ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIP SERVICE WEB MAGAZINE’S ‘MEATLESS MONDAYS’ COLUMN
This week, Meatless Monday is all about a big ol’ family dinner. The Boss and I, being on vacation at our secret mountain lair with the rest of the clan, have an extra challenge in putting together our meatless meal. How do we keep our pledge while cooking for a table full of dedicated carnivores?
Answer: Italian!
Italian food is a great go-to for many reasons. First, it’s always delicious and satisfying without needing a trace of meat. Second, it’s a fine budget-stretcher, with lots of inexpensive basic ingredients. Most importantly, it is a cuisine which, rather than suffering, is even better in huge amounts to feed families (or small armies).
For our Meatless Monday family dinner, we decided on stuffed shells. Of course, these will not be the normal plain-cheese gut-bomb shells you may have encountered in the past. Instead, I used a blend of cheeses to make them lighter and less thickly monotonous in the mouth, while keeping the decadent creamy taste, and kicked up the flavor by adding little extras to bring in more sweet, savory, and umami flavors.
Next week *sigh* we’ll be back in civilization, so back to the usual non-army-feeding MM fare. Until then, have a great week!