Meatless Monday | Dinner Menu
It's taken me a awhile to get this post up as we just moved into our new place, had to unpack and then had Christmas festivities! I've got a meatless Monday dairy-free dinner menu for you guys. It's quick and easy. It was the last dinner I made my sister-in-law and brother back in Winnipeg. I made falafel patties served with a side of sweet potato wedges and beet brownies for dessert. It's a quick and easy dinner but so delicious!
Falafel Patties
I used a recipe I found on Healthy Girls Kitchen for Falafel Burgers. I especially loved the addition of turmeric in these - such an amazing anti-inflammatory spice and gives them a beautiful yellow hue! I made only a few small changes, and opted for no bun and just served it over a bed of spinach with cucumber and tomatoes. I personally find falafel to be a bit dense and soft, so the addition of the bun seemed necessary.
Makes: 10 patties
Prep Time: 40 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients:
2 large garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 15oz cans of chickpeas
1 cup traditional oats
1/4 cup rice flour
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbs water
Tahini Sauce:
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbs lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs water
dash of salt
Serve with:
Spinach
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Feta Cheese (if not doing dairy free)
Avocado, alfalfa sprouts or any other veggie would work great too!
Instructions:
Place garlic cloves, parsley and scallions in a blender until well combined.
2. Add the remaining ingredients up to red pepper flakes and blend until well combined, but not a paste. Leave a few chunks for texture in the patty. I had to scrape down the sides of the blender as I went as to not over blend. Once everything is incorporated transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. While the mixture is chilling, combine all of the tahini sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Store in fridge until ready to serve.
Remove falafel mixture from fridge and form into patties. Place a large non-stick skillet on the stove on med-high heat. Put 3-4 patties on the skillet at a time, depending on the size of your skillet. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until browned and a bit crispy.
5. Serve over a bed of spinach topped with cucumbers and tomatoes. Top patty with tahini sauce.
Sweet Potato Wedges
These literally melt in your mouth. If you're looking for a crispy sweet potato fry, these are not it. The inspiration for these comes from my brother-in-law Steve who is a chef. He made these at the cottage this summer and I fell in love!
Serves: 6 people
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp fresh Italian parsley
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the sweet potato into wedges and place in a bowl.
3. In a small bowl combine the olive oil and spices.
4. Pour 3/4 of the mixture over the sweet potato wedges, toss to coat and spread evenly on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are browned.
6. Remove from the oven and toss with remaining olive oil mixture.
Beet Brownies
The original recipe I found called for sweet potato, but since I was already serving sweet potatoes with dinner and I had some beets in the fridge, I decided to improvise! Well it turned out to be an amazing substitution. I LOVED these, and so did everyone else. The beets almost made them taste like cherry and I could not stop eating them.
Makes: 24 squares
Prep Time: 50 min
Cook Time: 17 min
Ingredients
2 medium sized beets
3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
3/4 cup rice flour (any flour will work here, I have also used spelt)
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder (I use this brand)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel beets with a potato peeler (if you don't want your hands to get pink, wear gloves). Slice into 1" rounds.
Put a piece of tinfoil on a baking sheet and put the sliced beets in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and tent the tinfoil over the beets and pinch shut. Bake for 25-30 min or until beets are tender.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan (I have also used an 8x8 pan, which gives you a thicker gooey brownie!).
Place beets, eggs, coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a blender and process until smooth.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sea salt and baking powder in a separate bowl and mix to combine.
Add to the blender and process until fully combined. Pour the mixture into your 9x13 pan. It will seem very thin, but they rise a little bit and they actually taste really great as a thin brownies.
Bake for 15 minutes (bake for ~20 in an 8x8 pan).
8. While they are baking melt the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the almond milk in the microwave. Do it in 30 second intervals so you don't burn the chocolate. Once melted, add the remaining 1/4 cup of almond milk and whisk until smooth. This will be your "frosting" once it sits for awhile it will thicken.
9. When the brownie is completely cooled take it out of the pan and put the frosting on. Cut into squares and place in the fridge until ready to eat!
Side Note: My dad suggested sprinkling with sea salt right after spreading the frosting on. I think this would be amazing. I am going to try it next time I make them!
I am in love with this simple meal and can't stop thinking about these brownies! I flew back to NY the next morning so I didn't even get any of the leftovers. I will have to make them again soon! Enjoy your meatless Monday :).
Best,
Stacey