of the squash into large rounds, about an inch thick, and put on a plate. Place these in the microwave and cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Don't overcook. (You could bake these if you don't have a microwave. Ahem, Mom.) Set aside.

Step 2

On medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in a big soup pot. Add the onions, garlic, and celery. Saute until transparent. Add curry powder and saute about 1 min. more, stirring.

Step 3

Add the cubed butternut squash and yellow pepper. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and saute about 10 min, or until the veggies begin to soften.

Step 4

Scoop out the soft insides of the squash you cooked in the microwave. Put this in a blender, along with the yogurt, ginger, and brown sugar. Puree. Add a little of the vegetable broth if you need more liquid.

Step 5

Add the puree, along with 2-2 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth to the pot. Stir. Add rice and bay leaf. When the mixture is boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 20-30 min, or until the rice is soft and the liquid is reduced by about half.

Step 6

Add the remaining broth and currants. Stir. Keep over heat until heated through.

Serve with the garnishes and enjoy.

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness of sustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

** Of course, your meal will be more sustainable the more organic and local choices you make in your ingredients

Meatless Monday* - Roasted Chili, Fig, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

It's that time of year.

What time of year? you might ask, if you don't live in the Southwest. Back to school? Football season?

No, it's Hatch chili season!

Ta-da! The Hatch chilies in all their glossy, spicy glory.

Hatch chilies, like Vidalia sweet onions or Washington apples, are a local item that's hit the big time. Known to be "the best chilies" in the world, Hatch chilies come in red and green varieties and are filling the bins at fancy grocery stores all over the Southwest. Outside the Whole Foods, you can see the annual tradition -- a store employee standing outside, turning a chili roaster over a flame in the burning Southern sun.

Fresh Hatch chilies are only available for a short time in the late summer/early fall. Which means their season overlaps with fresh figs. Add goat cheese, and you've got a quesadilla that will make regular ol' quesadillas hide in shame. These babies combine salty, sweet, and spicy for a sublime mouthful. They are easy to make, but hard to forget.

If you can't get Hatch chilies, you could use another large, mild-to-medium chili like an Anaheim or poblano. The Hatch chilies have a real kick, however, so they are particularly good in combination with the figs.

Beautiful figs. Some say that these were the "forbidden fruit" in the Garden of Eden.

And really, who could resist?

Roasted Chili, Fig, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients**:

For every two quesadillas you will need:

1-2 large chilies

2-3 fresh figs

1 oz. goat cheese

2 small flour tortillas (you could make your own, or get some from a local taqueria or a grocery store with a tortilleria - but use the best quality you can get)

Step 1: Roast chilies.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (I used my toaster oven). Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil and place the chilies on it. Stick it in the oven, and after about 15 minutes, turn the chilies a quarter turn and place them back in the oven. Be very careful when you handle them, as the insides are filled with steam. Keep turning a quarter turn every 15 minutes or so, until the skin is charred and the chili is mushy.

The chilies should look like this when they are ready to remove from the oven.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool until you can handle them. Then, gently slit the chili down the side. Remove the seeds. The skin should peel right off. (You can freeze the roasted chilies with the skin still on or save them in the fridge in an airtight container).

Step 2: Chop stuff.

Chop up the chilies. Then chop the figs (you can eat all the parts of the fig except the stem). Your pieces of both should be about a 1/2 to one centimeter.

Step 3: Mix stuff.

In a bowl, mix the chilies, figs, and goat cheese. Put a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat and add a little oil or non-stick spray.

Step 4: Make quesadillas.

Spoon filling (the stuff you just mixed) onto half of a tortilla. Fold tortilla and slap it on the skillet. When it's golden-brown on one side, flip it over.

The finished quesadilla. So goooood. Pardon - I think I got a little drool on you.

Once the chilies are roasted, these make a quick lunch that's better than anyone deserves. Cut them into triangles, and you've got a sweet little appetizer to impress your mother-in-law.

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness of sustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

** Of course, your meal will be more sustainable the more organic and local choices you make in your ingredients

Meatless Monday* - Meat-free Cooking Tips, Part 2

When I was first learning to cook, I was always running around the kitchen like a crazy person, trying to chop something while another ingredient burned on the stove. And as I began making more complicated dishes, particularly meatless dishes containing delicate veggies and spices that did not tolerate burning well, this kitchen havoc only increased. Until I learned the secret: mise en place.

Mise en place is a fancy Frenchified term for getting all of your stuff ready before you cook. It means, literally, "put in place", and if you've ever watched Top Chef, you're probably familiar with the mise en place relay, in which the cheftestants are asked to do very basic cooking tasks, such as chopping a bunch of onions or peeling and coring a pile of apples. Why, you might wonder, are they doing this? Because preparing to cook, I've learned, is as important as actually cooking, and a good chef understands mise en place.

This is my mise en place for curried eggplant and potato, which I learned from @kaimoana, an internet pal and one of our readers! Those potatoes have been pre-cooked ... it pays to read your recipe ahead of time.

If you're cooking meat, mise en place can sometimes be overlooked. You can chop the veggies while the chicken roasts, or while the hamburgers grill. However, if you're making a delicious veggie dish filled with a variety of veggies, spices, and alternative proteins, all of these things need to be prepared and there's usually not time to do it in the middle of cooking, since veggies tend to cook much more quickly than meat (which is not to say that mise en place isn't useful when cooking with meat, as anyone who's dried out a beautiful piece of fish or chicken knows).

If you'd like to bring the concept of mise en place into your kitchen, here are a few key ideas:

• Make sure your kitchen is prepared, as I discussed last week. If your recipe has a lot of ingredients, you will probably want a collection of small containers. I have a bunch of prep bowls, but you don't need anything fancy. Regular bowls, mugs, or plates work just fine. You'll also need measuring cups and spoons, and knives.
• Read through your recipe. The big idea behind mise en place is that when you're actually cooking, you'll be able to simply toss things into your pan and cook away. Pay attention: how are the ingredients grouped together? Does anything need to be pre-mixed or pre-cooked? How does the recipe ask you to slice, dice, or julienne?
• Do your research. If the recipe asks me to do something and I'm not sure what it means, I turn to one of my basic cookbooks or the internet. I'm not ashamed that a week ago I googled "how to cook eggplant" because I wasn't sure whether to leave the skins on or not (I did.) Make sure you understand all of the instructions ahead of time. This can be particularly important if you're working with some non-traditional grains. Don't assume that since you can make rice you know how to cook wheat berries or quinoa.
• Chop all your veg, measure all your ingredients. For each step in the recipe, put all of the ingredients together. For example, if the recipe says: Add onion, chili peppers, and garlic, put all of these things into the same bowl. You can even arrange your items in the order that you're going to use them if you're particularly organized (or neurotic).
• Get to cooking! Once you're mise en placed, you'll find that cooking is much easier and low-key. Grab a glass of wine, chat with your family or friends.

Meatless cooking is wonderful in many ways, not only because it brings variety to your palate, health to your life, and color to your plate. According to the United Nations, it's one of the biggest steps you can take toward a more sustainable lifestyle. Starting with Meatless Mondays might just lead to Sustainable Saturdays and Turkeyless Tuesdays, but even if it doesn't make you want to become a vegetarian, it impacts all of our lives in positive ways.

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness ofsustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

Meatless Monday* - Meat-free Cooking Tips, Part 1

Getting Prepared

If you're thinking about cooking meatless meals, I've found that it pays to be prepared. You might think that meatless cooking is about throwing together a salad. That is one option, but if you want to cook something that is satisfying and nutritionally-rich, and do it without a lot of hassle, thinking ahead will pay off.

Portrait with Vegetables, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. This guy's probably a carnivore.

Today I'm going to talk about choosing recipes and outfitting your kitchen. Next Meatless Monday, I'll share some tips (that I've picked up the hard way) about the actual cooking process.

Choosing Recipes

In Texas, many of us who eat meatless meals are viewed with suspicion. And in the land where macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable, I don't blame anyone for thinking that vegetarian eating is about bland food that won't fill you up.

Plenty of veggie meals would fit that description. There are many more, however, that are flavorful and filling. To make sure you choose one of these, consider the following:

• Explore your resources. The shelves at bookstores are filled with vegetarian cookbooks, spanning the distance from vegetarian (no animal flesh) to vegan (no animal products) to raw (no cooking). Regular cookbooks are filled with vegetarian recipes as well. Of course, these days, the internet is one low-cost resource for recipes of all kinds. A few websites to check out: Meatless Monday's site has recipes along with information about the movement for meat-free eating. If you want to try vegan eating, you might want to take a trip to The Post-Punk Kitchen. At The Kind Life, Alicia Silverstone shares recipes along with organic beauty and fashion tips. I LOVE her recipe for fried mochi!
• Think protein. As you peruse recipes, think about protein. That's what gives you long-lasting energy and makes you feel full. Especially if you're cooking for skeptical family members, protein is important. Beans, soy proteins (like tofu or tempeh), seitan (wheat gluten), organic yogurt (packed with protein in a way that regular yogurt isn't), quinoa -- all of these can give you a protein boost. Look for these ingredients as you choose recipes.
• Explore the world. Let's face it. American cuisine is not exactly light on the meat. If you branch out, you have many more options -- and they are likely to be more flavorful and unique. Asian, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisines are particularly friendly to vegetarian eating. Also, with these cuisines you're likely to find recipes with lots of colors -- lots of colors means lots of nutrients.

This is a Moroccan tagine, or stew, with prunes and butternut squash. Kinda makes you forget about beef, huh??

Vegetarian cooking is much easier when you have a well-stocked kitchen. If you've chosen your recipe well - one that has protein, a variety of colorful veggies, whole grains, and delicious flavors, you're going to be chopping and prepping like one of those cheftestants on Top Chef. To make this easier, make sure your kitchen includes:

• Knives. You'll want a variety of sizes. Serrated knives are best for slicing tender fruits like tomatoes. I use a big butcher knife for chopping nuts (get your mind out of the gutter, greenies!); a steak knife for onions, leeks and the like; a pizza cutter for cutting tortillas, mochi, and, you know, pizza. You'll also want a grater and peeler. Many chefs swear by a mandolin, but I don't have one. Think about it when Christmas comes along.
• Prep bowls. All that chopping means you'll have to put your veggies somewhere. A variety of small bowls will keep all of your ingredients organized. I love my set of Mario Batali Measuring Prep Bowls with a love that's as crazy as Sookie Stackhouse's for Vampire Bill. You don't need special prep bowls, however. Regular bowls work just fine.

Prep bowls. Get down and mise en place! (We'll be talking about mise en place next Meatless Monday)

• A strainer or colander. After you wash your fruits and veg in a mixture of white vinegar and water (removes dirt, kills germs) rinse them in a strainer and let them sit on a towel to dry or in the colander. I tend to wash all of my fruits and veggies at once, so this is the most effective way to dry them.
• Spices. Vegetarian cooking can be blando mac and cheese or it can be curry eggplant with potato. Great vegetarian cooking demands a well-stocked spice cupboard. Some invaluable staples (aside from those in the typical Betty-Draper-style kitchen): cumin (known as comino in Texan and Mexican kitchens), curry, cayenne, turmeric, garam masala (my favorite go-to spice blend), and coriander. I also like to have a variety of vinegars (rice,balsamic, red wine) and condiments (sriracha, stone ground mustard, low-sodium soy sauce). All of these items are commonly available at grocery stores. I round out my seasoning selections by always having fresh garlic, lemons, and limes on hand. Because spices can be expensive, I like to invest in one each big shopping trip until I'm stocked up.
• Gloves. If you like hot food, and think you might be chopping fresh chilies, a pair of gloves can be your best friend. Should you happen to get jalapeno essence on your hands, and are running around screaming and flapping your fingers in agony, dip your burning appendages in a bowl of milk. This remedy has something to do with bases neutralizing acids. Trust me. I know.

Now that you've got your recipe and your kitchen is prepared, it's time to cook. Next Meatless Monday, I'll share a few tips I've picked up as I've tried to increase my commitment to vegetarian cooking.

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness ofsustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

Meatless Monday* - North Central High Salad

Summer ... when the living is easy. Unless you live in Houston, in which case summer is a string of 95 degree days with high humidity. I've learned to live with the particulars of summer living here -- blackout curtains, A/C cranked to the max, and finishing all strenuous activities by ten a.m. Cooking can be a real challenge. I try to keep cooking to the stovetop, because the oven will heat up the apartment and make the A/C nearly useless.

Whole grain and pasta salads are a perfect summer staple for just that reason. The only cooking needed is to boil water. In the past, I've included recipes for Greek Orzo Salad and Bulgur Wheat Summer Salad, two picnic and pot-luck favorites. Today, I'm going to add a third summer salad - North Central High Salad, a quinoa salad that's high in protein and deliciousness.

I've named this salad after my alma mater, North Central High School in Spokane, WA. Our colors were red and black, and this salad, because it uses black quinoa and tomatoes, echoes that color scheme.

This is black quinoa in the pot. The grains are smaller and nuttier-tasting than regular quinoa.

North Central High School Salad

Ingredients**

(This will make one, lunch-size serving)

1 cup black quinoa (you can use regular quinoa if black is not available). If you buy quinoa that is unwashed or from the bulk aisle, you should rinse it well with cold water to remove the bitter saponins, or outer coating of the seeds.

2 cups water

1 heirloom tomato

1/2 cucumber

3-4 sprigs lemon basil (if lemon basil is not available, you can use regular basil and add a squeeze of lemon juice to the dressing)

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Boil the water and add the quinoa. Turn heat to low and simmer until the water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. You'll use about a 1/2 cup for the salad. The rest you can save in the fridge and use in place of rice or as a protein addition to other salads (it's difficult to cook less than a cup at a time, so I recommend cooking more than you need for a single serving and then you've got a delicious treat for later!)

Step 2: Chop the veggies and basil. Mix with a 1/2 cup of quinoa.

Step 3: Make the dressing. Using a fork, mix the vinegar and oil. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss with a fork.

You could increase the recipe to make a big batch of this, or eat it for lunch yourself. All in all, this is a cool and refreshing way to eat this summer.

* Meatless Monday is a movement to increase awareness ofsustainable, meat-free eating, by eating meatless meals on Mondays. So alliterative!

** Of course, your meal will be more sustainable the more organic and local choices you make in your ingredients