John and I were looking for an alternative to oatmeal and wheat-based breakfast cereals.  A friend of mine recommended we try Teff.  She ran across it at Whole Foods.  Teff is a North African grass.  The grain can be ground into flour and used in baking. Teff is kind of like millet or quinoa in terms of cooking.  The Teff we use is a tiny red grain, but I understand it comes in other colors. It is considered high protein – 7 grams -  has 4 grams of fiber and 37 grams of carbohydrates per 1/4 cup dry.  That 1/4 cup dry grain cooks up to just over 1 cup of cooked Teff.  And, that cup of cooked Teff is very filling.  The flavor is different from any other grain I have eaten – hence another reason why it is a good breakfast alternative.

To cook your Teff, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the 1/4 cup Teff, cover and simmer for 15 or so minutes – until it is thick and all of the water is absorbed. You will want to stir it occasionally as well. The alternative is to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a few days. To reheat, measure out your serving in a bowl (a larger one that gives it room to expand), add a little extra water, cover and cook in a microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes.  Serve like you would oatmeal.  I used a little butter, brown sugar, and goat milk.

You can find Teff at stores like Whole Foods. I would also suspect that health food stores may carry it. Or, you can order it online. Bob’s Red Mill has both the grain and Teff flour you can use for baking. We haven’t tried baking with it yet, but it is on the list to try.

John, my husband and I, have been enjoying Meatless Mondays.  We take turns picking dinners during the week, and taking turns on Mondays always produces a surprise.  I’ve found some amazing recipes on the Meatless Monday website including Lemon Mint Qunioa Salad.  We have pulled out our favorite vegetarian cookbooks including Deborah Madison’s great Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  Quick-Fix Vegetarian is another favorite.   And, I’m still craving the watermelon salad from Runner’s world.

We went to a friend’s house on July 5.  She said, “You’re still doing Meatless Mondays, right?  I hope so, because I fixed vegetarian.”  She had some great dishes that have inspired me to continue playing around with my own recipes.  We have also discovered a new to us grain – teff – which makes a great breakfast.

I’m looking forward to next Monday to see what lands on the table.  John made pasta with a tomato sauce including sundried tomatoes and goat milk feta.  I’ll have to see what I can find to top that. . . .

John, my husband, and I have been enjoying Meatless Mondays.  We have some favorite vegetarian recipes, and are having fun finding some new ones.  I thought I’d share a couple with you.

First, I made Lemon Mint Quinoa Salad last night.  Rather than just the white quinoa, I used white, red, and black.  It was very colorful.  One of the keys (we learned the hard way) is to rinse the quinoa for a couple of minutes in a sieve.  This removes the bitter outer coating called saponins.  You’ll know if you don’t rinse long enough.

The second recipe is one John found in this month’s Runner’s World – Watermelon Salad.  One of my favorite things about summer is watermelon.  Neither of us thought the salad would be filling, but were we wrong!  I’ve shared this recipe with several others and everyone is craving it.

Let me know if you give them a try!

I’m always looking for quick and easy meals.  However, I was surprised at the simplicity of this meal when I ran across it on the Cooking Light website.  It is a recipe for Refried Bean Poblanos with Cheese.  Seriously, it has 5 ingredients (OK, 6 if you decide you want cilantro), cooks in a microwave, and was ready in about 15 minutes.  They suggest serving it with a Creamy Chipotle Wedge Salad which has 4 ingredients and can be made while the Poblanos are cooking.

One of the other things I like about the Poblano recipe is that it is vegetarian, but you can make so many modifications with it.  Honestly, John and I kept saying, “Hey, you could . . . ” and suggesting variations for it.  Here are a few we thought of:
- Using different salsas.  For example, using a smoky one would change the flavor of the filling.
- We used refried black beans instead of pinto.
- You could cook and add some ground turkey or beef.
- Change the type of cheese.
- I used fresh peppers, but they have different dried peppers in the store.  Each would give it a different flavor.

This recipe is also fabulous for Meatless Mondays!

I hope you try and enjoy this recipe.  If you have favorite recipes you’d be willing to share, I’d enjoy receiving them.

I’ve seen and heard several of my foodie and RD friends joining the “Meatless Mondays” movement.  Even Mario Batali has gotten in on the movement at his restaurants.  What is all the buzz about?

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health started the movement with the goal of cutting meat consumption by 15% to improve both public health and the health of the planet.  They have established a website – Meatless Mondays – to provide information, education, and recipes.  You can also sign a pledge to go meatless on Mondays.  Consumption of meats has been linked to many diseases including cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, obesity, and diabetes.  Reducing meat consumption is also a way to reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the need to produce, process, and ship meat products.

One of the things I really like about Meatless Mondays is that it is an easy way to try something different – eating vegetarian for a day.  It challenges you, and me, to try new recipes and eat out of my normal “box” of recipes and foods.  I do have several vegetarian cookbooks, but they are not the ones I normally reach for on a daily basis.

As you think about your meals for next week, think about going meatless on Monday.  You can find great recipes at Meatless Mondays, at Vegetarian Times, and Cooking Light among others.

I’ve signed the pledge to go meatless on Mondays.  Even if you don’t sign the pledge, you can reduce your meat consumption and increase your fruit and vegetable intake by going. . . Meatless on Mondays!

Several of my RD and foodie friends have been talking about the “Meatless Monday” movement.  This is a movement started by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to promote a reduction in meat consumption to improve public health and the health of the planet.   Reducing meat consumption can help lower your risk for several diseases including some cancers, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.  It also helps the planet by reducing the need to produce, process, and transport meat to stores.

What’s involved in “meatless Mondays”?  Simple, not eating meat on Monday.  The John Hopkins group has established a website where you can find recipes to help you go meatless on Monday.  You can also sign a pledge and sign up to receive weekly newsletters to help you have a meatless Monday.

I’ve signed the pledge and am looking at recipes for Monday.  I should also add it to my calendar to remind me until it becomes a habit.

Here’s to going meatless on Mondays!