Five Simple & Delicious Meat Free Dishes

Hello, I come to you today with five simple & delicious meat free dishes! These are some of my favorite things to eat on a primarily “vegetarian” diet (I don’t like labels), I do eat some fish, but for the most part my diet consists of veggies! I feel more now than ever it is important to incorporate more vegetables into our diet. This isn’t a post to get you to convert to vegetarian, it is only a suggestion to add a few meals a week that are veggie full! :) This is not only great for your body, mind and immune system, but it is also great for strengthening your energy body and your intuition. And above all else it helps to minimize the carbon footprint on the Earth from eating significant amounts of meat. When it comes to eating meat I think it’s important to do your research and to not eat processed and cured meats, they are really toxic to the mind and gut and can cause anxiety, inflammation and even protein poisoning. Yes, it is true that most of us have been consuming too much meat our entire lives and it can take a toll on the digestive system. With that being said; I’ll begin with a favorite of mine, it is great for breakfast, but also dinner, because who doesn't enjoy breakfast for dinner every once in a while?

Growing up I spent most weekends camping and this first dish was a popular one we regularly had, although it always had some form of meat in it, particularly pork, like bacon or sausage. Which leads me into little note I want to make about pork products and how out of all the meats it should be the one to be eliminated or at least cut down on. I want to add, there’s no judgement here, just sharing my observation from the information received from my own bodies wisdom and intuition.

Pigs are highly empathetic animals and they feel fear, just as we do, this fear gets stored in their energy body when they are slaughtered and then we consume that energy that is stored in their cellular memory, adding to our fear and lowering our vibration. Just a little note to keep in mind if you’re wanting to really heal your energy body and help heal yourself and Mother Earth through food.

Healing through food is one of my favorite ways to explore my sensuality. Finding new tastes, flavors and textures. I love to observe how the food translates and speaks to my body. Keeping a little food journal to help you see what signals your body is sending you based on the food you consumed can be helpful for the process of elimination. As our planet's vibration begins to shift, this will begin to affect our own sensitivities, especially to foods. You may find food that you’ve always eaten no longer sits well with you, or it causes some sort of reaction. This is because our sensitivity is increasing and our body is signaling to us to make adjustments. Be gentle with yourself as you evaluate these changes happening in your body and do your best to support it during these changing times. Finally, the first recipe I have for you is...

Veggie Shipwreck

1 russet or red potato

1 sweet potato

1 bell pepper of your choice

½ onion

1 avocado (optional)

A handful of black olives

A handful of fresh mushrooms

A handful of spinach

A handful of your favorite green vegetable (asparagus, broccoli, green beans)

2 eggs

¼ cup of milk regular or almond

1 teaspoon of butter or oil of your choice

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

2 tablespoons of salsa

A pinch of cheese (optional)

This is one of my favorite meals to prep because chopping veggies is a form of therapy for me, it connects me to Earth and keeps my hands busy. A tip from my kitchen to yours- turn on some tunes, pour yourself some coffee or a beverage of your choice and use this time as a mindfulness practice. It’s also great to connect with a partner, but if you're single, use it as a self care practice! Depending on how many people you’re serving chop up both of your potatoes into chunks, but make them a little smaller for faster cooking time. You’ll need one frying pan and you’ll place it on medium heat. Add your butter or oil and toss in your potatoes to get them cooking and soft, cover them while you prep and chop your other vegetables. Next dice your onion, pepper, mushrooms, and your green vegetable of choice. Go ahead and add those in to cook along with the potatoes, add your seasonings and let them cook while you get your eggs ready. Crack both of your eggs into a bowl, add your milk, some salt and pepper, whisk with a fork until frothy. When the veggies are nearly finished, make a space in the middle and go ahead and add your scrambled eggs, as you do that, throw in your salsa, black olives, cheese and that handful of spinach and begin to mix it all together until eggs are completely cooked and holding all the veggies together. Remove from heat & serve nice and hot. This is also great in the form of a breakfast burrito. I love to add ½ a diced avocado to the top of mine for a nice freshness and creaminess. I love this recipe because it is fairly cheap and provides a big portion of food to fill your belly. It’s also great for those times when you’re running low on groceries and you can just throw it together to use up all your remaining ingredients. It’s also very easy to personalize and make it your own, you can play around with different ingredients and seasonings and really make it different every time.

Alrighty on to my next dish that is great for a filling comfort food and can also be great for get togethers or potlucks, especially if you’re vegetarian and needing to accommodate for yourself when you’re going to dinners that aren’t vegetarian based. This is a great one to share with the whole family and is a Italian classic…

Vegetable Lasagna

1 package of no boil lasagna noodles

1 jar of your preferred veggie spaghetti sauce

1 container of ricotta or cottage cheese

1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 package of fresh mushrooms

4 roma tomatoes

1 bell pepper of your choice

1 onion

½ bag of fresh spinach

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Oregano

Basil

Italian seasoning

I love this dish so much, it is such a comfort food for me, but still healthy and nourishing! You can start by preheating your oven to 375. You can use a 9x13 baking pan, I use the deeper foil ones that are disposable, but you do you. Start chopping up your tomatoes, onion, mushrooms and pepper. Then begin to build your lasagna by adding your first layer of noodles on the bottom of the pan and coat with your spaghetti sauce, sprinkle your seasoning and then coat with your ricotta or cottage cheese. Add your veggies and then your shredded cheese. Continue to add another layer of noodles, cheese, seasonings, veggies and shredded cheese until you have used up all your ingredients or you run out of room. You’ll want to make sure your top layer of noodles is covered in sauce and cheese and then topped with your shredded cheese and seasoning. Place it in the oven and let it bake for a good 20-30 minutes or until the noodles have softened. This one is great to serve with some garlic bread and a side salad. It is creamy, saucy and warming for the belly! This is a great dinner to replace one of your traditional meat filled dishes while still experiencing the hardiness and full belly! Bon appetite!

Next, on to a new one for me, I’ve only made this dish once, but it was simple and delicious and one I am truly excited to share. I love finding new recipes that I can incorporate and enjoy! This is another great dish for warming the belly on a cold and dreary day, it has a little bit of spice and a really bold flavor. I love Mexican food, mostly because it’s so easy to make vegetarian while still having lots of flavor. This one is a soup that is just as good left over and reheated in the microwave. It is great for meal prep and can last for a few days, if you’re single I guess, but if you’re feeding a whole family then be prepared to eat it all up…

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

2 cans of black beans

1 bag of frozen corn

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 onion

1 green bell pepper

4 cups of vegetable broth

Your choice of tortilla shells

1 tsp of Oil of your choice

4 tsp of taco seasoning

4 tbsp of fresh cut salsa

1 avocado

Shredded cheese of your choice

Garlic salt

Kosher salt

Oregano

Pepper

First we’re going to start by preheating the oven to 375 and preparing our tortillas by placing them on a backing sheet. Coat them in oil and sprinkle with salt, then take a pizza cutter and slice them into thin strips and then slice again in half. Place in the oven and let them crisp for approximately 10 min or until golden and toasted. For the soup you’re going to need a stock pot and you will place it on medium heat. Chop up your onion and pepper and drain and rinse the beans in a strainer. Add some oil to the pan and let the onions cook for about 2 minutes until translucent. Next add in your pepper and let them saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in your oregano, pepper, garlic salt and taco seasoning, let it mix for 1 minute and then add in your black beans, crushed tomatoes, corn, salsa and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Check the flavor and add whatever you want to give it more flavor. You can top with a sprinkle of taco seasoning, shredded cheese, diced chunks of avocado, this adds a nice cooling element to the spice, place a scoop of salsa atop the avo and last but not least add those nice crispy tortilla strips to give it some crunch. I really enjoyed this dish, it is another one that you can play around with, get creative and change up the flavors according to your own taste preferences. I think next time I make this I may try it on top of a bed of rice to give it some depth. Enjoy!

On to one of the staples of my diet, this one has been a go to for me for a few years since going vegetarian and I swear that I could eat it everyday and not get tired of it! It is colorful and has an odd mix of flavors that somehow complement each other nicely. It is a warming and filling main dish, but can also be served as a side dish as well, just depends on your state of hunger at the time. I love this one because it doesn’t take much to prep, it doesn’t require many ingredients and is budget friendly, are you ready? Drum roll please…

Loaded Baked Sweet Potato

1 medium to large sweet potato

½ cup of fresh cauliflower

½ cup of fresh broccoli

Oil of your choice

Garlic salt

Cinnamon

Honey

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 425. Rinse your sweet potato and veggies. Take a knife and stab some slits in your potato, drizzle in oil and wrap in tin foil (optional), place in the oven and let it bake for 45-55 min depending on the size. Cook until you can stab a knife into the center with ease. While your potato is cooking you have plenty of time to cook your broccoli and cauliflower. Generally I boil them, but an even tastier version would be to roast them in your oven on a backing sheet, coat in oil, salt, pepper and garlic and cook until semi crispy around the edges. To serve, slice open your potato and smash down with a fork, add cinnamon, honey, garlic salt and pepper and then place your mountain of broccoli and cauliflower right on top, drizzle a little more honey over the veggies and top with some shredded cheese if you desire. I seriously live off this dish guys, it’s my favorite go to when I really want to give my body a full dose of veggies. I enjoy sweet potatoes so much because I can eat a big portion and not feel bloated or overly full afterwards. This is a super satisfying dish and can also be great to make the night before and take for a filling lunch to be reheated at work. You can also pair it with a side salad, that’s what I usually prefer or even with a piece of your preferred fish. I know the flavors of the cinnamon and garlic sound like an odd pairing and maybe it won't be pleasing to your taste buds, but I love the contrast that it creates in the dish! I notice I go to this one when I am balancing my sacral and heart chakras. I love the vibrant orange and the soothing green together, it’s a beautiful combination and leaves me feeling full and nourished. Hands down will probably eat this combo for the rest of my life. I hope you find it delightful as I do!

Alrighty and last but not least I have a simple healthy dessert for you. I love using fruit as a substitute for a sweet treat. This one I am going to be sharing would be great to bring to a summer picnic or a get together. It is light and crisp and perfect for springtime! I love it because it is quick and produces a pretty big portion. If you know me, I am a big fan of big portions. I enjoy eating a full bowl or plate, especially when it is nutritious! Are you ready?...

Mixed Fruit Salad

1 banana

1 apple of your choice

A handful of green or purple grapes

A handful of blueberries

1 cutie or ½ an orange

4 fresh strawberries

2 tbsp of cool whip

Honey

This one is super easy to prepare. You can add or remove whatever fruit you like. Slice your banana, chop up your apple of choice, I prefer a crispier apple like honeycrisp or gala. Peel your cutie or orange and slice up your strawberries. Now add all the fruit, including the grapes and blueberries into a large container or bowl and add your scoops of cool whip, I personally used a coco whip that is dairy free and made of coconut milk. Mix it all together until fruit is coated in the whip cream and then drizzle honey over top when you serve. For an extra dose of fiber and a little crunch you can sprinkle chia seeds on top. This one is not only great for dessert but could also be used as a sweet breakfast in the morning to get those blood sugar levels up and balanced, instead of reaching for that donut or carbohydrate. I love this one because it is refreshing and indulgent! I hope this satisfies your sweet tooth like it does mine!

These are five simple and delicious dishes I hope you can add into your diet to give you that supply of fruits and veggies your body needs to feel strong and nourished! These are all great alternatives to your meat filled dishes and sugary snacks! These five recipes are great for healing and can provide you with a sense of abundance and gratitude. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed these dishes. Until next time, stay full and thankful.

Thank you for reading!

Love and blessings, Ashley <3