25 Meatless Meal Ideas

Yay! It's Friday!

My 25 Easy Mexican-Inspired Recipes post went over so well, I thought I'd do another 25-recipe roundup. The Mexican-Inspired post was one of my most viewed posts of last month, so I think, I think, you guys like them. It's unusual that my most viewed post of the month is posted on the last day of said month. Plus, I have another reason I'm doing a roundup. Occasionally I get into a mood where none of photographs look good to me. I've got 3 posts in the pipeline and I couldn't bring myself to post any of them because none of them were "good enough". These moods come and go, so I'm guessing I'll end posting all of these recipes at some point. I suspect all photographers are like that at some point.

Meatless meals. While the hubby and I are by no means vegetarians (as evidenced by the 2 large New York strips we devoured early in the week!), we do try to eat a balance between lean meats and meatless meals. We mostly eat chicken, which we have 3-4 times a week while the rest of the week we eat meatless. Once or twice a month, we eat steak or ground hamburger. Some weeks, we have a couple of turkey meals. Some weeks, we have a couple of seafood meals. We rarely eat pork anymore. The most pork we eat is bacon a couple of times a month. I know a lot of people don't consider a meal a real meal unless it has meat. However, in the last 2-3 years that the hubby and I have been experimenting with meatless meals, we've found meatless doesn't have to be light or un-filling. Meatless meals can be just as satisfying, sometimes more so. I've found you can eat a lot more when you are eating more vegetables than meat. I've also found my weight is easier to maintain with the hubby and I's current grubbing. Plus, the best part- meatless meals tend to be cheaper. Meat is expensive, and only seems to be getting more so these days. I'd highly recommend trying a meatless meal once or twice a week, just to try it out and see if it's something that would work for you. 

Well, the weekend is here and the hubby has to work all weekend. Boo. I've got a busy day on tap that includes a trip to the big box store, the dreaded Walmart, prepping the hubby's lunches for a stint of day shifts, a photography session, and making a large batch of soup. Whew. It's going to be a busy day. Tomorrow, I'm starting up workouts again (feeling lots better!) and cleaning house, and Sunday shall be reserved for football and reading. So that's my weekend, hopefully yours is going to be a tad more exciting than mine :)

Have a great weekend bloggy friends!

1. Creamy Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2. Spinach Artichoke Pizza

3. Cheesy Eggplant and Orzo Casserole

4. Grilled Heirloom Tomato Caprese Sandwiches

5. Mediterranean Falafel Salad

6. Garlicky Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

7. Greek Salad Sandwiches with Hummus

8. Oven Baked Eggplant with Alfredo Sauce

9. Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers and Spinach

10. Chickpea Minestrone

11. Pasta e Fagioli

12. Pizza Margherita

13. Porcini Mushroom Risotto

14. Parsley Pesto Pasta

15. Roasted Fennel, Chickpea, and Tomato Soup

16. Rotini with Salsa di Limone

17. Roasted Vegetable Pizza

18. Spanish Rice Soup

19. SW Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

20. Traditional Greek Salad

21. Winter Minestrone

22. Whole Wheat Tortellini with Corn and Tomato Relish

23. Zucchini and Brown Rice Casserole

24. Eggplant and Orzo Casserole Soup

25. Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Dipping Sauce

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Treasure Box Tuesday

Eggplant and Orzo Casserole Soup

I've got another leftover recipe for you!

When my parents were visiting last month, I made my Cheesy Eggplant and Orzo Casserole for them. Even though there were 4 of us chowing down on it, I still had significant leftovers. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, it's hard to make proportionate casseroles. With 2 in my household, I always wind up with proliferous amounts of leftover casserole. Heck, even with 4 munching on this casserole, I still had a lot of leftover food. I had an idea with this casserole however...

Why not turn this?

Into this!

It was super easy to make this jump. While the casserole was still cold, I removed the melted cheese layer from the top. It just came right up, although it did take some orzo up with it. Sacrifices, right? Anyhoo, I heated up some chicken broth and when it came to a simmer, I dumped the entire casserole into the pot. Then I added a 10 oz bag of spinach. A dusting of parmesan cheese,  and some crusty french bread were all we needed to round out the meal.

I have to admit when I told the hubby about this idea of mine, the look on his face wasn't exactly encouraging. I think he thought I was crazy. Dumping a casserole into soup? Unheard of. For a moment, I hesitated. Maybe it was just my crazy mind, thinking this combination might work. But in the end, what was I going to do with all this casserole? Throw it away, probably. So I decided to foray ahead. Might as well give it a try. 

The hubby's opinion quickly changed upon first bite of soup. He was genuinely surprised the soup was good. I was satisfied by his quick change in attitude. Everything in the casserole makes for excellent soup bedfellows. Orzo, mushrooms, eggplant, red bell pepper- all perfectly seasoned. What leftover casserole I had made a big batch of soup, so I was also able to freeze a bag of it. Another meal in the pipeline! Another economically and nutritionally sound dinner choice. We all win.

So, the hubby and I are currently getting everything ready to go on vacation. We headed to Huntington, WV yesterday to stock up on anything we still needed for the trip. Which was basically stuff for the hubby. He came home with swimming trunks, 2 pairs of jeans, 3 polos, and a pair of shoes. Oh, and a Beats Pill wireless speaker. His birthday present. Let me just say, he's more excited about his birthday present than anything we bought for Mexico :) I didn't need as much, but still managed to find excellent clearance at Old Navy. I ended up with 3 tanks, 2 pairs of shorts, and a sundress for $20. That's my kind of shopping. 

I'm getting really, really excited for Cancun. I've got beach brain. All I can think about is sun. And more sun. Oh, and then some more sun :) I'm pretty sure this dreary fall is bumming me out...

And with that, I'll leave you with the recipe. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Ingredients (serves 4):

6-8 cups chicken broth (depending on how much leftover casserole you have)

Leftover Cheesy Eggplant and Orzo Casserole (I used ~4 cups)

1 (10 oz) bag of baby spinach

salt and pepper

garnish- parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, bring chicken broth to a simmer. When hot, add leftover casserole and bag of spinach. Heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Divide soup into bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Fennel, Chickpea, and Tomato Soup

Spanish Rice Soup

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party

10 Summer Perfect Salads

It's Monday again. Hard to believe I've been away from the blog for a whole week. You would think a week was enough time to prepare a post, but then you would discover the reason school and I didn't get along. And the reason for that would be procrastination. I was lazy all weekend, so lazy I couldn't bother to point and shoot with that camera thingy. So here it is, Monday morning. I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with no material to write on. The great thing about being a food blogger is that I've got troves of recipes to bring forth from the archives. Well, maybe not troves, but you get the idea. So I'll slink off into the shadows with my camera, to practice with my photography light. With any luck, I'll have new material for tomorrow. Without further adieu, lets jump right in!

Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad- This is one of my favorite summer salads. It's a great way to use those summer bounties of tomatoes and cucumbers. Fresh mozzarella gives this salad a creamy twist, and you'd never know the dressing is simply lime juice and olive oil. This salad is a house favorite around here.

Buffalo Chicken Salad- Why wouldn't you want to eat this salad? Crispy, pan-fried chicken, brushed with spicy buffalo sauce. Paired with a creamy blue cheese dressing, this main-dish salad is also man-friendly. 

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad- A combination of 2 of my favorite food items- pasta and Caesar salad. Making your own Caesar dressing out of Greek yogurt makes for a flavorful salad minus the calories and heavy-handed preservatives. Adding chewy pasta to this salad makes it unforgettable. 

SW Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing- Let me make this clear- I heart cilantro. I love it! There's something so magical about that first chop into a bunch of freshly picked cilantro. The smell that's released is fresh, delicious, and decidedly Latin. This creamy dressing really ties together this colorful, crunchy salad.

Chicken Bacon Avocado Salad- Do you like chicken? Bacon? Avocado? Blue cheese? Raspberry vinaigrette? Put all of these ingredients together, and you have a salad you'll be thinking about for days. Did I say thinking? I meant craving :)

California Cobb Salad- There's no reason not to make this main-dish salad. It's full of of the good stuff. Lots of protein from lean chicken breast and hard-boiled egg. Good fats from the avocado. Plenty of tomato and lettuce. And just enough bacon bits to make life interesting. Tie all of this together with a tangy Italian dressing, and I'll guarantee you won't be hungry after dinner. 

Mediterranean Falafel Salad- Break out of the box. Falafel is healthy, flavorful, and extremely affordable. Pair falafel patties with this Mediterranean salad for a meal-time adventure. Once you're a falafel convert, try it in pitas as a sandwich!

Chicken and Black Bean Salad- This is my Taco Salad without ground beef. This salad has a decidedly Mexican flair with its lime vinaigrette flavored with coriander, chili powder, and cumin. Flavorful chicken, creamy black beans, crunchy peppers and lettuce... I'm starting to get hungry :)

Greek Salad with Shrimp- What's a salad list without Greek salad? The hubby often asks if I could visit anywhere in Europe, where would I like to go? I often reply Greece. Gorgeous beach views, Mediterranean-inspired weather, a plethora of history, and Greek food? Yes, please!  Cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, feta, and succulent shrimp- only the best combination ever. I'll keep making this until I can experience true Greek food for myself.

Apple Walnut Salad with Poppyseed Dressing- This will become your go-to salad dressing if you make it. I promise you it will. We consistently have a bottle of this in our fridge at all times. It's the most amazing and flavorful homemade dressing I've ever made. I can't talk this dressing up enough, you must try it for yourself. Pair the dressing with this salad, or heck, pair it with any salad. The dressing is extremely versatile, it works with almost any ingredient you can think of to throw on a salad. Just trust me on this one. 

Hopefully I've given everyone some salad ideas. In the meantime, I'll be channeling my energy towards producing some new photographs. In between making cookies,  of course, since that's on my agenda as well. My house, cookie-less, just doesn't feel the same.

Happy Monday friends! Have a great week!

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesdays

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Well, guess what my lovely friends? I didn't take a single photo this weekend.

Nil.

Zero.

None.

Sob.

It was a gloomy weekend here in NE Kentucky. There was little to no sun on Saturday, and then yesterday was even worse! The sun began to peek through the clouds a smidge around 6:30 last night, but you can't take pictures at that time of night. So needless to say, I cooked a whole bunch this weekend and yet, I have no photographs. Today is supposed to be sunny, so I'm hoping to spend a couple of hours this afternoon taking pictures. Yep, hours. Here's everything I need to photograph:

Nectarine Yogurt Pops

Blueberry Jam

Thai Pickled Cabbage

Pulled Pork Taco Casserole

Cherry Pie Bars

Wowsers. I have my work cut out for me, so that sun better make an appearance!

In other news, I've demanded the hubby get me a photography light for my birthday so I'm not at the beck and call of the weather. Anyone who would like to contribute to the hubby making it a great birthday for me, contact him :)

So, where did these pictures come from you ask? I've had this recipe tucked in my back pocket for awhile. Saving it for a rainy day (ha!). And that rainy day has arrived. The hubby and I went nuts for this vegetarian pizza. While it's not the most beautiful or colorful, it's the deliciousness that counts. I made this on my homemade pizza crust, which is one of the best recipes I've ever found. There's a creamy béchamel sauce separating the crust from the glorious spinach, artichokes, and cheese. The crust is perfectly crispy. Honestly, this is one of the best homemade pizzas I've made. The hubby and I had no leftovers, we demolished a whole pie by ourselves. What piggies we are!

Did everyone have a great weekend? The hubby and I spent ours around the house. We signed up for a 7-mile run at the end of August, so we've started training for that. I think I mentioned last week that the hubby is very gung-ho on his health kick right now, which is making him very gung-ho on running. He's following a very specific training plan, which I'm going to follow and support him when I can. Meaning -> when he's at work, I'm the type of person that's going to do what she wants. Meaning -> I might do a gym day when I'm supposed to do a light run. Or a long, slow run when I'm supposed to do a short, fast one. 

I'm all for a training program, but I have to keep my personality in mind. If I'm not having fun, and something feels like work or a job, I'm 100% less prone to do it. I've got to keep it fun and light-hearted for me to keep at it. But, like I said, I'm going to support the hubby as much as I can :)

Have a great week everyone!

Ingredients (makes 1 pizza):

Basic Pizza Dough

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz spinach, divided

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

6-7 canned artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the pizza dough according to directions.

2. Preheat oven to 550º. Allow to heat for 1 hour.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. When warm, add 3/4 of the spinach. Sauté until just wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and roughly chop. Set aside.

4. While oven is heating, prepare béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small skillet. When melted, add flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, to cook out raw flour taste. Begin adding milk in small additions, whisking constantly. Add more milk if sauce is too thick. When milk is incorporated, add onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in wilted, cooked spinach. Set aside.

5. When the oven has preheated for 1 hour, turn the oven off and turn the broiler on.

6. Roll your pizza dough out into a very thin circle. Spread the béchamel sauce over the crust. Spread the remaining spinach and chopped artichoke hearts over the sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the crust. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the crust. 

7. Broil in preheated oven 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly, and crust is beginning to get toasty brown spots. Remove from oven, slice, and serve immediately!

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.

Looking for other spinach and/or artichoke recipes? Try these!

Orecchiette with Spinach and Roasted Peppers

Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta Salad

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday