Meatless Mondays

By Darren Bond

I don’t think there are many people who would argue that eating less meat is probably a good thing. It helps the health of people and cuts way back on the environmental impacts of producing the meat in the first place (it turns out that cows are big culprits). There are a couple of snags, though: it tastes great and who has a set of recipes at their fingertips that doesn’t require obscure ingredients not already in the cupboard.

Johns Hopkins University has a website with more info.

They’ve got a program called Meatless Mondays. I think I’ve heard of this before and it seemed, vaguely, like a sensible idea all ’round.. Cutting back one day a week is about a 15% reduction (1/7th).

Well, I think perhaps the key is just to start. Certainly we’ve found that when we do without we don’t even really notice or miss it. It might be just some kind of bean casserole or whatever. We’re eating more salmon (yes, some people will say this is cheating, but then some people will say that honey is also verboten) and loving it (simplest recipe of all below).

So, we’re taking the pledge… Starting tomorrow, Mondays will be meatless!

============
Now that Mondays and Fridays are taken with alliterative dicta, we’ll have to come up with the rest. Ideas? Tuber Tuesdays?

============
Simple 200/20/20 salmon recipe (from local celebrity chef, Karen Barnaby): 200 degrees for 20 minutes on plus 20 minutes off (oven door left shut).
- a bit of olive oil to coat the bottom of a baking dish
- lay in a couple of fillets (3 to 4 ounces per person)
- sprinkle with a bit of salt (we use Kosher salt)

- serve with Basmati rice or whatever and green beans or whatever; moist and delicious.