It's that time of the year, New Year, New You! If you've made the decision that in 2018, this is the year you are going to make a conscious effort to go plant-based by far, one of the easiest and most simple fun ways to start eating plant-based is by doing one meat-free day a week like Meatless Monday, Tofu Tuesday, or Salads Sunday.
Here is an example menu of what I eat on a vegetarian Meatless Monday. You could be more adventurous and do a whole vegan day which means no animal-based foods whatsoever.
Breakfast - A bed of greens salad with sugar snap peas, chopped radishes and crumbled sheep cheese. For the greens, I used a mix of arugula and baby kale which is leafier and much softer than mature kale. Trader Joe's sells bagged baby kale in their produce section. A lemon vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing goes well with this salad.
Lunch - Bruschetta grilled cheese sandwich with roasted tomato, garlic and basil coupled with tomato bisque soup. For more protein in this lunch, go with a lentil or black bean soup. For the cheese, I used Daiya's Jalapeno Havarti because I am allergic to dairy. You could use a plant-based cheese with vegan butter to make the sandwich vegan or for vegetarian use your favorite sliced cheese like a pepper jack or provolone. Slice the heirloom tomato. Massage the tomato, and a couple cloves of sliced garlic and a handful of chopped basil leaves with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to tas
Snack - Jicama fries with a garlic Sriracha aioli. This snack is easy and crunchy. Just cut some jicama into fries shape and voilah! For the aioli dip, mix together in a bowl, 4 tablespoons of mayo (I use Just Mayo), 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (for more heat add more Sriracha,) and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together well. This aioli is a fantastic spread for sandwiches too.
Dinner - (eating out) This meal was from the Whole Foods hot foods bar but you could make something comparable at home. Roasted acorn squash with Harissa sauce, red quinoa salad with cherry tomatoes and balsamic mushrooms, and a mixed green salad. I added sunflower seeds from some protein. Here is a Harissa recipe from Saveur or you can buy Harissa sauce bottled typically in the condiment section of the grocery store. Here is a wonderful spicy red quinoa salad recipe from Pass Me Some Tasty.
