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Monday, May 13, 2013

Meatless Monday #11


Frontier Natural Products Co-Op Bac 'Uns Vegetarian Bits - 2.7 oz
I used this brand

I usually decide on Saturday what I will enjoy for Meatless Monday.  And, if it requires a bit of preparation, I also prepare it on Saturday.  By Monday, the flavors have marinated together, and it usually tastes even better!  Well, after watching several YT videos (of vegetarian shepherd's pies), I decided that I would try another Shepherd's Pie.  The last time I made one was last spring, and I used vegetable crumbles to replace the meat.  My children said it was okay.  Definitely filling!  But, at that time, I had only used meatless crumbles a few times - not the brand that I currently use.  So, the taste was still new to us. 


So, after Monique over at Brown Vegan shared her enchilada recipe with lentils,  I decided that I would replace the meat with lentils.  And, this is what I came up with!

  1. First, I sautéed a half cup of chopped onion with olive oil (about 10 minutes or so). Afterwards, I added in about a half cup of chopped carrots, a half cup of bell peppers, a half cup of celery, and 1 chopped zucchini.  I allowed this to cook about 5 minutes before adding 1 small can of tomato sauce.  Then, I covered this with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or so.
  2. I had already cooked the lentils, and I was allowing them to drain while I sautéed the vegetables.  I poured the lentils into the vegetable mixture, mixed everything together,  and seasoned to taste.  Almost forgot!  I also added in one small can of vegetarian beans.  After adding all of this, I did have to transfer everything to a larger saucepan. 
  3. The mashed potatoes which I used to top my vegetable mixture was also prepared ahead of time.  I pureed a small bag of cauliflower and mixed it with the mashed potatoes.  Then, I sprinkled the bottom of my olive oil coated Pyrex dish with vegan bacon bits.  Afterwards, I poured in the vegetable mixture and topped it with cheese before I added the potato mixture to the top.
I allowed this to bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.  As it cooled, I topped it with more shredded cheese.












And with a salad - DELICIOUS!

8 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It really is. I think that I will experiment with different vegetables the next time.

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  2. Terrific! I too have named Monday "meatless"...which isn't always embraced by my husband!

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    1. I truly understand. My husband does not embrace "Meatless " at all! He is a true carnivore - all of the time!

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  3. I've found you can get away with meatless if there's a ton of cheese involved. :) Thanks for linking up to Let's Get Real again!

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  4. You are getting so creative with your meatless meals. I wouldn't have thought to turn a meat focused meal into a meatless version. I bet it was delicious. You gave me lots of ideas here on how I can get more vegetables into my family on a regular basis. Thanks so much for sharing this with our readers at Let's Get Real. What are we going to do about these meat-eating husbands?

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    1. Meat-eating husbands! We've just got to let them change their diets on their own terms - with much love! I have discovered that it is very difficult to encourage a picky eating husband to eat differently.

      Thanks for commenting!

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