Meatless Monday- 12/30
It’s the last Meatless Monday of the decade! As we go into a new season, consider taking these steps toward a healthier lifestyle. This week’s recipe is a little crispy, but can be placed in the oven or air fryer to make for a healthier alternative!
Risotto Balls
A twist on a classic Italian dish, this recipe takes a spin on an herb-infused risotto and fries it into a delectable treat for vegetarians.
Risotto
¼ cup olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
5 cups vegetable broth
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
To taste:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
How to:
1) In a pan, hear oil, add onions and cook 3 minutes or until onions are soft.
2) In a separate pot, add broth and keep warm.
3) Add rice to onions and stir for 2 minutes. Add white wine and let evaporate. Add the broth, about 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed by the rice.
4) Continue to add broth until rice is creamy and cooked al dente. Turn off heat.
5) Add butter, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine with rice/risotto.
NOTE: Finished risotto is creamy and rice is firm.
Risotto Balls
What you’ll need:
Cooked risotto
½ cup flour
3 eggs
¾ cup breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
How to:
6) Form risotto into balls golf ball size.
7) Set up three bowls for stations - 1) flour 2) 3 whisked eggs and 3) breadcrumbs.
8) On medium-high heat, add oil to skillet.
9) Roll risotto balls in flour and shake off, then in eggs and then in breadcrumbs.
10) Fry in small batches until golden brown. Remove and allow access grease to drain before serving with marinara sauce.
Eggplant Parmasean
To me, with the perfect crispy you won’t even remember you’re not eating meat. I’ve also not eaten meat in 11 years, lol.
What you’ll need:
1-2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
Salt
1 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp vegetable oil, for lightly pan-frying
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups whole milk mozzarella shredded
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese shredded
Handful of fresh basil leaves chopped, for garnish (optional)
How to:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Salt both sides of your eggplant slices and place them in a large colander in the sink. Let the liquid drain for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brush off the excess salt.
3) In 2 shallow plates, add breadcrumbs to one and whisk eggs and milk in the other.
4) Dip both sides of eggplant slice into milk/egg mixture then cover with breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Repeat until all eggplant slices have been coated.
5)Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil into the skillet.
6)Cook on both sides until golden brown, remove and set on a large plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until you've pan-fried them all.
7)In a large casserole dish, add 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices and top with marinara and cheeses on each.
8)Repeat then top with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and brown on top.
Pro tip: Use the broiler for 3 minutes to get the cheese nice and brown, carefully watching and adjusting to your oven.
9) Remove from oven and serve over zoodles topped with basil.
Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)
Okay so baby steps. Let’s replace traditional noodles with zucchini. Super easy to make, but can also be found in the produce section already spiralized in your local grocery store.
What you’ll need:
Olive oil
4 Zucchini
Salt to taste
How to:
1) Suction spiralizer to countertop and insert zucchini one at a time. Gently twist until all of the zucchini is spiralized. Repeat.
2) Place the zoodles in a colander over the sink and toss with salt and sit for 30 minutes.
3) After half an hour, squeeze the zoodles gently to release some additional water.
4) In a pan, heat up oil and pan fry 3-4 mins on medium-high heat. Remove and serve.
Savory Sweet Potatoes
Time to ditch the sugar for some fresh herbs. I mean, after all I’m sure you’ve already indulged in the sweet potato quite a few times in the last weeks. You can opt to make them vegan by not using butter or parmesan.
What you’ll need:
1lb. Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Parmesan (optional)
Melted butter (optional)
How to:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2)In a bowl, stir together olive oil, rosemary, garlic and thyme.
3) Toss potatoes in mixture, season to taste, and add to baking sheet.
4) Roast until tender (about 30 mins.), tossing once halfway through.
5) Remove potatoes from oven, then toss with butter (optional) and sprinkle with parmesan.
6) Garnish with parsley and serve.