Easy Quick Veggie Meal

Fast, Tasty and Vegetarian!

A few things about our meal tonight:

• It was easy. I cut a squash in half and as it baked in the oven, we made a salad based on tomatoes from the garden, red leaf lettuce, a can of garbanzos, and whatever veggies we had in the crisper. Splash on oil and balsamic vinegar, serve with wine, and you can't get much easier!
• It was vegetarian. I wasn't sure whether the yeast affected whether wine is vegetarian; in school (long ago!) I was taught there were two Kingdoms: Plants and Animals. I looked it up:  Now-A-Days there are five or six kingdoms, which themselves are grouped into Empires or Domains!). Yeasts are classified in the kingdom Fungi, which is different from the kingdom Animalia. We are not habitually vegan, but a couple of veggie meals a week are good for the health AND for the pocketbook.
• It was quick. Both preparation and clean-up were fast. One disadvantage of cooking meat is that avoiding cross-contamination is a bigger deal; you have to make sure the cutting board is almost disinfected.
• It was tasty. By not overcooking the squash, and not cooking any of the other stuff, we got quite a range of flavors and textures.
• It was satisfying. We could fill ourselves up, eating as much as we wanted, and its calorie density wouldn't be enough to mess us up. Why suffer?
• It was economical. The most expensive part was the can of garbanzos, which we buy by the case. They're just so convenient!
• It comes with dessert. Peaches!

This week's Change The World Wednesday Challenge is to

This week prepare and enjoy at least one vegan meal at home. Try to use locally grown, seasonal foods and utilize cooking methods which are Eco-friendly (the right sized pot for the burner being used, crock-pots, table top appliances like toaster ovens, etc.). Serve your meal in reuseable plates and utensils ... and avoid any waste associated with the meal.

We are fortunate in that most of our veggies are either from our yard or locally grown. I'm not sure about the garbanzos, oil, vinegar or wine; if I'd been thinking ahead, I'd have gotten another growler from our local brewery, big Al's. At least it was a box wine, which minimizes packaging waste.

Fundamentally, this challenge was one of those things that is not to difficult to do; the challenge is in remembering to do it. We love every element of the meal, and just have to keep the possibility in mind rather than fall back into the same-old, same-old meat-and-starch.