Ideas For Meatless Mondays, Part Two

Starting as I proposed in the previous post, it is easy for you to venture with new ingredients and new ways of cooking vegetables, greens and legumes. Make a list of what you need and what you are going to cook on Monday (or for Monday), buy what you need and start the week with joy;)

Starting with the basics: shopping

For your first Meatless Monday it is good to take into account what is in the fridge and what you will need. You can take advantage of Friday or Saturday and take a walk around the greengrocers and markets to provide you with fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables, legumes, breads and whatever you need.

Important foods

Never miss on your planning for Monday the fresh fruit that is in season (now in summer you can buy watermelon, melon, strawberries, cherries, etc.), fresh vegetables (spinach, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, peppers, leeks …) and dried or cooked legumes (chickpeas, lentils and beans are the basics). You can also buy whole grains such as breads, rice and pasta, whenever possible, flax seeds (they have omega-3s) and any spices you may need.

Having a little variety of these foods you can make a lot of 100% vegetable dishes.

Veganizing your dishes

It is as simple as in the example that I put in the previous article. Instead of cow’s milk, buy a brick of soy milk or other non-dairy milk. It is preferable that it is unsweetened and without flavors because that way you can also use it to make a bechamel or mayonnaise without eggs (instead of eggs, use vegetable milk). In stews and stews, if you don’t want to complicate your life, just add more vegetables. Try broccoli, snow peas, aubergines, etc. And for your sandwiches and sandwiches, vegetable patés like hummus and guacamole along with lettuce, pickles and if you want some grilled sprouts or vegetables.

Discovering dishes only with vegetables

In addition to veganizing dishes, why not try making new dishes made only with vegetables, legumes, etc? If your idea of ​​a vegetable dish is sautéed green beans, change the chip. There is also life beyond the lettuce salad.

The simplest vegetable dishes are salads. It is easy to make a 100% vegetable salad that is complete and full of flavor at the same time. Take a look at my article on how to make vegetable salads.

In the photo that accompanies this article I have made a warm salad of snow peas, red pepper and bean sprouts:

1. Sauté the bean sprouts over medium heat 1-3 minutes, until they start to be tender, and use them as the base of the salad.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and add the pepper in strips, and a pinch of fennel seeds (to highlight the sweet flavor of the snow peas, if you don’t have it, you can add cumin). I have also added douchi, which is a Chinese seasoning (fermented black beans), but it is optional.
3. When the pepper is browned, add the snow peas and cook for 3-4 minutes, sautéing it from time to time.
4. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
5. A little before removing it, add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and sauté it again.
6. Serve over the bean sprouts.

It is also very easy to prepare grilled or grilled vegetables. You only need a normal skillet or non-stick grill and the best vegetables: asparagus, cooked potatoes (from the little ones), aubergine (sliced, soaked in salted water), zucchini, onion, artichokes (previously cooked or steamed ), sliced ​​carrots, peppers, etc. Use a little oil and put it over high heat to mark them, sprinkling them with a pinch of salt, and we will have a barbecue of vegetables in 10 minutes.

In the photo you can see padrón peppers and grilled asparagus with salt.

1. Remove and discard the tough parts of the green asparagus. Cut them in half and put them in the pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Sauté occasionally until golden brown (4-5 minutes).
3. For the padrón peppers it is more or less the same. Make them also over medium-high heat with little oil until you see that they are golden and tender. You can add the salt while they are being made or at the time of serving.

Pasta and rice dishes are phenomenally accompanied with mushrooms and mushrooms of all kinds, and we can add tomato sauce, homemade béchamel, vegetable cream for cooking or even coconut milk for a more exotic flavor.

Among the dishes in the photo there is one made of pasta: green pasta with carrots and cherry tomatoes.

1. Bring plenty of water to boil to cook the pasta, with a little salt. Cook pasta according to package directions, remove and place on a plate. Drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or any aromatic oil that you like.
2. Peel the carrot and cut it with the peeler itself into thin strips. Mix it with the pasta.
3. Cut 6-8 cherry tomatoes in half and mix them with the pasta. If you want, you can grill or grill them for a few minutes.
4. On top, grate a little homemade or store-bought vegan cheese, or add a tablespoon of debittered brewer’s yeast.

A good baked gratin can be made with finely sliced ​​potatoes, peppers, aubergines, walnuts, cooked quinoa, cooked millet … Simply layer the ingredients, add a pinch of salt, olive oil if you want and spices to your liking . Finish it off with a béchamel made with plant-based milk. For me the best spices for these dishes are thyme, rosemary and oregano.

Stews and stews are superb with greens and vegetables. The dark color will be provided by the soy sauce, which is also a very interesting flavor base for many dishes (stir-fries, oriental dishes, etc.).

1. Try making a stew with potatoes, mushrooms, seitan, onion, leek and zucchini, all cut into medium pieces.
2. Brown everything first with a pinch of olive oil. Add 3-4 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf, and water to coat.
3. When done, taste it and add a pinch of salt if necessary.
4. To thicken the broth, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, potato or tapioca in half a glass of water and add it, stirring well until it thickens.

You can also make legume dishes very interesting: instead of making them stewed or in stew, make them sautéed with vegetables, or with a curry cream, etc.

In the dishes that I propose in the photo there is one that I really like: chickpeas spiced with tofu and tempeh with tomato sauce

1. Cut a piece of tofu (about 100g) and one of tempeh (also about 100g) into small cubes and brown them over medium heat in a high skillet, sautéing occasionally.
2. Add half a chopped leek, half an onion, chopped or thinly sliced, 4 peeled tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and enough water to cover it.
3. Put a bay leaf and let it cook until it is reduced and creamy, stirring from time to time to undo the tomatoes.
4. Brown the chickpeas (about 1 cup cooked and drained) over medium heat in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil and sauté it all together. Take them out when they are golden brown.
6. Serve the chickpeas with the tofu and tempeh sauce on top.

If you can’t find tofu and tempeh, it’s okay, you can do it with potatoes, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, aubergines or other vegetables.