Mostly Meatless Monday Menu

Let’s take a virtual culinary trip to France. Pour a glass of Shiraz and grab your Le Creuset…

Trader Joe’s Pacific Peak and whatever is clean and ready to use will do the trick too.

Confession: I rarely ever follow a cooking recipe.

The down side to not following instructions, like we were taught in 1st grade, is that I have never been able to rate a recipe online…. because I didn’t actually follow it. I also can’t really share recipes because I’m always like… Here’s my FAMOUS MEATball recipe, but DON’T put meat in it. (It’s not that bad, but kinda!) Nevertheless, there is a good thing about recipe rebelling. I am super flexible in the kitchen so I can whip up just about anything and…I can make most recipes deliciously vegetarian.

I am not willing to declare myself an AMAZING cook. What does it even mean to be a great cook? Heck, if I know. We’ve all been to restaurants that others LOVED but we hated it. It all comes to personal taste, I guess. What I do know, is I love food and my family’s consistent requests for me to keep on cooking, is flattering. When the kids voluntarily cook WITH me so they can learn their favorite meals…that means I am doing something right!

So.. I share my menus, occasionally, only for inspiration and a little escape. I don’t think I would ever enjoy recipe blogging. I am very, very, very, bad at giving out FOOD instructions. My poor kids will tell you how true that statement is. So many times they’ve asked questions like, “Mom, how do I cut the potatoes?” And my answer is usually… “The way you’d like to eat them!”

For me, the written recipe is the jumping off point. I adore those who can give recipe instructions so beautifully and eloquently. Thank you!

Menu:

Sometimes, we cook to escape.. and so we escape to France for a mostly meatless Monday menu.

Ratatouille, Veggie Quiche, Ham and Swiss Quiche, French Bread, French Cheese Board, Soufflé, Red Wine

Ratatouille:

This is my base guide for ratatouille. It is described as creamy and smokey because of the heavy cream and paprika. I am very visual, so seeing pictures and videos helps me envision recipes. I love that this recipe includes both!

https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/creamy-smoky-ratatouille/

Recipe Rebel Edits: I didn’t have any eggplant, so that’s not part of my dish. Instead, I doubled upped on the zucchini and yellow squash. Wine was subbed for the sugar… I adore a tomato/wine sauce. I didn’t use heavy cream because the parmesan was enough creaminess I craved.

Vegetables vibrantly served!

Quiches:

Anytime we have guests over, I make quiche. It’s a little fancier than just scrambling some eggs for breakfast. This recipe is a great one for after the holidays so you can use some left over ham. Sometimes, I make individual quiches from the recipe by putting the mix in muffin tins. The kids love this personal take! Here is the base guide recipe for both quiches I made for our French night.

https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/hashbrowns-and-ham-quiche/

Rebel Recipe Edits: Since I don’t eat meat, I made two quiches to accommodate. I don’t ever add the Italian seasoning from this recipe. For the meat eaters, the ham and Swiss quiche recipe was followed pretty closely except I added Gruyere cheese (and no Italian seasoning). I indulged in a veggie quiche which was made of left over ingredients I used from the ratatouille. For my veggie quiche, take out the ham and Swiss cheese, (and Italian seasoning), then replace those ingredients with double cheddar cheese and about a cup of zucchini, spinach, and tomatoes (combined).

They say they are meat eaters, but my veggie quiche is always the first one gone!

Soufflés:

Opposite to cooking, I don’t ever waver from baking recipes (unless I am doing a testing or comparison). Don’t mess with the sweets!

In 2008, I spent Christmas with my family in Versaille, France. We had the privilege of eating at Gordon Ramsey’s Au Trianon Restaurant. I instantly became obsessed with his soufflé and chocolate fondant recipes. There have been many many winter nights that I have whipped up one of the two recipes for comfort. These treats are always a perfect end to any meal and any day! Several years ago, someone gifted me Gordon Ramsey cookbooks, where I get these recipes from. I found them online, picture-less, but they are spectacular.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-fondant

https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/hot-chocolate-souffl-gordon-ramsay/267524