Meatless Meals

With my mom staying with us for a few weeks it seems as though our meat intake as increased, by a lot. Considering I was vegetarian for 15 years the amount of meat I feel like I’ve been ingesting seems like a tremendous amount. Sadly, it is probably the amount the average Canadian or American eats, but to me that seems like too much. In addition to the influx of meat and rich foods that we ate over the holidays (and alcohol) The Honey and I feel like we need a break. As a result, we’re going meatless for a while.

In the new year we began making some great soups and popped them in the freezer. It makes it easy to pull one out for a quick dinner or prepared lunch for work. We’ve also been eating more vegetables, even if they are the frozen variety. Surprisingly we’ve been eating more salads and even though it’s January, they can still warm you up inside.

I dug out a recipe for a warm spinach salad as I thought it would be ideal. It packs in the spinach and is one of the few times I willingly eat mushrooms. The dressing is made on the stovetop and while the constant whisking can seem like a hassle, it emulsifies the mustard, oil and vinegar. Extra dressing can also be refrigerated for another time.

Warm Spinach Salad       (Serves 8)     (10-15 minutes to prepare)

Salad:

2 bags spinach (284g each)

4 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Dressing:

3 tbs Dijon mustard

4 tsp granulated sugar

½ cup white wine vinegar

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs seasoned salt

1 cup olive oil

6 green onions, chopped

Wash spinach, remove stems & tear into pieces. Toss with mushrooms, cheese & eggs. For dressing, combine everything except onions in a saucepan & heat while whisking. When warm, add onions & pour over salad. Toss.