For the Busy Reseller, Five Meatless Meals
Trying to start or maintain a business, juggle a family and stay eco-conscience is exhausting. Hey, we get it….we are all in this together. One way to stay on the path to being eco-friendly is giving up meat just one night a week… Meatless Mondays (or any other day will do)! That isn’t too hard, even for a steak-loving family.
Doing a meatless meal just one day a week has many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and promoting kidney health. According to the public health initiative, The Monday Campaigns, meat and dairy consumption are significant contributors to climate change and environmental resources. They say that more greenhouse gasses are produced by livestock production than by all the world's cars, trucks, planes, and trains combined. Enjoying a plant based meal just one day a week is one of the easiest ways to reduce the environmental impacts of food production and fight global climate change.
But can you prepare a meatless meal and still create a dinner that will satisfy the whole family? We think so…and are planning to give you some recipes each month to add to your collection so you have an assortment of delicious ideas come dinner time. Have recipe suggestions for the team? Reach out to @helpsy_source to let us know how we can help make your reseller life easier, including what to put on the table at the end of the day!
Carrot Ginger Soup
This bright and flavor packed Carrot and Ginger Soup is from our very own Customer Service Support specialist Rebekah. It whips up in no time and is perfect for dinner one night and lunch the next day. We love when our meatless meals are versatile and simple just like this one. Check out @thatperfectbite_ for even more delicious vegan inspo!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 large rough-chopped garlic cloves
1 inch grated or rough chopped fresh ginger
2 cups chopped carrots
4 cups veggie broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Croutons (optional but soooo good)
Canned coconut milk (optional but also sooooo good)
Directions
Heat EVOO in your saucepan
Add in garlic- cook until soft and fragrant
Add in the onion, cook until soft (about 3 minutes)
Add in literally everything else
Cook on simmer for about 30-45 minutes
Put everything in your blender and get the soup nice and smooth
Pour into bowls and add a spoonful of coconut milk and a few croutons on top
Meatless Chili
Our next suggestion is this easy Meatless Chili from Taste of Home. This recipe is so easy and probably uses things you already have in your cupboard. We love this recipe because it is truly a dump everything in the pot and leave it! We bet that this would even be Crock Pot or Instant Pot friendly if you don't even want to think about watching the stove. Try serving with a side of cornbread and honey butter for peak fall vibes or with a side of corn chips for an instant Frito Pie moment.
Ingredients
1 can (16 ounces) hot chili beans, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Top each serving with sour cream and cheese.
Easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe
It doesn’t have to be more complicated to cook a meatless meal, sheet pan dinners are still very much an option, and talk about the time saved on cleanup! Use this Easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe from A Couple Cooks as your guide, but feel free to riff with whatever you’ve got in the fridge. A head of cabbage that's seen better days? Some cauliflower from when you went grocery shopping with the best of intentions last week? Some asparagus from meal prepping bender? All those are fair game here! We think of this kind of recipe as a guide, a method if you will, for making the most of every last bit of your fridge!
Ingredients
- 1 crown broccoli (1/2 pound)
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium large)
- 1 pound red potatoes (about 2 medium)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon
- Cooked Rice, Quinoa, Couscous, Israeli couscous or Seasoned Lentils, to serve (optional)
- Dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt, Vegan Sour Cream, or hummus, to serve
Directions
- Adjust the oven racks for roasting 2 trays. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop the broccoli. Cut the onion into thick slices. Dice the potatoes. Dice the red pepper.
- Place all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl. Mix in the olive oil, garlic powder, Old Bay, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt until everything is evenly coated.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (we prefer this to silicone baking mats because it results in crispier veggies). Spread the vegetables evenly onto each sheet.
- Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes (do not stir!). Remove the pans from the oven, rotate them, and roast another 10 minutes (for 30 minutes total) until tender and lightly browned on one side.
- Cut the lemon into wedges, and spritz the veggies with fresh lemon juice to taste. (Required: this step adds just the right zing! Or you can serve with lemon wedges.)
- Transfer to a serving bowl or dish and serve immediately with rice or quinoa. Dollop with sour cream, or hummus.
Dal Tadka
Lentils are a fantastic (and incredibly inexpensive) way to get loads of protein onto your plate, and the flavor possibilities are endless. Gypsy Plate’s Dal Tadka is a great place to give lentils a try simmered in a fragrant broth and served over basmati rice. She says if you don’t have one or two of these ingredients, don’t sweat it! This meatless meal is super adaptable. Bay leaves are a great sub for curry leaves, and if you use ground spices instead of whole ones because that's what you've got on hand we won't tell anyone. Dal also freezes great so make a big batch to enjoy later.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups toor dal (Pigeon Peas)
- 4-5 cups of water
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 medium size tomatoes
- 1 green chili or jalapenõ
- 3 Tbsp ginger garlic paste (equal parts ginger and garlic)
- 1 tsp mustard seed, divided
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, divided
- 12-14 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- 2-3 whole dried red chilis
- 6 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 tsp salt (plus to taste)
- Big handful of cilantro
- Basmati rice for serving
Directions
- Wash your toor dal a few times, replacing the water until it is clear.
- Place dal in pressure cooker with 4-5 cups of water, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of turmeric. Seal lid. Cook over medium high heat for 6 whistles of the pressure cooker. Remove from heat *but do not remove lid!*. There is still a great deal of pressure built up which must dissipate, set aside 10 minutes.
- Chop onion and tomatoes small dice sized. Chop green chili. Make a rough paste of ginger and garlic together.
- In a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat, heat ghee or oil and once hot add half each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they start to pop. Add curry leaves and sauté 10 seconds. Be cautious, this step can cause splattering oil.
- Add in chopped onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they are soft and start changing color. Add ginger garlic paste, chopped green chili and sauté for a minute. Now add in chopped tomatoes along with your spice powders. Mix well and cook for 10-15 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and cooked.
- Add the cooked dal. Mix in additional water, according to the consistency you like. Some prefer a little thicker dal and some soupy. And let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add in chopped cilantro.
- For the final tempering, in a small pan (such as a tadka pot), heat 4 Tbsp ghee. Repeat the tempering process in step 4, but this time add dried red chilis along with the curry leaves. At the very end, add a pinch of red chili powder, then pour this tadka mixture over the dal.
- Mix well and serve with basmati rice. Garnish with extra cilantro.
Creamy Tortellini with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Who said eating vegetarian meant you had to forgo comfort foods? As the weather turns colder nothing is better than a warm bowl of pasta loaded with veggies that can be made in one pot! Give the Kitchn’s Creamy Tortellini with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach a try. We think subbing out the spinach for kale and sweet potatoes for squash would also be so fun! We’re putting this one on the meal plan ASAP.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato (about 3/4 to 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach or 1 large bunch spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen cheese tortellini
Directions
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the sweet potato cubes, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are just starting to soften.
- Uncover the skillet and add the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to dissolve the browned bits. Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring until it wilts down, before adding more.
- Stir in the half-and-half, then cover once more and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Uncover and stir in the tortellini. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tortellini are plump and cooked through.
You know what else is super easy? Reselling with Helpsy Source as your partner!
Try out one of our Source Sampler of as a starter mix pack to stock your inventory or get a collection of items from your favorite brands like Nike, Everlane, and Madewell. We’re here to not just be your source for reselling but your resource for living that sustainable life!