Going meatless?

Beginning this week, I prepared meals with no meat.

Pizza tasted light and flakier without all the extra toppings.
Burgers were savory with portabello mushrooms standing in for beef.
Pasta with peas and scallions never missed its pancetta.

And what happened to my appetite? It slowed down. My digestion was easier. Even my sleep patterns felt lighter.

I might just do meatless more often.

When you have company.

.If you are hosting a get together, you need to be armed with lots of alternatives for people with special dietary needs.
In our family we have people who are vegan,  diabetic, people with certain allergies and those who will constantly look for food you don't have.
So, one of my precept is to have a meatless, dairy-less option available at each meal.

This pasta dish is a go to most times.  You can change the beans, the pasta, the base sauce, even the greens, and this dish will take care of itself. (look for pasta and beans recipe in the side-bar)

It tastes better when it is reheated.

Add a great big salad with  a variety of cheeses, nuts, fruit on the side, and this too will feed most people.
A variety of breads and rolls with a great olive oil to use as a dip will hold any appetite at bay for a while.

Grill some meats ahead of time and people who must have meat at every meal can feel satisfied.

For the diabetic in your family,  stock  juices, cheese sticks,  nuts, and good tuna for  quick snacks.

We are off to the Rotary's Pancake breakfast, followed by a parade, a town's BBQ, a live production of The First Ladies' Diaries, written and performed by local talent, duck races, beach golf tournament and fireworks.  Our family will eat  here and there, and they'll have opportunities for  excitement and novelty.

Enjoy Independence Day wherever you are.