Meatless Monday for Mom

Do you observe Meatless Monday? Have you ever heard of Meatless Monday?

It's a movement started back in 2003 as a way to improve the health of people worldwide, as well as to improve the health of the planet. (The production of animal protein consumes huge amounts of natural resources: water, fossil fuels, and topsoil, and also contributes significant pollution to water and air.)

Last week my Mom embarked on the challenge of Meatless Monday with my Dad, an avowed meat and potatoes kind of guy. It hadn't even been two hours into the actual Monday before her stress levels were elevating regarding choosing a meat-free dish that would satisfy the man who was trying to convince her that "fish isn't really meat."

Anyway, she landed on a lentil soup recipe along with mashed carrots and rutabegas, which sounds interesting and I want to try. It was a success, but there are many Mondays left in the year! So today, to help my Mom's cause and anyone else looking to remove some meat from their diet,  I'm featuring a meat-free burger from a cookbook Zach bought me for Christmas, The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn.

Rip is a firefighter in Austin and a triathlete who eats nothing but plant-based foods. (AKA, a vegan, although it's interesting that he never uses that word. I suppose he's aware of the stigma that surrounds that term. He uses "plant-strong" or "plant-based" instead.)

It's a great book, with about half of the pages devoted to the science behind plant-based diets and the latter half devoted to recipes.

One of the myths The Engine 2 diet dispels is that "you can't get enough protein from plant foods." I think one look at the author (the triathlete) puts that argument to rest.

I think it's more likely that Americans consume too much protein, and a lot of us would benefit from one or two days per week without any animal protein.

Saturday night we tried out the "New York Times Veggie Burger" from The Engine 2 Diet, and not only were they tasty, but they also looked a heckuva lot like real beef burgers. It was uncanny, really. And the consistency was much like a traditional burger.

We usually have our veggie burgers over a bed of lettuce or spinach, but I think if you slapped one of these patties on a regular bun with all the fixins', you just might be able to fool some people. We all liked these veggie burgers -- even Kate!

Check out The Engine 2 Diet and give Meatless Monday a try for yourself. Maybe you'll find a few recipes that you like. Here's the recipe!

New York Times Veggie Burgers from The Engine 2 Diet

INGREDIENTS
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies, drained (that's Rotel, for you Texans)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup parsley or cilantro (I used ½ cup loosely packed cilantro)
2 cups quick rolled oats (Here's a trick: if you only have rolled oats on hand, take the oats and pulse them in your food processor a few times. It cuts them up into smaller pieces, which is essentially what quick oats are.)
8 whole grain buns
Fresh veggie toppings and healthy condiments

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450º. Process the first seven ingredients using an immersion or a regular blender or food processor. Remove contents into a large bowl and stir in the oats. Form into patties, place on a sprayed baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Turn oven up to broil and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. Toast the buns and pile on your favorite toppings.
Variation:
Sauté the burgers on medium heat in a sprayed nonstick skillet for 5 minutes on each side, until both sides are browned.

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Workout of the Day

Les Mills Combat: Shock Plyo HIIT 2

5 rounds of the following circuit: 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 20 crunches.