Meat-free Mondays (or Tuesdays...)

Beatles or Stones? Back in the '60s, I could never choose. Sometimes I was in the mood for the bad boys, and sometimes I couldn't get enough of the Fab Four.

John Lennon or Paul McCartney? Again, why choose?  I loved them both.

Carnivore or vegetarian? With Paleo, you can be an omnivore: One day you can dine on a juicy grass-fed  steak and the next, you can go vegan. Isn't it cool that we don't have to choose?

Which brings us back to Paul McCartney. He and his family have started a movement called Meat Free Monday, which encourages people to reduce their environmental footprint by having at least one meat-free day per week. The idea is to help slow climate change (livestock production is responsible for at least 15 % of global gas emissions, according to several research studies) and preserve natural resources across the globe.

Although Paleo eschews grains, legumes, dairy and soy, it isn't difficult to come up with some delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes (see below).

So, in anticipation of the upcoming New Year and its accompanying resolutions, I'm going to do my part to reduce global warming by going meatless at least one day a week. Want to join me?
​

---

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Paleo Mozzarella, Mushrooms and Onions

I really miss pasta, and when I don't feel like dragging out the pasta maker to make homemade Paleo pasta, spaghetti squash is my go-to alternative. And I can't say enough about Jane's Healthy Kitchen's Paleo cheeses ( or her website, www.janeshealthykitchen.com, which has pretty amazing recipes as well as the science behind Paleo choices). Jane was gracious enough to allow me to share her recipe for mozzarella here. Even confirmed cheese snobs like my husband think this cheese is pretty awesome!

Ingredients

For roasted squash
1 spaghetti squash, pricked with fork in several places (this is so the squash doesn't explode in your oven)

For mushrooms and onions
1 1/2 cups Baby Bella or white mushrooms caps, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 TBS olive oil

For mozzarella
2 TBS lemon juice
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (thick)
1 cup coconut butter, softened (put jar in warm water)
3 TBS nutritional yeast (available at natural food stores)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), available at natural food stores or pharmacies
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Make mozzarella first ( or even the day before...there will be lots left over for other purposes)

1. Put lemon juice, coconut milk, coconut butter, nutritional yeast, salt and vitamin C crystals in a food processor and blend well.
2. Add melted coconut oil and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into freezer-safe container and freeze for one hour.
4. Remove from freezer and allow to warm for 5 minutes, then slice or grate as much cheese as you would like for spaghetti squash. Keep leftover cheese refrigerated.

To cook squash:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put whole squash ( don't forget to pierce the skin with a fork) in pan in the oven and roast for one hour until tender. When squash is done, remove from oven and let cool.
2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Remove seeds and then shred pulp with a fork, until strands resemble spaghetti . Put "spaghetti" in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. This recipe will use half the squash. Reserve the other half for another meal.
​
For mushrooms and onions:
1. Put olive oil in pan, heat, and add sliced onions, cook over low heat until soft and melty.
2. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft.

To assemble:
1. Mix mushrooms and onions into squash, then add the sliced or grated cheese. Mix and serve.

---

Baked Sweet Potato/Kohlrabi Latkes

I told my husband  that we were going to have veggie burgers for dinner. He thinks he detests veggie burgers, so he threatened to "get McDonald's". So I said, actually, we were going to have sweet potato latkes (pancakes), and he forgot all about McDonald's. And, in fact, although I thought these baked patties would turn out to be a Paleo version of a veggie burger, they don't actually resemble burgers at all, so I wasn't lying. I served it with the Curried Cauliflower (recipe below) for a really satisfying Meat Free Monday meal (even though it was Friday).

Anyway, you can make this recipe with any kind of shredded  vegetables. Kohlrabi happens to be my new favorite, especially eaten raw as a snack. It's kind of like a cross between a cucumber and a radish, but it is not spicy. It is extremely crunchy, so I like to cut it in chunks (peel first), sprinkle with salt, ground cumin and ground coriander and, at 36 calories a cup, it is much healthier than chips or crackers, even Paleo chips and crackers.

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
8 ounces kohlrabi, peeled and cut in spears
1/2 small onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
Coconut milk yogurt (see blog post for 10/22/15)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grate sweet potato, kohlrabi  and onion in food processor using grating attachment
3. Put mixture  in large bowl and mix in other ingredients
4. With your hands, form mixture into patties, squeezing out as much liquid as possible
5. Bake on parchment lined pan for 15 minute, then turn and bake for another 15 minutes until crisp.
6. To serve, top with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

---

Curried Cauliflower

Indian food lends itself perfectly to vegetarian meals. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TBS chopped parsley

1. Heat coconut oil, then stir in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, onions, salt and turmeric. Simmer for two minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and stir so florets are coated, then stir in ground cumin
3. Cover pan and simmer about 15 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
4. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

A happy and healthy New Year to all!