Meatless Mondays: I Think I Can Do This!

I lived for one year as a vegetarian.  Then I met my husband and two stepsons and realized we were going to become a family.  As the four of us began to merge our lives, there were many, many accommodations we ALL had to make along the way.  Two young boys, already juggling living between two households, now had the added challenge of this crazy woman in the mix who didn't eat meat.  I had only just begun to navigate successfully for myself the waters of living meatless in a world designed for carnivores.  Now, in our new family unit, I was the lone rower trying to move us upstream when everyone else on board was flowing with the current.  I did the easy thing and caved.  It wasn't hard to do, either, because I really like meat myself.  I had committed to a vegetarian diet in an effort to eat healthier, to include more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into my diet.  I was not and am not ideologically opposed to eating meat, as long as that choice is made responsibly and from a perspective of good stewardship.  I realize now, though, that I fall into the trap of allowing the meat in my diet to displace some of the things I need so much more.  I also am beginning to understand the cumulative toll mass production of meat is taking, the harm done to the environment, the inhumane practices of industrialized livestock production, the massive amounts of water used and the fossil fuels consumed.  The impact in our own community of the recent Deep Water Horizon oil spill should awaken all of us to the need to live simpler and closer to home.

This information is from the Meatless Monday website:  "Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. We provide the information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. Our goal is to help you reduce your meat consumption by 15% in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet.

"Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. Our intention is to revitalize this American tradition. We’re spearheading a broad-based, grassroots movement that spans all borders and demographic groups. By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change."


I can do this!  This is one small step I can take and I embrace the challenge of seeking out meatless alternatives that are filling and fulfilling. (If it doesn't taste good and isn't fun to prepare, I don't want it!) I am approaching Meatless Mondays from the ovo / lacto perspective, so expect to see some dairy products make an appearance in the Meatless Monday recipes I provide from time to time.  I didn't get on board the "movement" until Tuesday of this week, so I practiced with one of my favorite go-to meatless recipes for dinner that night.  Maybe you'd like to give it a whirl next Monday!

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
(As printed in Prevention Magazine, February 1999.  See my notes and modifications below the recipe.)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 19 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (see note below)
1/2 cup mildly spicy bottled salsa
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Eight 6- to 8- inch flour tortillas

1.  Heat one teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes until onions are translucent and slightly soft.

2.  Add beans, salsa and cumin; cook, mashing beans slightly, until combined, about 2 minutes.

3.  Remove mixture from heat; gently stir in the goat cheese and cilantro.

4.  Place 4 tortillas on a flat surface.  Spread some bean mixture over each one; top with another tortilla.  In a large skillet, use remaining oil to cook the quesadillas one at a time until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
5.  Garnish with good stuff:  salsa, sour cream, guacamole, more cilantro, you know what to do!

Just after adding goat cheese and cilantro...

After adding cheese and cilantro--trust me, it tastes better than it looks!

Dinner for One

My preparation notes:  I've been making this recipe for a long time, and I don't think I generally find a 19 ounce can of beans in my supermarket.  The can I had in the pantry this week was 15 ounces.  That will work fine!  You may want to add slightly less salsa to keep it from being too liquid and you may only get three hearty quesadillas instead of four.  Also, I never use the whole 4 ounces of goat cheese.  Goat cheese is very tangy and goes a long way for me.  Put in about 2 ounces, and then dip your spoon in and give it a taste test.  Use your judgment.  This is a great recipe for one person.   As one whose husband travels during the week, this is a recipe I can prepare that will feed me for several meals.  Just use however much you want for one meal and refrigerate the rest.  When your significant other gets back in town, warm the leftover bean mixture in the microwave and serve with tortilla chips as a dip.  It ain't pretty, but it sure tastes good!