Meatless Mondays
NPR ran a story on Meatless Monday. At almost 65 with a mostly sedentary lifestyle, cutting down on calories and cholesterol seems like a good idea. I enjoy meat and cooking, but I’m always looking for something new. But, I’m married to a guy who thinks meatless means hard times, money’s tight and after 43 years of trying to sneak in meatless meals, I decided to hit it head on. “It’s Meatless Monday”, I announced. There was no response.
Unfazed, I ploughed on looking for new meatless meals and followed the links in the online story to Foodie Tots (http://foodietots.com/). Now I’m following Coleen on Twitter @ FoodieTot. She’s a foodie in the DC/Chesapeake Bay area. Two recipes on her Meatless Monday resource page: Quinoa-Stuffed Zucchini Boats and Panzanella with Cannellini Beans caught my eye.
I had Quinoa in my cabinet and this is tomato season in Syracuse and my garden is producing lots. I had seen recipes for Panzanella before, but never thought I could get a bread salad past the lips of my loved one. This recipe had beans in it so I figured it might fly.
Sautéing garlic, adding the beans and vegetable broth is really a great idea and made the salad pop. It was a big hit. The zucchini boats were rather flavorless. But I liked the overall idea. There is always enough zucchini to experiment. I think I’ll sauté garlic in the oil before adding the quinoa, salt and pepper the boats before filling and add a splash of lemon to the filling.
Despite the “can’t we afford meat” and “is it too late to order pizza” cracks, next Monday will be meatless again.
Quinoa-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• 6 medium-sized zucchini
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped baby bella (or button) mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
• fresh parsley
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Rinse and drain the quinoa. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until broth is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the soft centers, leaving a hollow boat-shaped shell.
In a mixing bowl, gently toss the quinoa with the chopped pepper, onion and mushrooms. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil and vinegar over and stir to combine.
Arrange zucchini in a shallow baking dish. Scoop quinoa filling into the zucchini. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Pour water into the pan to cover the bottom by 1/4 inch (this helps keep the zucchini moist while cooking). Bake for 35 minutes, until zucchini is tender when pricked with a fork. Turn on the broiler for about 2 minutes, just to brown the cheese. Serve 1 half as a side dish or 2 halves for a main course.
Panzanella with Cannellini Beans
• 1 loaf day-old Italian bread
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large, very ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 handful fresh basil, thinly sliced
• parmigiano or pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon for the beans)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• sea salt and black pepper
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low. Cook garlic for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Rinse and drain the canned beans, then add them to the pan, stirring to combine with the garlic. Cook on low for 5 minutes.
In a large salad bowl, pour the bread cubes, cooked beans, tomatoes and basil. Separately, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make vinaigrette. Drizzle over the salad and toss gently to combine. Let the salad sit on the counter for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld before eating. Just before serving, grate some cheese over top. Makes 4-6 servings.
