What's cookin' Wednesday: Sometimes....we don't eat meat!

At our house, we try to go meatless once a week. Well, usually for myself it's more than once a week. I force my husband to only participate once : )  You're probably wondering "Why the heck would you do that?!" Well, going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. So it's good for you AND good for the planet... Score!

Now, my husband is a meat eater. He would eat meat with a side of meat if he could. And he was a little less than thrilled with the introduction of our "Meatless Monday" tradition. BUT when you make meals that are super yummy and filling, you don't even miss the meat. 
Here are couple of my faves!

Greek Style Chili

This is a good "throw everything in and you're done" type of recipe...perfect for those nights when you're in a rush. We used canned beans/tomatoes this time because we were short on time, but you can always use fresh! Since I have to eat gluten free, we used a Mediterranean blend of quinoa and it was DELISH!

 Ingredients:
2 cans garbanzo beans
2 cans diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
8 cups spinach
1/2 feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and allow mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. Add in spinach, cooking for one minute or until wilted. Sprinkle with feta and serve with quinoa, rice, or couscous. Serves 4 (1 1/4 cup serving)

Stuffed Banana Peppers

My friend, Alex, sent me this recipe a few months ago and it was a HIT with my meat-loving husband. He actually (gasp!) said he was full after just one pepper. This is a very rare occasion as the man is known to tear down on some food. We've made this quite a few times, sometimes substituting bell peppers for the banana peppers. Super easy and super tasty!

Ingredients:

3-6 Yellow Banana Peppers (or more, depending on how many you’re trying to feed!)
1 box Near East Quinoa Blend (I used the Roasted Red Pepper and Basil)
½ can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ head kale
1 can preferred tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese (just enough to sprinkle on top of peppers/sauce)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, sauté kale until it’s wilted, but not soggy. I seasoned with paprika and seasoning salt. Set aside. Cook quinoa according to box. When finished cooking, add kale and black beans. De-seed and stuff with quinoa mixture (I also slit the top of the peppers so they were a little more ‘open-faced’) Cook @ 350 degrees for 20ish minutes, until the peppers are soft and the top of the quinoa looks a little browned. Put desired amount of sauce on serving plate or dish. Place peppers on sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional) and serve!

It's easy to go meatless once a week (or more!)....give it a try! If you already participate in "Meatless Monday" or you just have a yummy vegetarian/vegan recipe, please share it! I love trying new things :)