Meatless Monday

The whole idea behind Meatless Mondays is to take a small step that makes a big difference. Going meatless once a week reduces your meat consumption - which in turn  promotes global sustainability, reduces your grocery budget, and improves your diet. One person doing all this doesn't make a big difference - but lots of people doing this does. Going meatless was a campaign promoted in America and beyond during World Wars I and II as a way to make sure that everyone had what they needed during hard times. In this time of economic turmoil, it just makes sense to revive the tradition. Besides, isn't retro the way to go? 

The Freelance Muses fully support Meatless Mondays – we think it’s always a good idea (and good manners) to think about things beyond yourself.

With that said, we launch our Meatless Monday post series. Each Monday we’ll feature a new meatless recipe for you to try, and, depending on how ambitious we’re feeling, we’ll also share a statistic about how going meatless once a week helps the environment, your wallet, and your health.

Enough talking.

The East Coast Muse and her dear husband invited a guest over for dinner a few Mondays ago. What better way to spread the word about Meatless Monday than to have their guest partake as well?

On the menu for that evening:

• Soft tacos made of adobo black beans and/or taco garbanzo beans
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Mexican rice

You can't get any easier than these vegetarian soft tacos!

ingredients:

One can black beans
One can garbanzo beans
Adobo seasoning
One taco seasoning pack

Rinse and drain the black beans. Heat the beans in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add Adobo to taste and a teensey bit of olive oil (to make those spices stick). Voila.

No, we’re not kidding. That it’s.

For the garbanzo beans – rinse and drain the garbanzo beans. Follow the directions on the back of the taco seasoning packet, subbing the beans in the directions for the ground beef. Use a bit less water than called for.

Provide dinner guests with a variety of tortillas – corn, flour, whole wheat – and homemade guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, cilantro and whatever other garnishes you prefer for your tacos!

Grilled corn on the cob

Remove the outer husks of the corn and trim the silk. Soak the corn under water for 15 minutes (those bad boys love to float to the surface – make sure you wedge them in a pot so they stay under water).
Peel back the layers of the remaining husk and generously butter and salt the corn.
Replace the husk and plop the corn on the grill until cooked through – usually 15-20 minutes.

Mexican rice

The East Coast Muse is a hard working woman, and on a weekday she opts for as easy as easy comes. For weekday Mexican rice, she uses her rice cooker and adds salt, a little bit of adobo, cumin and chili powder. Once the rice is steamed, fluff with a fork and add some room temperature butter.

That’s it! Going meatless is so easy, so healthy, and so fast. Anyone can do it!

For more information about the Meatless Monday campaign, visit http://www.meatlessmonday.com/.