Dear Husband's first question was "Why is this so important?". It's simple, really. If every human being on this planet ate no meat for one day a week, then it's believed that the reduction in carbon would be equal to taking roughly 8 million cars off the road (change.org). That's a pretty big number for just taking one day off a week - and that doesn't include all the health benefits that go along with eating less meat...beef in particular.
So, back to the challenge. Once a week for 8 weeks, before Wednesday morning, I will be posting a recipe, some photos and some commentary on a meal that we had that did not include meat in any form. With the kids being somewhat finicky and/or just afraid to try new things, it will be a challenge on more than one front! But, if you see a recipe that sounds good, feel free to try it. Change it up to suit your tastes - and revel in the fact that little by little, you are helping to make a difference!
I never follow actual recipes. Unless I'm baking...but since I wasn't, well...I improvised. And didn't use measuring utensils. The changes I made will be in parenthesis, in red. Oh, and it made for a fairly quick and easy meal - great for week nights!
Week One: Bean and Kale Soup with Jumbo Croutons
Recipe - 6 Servings:
3 TB olive oil, plus more for bread
3/4 yellow onion, chopped (used whole onion - why not?)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced (3 cloves - extra garlic never hurts!)
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces (1/2-inch pieces seemed more reasonable)
48 oz. vegetable broth
1 1/2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (2 cans - why waste the extra?)
1 1/2 (15.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil (2 cans with basil, garlic, & oregano - all they had, and again - why waste the extra?)
1 1/2 bunches kale, stems trimmed and chopped
4 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3/4 loaf ciabatta bread, ripped into 1 1/2-inch pieces (no plain, so I used roasted garlic, 1-inch pieces)
1/3 TB black pepper
1/3 tsp. garlic salt (plain salt, since the bread had garlic)
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated (shredded - don't like grated)
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, kale, basil and parsley and simmer another 15 minutes, covered.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Toast in oven until slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set croutons aside.
3. Divide soup among serving bowls and top each with a few warm croutons and sprinkle with Parmesan.
The verdict was fairly unanimous - the soup was quite tasty and would gladly be eaten again. Even veg-phobic Hubby was pleasantly surprised by the kale. Little Girl wouldn't touch it, but that doesn't surprise me. The Young Mister thought it was delicious and loved the veggies. The croutons ROCKED, and to be honest, I could just sit and eat them all by themselves. The two suggestions given (that I would gladly follow, as I quite agree with with them) were:
1. To reduce the amount of kale to one bunch, and to chop it into smaller pieces. As I made it, the kale somewhat overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients.
2. Add more beans of a different variety. The general consensus after discussion was that kidney beans, in addition to the cannellini beans, would make the best soup.
So, there you have it. Our first meal done, and a pretty fair success. I'm already looking for recipes for the next one!
Recipe - 6 Servings:
3 TB olive oil, plus more for bread
3/4 yellow onion, chopped (used whole onion - why not?)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced (3 cloves - extra garlic never hurts!)
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces (1/2-inch pieces seemed more reasonable)
48 oz. vegetable broth
1 1/2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (2 cans - why waste the extra?)
1 1/2 (15.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil (2 cans with basil, garlic, & oregano - all they had, and again - why waste the extra?)
1 1/2 bunches kale, stems trimmed and chopped
4 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3/4 loaf ciabatta bread, ripped into 1 1/2-inch pieces (no plain, so I used roasted garlic, 1-inch pieces)
1/3 TB black pepper
1/3 tsp. garlic salt (plain salt, since the bread had garlic)
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated (shredded - don't like grated)
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, kale, basil and parsley and simmer another 15 minutes, covered.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Toast in oven until slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set croutons aside.
The verdict was fairly unanimous - the soup was quite tasty and would gladly be eaten again. Even veg-phobic Hubby was pleasantly surprised by the kale. Little Girl wouldn't touch it, but that doesn't surprise me. The Young Mister thought it was delicious and loved the veggies. The croutons ROCKED, and to be honest, I could just sit and eat them all by themselves. The two suggestions given (that I would gladly follow, as I quite agree with with them) were:
1. To reduce the amount of kale to one bunch, and to chop it into smaller pieces. As I made it, the kale somewhat overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients.
2. Add more beans of a different variety. The general consensus after discussion was that kidney beans, in addition to the cannellini beans, would make the best soup.
So, there you have it. Our first meal done, and a pretty fair success. I'm already looking for recipes for the next one!
