Happy National Taco Day!

Celebrate National Taco Day and Meatless Monday with these Tempeh Tacos.

Meatless Monday: Summer Bean Salads

Whether you're a vegetarian or not, bean salads are a great side for summer barbecues. Most of our recipes involve opening a few cans, chopping just a few vegetables, and tossing everything together - super SIMPLE! So check out our 2 quick-tips for bean salads and our 6 easy bean salad recipes!

1. Instead of draining the beans using the lid of the can (yes, it's easier but you'll smush your beans!), strain them in a strainer. Your bean salad will look that much nicer when you serve it for guests! It's also not a bad idea to run a little water through the strainer to rinse the beans.


2. If possible, refrigerate your bean salads for at least an hour before serving. The sauce will soak into the beans more and everything will set nicely. An added bonus is that you can get it out of the way well before guests come instead of scrambling last-minute.

Celebrate Meatless Monday (and summer in general!) with one of our top 6 bean salads:

1. Mexicorn Bean Salad: Contributed by Stephanie Ashcraft, author of "101 Things to do with a Salad", this easy bean salad is a surefire hit.







2. Ranch Dressing Bean Salad: The cheesy, creamy goodness of this salad sets it apart from your average bean salad!







3. 4 Bean Salad: If you like vinaigrette dressing, you'll love this four bean salad.








4. Broccoli Bean Salad: Skip the bacon for Meatless Monday or substitute with veggie bacon - either way this salad is fabulous!







5. Best Party Dip Ever: Don't be fooled by the name - yes, it's great for parties but it's not just a dip! It makes for a great side of bean salad as well, so give it a shot at your next BBQ!






6. Light Mexican Bean Salad: Flavored with salsa and light cheese, this is great for people who aren't big on creamy bean salads.

Be sure to check out all our recipes for easy summer barbecues!

We are happy to support the Meatless Monday initiative. Check 'em out for more info!

Mexican Meatless Monday!

As a vegetarian, do you ever feel like you are you are left out when people invite you over for Mexican food? Afraid that you will be stuck with boring old beans and rice, minus the beans if they are cooked with any sort of meat in them? Taco salad becomes lettuce and salsa; fajitas become soggy veggies and sour cream. Your friends tell you that they couldn't live without meat because of this and although you never waver in your decision to lead a vegetarian lifestyle, you understand what your dinner looks like to them - not especially exciting.

Luckily for you, there are many more solutions than you might have imagined - Mexican food leads to an incredible array of healthy vegetarian options. Let's focus on one specifically: Tempeh Tacos. They are delicious, healthy (aka low in calories and fat), and are packed with vitamins and protein. Who needs that fried beef chimichanga? Not you!



Be sure to check out all of FunnySpoon's vegetarian recipes!

Erin Lizzo is a freelance writer and food lover - a perfect combination for FunnySpoon.com. She'll be contributing fabulous (and easy) vegetarian recipes that everyone can enjoy! We already promote going meatless one day per week, so we're looking forward to her fave suggestions!

We are happy to support the Meatless Monday initiative. Check 'em out for more info!

Meatless Monday: Picking Your Veggies

We've posted this before, but it's very relevant now that all the gardens are popping with fresh spring and summer veggies. It's time to figure out where you should be shopping and what you should be eating, right?

Everyone always says fresh is best when it comes to most food - especially fruits and veggies. But is it? This is a much debated topic and I thought I'd share my perspective. Not saying my opinions are scientifically accurate ... they're simply the rules I try to live by.

• Buy local. Fruits and veggies are always best if you can buy them at your local farmer's market or if they come from your backyard. You know where they've come from and how far they've traveled. Strawberries from a farm 10 miles away are much better than berries shipped in from Costa Rica (you can assume they're at least a few days off the vine by the time they make it to your grocery). And you're being much friendlier to the environment by buying locally.


• Buy fresh, seasonal at the grocery. It's simple, eat corn on the cob in July, not December. Seasonal items are going to be grown more 'naturally' resulting in much better taste and much lower prices!


• Buy frozen. If something isn't in season and you've just got to have it, i.e. corn on the cob, buy frozen. Many times frozen fruits and veggies are fresher than the "fresh" produce because they're picked, processed and immediately frozen - many times within the same day. Whereas "fresh" produce is picked, sits in a warehouse, is shipped to your grocery, sits in the storeroom and then is placed out in the produce bins (and sometimes it might sit there for a few days, too). Frozen is fresh, healthy and won't easily go bad so it's simple to always have something on hand and easy to eat your veggies!


• (Avoid) Canned. This is usually my last resort. I've found that canned fruits and veggies are usually mushy and LOADED with salt, sugar and preservatives. However, in a pinch they're always good to have on hand! We typically have black beans and tomatoes on hand, but I tend to be very cautious about anything beyond that. Sorry canned veggies!

So there you have it. My unofficial fruit and veggie rules. What are your preferences and how do you buy your fruits and veggies?

Meatless Monday: Edamame is your friend!

What is edamame you ask? It's simple - it's a soybean. It's high in omega-3 fatty acids, it helps reduce cholesterol and it's rich a few cancer-preventing isoflavones. Soybeans also contain vitamins A, C, B1, B2, calciums, and dietary fibers. It's low in calories and high in protein.

Sounds pretty fantastic, right? Then why are so many people freaked out by eating edamame? It's a mystery to me ...

Many people are familiar with edamame as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants - steamed and served in the pod with a bit of sea salt. A great, crunchy little appetizer. However, there are tons of great ways to incorporate a little edamame into your diet (without freaking out the non-veggie eating crowd).

Try adding a little edamame to:

• Salads


• Stir Fry


• Soups - any sort of clear broth soup


• Fried Rice

Oh and it's said that proteins in edamame with vitamins C and B1 help the resolution of alcohol. So, I think that means it's OK to have a couple of drinks while eating edamame!

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Pantry Stockers

Here are a few things that all good vegetarians have on hand at all times. And even you carnivores would be smart to stock up on these because a) you never know when you might want to have a veggie, eco-friendly dinner, b) you never know when a vegetarian friend might pop over for dinner and c) these are pretty basic staples that will even pair with your meat, poultry and seafood!

1. Nuts. They're an excellent source of protein, great for a snack and a nice complement to a meal (sliced almonds on a salad, chopped cashews or peanuts in a sauce). Also, how can you go wrong with a delish PB&J? Like this Grilled PB&J. YUM!


2. Beans. Again, a great source of protein, but also very high in fiber and iron. Beans are great in soups and salads - vegetarian dishes that may otherwise be low in these nutrients. They're also great in all sorts of dips (hummus!!) and snacks (edamame!)


3. Whole Grains. Really simple foods that do so many great things for your body. Whole grains help lower cholesterol, reduce risk for heart disease and decrease hypertension. We all eat grains, but switching to whole grains will give you tremendous health benefits - whole grain pasta, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, etc. These are the base of MANY vegetarian staple meals. And probably found in many non-veggie dinners, too!


4. Veggies. We all eat these ... well, at least we should. And no, potatoes don't count! It's great to have a variety of fresh veggies on hand (broccoli, kale, spinach, squash, peppers), but frozen works just as well (read this post from last year where we break down fresh vs. frozen vs. canned). Veggies are super important for everyone, but even more so for vegetarians to ensure they have good, natural sources of protein, iron, fiber and all the other good-for-you stuff.


5. Soy Products. These are a vegetarians best friend. And this is also where most of the meat-eaters will stop reading this post ... they just can't go there on the soy stuff. Well, don't knock it until you try it. Tofu is such a chameleon and will take on the flavor profile of whatever you're mixing it with (stirfry, smoothie, grill). Soymilk, yogurt and all the other dairy stand-ins are truly magnificent developments for vegetarians and people with lactose intolerance. And all those Morningstar Farms and Boca products are amazing. Seriously - I know tons of major meat lovers who go nuts over those (just ask Vicki!). Give them a whirl.

So there you have it - 5 categories of things that all vegetarians keep in their pantry, fridge or freezer. If you haven't tried any of these then you should ... before you turn up your nose.

One last thing - you should try this Summer Mediterranean Pasta for dinner tonight. A tasty dish ... with whole grains and veggies!

Meatless Monday: More Quinoa!

Didn't get enough quinoa last time we shared a recipe? Then dive into some Quinoa Salad this week!

It's a great healthy and protein filled summer salad. Mmmm, delicious!



If you like this, be sure to check out all of FunnySpoon's vegetarian recipes!

Erin Lizzo is a freelance writer and food lover - a perfect combination for FunnySpoon.com. She'll be contributing fabulous (and easy) vegetarian recipes that everyone can enjoy! We already promote going meatless one day per week, so we're looking forward to her fave suggestions!

We are happy to support the Meatless Monday initiative. Check 'em out for more info!

Meatless Monday: Q&A About Quinoa

Today's Meatless Monday dish is Quinoa with Pasta and Mushrooms. It's delicious and 100% vegetarian, but we recognize that not everyone is that familiar with quinoa. No problem! We've got a little Q&A About Quinoa to help you out (thanks to info from this article about quinoa)!


Q. I've been saying "kin-oh-wa". How close am I?
A. We'll give you an A for effort. The correct pronunciation of this grain is "keen-wa".

Q. Um, so, what exactly is quinoa? Is it like an oat?
A. Kind of. Quinoa is a seed grain, which means it's great in any dish you would normally use rice or couscous in.

Q. So what's all the fuss about? Why should I be eating quinoa?
A. Not only does it taste good (which is pretty much the main reason we ever recommend eating something!), it is a good source of iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins B6 and E, and is also a great source of fiber.

Q. OK, I'm convinced. Where do I find it in the store?
A. Check the organic/all-natural aisle or the grains aisle.

So, if you're ready to try this awesome grain, give it a whirl in one of our easy quinoa recipes. Or share your own quinoa recipe!

We are happy to support the Meatless Monday initiative. Check 'em out for more info!

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Bake

You might think this sounds like a wintery-sort-of-comfort food, but you're wrong! This Zucchini Bake is surprisingly light, healthy and year-round friendly. So ... give it a whirl!



And check out more of the fun vegetarian (aka Meatless Monday) recipes and tips from our friends at the one and onlyMeatless Monday!

What are some of your simple, favorite vegetarian dishes? C'mon, we know you have one! Even our favorite meat-lovers have a veggies meal from time to time.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Meatless Monday: Veggie Appetizers

A few weeks ago my friend Katherine and I were at dinner and ordered this amazing appetizer - white bean bruschetta. It had a wonderful consistency, and even more important - a great taste. I'd been wanting to recreate the recipe on my own, and hosting our book club last night was the perfect occasion to try it out.

These are healthy, low fat, and filled with protein and fiber - a great snack for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. I had my boyfriend taste them to make sure that they were delicious and he approved, but told me that he should probably try three just to be sure.

Want the recipe? Here you go - White Bean Bruschetta!



And be sure to check out all of FunnySpoon's vegetarian recipes!

Erin Lizzo is a freelance writer and food lover - a perfect combination for FunnySpoon.com. She'll be contributing fabulous (and easy) vegetarian recipes that everyone can enjoy! We already promote going meatless one day per week, so we're looking forward to her fave suggestions!

Meatless Monday: Poorman's Black Bean Chili

This dish is the epitomy of SIMPLE. It's 4 ingredients. Seriously, that's it. And it's got tons of (vegetarian) protein to you start off the week properly.

Remember, there are lots of great reasons for you to go veggie at least one meal per week - it's good for your overall health (weight management, heart-healthy, lower cholesterol) and it's good for the environment This statistic always shocks me: "... eating a vegan diet prevents the equivalent of 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions every year, more than the 1 ton of CO2 emissions prevented by switching from a typical large sedan to a Toyota Prius." WOW! Maybe we can't all switch to a vegan diet, but we can certainly do our share to cut back on our meat consumption.

So, give this Poorman's Blackbean Chili a whirl. We guarantee you & your family will enjoy it. And it just might make you feel happy to do something good for yourselves and the environment!

Spring Cleaning Week: Meatless Monday

It's Spring Cleaning Week! This week we're helping you get ready for spring, from kitchen cleaning tips to fabulous recipes that get rid of food before it goes bad. For Meatless Monday we recommend our easy Clean Out The Fridge Veggie Soup recipe. Basically, follow the directions and add any hard veggies you want to get rid of - carrots, celery, potatoes, onions - you name it!



This SIMPLE recipe should help you kick off Spring Cleaning Week the easy way. Stay tuned for more tips this week!

Meatless Monday: Ramen Stir Fry

We've all had our fair share of ramen ... it was a staple during college and in our early 20s! Ramen is filling, simple and CHEAP! However, ramen is beginning to reappear in all sorts of recipes. Tonight try this Ramen Stir Fry. You'll have a fantastic dinner ready in 10 minutes and super simple clean up. What's better than that?!



For fun, check out this video we found on YouTube. It's funny ... and pretty accurate of my early experiences with ramen!

What's your favorite way to prepare ramen noodles?

Meatless Monday: Broccoli!

As you probably saw in our Weekly Menu, tonight's recommendation is Broccoli Alfredo.

I love any excuse to eat alfredo, but these fun facts will get you excited about broccoli as well:

• Humans have been growing broccoli for more than 2,000 years. It was first grown in Ancient Rome


• The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means "branch," or "arm."


• Broccoli consumption has increased over 940 percent over the last 25 years!


• It is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, iron, beta carotene, and fiber. Broccoli has as much calcium ounce-per-ounce as milk.


• It is a member of the cabbage family and is closely related to cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi.


• The leading broccoli-producing states are California, Arizona, Texas, and Oregon. Broccoli is also grown in Italy, northern Europe, and Asia.

I think I'm going to ignore the calcium fact because I need every excuse to eat cheese I can come up with. But it's great news for lactose-intolerant people, or, gasp, for people who don't like cheese!

Meatless Monday: Make it at home!

I'm lucky to live in a town that hosts many vegetarian and health-minded eaters. You're more likely to find a million salad options than anything fried as an appetizer. This makes it much easier to make good choices when eating out, which I've gotten used to. Having vegetarian options at every restaurant seems like the norm to me these days, but I was jolted back into reality this holiday season with a trip back to the Midwest.

Over the holidays I visited my boyfriend's family near Milwaukee. For the most part we ate meals at his parents' house, but on the occasion that we ate out I saw the following vegetarian options:

• Deep fried cauliflower


• Deep fried mushrooms


• Onion rings


• Fries


• Cheese pizza


• Iceberg wedge salad bar with ranch and blue cheese

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fried mushrooms, pickles, jalapeno poppers, you name it. But too much of that just makes you feel sick. And although this food made me nostalgic for many of the other things I loved about the Midwest (family and friends), I was reminded of how hard it can be for vegetarians to find nutritious food while eating out. This only confirmed my New Year's Resolution: cook more, eat out less!

Making your own meals at home is truly the only way to control exactly what you are putting into your body. When I was a kid my Dad used to say "only brush the teeth you want to keep!" I think about this now and translate it to the kitchen: eat the way you want to feel. Personally, I'd rather feel like a spinach salad then a fried mushroom.

A few weeks ago I was eating at a vegetarian restaurant with a friend. We both spotted "sweet potato gnocci" on the menu and ordered the same thing. After paying $16 for a trendy dish with a pretty (yet unedible) garnish and 6 pieces of gnocci, I thought to myself "heck, I could make this!" It's just flour, potatoes, and eggs - three of the cheapest ingredients at the store. And sweet potatoes are loaded with calcium, iron, fiber, and vitamins A and C. Delicious AND healthy? Too good to be true.

So I made this recipe and it was amazing! My gnocci were not the prettiest things, but they tasted fantastic and there were so many left over that I froze them and was able to make three whole meals (two large servings each meal) out of this one recipe. I highly recommend doing a balsamic reduction to add some extra tart flavor on top of these, but they can stand alone with a bit of Parmesan as well.

Here we go!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi


And be sure to check out all of FunnySpoon's vegetarian recipes!

Erin Lizzo is a freelance writer and food lover - a perfect combination for FunnySpoon.com. She'll be contributing fabulous (and easy) vegetarian recipes that everyone can enjoy! We already promote going meatless one day per week, so we're looking forward to her fave suggestions!

Meatless Monday: Shiitake S'ghetti

For this week's Meatless Monday, dig in to some warm-the-belly Shiitake S'ghetti. Even those who turn their nose up at mushrooms, and those who think they can't live without meat, will be satisified with this easy dish. Just wow them with these interesting shiitake facts while serving:

• Shiitakes have four to ten times the flavor of common white button mushrooms


• Shiitakes provide high levels of protein (18%), potassium, niacin and B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.


• They have natural antiviral and immunity-boosting properties and are used nutritionally to fight viruses, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure.

For more vegetarian meals, check out our easy vegetarian recipes!

Meatless Monday: Canned Food Month

If you thought going meatless once per week was hard, now's your chance to hop on board. In tribute to Canned Food Month, we're recommending Poorman's Blackbean Chili for dinner tonight. It's got a whopping 3 cans of goodness and couldn't be easier. Plus the black beans are packed with protein, so your household meat-eaters don't have to worry.

So dig in and enjoy this easy meal!


And be sure to check out our other easy vegetarian recipes!

Meatless Monday: Becoming Vegetarian

About four months ago I decided to commit to being a vegetarian. I have never liked chicken or red meat, and have never cooked with it, although once every three years or so I might break down and make a secret solo trip McDonalds for some chicken nuggets and a chocolate milkshake. But I've decided that these rare trips are something that I can (easily) live without. Committing to a vegetarian lifestyle meant one thing to me: saying it out loud.

I have been a vegetarian on and off throughout my whole life and I can tell you the number of times I've eaten red meat in the last year: two. I knew though, that announcing my decision would result in questions from friends, family members, and maybe even some flack for avoiding the things that I've always avoided anyway, albeit silently.

Last year my New Year's resolution was simple: cook more, eat out less. It's healthier, you can control your portion size and eat leftovers for lunch, and you can spend all of the money that you saved on a vacation to Costa Rica with your boyfriend, husband, friends, family, etc (I'm going in April!). But what I found while cooking more was that the vegetarian recipes were FUN! I learned about new protein rich grains such as quinoa and seitan, I figured out how to cook with tempeh and tofu, and I expanded my knowledge and love of cooking exponentially. With all of these new possibilities, I look forward to cooking and finding new ways to make favorite meals. There is no better way to jump start the new year than to be reinvigorated by new recipes!

My new favorite this week is Tempeh Sloppy Joes. I made them the other night and my roommate (who alternates between steak, bacon, and chicken) was so impressed that he considered for a brief second about becoming a vegetarian himself.

Check out this easy vegetarian recipe and see for yourself!

Erin Lizzo is a freelance writer and food lover - a perfect combination for FunnySpoon.com. She'll be contributing fabulous (and easy) vegetarian recipes that everyone can enjoy! We already promote going meatless one day per week, so we're looking forward to her fave suggestions!

Meatless Monday: Mmmm, beer

Monday won't seem so bad if you've got this cheesy beer soup to look forward to! So take your bad self (and these three ingredients) and whip up a super easy meatless dinner for Meatless Monday. And you'll still have 5 beers to share during the meal!




If you try this easy recipe, rate it and let us know how it was! And be sure to check out our other easy soup recipes.

Start the New Year off right!

We probably all have resolutions along the lines of "eat healthier" and "lose weight". We probably also all had similar resolutions last year. The trick to making this year be the year it actually happens it to pick healthy and low-cal foods you actually like!

This year we're switching Veggie Tuesday to Meatless Monday - a great way to start the week off with healthy and tasty options while also helping the planet! Going veggie just once a week can really help with these goals. Veggie not your thing? You can easily add Tyson Pre-Grilled Chicken Breasts or some other form of easy protein to a lot of our recipes and they will still be easy and low-cal.

This week, try the World's Best Grilled Cheese with Tomato Basil Soup - they'll warm you up quickly in this chilly weather and are ready in 10 minutes!





And be sure to check out all of our easy vegetarian recipes!