What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

On Mondays, we are exploring vegetarian meals for people who may just be getting started. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are truly endless. And it is worth it. 

Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Cutting down on fish (and only eating sustainable fish) can also help with our huge plastic problem, because plastic fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in our oceans. The production of fish and meat come at a huge environmental cost, and we are simply eating too much.

Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!

from Mom's Test Kitchen

I love chicken pot pie, but the chicken is always kind of the lamest thing about it. This veggie pot pie from Mom's Test Kitchen still has all the goodness but no meat. We are totally trying it.

from The Bojon Gourmet

Carrots in salads are a dime a dozen, but this one from The Bojon Gourmet looks so special and delicious. Plus, you all know how I feel about beets.

from Blissful Basil

For something really different, try these carrot and lentil cakes with Tahini sauce from Blissful Basil. The flavors here look really warm and familiar, but I think this might be a really fun one to try. Plus, who doesn't love Tahini?

from The Greedy Vegan

I love carrot and ginger together so I can not wait to try this recipe from The Greedy Vegan. Her whole website looks really amazing, and this sounds so fresh and bright for the middle of winter.  I love this take on Carrot soup from that uses ginger and tumeric to spice it up. Not bay leaf. Never bay leaf. This blog does not support bay leaf.

from Chef in Training

If you are looking for carrot recipes, the number one thing you will find are roasted carrot recipes. And for good reason, they all look freaking delicious. This Chef in Training recipe with brown sugar looks completely irresistible.

from Well-Plated

If you need some cold winter day carrot soup, this recipe from Well-Plated looks comforting and warm like a big fuzzy blanket. And what kind of villain refuses croutons? This seriously is mouth watering (and another GREAT blog to keep on your radar).

from Veganosity

Want more vegetarian recipes to try? Awesome! Adding more meatless meals to your diet is such a fun challenge and you can discover so many things you like. Check out this page for all of the Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups!

It's another year, and another year of Meatless Mondays!

Eating meat can seem like a normal part of life, but we have a tendency as a culture to overdo it. A lot. Eating too much animal product hurts our personal health, and it actually has huge environmental consequences as well, like overusing water and land and producing tons of waste and CO2. Not good. Many people are starting to see how destructive animal agriculture really is, and they are trying to transition into eating less meaty meals. That's awesome.

Even if you are not going vegetarian or vegan (or you cook for people who are not ready for that switch), you can have a seriously positive effect by simply making more meals without meat. So we will keep our Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups going, because it can be more fun with a little inspiration.


I have a complete obsession with beets (especially with goat cheese and pesto). Don't believe me? Check my children's beet-stained teeth. It's like a Shrute convention up in here. I thought this would be the perfect kickoff to our weekly recipe round ups, because they are in season and feel warm and wintery (for all you snow-covered East coasters).



So I am of course in love with this blog that only writes beet recipes. I love you Just Beet It, and I will be begging for this peaches, beets, and goat cheese salad for a while.


For very wintery beets, I love this kale and beet hash from intheknowmom. We may try this one, because greens have been a hard sell for our kids.


We have eaten a lot of beets noodles this year, but we have never tried making fresh pasta out of beets ourselves. I saw some beet ravioli recipes (with goat cheese inside!) that I will be begging for, like this one from Belgian Foodie. Make me this every day.


If you are into the beet pesto idea (if you aren't, just try it once, I promise you SO GOOD), check out this beet pesto pizza recipe from the Roasted Root. I can't wait to try it, just looks amazing.


The last one is this beets and cucumber salad from Little Broken. Not as wintery as some of the other choices, but boys does it look good. Super fresh and maybe the light thing you need to start 2018 off healthy?


I LOVE Well-Plated recipes, and this beet, cheddar, and apple pizza looks like the yummiest thing ever. I think this one looks like a good choice if you are trying to sell more veggies to your kids, or if you are ready to try out a new flavor combination.


If you are looking for something pretty hearty (which is definitely important if you are used to heavier, meat-filled meals), this quinoa and beet salad from Just Beet It looks like it would fill you up with nutrients and energy.

What vegetarian meal are you trying this week?




Want more vegetarian recipes to try? Awesome! Adding more meatless meals to your diet is such a fun challenge and you can discover so many things you like. Check out this page for all of the Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups!

What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

On Mondays, we are exploring vegetarian meals for meat eaters. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are endless. And it is worth it. Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Cutting down on fish (and only eating sustainable fish) can also help with our huge plastic problem, because plastic fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in our oceans. The production of fish and meat come at a huge environmental cost, and we are simply eating too much.

Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!



It's pumpkin time! Or maybe it started being pumpkin time a month and a half ago? I do love this time of year, and our house tends to fill with lots of decorative gourds I can't quite resist. This can also be the perfect time to replace a bunch of meat with warm, cozy meals featuring amazing fall veggies like pumpkins.

If you are in a house of meat eaters, but you want to introduce more vegetarian or vegan meals, good for you! It is such a great way to help the environment and to switch up your menu. Here are some ridiculously delicious pumpkin recipes that everyone will love (no one will even miss the meat):



Want something that is warm like fall but also has some real spice? This pumpkin curry from Yup...It's Vegan! is packed with vegetables, spice, and deliciousness. You wouldn't think of pumpkin and chickpeas as going together, but this really works.



This feta and pumpkin tart (ironically from the blog Meat and Travel) has really strong flavor. It could be perfect for dinner or a fall brunch you have coming up soon. A tart feels like a treat too, and you could probably sneak other fall veggies like beets in there too.



At our house, we love roasted veggies, especially in the fall. These roasted pumpkin slices from Drizzle and Dip combine that warm and earthy flavor with a tangy yogurt sauce. It could be a side or a main dish!


Pumpkin's creamy texture lends itself well to pastas. If you want to try something completely vegan, Wallflower Kitchen has a pumpkin mac and cheese recipe that isn't so complicated that it will scare you off, and it still has that amazing creamy texture. It could be the perfect way to sneak a vegan dish into your repetoire!


Want to try another pumpkin pasta dish? I love this stuffed shells recipe from A Couple Cooks. It seems pretty straightforward, but the pumpkin is a nice twist on stuffed shells.



Ok, I must be in a pumpkin and pasta mood, because I can't resist sharing this pumpkin pasta recipe from Farmstyle Food. I love the combination of sweet pumpkin (they actually use a type of squash), parmesan cheese, and garlic.



Want something that really screams fall? I love this vegetarian pot pie from Joy the Baker. I want to eat this right this second as I write to you. Such a fun, simple recipe for a fall favorite. Perfect when you are getting cold and need a cozy dinner.


If you want some pumpkin bread or cookies, it can be a cool place to try some vegan recipes! These vegan pumpkin cookies from Nora Cooks just shows how delicious vegan baking can be. Consider taking the leap and trying it!

Ok, what is your favorite pumpkin recipe? Tried any new vegetarian or vegan recipes lately?



Want more vegetarian recipes to try? Awesome! Adding more meatless meals to your diet is such a fun challenge and you can discover so many things you like. Check out this page for all of the Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups!

What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

On Mondays, we are exploring vegetarian meals for meat eaters. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are endless. And it is worth it. Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Cutting down on fish (and only eating sustainable fish) can also help with our huge plastic problem, because plastic fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in our oceans. The production of fish and meat come at a huge environmental cost, and we are simply eating too much.


Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!



Stuffed Peppers are a perfect fall meal. They actually kind of remind me of a hug, so simple and warm. They also make a perfect vegetarian meal (even for meat eaters) because they can be so filling. When you eat a whole stuffed pepper, you feel stuffed too!

Little did I realize just how many AMAZING stuffed pepper recipes there are out there. Seriously, this is apparently Pinterest's most favorite recipe. So. Many. Stuffed. Peppers. Lucky for us, that means lots of really fun new recipes to try. Let's look at some of the best: 







How about a spicy one? These stuffed peppers look like serious business, especially when you consider they are from a site called Chili Pepper Madness. Try it for someone who loves hot wings and see if this is a fun (and healthy) alternative?






Ok, if you look the flavor of stuffed pepper, but you need something you can prep ahead of time, check out this stuffed pepper soup from Peas and Crayons. You still have all those delicious flavors, but soup can be super helpful in a busy work week. 



What is your favorite kind of stuffed pepper? Do you have a recipe you love? 

What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

On Mondays, we are exploring vegetarian meals for meat eaters. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are endless. And it is worth it. Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Cutting down on fish (and only eating sustainable fish) can also help with our huge plastic problem, because plastic fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in our oceans. The production of fish and meat come at a huge environmental cost, and we are simply eating too much.

Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!



We have been in meal train mode this summer. I really love meal trains. We talk a lot right now about "self-care" but my theory is that what we all need is more community care. We need to feel that other people care about us. If you have never done one, a meal train is a schedule where people sign up to bring someone food. It can be because they have a new baby, are recovering from a surgery, or just are in a season where they need a little bit of help. It's so simple (the meal train website or sign up genius makes it super easy), and we can lift each other up when we need it most.

We have a few meal train staples- we usually go for lasagna or chili, because they are filling and you can spread them over multiple meals. That said, we have often used pork sausage or turkey in them. I think a meal train is the perfect opportunity to put a few more delicious meatless meals out into the world. You can still take care of someone, and you can help take care of the planet. Pat yourself on the back, friend!

The classic at our house is to send a lasagna- I think this vegetarian lasagna from Cookie and Kate looks absolutely delicious. I love how many veggies she sneaks in, and you can check her other baked pasta ideas if you want something with a little less prep time. 


We just had good feedback from skipping the casserole and bringing lunch meats, popcorn, and fruit salad. It was super simple (and easy for us), but they could prepare it as they want and it was light for the summer. I think you could do the same thing by dropping off all the parts for caprese sandwiches- this one from Jessica in the Kitchen looks yummy, and you can make your own pesto so you look like you tried (with still pretty minimal effort).



If you are looking for something different, Enchiladas also can be a good casserole dish. These ones from Two Peas and their Pod look tasty, nutritious, and pretty easy to do. I wonder if you could make a nice pico de gallo to leave with it. 


I think one really comforting and homey food is mac n cheese. You can really warm someone's heart with something like this. So I am totally going to try this roasted garlic mac and cheese from Just a Taste for a meal train. Maybe not the healthiest meal, but good for the soul?



Another great meal train option is to bring some soup and a big loaf of french bread. This amazing soup from Mommy Cooking is loaded with spices, and a curry coconut soup is really hard to beat. I love the idea of sending something a little lighter, since so many meal train meals are pretty heavy.

I found lots of good soups- this one from Gimme Some Oven looks amazing- and I think that could be a perfect pick me up for someone. I also love this chickpea noodle soup from Veggies Save the Day, because when I am home sick, I really love veggie noodle soup. You can't go wrong with soup. 



We love doing chili as a drop off meal. We usually drop it off with some cilantro or avocado to sprinkle on top. This is such an easy one to make vegetarian, and honestly, no one will even notice. This one from Chelsea's Messy Apron looks amazing, but I would be careful to not make it too spicy since often after surgery or with a new baby, people aren't looking for super spicy food. You can sneak in more veggies like zucchini and corn too.

Hope this helps you! So many ideas they will love! 

What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

On Mondays, we are exploring vegetarian meals for meat eaters. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are endless. And it is worth it. Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Cutting down on fish (and only eating sustainable fish) can also help with our huge plastic problem, because plastic fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in our oceans. The production of fish and meat come at a huge environmental cost, and we are simply eating too much.

Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!


Nectarines are my husband's favorite summer treat, so you can almost always find them in our house this time of year. Tangy and sweet (without the peach fuzz some people hate), nectarines are basically a perfect fruit.

If you are trying to make more meatless meals that EVERYONE can feel excited about, it helps to use some really tasty ingredients. Nectarines are PERFECT for this. You may think of them as purely sweet, but a lot like pineapple, they can be paired up with all sorts of savory ingredients for really delicious combinations. We use nectarine a lot for salsa, so we put it with everything.

Here are some delicious vegetarian nectarine recipes that everyone in your home will love so much that they won't miss the meat one bit. 



Nectarines are basically the best for summer salads, so there are a lot of those here, but if you haven't felt the joy of herbs, nectarine, and some cheese you have a real surprise ahead of you. This arugala, nectarine, and feta salad from Haute and Healthy Living looks so simple and  summery. 




I am obsessed with this nectarine and raw corn salad from Coley Cooks. It just sounds like eating lunch outside on a summer day. It may not seem super filling, but I think you could pair it with a simple loaf of bread and lemonade, and you would have a perfect afternoon. 






If you need something more hearty, this couscous bowl from a Pinch of Yum looks both filling and really tasty. Perfect for a summer night (or for your summer meal prep if you are trying to have a slender and lazy summer), and the couscous should keep you from feeling hungry later. I would like to eat this now, please.



For one more hearty salad choice (there were so many good ones! It was so hard to pick!), I would recommend this nectarine and wild rice salad from Sweet Lizzy. I am not a nuts girl, but rice in salad is one of those things you wouldn't think of, but freaking works. 




Our favorite is to put nectarine in our salsa, which we can put on a quesadilla or black bean taco. It's so refreshing, and nectarine works crazy well with spice. This is a nice simple recipe from Onion Rings and Things. If you aren't this put together, just cut up a nectarine and throw it in your regular pico de gallo set up. It will work. 




And to add to the recipes I will be dreaming about until I try it is this nectarine and balsamic pizza from Alexandra Cooks. Seriously, I am going to try to talk The Boy into this for tonight. It sounds so freaking good. It may be perfect for a party setting too? 







What is your favorite summer fruit? Do you ever cook with it?



Want more vegetarian recipes to try? Awesome! Adding more meatless meals to your diet is such a fun challenge and you can discover so many things you like. Check out this page for all of the Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups!