No Meat - Once a Week

[sattie]

After watching an episode of 30 Days last night, DH and I are inspired to eliminate meat from 1 dinner a week. (This is a starting point... I do hope to make it 3 or 4 days a week.)

With that being said, I would like some ideas on hearty meals that will fill the void and still be satisfying. Both DH and I love our veggies respectively, but not so much that we would eat a veggie stew. And we are not looking to replace meat with a soy product either.

I guess I could use this one day to really try some new and exciting stuff!

TIA!

 

[texasgirl]

We did this by making large salads with all the veggies that we liked, a soup and bread.

 

[sattie]

That is a great idea.... now I'm trying to think of a good soup without meat!!

 

[RobsanX]

Make omelets stuffed with your favorite ingredients. Have baked potato nights with plenty of toppings. Any creamed soup or potato soup is good too...

 

[DramaQueen]

I eat fish (salmon, trout, halibut) or shellfish (shrimp, scallops) twice per week religiously. But I also have one day that I eat no meat, poultry or seafood. My dinner can consist of a soup, salad with cheese or beans, a slice of crusty artisan bread and fruit for dessert.
Or I make an assortmant of steamed veggies OR a vegetarian pasta dish with a salad and bread. The content of the pasta sauce, the salads and the veggie medley is up to you but you get the idea. I even like an omellette for dinner with toast and jam. Not a health issue, I just like those things. Works for me.

But I can't give up my veal, beef, pork or lamb the rest of the week.

 

[sattie]

DH is not big on omelets... but I guess that does not mean that he could have scrambled eggs. Cream of potato soup sounds great. Actually, I make a leek and potato soup that is really good. But if I use chicken broth... does that count as a meat????

 

[Katie H]

Buck and I always had a meatless meal once a week. This time of the year, macaroni and cheese, a tossed salad and some crusty bread was one of our favorites.

 

[sattie]

I eat fish (salmon, trout, halibut) or shellfish (shrimp, scallops) twice per week religiously. But I also have one day that I eat no meat, poultry or seafood. My dinner can consist of a soup, salad with cheese or beans, a slice of crusty artisan bread and fruit for dessert.
Or I make an assortmant of steamed veggies OR a vegetarian pasta dish with a salad and bread. The content of the pasta sauce, the salads and the veggie medley is up to you but you get the idea. I even like an omellette for dinner with toast and jam. Not a health issue, I just like those things. Works for me.

But I can't give up my veal, beef, pork or lamb the rest of the week.

Thanks for the ideas DQ... and like you, I like my meat. I just want to do something good for me and good for the environment. Even if it is baby steps.

 

[DramaQueen]

That is a great idea.... now I'm trying to think of a good soup without meat!!

How about vegetable soup, tomato soup, potato leek soup, carrot/cilantro soup, mushroom soup, butternut squash soup, onion soup, the list goes on forever. You can google "vegetarian soups" and find more soups than you knew existed. All of these soups are very easy to make and if you make a large pot you can freeze individual meal sized portions for next time.

 

[sattie]

Buck and I always had a meatless meal once a week. This time of the year, macaroni and cheese, a tossed salad and some crusty bread was one of our favorites.

Ahhhh.... very nice.... that does sound good!

 

[RobsanX]

DH is not big on omelets... but I guess that does not mean that he could have scrambled eggs. Cream of potato soup sounds great. Actually, I make a leek and potato soup that is really good. But if I use chicken broth... does that count as a meat????

I suppose it depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you are trying to eliminate fat, then you can buy fat free broth. If you are doing it for environmental reasons, then in actuality broth can be considered a byproduct of meat processing. If you are doing it for religious reasons, just have a fish fry like people here in Wisconsin!

 

[sattie]

How about vegetable soup, tomato soup, potato leek soup, carrot/cilantro soup, mushroom soup, butternut squash soup, onion soup, the list goes on forever. You can google "vegetarian soups" and find more soups than you knew existed. All of these soups are very easy to make and if you make a large pot you can freeze individual meal sized portions for next time.

DH is a bit pickier than I am when it comes to soups. He is not big on cream or smooth soups. And not big on giant chukns of veggies. So I need to find soups that have beans, taters, pasta, and some veggies.

You know... I'm even thinking of sneaking in vegitarian chili using a soy meat product. I know I said I did not want to replace it... but this might be the time to try it out and see how DH reacts???

 

[sattie]

I suppose it depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you are trying to eliminate fat, then you can buy fat free broth. If you are doing it for environmental reasons, then in actuality broth can be considered a byproduct of meat processing. If you are doing it for religious reasons, just have a fish fry like people here in Wisconsin!

The only reason I thought about it is if it actually qualifies at a meat if you use chicken or beef broth for making something. I guess not... but I tend to question stuff like that.

 

[Andy M.]

I have seen many recipes for potato leek soup, including one from Julia Child, that used water in place of any broths. Of course, you coud use vegetable broth.

How about pasta with a marinara sauce? Or a lasagna with no meat.

Chinese and Indian recipes offer a wide range of vegetarian dishes. You could even do all veggie take-out from Chinese or Indian restaurants. e.g. spring rolls, tempura vegetables, veggie lo mein or veggie fried rice.

 

[sattie]

I have seen many recipes for potato leek soup, including one from Julia Child, that used water in place of any broths. Of course, you coud use vegetable broth.

How about pasta with a marinara sauce? Or a lasagna with no meat.

Chinese and Indian recipes offer a wide range of vegetarian dishes. You could even do all veggie take-out from Chinese or Indian restaurants. e.g. spring rolls, tempura vegetables, veggie lo mein or veggie fried rice.

Awesome ideas Andy!!! Thanks!

Here is the other thing.... and I know this is all on me, but I want our meatless night to be one we look forward to and not one that we cringe about. So I really need to makes some tasty food!!!

 

[Andy M.]

I understand, sattie.

Are you saying none of the suggestions so far do that? Can you give us an idea of what makes a meal special for you guys, other than meat, of course.

 

[sattie]

I understand, sattie.

Are you saying none of the suggestions so far do that? Can you give us an idea of what makes a meal special for you guys, other than meat, of course.

Oh no Andy, everything mentioned thus far has been a great ideas. I just said that because for someone like me and DH, we really do look forward to our meats. Meats to me make the meal. Everything else can be bad, but as long as you have a perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked piece of meat... I'm happy! So yea, the meat entree makes it special. So that is a hard thing to replace for us without having something that just makes us forget that we are not eating meat.

Honestly, I can do this much easier that DH... I can make a meal out of beans, pasta, and other things easily enough. DH is the one I'm worried about satisfying.

 

[kitchenelf]

That is a great idea.... now I'm trying to think of a good soup without meat!!

Sattie - make a minestrone. Saute some onions, leeks, celery, and carrots then add some canned petite diced tomatoes, about 1 TBS of sugar, thyme, fresh basil chiffonade, and vegetable broth to cover and then some (there is more going in here so you want enough broth). Let flavors blend for about 10 minutes or so. Add some sliced zucchini, cabbage, white beans, and cook until tender. Green beans are good in here too but I prefer whole canned beans. When ready to serve place in bowl and top with some grated Parmesan. Somewhere in there there's salt and pepper too, of course.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Any pasta recipe that utilizes a meatless sauce - there must be hundreds of them. And soups - goodness - there must be thousands.

 

[B'sgirl]

We go without meet once or twice a week usually. We often just have a vegetables stir-fry, bean burritos, Spanish rice, meatless pasta, salad, pancakes/waffles, or I like to make a layered dish with hash browns, eggs/cream cheese blended, cheese, green onions and tomatoes. It's really pretty easy and it is good for our budget!