Over the past year or so, my fiance and I have been slowly reducing our consumption of meat. We participate in Meatless Mondays (remember my walnut tacos?) and rarely eat meat at any meal other than dinner, but we wanted to take things a step further. So two weeks ago, we decided to go meatless for an entire week. As we found out, eating vegetarian was tastier than we expected.
Here’s an omnivore’s take on the vegetarian diet:
Planning
In preparation for our vegetarian experiment, we loaded up on tons of tasty fruits, vegetables and beans. We also planned our meals ahead of time, so we’d be less tempted to default to our usual dishes. Before the week began, I sifted through many different recipes, looking for flavorful and interesting entrees to keep both of us on board with the experiment.
Eating out
The weekdays were easy, because everything was planned. But when we got to the weekend — and ended up at our favorite restaurant — our commitment was tested. After scouring the menu, I found a meatless version of my favorite dish; he got creative and built his own by ordering various side dishes. Both meals were delicious and filling.
Recipes
During our meatless experiment, I learned that you can make a “burger” out of many different things. Here are two recipes we both loved:
Gluten-Free Black Bean Burger
Yields 4 burgers
- 1 can of black beans
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Pinch each of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1 egg replacer
- 1 Tbs organic coconut oil
1. Drain and rinse black beans, then pat dry. (Drying the beans will help keep your burger from falling apart in the pan.)
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash beans. I used a potato masher, but any mashing or blending tool will work.
3. Add remaining ingredients, mixing constantly to combine.
4. Once your mixture reaches a sticky consistency, separate into 4 balls and form patties.
5. Heat coconut oil on medium-high in a large skillet.
6. Add burgers to skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until firm and slightly crisp on the edges.
Baked Chickpea Patties with Pesto
Yields 4 patties
- 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- Organic coconut oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Heat coconut oil in skillet on medium-high, saute onions until tender.
3. Add chickpeas and garlic to food processor – blend until smooth.
4. Add onions, salt, parsley and cumin to chickpea mixture, stir/mix to combine.
5. Form 4 patties and roll each in bread crumbs to coat.
6. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Top with pesto and serve with your favorite sides (I made oven-baked sweet potato ‘fries’ and salad).