If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I’m married to a man who likes manly things.
Like wearing a t-shirt while strapping his gun holster around his waist in the middle of a snow storm.
And steak.
He often mocks me for eating enormous salads, and jokingly asks what’s for dinner? when I set a meal full of veggies (sans meat) in front of him.
So I did a double take yesterday when he called me on his way home from work and said…
How do you feel about doing a ‘vegetarian month’?
Say what?
I’m not sure what prompted this desire, but I didn’t question it. Instead, I went to the store and filled our produce drawer with copious amounts of vegetables. And our pantry with substantial grains – like quinoa, barley, and millet.
Dinner – day one of ‘vegetarian month’
Miscellaneous Quinoa Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 zucchini (raw), sliced
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup almonds, chopped
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup quinoa
Bring 3 cups water to a boil and add the quinoa. Return to boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and add dressing.
Dressing:
- 3 T olive oil
- 5 T rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1 T honey
- 2 T grated red onion
- 1 t paprika
- 1 clove crushed garlic
Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid, and shake until combined.
Yum! I’d go vegetarian if I could come up with dinners like that.
Good luck on your meatless adventure!
What has gotten into Meeker? haha!!
That salad looks dynamite…I am bookmarking this for sure!
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear more tales of Vegetarian month and hopefully pick up a ton of good veggie recipes! This looks fab!
My guy is the same way meat-wise: if he ever suggests vegetarian month, the world must be turning upside down! Your recipe looks great though. I started salivating when I saw the pictures! hehe.
by the way, have you made any more babycakes recipes?
I’m planning on making one tomorrow…I’ll post about on Friday!
great! can’t wait.
That’s awesome! Men can be pretty surprising eh?
Haha I think I would drop dead if my boyfriend said that to me!
Wow, I would be shocked if my husband suggested something like this. Did he ever say what sparked this idea?!
This is awesome, I try and do vegetarian weeks, or mostly vegetarian weeks. I am eager to see what you come up with for the next month!
Wow, I’m impressed he asked to do that… The day my boyfriend asks to do that will be the day pigs fly! Hopefully I get lucky like you
Goo Meeker! I can’t wait to see any ummmm digestive system updates if you know what I mean!
Wow! I have yet to meet a man that would willingly give up meat for a month. Let alone suggest it. that’s awesome!
This is the best news I have heard all day… Tell Meeker there are a lot of “manly men” that are vegetarians… Like me! Okay so I don’t have any guns or eat 72 oz steaks, but my digestion and energy levels are top notch!
Haha, I will DEFINITELY pass it along. He’ll be glad to know he’s not alone!
Beautiful food pictures and delicious looking salad! I loved the photo of Meeker and Punky
This looks crazy good! Love the idea of a vegetarian month. Very cool.
Yay, go Meeker! Adam has been surprising game when I’ve suggested vegetarian (and even vegan!) months in the past. Does he like tofu?
I always like when my bf suggests veggies or something vegeterian for a meal
Good luck with the vegeterian month! Just remember to get enough protein for your baby
Totally shocked that Meeker opted to go Vegetarian. I would totally have the same reaction if my boyfriend said that.
HOwever.. that quinoa salad looks amazing. Quinoa is my new favorite side of choice.. and it mixed great with.. um. anything!
I think I would have died of shock…ha.
The quinoa salad, I think, would win anyone over though. What a perfect summer meal! It looks fabulous.
YAY!!! I love it – and I’m pretty sure the day my husband does that, I will faint from excitement.
Oh my goodness, my husband wanted to do a vegetarian month this month too! I came to a different conclusion than you though. While you stocked your cupboards with veggies, I panicked, thinking that my husband had been abducted by aliens.
Good luck and can’t wait to see the meals you come up with! I’ll probably be making them a day or two after you post the recipes. Ha, ha. 
That’s awesome! I can’t wait to read more
!
Haha, my boyfriend is the same way, but his mom is veg which means he’s been exposed to the meatless thing for years. Good luck this month!!
haha. too funny! that recipe looks awesome, though, katie!
Wow that’s so random
Can’t wait for all the yummy veggie recipes!! I mean, with that salad, maybe he’ll never go back!
Ahahaha – this post cracked me up. I just love that Meeker. So exciting to do a vegetarian month! I think my Mike and I might have to start with just a week and I’d have to get WAY more creative in the kitchen – I could never in a million years come up with something so creative!! I’m excited to follow this adventure
Oh my gosh, that meal looks soooo delicious!
I think I’d die if my boyfriend suggested a vegetarian month! (die out of shock that is).
Can I say that I’m kinda jealous?? I’m all about reducing our meat consumption but my husband would NEVER EVER be the sort of person to go along with it. The only meatless dinner we’ve ever had together was huevos rancheros and I think all he talked about was how I should have added bacon.
We do have an entire freezer dedicated to hormone-free organically raised beef so I guess it could be worse. Plus I always have the choice to eat less meat on my own as well.
So much for those tasty turkey sandwiches you’ve been waiting 9 months for huh??
I live in a house FULL of boys. I WISH they would be on board for a vegetarian month! Haha, seriously though, what made Meeker want to do this?
men are silly.
when i met my boyfriend, he was a meat-eating, veggie-hating, salad discriminating man. 3 years later, he wants meals filled with vegetables, and loves vegetarian dinners. it’s amazing to think 3 years ago, i would’ve NEVER thought he would’ve said, “can we have vegetarian tonight.” say what!
YAYYYY GO MEEK! veg month tops all of his manliest endeavers x10 if you ask me! I hope it makes a positive difference in you guyses lives (excuse the 3rd grade language hehe). I’ve been a veg for nearly 5 years and man what a difference I feel, meat kinda weighs you down and takes a lot of energy and time to digest. I hope he is making sure to et enough protein though, cause guys have more muscle and need more protein. Might wanna do a powder just to make sure. http://www.vitacost.com/Garden-of-Life-RAW-Protein
I LOVE this one from Garden Of Life, it tastes delicious, dissolves easy, & is loaded with vitamins and enzymes for optimal absorbtion. Good Luck!!!
Thank you!! Meek is all about the protein shakes…he has at least one a day. But I will pass this brand along to him!
Whoa! I wonder what sparked that?! Kind of amazing! I think i would drop dead of shock if my Husby even suggested that.
I have to say, i’m totally stoked for the posts that will be coming from this! That salad looks great.
yum! the best thing about vegetarian dishes is that you can literally throw a whole bunch of veggies, grains and nuts or fat into a bowl and cook it and it is sure to taste yummy! that looks so good! thats great that meeker wants to do this for a whole month!
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This sort of happened to me too. Jason and I went to see Forks Over Knives last Friday and he hasn’t eaten meat since. This is a guy who pretty much ate meat every day.
boys are so silly. kyle is doing the veg thang, also seemingly out of the blue. obviously im thrilled because its easier to plan meals when we are making the same thing. anyway, hope he enjoys it. clearly it wont be a problem if you continue with yummy quinoa bowls like that
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yum. sometimes i think i could be a vegetarian…there are so many amazing things like this that don’t even need meat. but i think i would still need the occasional burger and bacon…so it wouldn’t work out. vegetarian month sounds like a fun challenge though! hmm..