Have You Tried Meatless Monday?

Thanks to Oprah and awareness campaigns that went viral, 50% of a nationwide sample of adults were aware of the ‘Meatless Monday‘ campaign, which encourages people to avoid eating meat one day a week to improve personal health and the environment. Of the people who had heard of the campaign, 27% said it had influenced their decision to cut back on meat.

Although Meatless Monday has become associated with climate change campaigns, there are plenty of other reasons to choose not to eat meat at least one day a week. Encouraging yourself to enjoy meatless foods on a particular day will expand your vegetarian horizons. You will likely try dishes that you would not have tried otherwise.

Here’s another bonus to eating meatless sometimes…I think eating meat a little less often makes you enjoy meat more when you DO have it.

At least half my meals are already meatless and I genuinely enjoy creating and trying meatless dishes. Here are 10 of my favorite meatless entrees:

Falafel in a whole wheat pita with hummus and tahiniEggplant Parmesan or eggplant napoleonsWhole wheat pasta with roasted vegetables and pestoCaprese sandwich (fresh mozzarella, tomato and/or roasted red pepper, fresh basil or pesto and balsamic vinaigrette on whole grain ciabata roll (or similar)Tofu vegetable fried rice (made with brown rice)Spinach quiche or sundried tomato and basil quicheTofu & vegetable curry over steamed brown riceAvocado and cucumber sushi rolls

If most everyone would make this small change, it could have a big impact on our health and potentially the environment over time.

If you have started having Meatless Mondays, tell us how it is going and what impact it has it had on you and your family.

Photo: Jupiterimages / © Getty Images

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Meatless Grilling Options Part Two: Fruit!

Now that you know how to grill vegetables, let’s look at another favorite of mine: grilled fruit. If you have tasted grilled fruit then you already know how delicious  it can be by itself, served in a salad or entrée, or served with light vanilla ice cream.

What makes grilled fruit so delicious? Grilling caramelizes the natural sugar in fruit, which helps bring out wonderful flavors and intensifies the sweetness.

Which fruits work best on the grill? Some fruits hold up better to the grilling process than others due to their texture or simply their size.

A few of my favorites are:

Pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges, rings or cubesPeaches, cored and cut in halfMango, cored and cut in half, thick slices or cubesFirm bananas, slice in half lengthwise

Here are four beginner’s tips for grilling fruit:

Tip #1:  For best results, grill fresh fruit over low to medium heat to allow the fruit to cook all of the way through before getting the desirable grill marks on the outside.

Tip #2: A little canola oil cooking spray on the outside of the fruit keeps the fruit from sticking to the grill and promotes the browning process that creates the desirable grill marks (and flavors).

Tip #3: Use fruits that hold up well to grilling and cut them into sizes that are easy to handle on a skewer (cubes) or by themselves (such as pineapple rings or peach halves)

Tip #4:  Grill fruit until it is slightly softened and light grill marks have formed. This can take about 3 minutes per side depending on the fruit.

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Meatless Grilling Options: Vegetables!

I know when most Americans think of the BBQ they picture meat, poultry or fish…but you can enjoy the grilling season without throwing meat over the coals. While meat tastes better when marinated and grilled, guess what — so do vegetables! And grilled vegetables are delicious alone or added to pasta or rice dishes or salads.

You can grill pretty much any vegetable, even tomato halves, but the following are my favorites; they hold up well to the rigors of grilling:

Grilled zucchini and eggplant slices add flavorful veggie layers to any lasagna or casserole or roll up (grill about 4 minutes per side).Onions and roasted bell peppers spice up any sandwich or dish. Place the skin side down for the bell peppers and grill about 10 minutes; onions will take 5 to 10 minutes.Artichoke halves get fancy on the grill. Cut the artichokes in half from the stem end to the tip. Microwave on HIGH in a covered container with 1/4-cup water until just tender. Brush cut side with olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette and place on grill for a couple of minutes.Sweet corn tastes great when grilled. Coat ears lightly with canola cooking spray. Grill corn until tender and charred in spots (about 10 minutes).My favorite way to cook asparagus is on the grill.  Just lightly brush with olive oil before throwing it on.Extra firm tofu chunks add protein to vegetable kabobs. Grill veggies kabobs for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

What’s your favorite vegetable to grill on the BBQ?

Stay tuned for Part Two: Grilling Fruits!

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