WEEKDAY VEGETARIAN

photo: John Lok/ The Seattle Times 

About a year ago I was watching a bunch of TED talks on the food industry, and there was one specifically that stood out that advocated for being a "weekday vegetarian". The speaker discussed how we consume more meat than we need to and that a reduction of meat in our diets would not only be better for us, but also reduce the quantity of meat produced. After seeing that, in combination with reading Fast Food Nation, I've been consciously staying away from eating as much meat as I had been.  Actually, since I've been back at school every meal I've cooked for myself has been either vegetarian or pescetarian! 

So today I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes that have driven my newfound diet. Flavor plays a huge role for me because for the longest time I equated vegetables with bland and that is so not true.  

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl - Because of this find, I am now obsessed with curry sweet potatoes. Also, when I made this I didn't have kale so I actually substituted that with corn since I got fresh cobs at the farmers market. 

Black bean meatballs - I substitute oats for cooked quinoa! 

Zucchini pasta - Very easy, and when I made this I actually used spaghetti sauce and made the meatballs featured above. 

Curry - While this specific recipe I did not execute well, curry sauce can spice up vegetables for a quick tasty meal.

Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta - This is my absolute favorite. 

Sun-dried tomato basil veggie burgers - You know you've done something right when your food skeptic of a sister gives her praises. These had a good texture and a lot of flavor! 

Quesadillas - Or what I like to call leftovers-in-cheese-and-tortillas. 

Yam and kale wrap - Saw this in the Seattle Times and it was actually more filling than I thought it would be! 

If you have any favorite recipes that you use I'd love to hear about it, or if you end up trying one of these - let me know how it goes!