I decided to give "Meatless Monday" a try during Lent. Of course, last Monday, I made it all day until attending a St. Patrick's Day party...and then I forgot and had a "pig in a blanket" or 2 or 3! Oh well!
So, today is Monday...so I'm trying again! Today in NYC, it was cold...downright chilly! Did I say chilly?! Made me think of CHILI!
I went into my freezer, and I was out of my veggie chili...oh no...BUT...it's so easy to make! See my previous post from February for the recipe:
"It's Not Texas-Chili, But It's Darn Good Veggie Chili"
Anyway...I made a slight change to the recipe. Instead of 1 can of water, I used 2 cups of veggie stock. I also forgot to use a fresh jalapeno, and this time I used the masa (which is corn flower...so it's still gluten-free). SO DARN TASTY!
I posted this photo on Instagram earlier, and I was so excited when many friends "liked" the photo. A new friend also liked the photo: @meatlessmonday It's a website full of lots of fun ideas! http://www.meatlessmonday.com
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| Veggie Chili |
Perfect yummy and healthy lunch...but now what's for dinner?!
I sauteed some veggies (spinach, mushrooms, celery, bell pepper, tomato, onion, and garlic). Then I deglazed with a little bit of veggie stock to make a sauce and then tossed with some pasta. Many people think that pasta is evil...but guess what...it's not! Get a kitchen scale and weigh out 2 ounces of dry pasta per person. It's 200 calories...it's not that big of a deal! Kick up your bowl of pasta a notch with some chili flakes and/or sriracha sauce. YUM! I didn't get to sprinkle any Parmesan cheese b/c I gave cheese up for Lent too! It's okay...I didn't miss it!
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| Veggie Pasta |
Serves 1
- Onion - 1/2 small - diced
- Garlic - 1 clove, minced
- Grape Tomatoes - 4 or 5, halved
- Mushrooms - 4 or 5 small, thinly sliced
- Celery - 1 stalk, thinly sliced
- Bell Pepper - 1/4, coarsely chopped
- Pasta - 2 ounces (I used spaghetti)
- Veggie Stock - about a 1/4 cup
- Olive Oil for sauteing - about 1 tablespoon
- Prepare your veggies.
- Cook your pasta in well salted boiling water for about 7-9 minutes until al dente.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil to coat the skillet.
- Add onions, peppers, celery to the skillet.
- After about 2 minutes, add the garlic and mushrooms.
- Season your veggies with salt and pepper.
- Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms have softened...about 4-5 minutes.
- Add spinach and toss with other veggies. Add red pepper flakes for a kick.
- Add veggie stock to deglaze. Stir veggie mixture. Cover and turn off the heat. This will steam the spinach perfectly.
- Drain pasta then add to your veggie mixture.
- Pour it all into your favorite pasta bowl.
- Top with Parmesan cheese (unless you gave it up for Lent)!
Buon Appetito!
#MeatlessMonday is pretty easy and downright tasty!!! Can't wait until next Monday!
See you again soon...and thanks for reading!
SDMC
