OUR MEATLESS WEEK-END

My hubby is currently on a meat-free diet...just eating healthier...and since he's working away from home, it's easier for him to fix meatless meals.  Lots of rice and beans and salads...tofu when he goes out.  Seems like he does this every few years...

A couple of weeks ago when he was home, I didn't plan accordingly, and I felt bad that he was eating meat...knowing he really didn't want to do so.  This time I had a talk with the teen about how we could accommodate Dad's eating habits and still accommodate the teen's eating habits (which are fairly rigid thanks to Asperger's).

If my husband eats meat, he'd rather it be fish...and he will eat cheese and a few eggs are okay.  So, I decided to make a stir fry with mushrooms as the "meaty tasting" component, instead of our usual chicken, for one of our meals.  The teen has recently brought cremini mushrooms into his allowables from the "sort of like a vegetable" category.  Mushrooms are a fungus, of course, but they do have some fiber and vitamins...so it's thumbs up for me.  We tossed our stir fry with whole wheat capellini...because the teen won't eat rice.  I snuck in some grated carrots I had leftover from the carrot cake cookies...I thought he'd notice, but they were pretty finely diced so he didn't.  After he finished a huge bowl of the stir fry I said "I see you ate the carrots, they were okay?" and his eyes got big and he was hacked off that I snuck them in...I'll work on that later because once he realizes they are okay in things (like cookies and stir fry) he might voluntarily accept them.  Added lots of basil from my deck plant, some fresh thyme from my new deck plant, lots of limes, garlic chili paste, chunks of sweet yellow onions, green onions, sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, and a touch of duck sauce...it was a very yummy dinner - with heaping pasta bowls of food...I couldn't eat but half of mine...but my dear husband finished it off for me! 

The teen desired Alton Brown's Pillow Bread to go with dinner...not exactly a bread I would normally serve with stir fry...but, we can be flexible!  He made it under my supervision - did a good job.

Finished off with a bowl of fresh sweet pineapple - a fairly nutritious meal.

Tonight's meal will be a meatless lasagna.  I'm going to puree cooked carrots and add to the sauce (sneaky me) to up the nutritional value...and I'll make some homemade ricotta.  The hubby brought me some whole wheat lasagna from Austin so that kicks it up even more.  I'd like to slip some fresh spinach in...but I think I'm going to have to do that via our salad...he's not going to like to see any green in the lasagna besides fresh basil...hmmm, I could maybe chiffonade a bit of spinach...jeez, I feel sneaky!  The teen will make homemade focaccia to go with our dinner.  We're going to try whole wheat focaccia this time...I think it will be delicious.

I didn't take photos because it was a rush getting it together while overseeing the teen's creation of Pillow Bread...if I remember to take pictures of the lasagna I will, but no guarantees!  Thinking up meatless meals...harder than you'd think.  I'm going to have to check out some of the blogs for ideas...I welcome any suggestions in the comments section!!!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!