A Mostly Meatless Week
Hi, there. It has been a minute since we talked about dinner. My apologies for the delay. This past week we had a yummy set of meals that turned out to be - mostly - meatless!
While we aren’t moving toward a 100% vegetarian diet, we are actively trying to have a few meatless meals each week. We are still eating very well, finding great new flavors, and enjoying this new “twist” to our meal planning. I hope our current dishes inspire you to try a few meatless nights as well! They’re all delicious. 🙂
Let’s eat!
Oven Fried Cajun Popcorn Chicken with Creamy Honey Mustard
Ok, this is not meatless, but it certainly was awesome. We made this game-day dish for the SuperBowl and I cannot recommend it enough. Oven-fried chicken is far healthier than deep-frying in oil and the taste is still superb.
We paired the chicken with the recipe-included honey mustard (quick and delicious) and added a pre-made blue cheese dressing, you know, just for fun. In this day and age, I personally prefer two dips for my popcorn chicken. Because two options are always better (and more delicious) than one.
For the record, this dish is easily made gluten free by using gluten free Panko instead of corn flakes. But if you can find those gluten free, then by all means, go ahead! :)
Vegetarian Chili with Lots of Fritos
Recipe via Basically, Bon Appétit
No longer must we be wary of the meatless chili. This filling chili is hearty in the best way and never once did I feel as though it was “missing something.” It’s packed with beans for protein, crushed tortilla chips (or Fritos) for the best texture, and delicious garnish (avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and more chips) to bring it all together. I’m drooling.
While we don’t always lean toward meatless recipes when it comes to chili, I had to try this one based on the name alone. Any time a lot of chips are included in a dinner time feature, I’m inclined to try it. We loved it. The depths of flavors and the ease at which this dish came together made it a total win. I know we will keep this recipe handy; perfect for a winter (winner) dinner.
Warm Chickpea and Green Bean Salad with Aioli
Recipe via New York Times Cooking
In case you’re interested in a low-key meal with minimal ingredients, but is hearty enough to be a light dinner, then here you go. This dish is very basic, and could be considered a side dish, but I loved it as a main course.
It was particularly warm (for February) when we made this dinner so we needed a meal that had hints of the warmth to come. Green beans aren’t in season yet, but they’re still available at the grocery store (their journey to our table is just a bit longer). Chickpeas are a pantry staple that I’ve grown to require in at least two dinners each week. And homemade aioli is a joy. Aioli is amazing; pure and simple.
Make this meal as a main course, a side dish, or save it for the spring; it’s a delicious plate that’s worth the wait.
Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Capers
Recipe via New York Times Cooking
If there ever were a time to add pasta, then this would be it. This very saucy meal was yummy, but it needed something extra. And by extra I mean pasta. Or bread. Or something for all of that sauce! The chicken was great and I loved the salty capers, but it was missing the goodness of mixing it all together with spaghetti.
When a meal is missing an “addition,” I don’t blame anyone in particular. Sure, the recipe notes could’ve said “serve over pasta or with bread,” which it may have and I just glossed over it. Or maybe it didn’t say that and I should’ve spoken up.
In our efforts to steer clear of the “extra carbs” most of the time, while at home, sometimes we make a mistake. Certain meals really do need that bread! Or the spaghetti. Ooh, garlic bread would be awesome. For the record, we did enjoy this dinner. It was just not quite complete. ;)
Crispy Chickpea and Smoked Salmon Salad
Adapted from a recipe in Cook90 by David Tamarkin. Read about Cook90, here.
By the end of the week, we focused on a favorite, which is often what happens after many busy days and many (slightly) more elaborate meals. This salad is one I’ve come to love, tend to seek out quite often, and I’m glad it’s so easy to prepare.
Essentially, this is a bowl of mixed greens (or just use one variety) tossed with crispy chickpeas (use a lot of oil), sliced radishes, and smoked salmon. While the original recipe calls for cooked salmon (a leftover from a different meal), I prefer smoked salmon because it’s easily available at the grocery store and I don’t like regular salmon (I’m sorry).
The salad flavors and textures go together so well and the lemon juice “dressing” really highlights it all so well. Maybe I’m just a major fan of salty salads, but this one will always be at the top of my list as a quick, scrumptious dish that’s healthy, filling, and fantastic. #teamsmokedsalmon
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As always, please leave a comment or send us a note with any questions about our meals.
Enjoy!
