Meat Free Monday was launched a few years ago in South Africa and Angela Day has some great suggestion for going vegetarian once a week - even if it’s not a Monday.
Meat-free Monday is an environmental campaign to raise awareness of the climate-changing impact of meat production and consumption.
It requires 500 times as much land to produce 1kg of beef as it does to produce 1kg vegetables.
It takes 250 litres of water to produce 1kg wheat, and 25 000 litres of water to produce 1kg meat .
Giving up meat one day a week will not only greatly benefit the planet, but also animals, and our own health.
If every South African goes meat free one day a week, about 11 200 cattle, 2 million chickens, 10 000 pigs and 22 300 sheep will be saved from slaughter weekly.
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BEETROOT, LENTIL AND HALOUMI SALAD
Serves 4
2 raw beetroot, peeled
400g can of lentil, drained and rinsed
300g cooked beetroot, cut into large
15ml honey
15ml balsamic vinegar
15ml olive oil
salt and pepper
300g haloumi, cut into slices
oil for frying
parsley for sprinkling
DRESSING
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
10ml honey
5ml chopped garlic
salt and pepper
baby spinach leaves
Trim the raw beetroot, chop into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until finely chopped and looks a bit like couscous. Put into a bowl and mix with the lentils.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place cooked beetroot onto an oven tray, drizzle with honey, balsamic vinegar olive oil and season. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until nicely glazed. Remove and cool.
Brush the haloumi slices with olive oil. Heat a non-stick frying pan or a griddle pan until hot and fry the haloumi until golden.
Place a layer of baby spinach on a plate, followed by the beetroot and lentil mixture, then the roasted beetroot and haloumi. Pour over the dressing, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
DRESSING: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
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THAI TOFU AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
Serves 4
1 x packet Tom Kha Thai soup
2 lime leaves
15ml fish sauce
400ml can of coconut milk
500g orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
200g brown mushrooms, sliced thickly
200g tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
80g snap peas, halved diagonally
80g bean sprouts
4 spring onions, sliced
60ml fresh coriander leaves
Open packet of Thai soup into a pot, add the lime leaves, fish sauce and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the sweet potato and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with herbs and serve immediately.
NOTE: Tom Kha soup is available from Woolworths or Asian supermarkets.
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QUINOA AND ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD
Serves 6
1 brinjal, cut into 2 cm pieces
2 red onions, halved, cut into thin wedges
5-6 cougettes, thickly sliced
1 red pepper, cut into cubes
250g cherry tomatoes
60ml olive oil
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
10ml ground cumin
250ml quinoa
500ml water
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
60ml black olives, pitted
2 discs of feta, cut into cubes
basil leaves, for garnish
DRESSING
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the brinjal, onion, courgette and red pepper on an oven tray, drizzle with half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the tray and roast for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cumin for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the quinoa and water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly in the pot. Fluff quinoa with a fork and place into a bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and the rest of the ingredients to the quinoa, pour over the dressing and mix to combine. Serve garnished with fresh basil.
DRESSING: Whisk ingredients together.
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BRINJAL SATAY SKEWERS
wooden skewers
2 long slender brinjals
45ml olive oil
salt
coriander for garnishing
SATAY SAUCE
45ml vegetable oil
170g unsalted peanuts
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2ml chilli powder
15ml brown sugar
30ml dark soy sauce
400ml can of coconut cream
30ml peanut butter
10ml lemon juice
Soak 20-30 wooden skewers in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Slice the brinjals lengthways to the thickness of 1/2cm, then halve lengthways. Place in a bowl, toss in olive oil with plenty of salt, and then set aside for 20 minutes. Thread the brinjals onto the soaked skewers to form a ‘snake’. Heat a griddle to hot and cook the skewers until charred, 3-4 minutes a side. Serve warm with satay sauce. Garnish with coriander.
SATAY: Heat 30ml of the oil in a large pan over low heat and stir-fry the peanuts for 5 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool a little, and then blend in a food processor until smooth. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the red onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add the chilli, chilli powder, sugar, soy, coconut cream and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, add the peanut paste and simmer until thickened. Add lemon juice and season with salt. Blend to make a smooth sauce, if desired.
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CARROT AND FETA PATTIES
Serves 6
8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
30ml olive oil
salt and pepper
15ml ground cumin
15ml ground coriander
400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
30ml chopped fresh mint
60ml chopped parsley
2 discs of feta, crumbled
10ml harissa paste
1 egg
oil for frying
125ml Greek yoghurt
5ml harissa paste
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the carrots in a roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, season and add cumin and coriander. Cover with foil and roast for 20-30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool slightly. Place in a processor and add chickpeas, mint, parsley, feta, harissa and egg. Blend until smooth. Shape into 12 patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt and harissa and refrigerate.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the patties until golden brown. Serve with harissa yoghurt. - The Star