Did you know that the 1st October is World Vegetarian Day and that the month of October is Vegetarian awareness month?
In order to show our support for anyone wishing to follow a vegetarian diet, we have included two vegetarian recipes in this week’s meal plan. I tend to include at least one or two veggie recipes in our plans because I believe it helps us eat more vegetables which is a key part of a healthy balanced diet.
I label our recipes by category and also ingredients so that you can easily search on the recipe page for all of our vegetarian or vegan recipes.
Monday: Rigatoni with red pepper pesto
We start next week’s meal plan with a red pepper pesto recipe that I discovered when I was on holiday this summer. It is a welcome change to the traditional green basil pesto, with a much subtler flavour, and a light sweetness that comes from the roasted pepper. In addition, this pesto has no added fat!
Tuesday: Hake fillet on a bed of leeks
We continue the week with a fish recipe that celebrates the start of the leek season. The leeks bring a little sweetness to the fish, which is balanced by the acidity of the Greek yoghurt and with a little kick from the paprika.
Wednesday: Mexican lentil soup
Since there is no red meat in this week’s meal plan, you will find a Mexican lentil soup as a great source of protein. I chose green lentils over red lentils for this soup, as they keep their shape even if you reheat the soup. I highly recommend to sprinkle a little fresh coriander and squeeze a lime before serving!
Thursday: Paprika chicken with sauté vegetables
I created the paprika marinade one day as I was cooking for my dad. It was a week-end, so we had time to leave the meat to soak up the marinade. Since we all liked if very much, I decided to share it with you, and provide you with a tip to speed up the marinating time.
Friday: Tomato and mozzarella wheat gratin
We finish the week with a gratin full of twists. The cooked wheat is an excellent alternative to pasta, the mozzarella brings a nice rich and creamy texture without an overpowering cheese flavour, and the bacon a lovely slightly smoky/barbecue flavour.
