Your Meals

Optional meat or plant proteins bring flexibility and a little something for everyone to the table

BY PAT CROCKER

Are you hoping to explore new recipes that go beyond meat and potatoes? Do you rely on mostly plant-based meals but enjoy protein from animal sources once in a while? Would you like to increase healthy ingredients in your diet? Are you looking to increase summer fun time and decrease kitchen prep time? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you’re going to love our flexitarian recipe ideas.

What is flexitarian, you might ask? It’s a relaxed, flexible approach to plant-based meals. Anyone moving closer to being vegetarian or vegan, but who sometimes consumes meat, poultry, eggs, milk or fish could be called flexitarian. But the term can also apply to people who identify as meat eaters yet choose meatless alternatives on either a random or a regular basis.

Flexitarian recipes are designed to give fruit, vegetables, whole grains, herbs, nuts, seeds and legumes a staring role on the plate while assigning meat and dairy a cameo appearance. In the recipes that follow, we’ve given the nod to high-quality plant proteins such as nuts, seeds, legumes (peas, beans and lentils), tofu, tempeh and ancient grains in our flex recipes, and we’ve included a “flex option” and sometimes a “fast-flex option” that give you choices for adding smaller portions of an extra animal protein boost.

There’s no better time to tip the scales toward a plant-based way of eating than in summer, when bright produce is at its peak and bursting with goodness and flavor. Take a look at how easy it is to offer flexibility and choice at summer mealtimes.

One slice of bacon for each ex serving.

Flex OPTION

BLACK BEAN-MUSHROOM BURGERS

(SEE RECIPE ON PAGE 28)

Flex OPTION

Add ¼ cup grilled steak slivers or chicken slivers to each ex salad bowl.

Arugula and Roasted Beets with Steak, Walnuts and Blue Cheese

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Summer greens–baby spinach, arugula, romaine, baby kale or Swiss chard–are peaking right now and this salad takes full advantage of them. Even without the flex meat suggestions, this salad offers the combination of animal protein (the cheese) supplemented by incomplete protein from the nuts and seeds. If you want even more plant-based protein, serve this over a bed of cooked quinoa or whole barley–two protein-rich grains that truly satisfy.

6 medium beets, trimmed and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups arugula or mixed tender greens

⅓ cup diagonally sliced green onions

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup coarsely crumbled nacho chips

3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds (optional)

■ FLEX OPTION: ¼ cup per serving grilled steak or chicken slivers:

1 boneless cut of beef (See Cook’s Notes) or boneless chicken breast; 2 tablespoons olive oil;

1 tablespoon Tuscan or Italian seasoning

■ FAST FLEX OPTION: ¼ cup per serving thinly sliced rotisserie chicken or cubed deli smoked turkey or ham

For the Salad Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted walnut or sesame oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1. Preheat grill to high or oven to 375°F. Arrange beet quarters in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bring the two long edges of foil together and pleat to enclose beets. Roll up the two side edges of foil so that the packet is sealed. Cook in preheated grill with the lid down or in the oven for 40 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Set aside to cool beets slightly.

2. For Steak Flex option: Keep grill or oven at high. Brush both sides with oil and seasoning. Place steak on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill for 3 to 5 minutes for rare (an internal temperature of 135°F) or longer for medium to medium-well. Remove, let sit for 5 minutes and cut into strips.

FOR CHICKEN FLEX OPTION: Reduce grill to medium or the oven to 350°F. Brush both sides with oil and seasoning. Place chicken on the grill and cook for 5 minutes; turn and continue to grill for 5 or 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. To poach chicken on top of the stove, cover chicken with water in a saucepan. Bring water to a simmer over medium high heat and cook for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove chicken from heat and let sit for 3 minutes then cut into strips.

3. Make the salad dressing: Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid. Set aside and shake well before tossing with salad.

4. Toss the arugula and onions together in a salad bowl. Drizzle salad dressing over and toss well to mix. Divide salad among 6 salad bowls. Top each bowl with roasted beets and sprinkle over walnuts, nacho chips, blue

Flexitarian Pantry Staples

cheese and sesame seeds if using.

FLEX OPTIONS: Add ¼ cup grilled steak slivers or chicken slivers to each flex salad bowl.

FAST FLEX OPTIONS: Add ¼ cup thinly sliced rotisserie chicken or deli cubed smoked turkey or ham to each flex salad bowl.

Cook’s Notes:

■ Keep washed greens in an airtight bag or container in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator until you are ready to toss into the salad bowl.

■ You can roast the beets a day before but warm them slightly in the microwave, in the oven, or on the grill for maximum flavor. If you can find them, baby beets are really nice in this salad and you can use them whole.

■ Use Brie or creamy goat’s milk chevre in place of the blue cheese if desired.

■ Use boneless cuts of beef steak here so look for rib eye or New York strip cuts of beef for the flex option (about 8 ounces for two servings).

Make meal-prep easy—stock up on these staples for vegetarian recipes:

■ canned legumes (beans such as chickpeas, black beans or pinto beans)

■ dried or canned lentils; tofu, tempeh, edamame (fresh soy beans)

■ brown rice, quinoa, or whole grain wheat or barley

■ canned tomatoes

■ natural almonds, walnuts

■ hemp hearts chia, ax, or sun ower seeds

■ plant-based milk or “mylk” (rice, almond, coconut, oat)

■ spirulina (an algae with about 8g protein in 2 tablespoons)

■ avor-boosting ingredients such as tamari (or soy) sauce, miso, and nutritional yeast

For avor spikes, turn to fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley or take advantage of spice blends such as garam masala, Italian, Moroccan or French.

Roasted Cauliflower-Mushroom-Chickpea Bowls

MAKES

Big on flavor, this one-bowl dish makes a great outdoor meal. It’s easy to eat with one utensil (fork or spoon), it’s casual and comforting, and it’s a one-pan clean up for the cook. The chickpeas are the star plant protein and you can add chopped, hard-boiled egg or edamame to up the ante if you want. If adding the pork, using a slow cooker in summer helps to keep the kitchen cool, too.

½ cauliflower, florets cut into ¼-inch slices

2 cups (about 10 ounces) halved mushrooms

1 large yellow onion, quartered

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 red pepper, cut into eighths

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 cups cooked quinoa or rice

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

■ FLEX OPTION: ¼ cup per serving— pulled pork: 1 small (2–3 pounds) pork shoulder roast (see Cook’s Notes); olive oil; ¾ cup barbecue sauce; ½ cup chicken broth; ¼ cup apple cider vinegar; 1 onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced;

2 tablespoons molasses or honey;

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (see Cook’s Notes)

■ FAST FLEX OPTION: ¼ cup per serving— cubed or strips cooked deli ham

A Word About Plant Protein

They’re aptly named. The word “protein” comes from the Greek proteios, meaning “of rst importance,” and that describes their role in the body. Proteins are the basic structure of all cells and are necessary for healthy growth, cell repair, reproduction and protection against disease.

The building blocks of proteins are amino acids and there are nine essential amino acids that you must get from food (the other amino acids can be manufactured by your body). We give meat, dairy products (milk and cheese), eggs and sh emphasis because they conveniently contain all nine essential amino acids but plants also contain essential amino acids.

The di erence between plants and animals is that, except for quinoa, soybeans and soybean products (tofu and tempeh), buckwheat, and pistachio nuts, most plants don’t supply all nine amino acids in one package.

Plants high in proteins such as nuts, seeds, legumes and lentils are missing one or more of the essential nine amino acids.

Nutritionists have studied plants to determine which plants are missing an amino acid and which ones are high in particular amino acids and they’ve come up with a complementary way of combining two or three plants so that you get all nine essential amino acids in a dish. For example, rice + beans or peanut butter + whole wheat bread, or bean chili + corn nachos are combinations that when eaten together create a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids.

1. For Pulled Pork flex option: Use a slow cooker or oven (preheat oven to 325°F if using). Lightly oil the slow cooker insert (or a Dutch oven with lid if using the oven) and add pork roast, rolling it over to lightly coat with oil. Whisk remaining ingredients together in a bowl and pour over roast. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours (internal temperature should reach 205°F). Alternately, if using the oven, cook for 3 hours or until the roast reaches 205°F and shreds easily with a fork. Remove and set aside, covered until ready to use. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat using two forks and toss in any remaining liquid. If making pork ahead, let it cool and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Freeze leftover pork for up to 2 months.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange cauliflower, mushrooms and onions in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle rosemary evenly over. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

3. Stir vegetables and add red pepper, chickpeas and walnuts. Drizzle with remaining oil and return to the oven. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and slightly charred.

4. Spoon quinoa into 4 bowls and spoon vegetables over. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon parsley over each bowl.

FLEX OPTIONS: Top each flex serving with ¼ cup pulled pork or deli ham strips.

Cook’s Notes:

■ Generally the less-expensive, slightly tougher cuts such as pork shoulder or butt and loin work well using a moist, slow-cooked method, which tenderizes meat as it cooks.

■ To keep the kitchen cool, you could grill vegetables on a hot grill either in a sear grate or using aluminum foil.

■ Thyme’s bold flavor can withstand long cooking and you can team it with other herbs such as rosemary and sage. Don’t stop at parsley as a garnish, add chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage for a real Italian taste.

Top each ex serving with ¼ cup pulled pork or deli ham strips.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWERMUSHROOMCHICKPEA BOWLS

Flex OPTION

Penne with Lentils, Broccoli and Pistachio Nuts

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Slow-simmered and caramelized onions in the sauce round out earthy and dense lentils, giving them nutty-sweet flavor. Lentils are high in fiber and protein and low in fat and calories, making them a perfect plant protein for many dishes, and pistachios add a complete protein boost.

½cup red or green lentils (see Cook’s Notes)

2cups water

2teaspoons salt, divided

2stalks broccoli, stems trimmed and florets quartered

2tablespoons olive oil

2large onions, chopped 3medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

3cups dried penne pasta (see Cook’s Notes)

1cup shelled pistachio nuts (see Sidebar)

■ FLEX OPTION: Large shrimp—4 per flex serving—or a small, boneless filet of white fish

■ FAST FLEX OPTION: Cubed deli kielbasa (prepared, ready-to-eat Polish sausage) or ham—¼ cup per serving

1. In a saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat, season with ½ teaspoon salt and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until onions are soft and moist. Remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt, garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the broccoli. Cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Lift out of the pot using tongs or a large slotted spoon and into a colander. Rinse with cool water and set aside to drain.

4. Bring the water back to a boil. Add pasta and remaining salt to the boiling water. Cook, stirring once, for about 7 minutes or until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta. Rinse with cool water and drain well.

5. Add lentils and their cooking liquid to the onions in the skillet. Add drained broccoli and pasta and enough of the reserved cooking water to keep pasta and vegetables moist. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly

Being Soy Savvy

What’s all the soybean hype about? Most importantly, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that provides a plant alternative to red and processed meat. Most nutritionists agree that including organic soy once or twice in your weekly meal plan is a good way to boost plant-based recipes. A quick guide to soy: until pasta is mixed in and heated through.

■ Whole, dried soybeans may be used in recipes that call for dried beans. Soak and cook them following the directions for cooking dried chickpeas.

■ Edamame is the name for fresh, salted soybeans o en available in the pod. These are sometimes eaten as an appetizer or added as a garnish to dishes.

■ Tofu is a bean curd made from soybeans available in a variety of forms ranging from so to extra- rm. Use so (silken) tofu for dips and sauces— drain it and simply add to the recipe as called for.

Extra- rm tofu is marinated and fried crisp as a “meaty” ingredient in all kinds of dishes from salad to chili, stir fried rice or vegetables, and stew. Be sure to press rm or extra- rm tofu before marinating and cooking it. To remove as much liquid as possible, use a tofu press or place the block of tofu on a plate, cover with another plate and stack several cans or books on the top plate. Press for at least 30 minutes, draining the liquid several times.

On its own, tofu has no distinct avor but it does have an incredible ability to absorb the avors from spices, sauces or marinades. A er pressing, cut the block into 1-inch cubes and place in a bowl. Cover with bottled teriyaki, peanut or sweet ginger sauce. You can also make your own marinade using lemon juice, soy sauce, chopped garlic, ginger, rosemary or Moroccan spice blends for an intense avor spike. Marinate tofu for 60 minutes or cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated tofu cubes to the pan in one layer. Fry for 2 or 3 minutes or until crisp. Turn using tongs and fry on the opposite side for another 2 minutes or until crisp.

■ Tempeh is a fermented soy food that has been cultured with bene cial bacteria. It’s o en marinated in simple sauce (½ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon each chopped ginger and garlic). Marinate coarsely diced tempeh for at least 1 hour before adding to chili, soup, stir-fry or stew.

6. For Shrimp Flex option: Clean and shell shrimp. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, turning shrimp every 30 seconds, for about 3 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink. Remove and cut each shrimp into 3 pieces.

FOR WHITEFISH FLEX OPTION: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn using tongs and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

7. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 6 bowls and sprinkle over pistachio nuts. Top each flex serving with 4 shrimp, cut in large pieces or ¼ cup flaked fish.

Cook’s Notes:

■ Save time by using 1 can (14 ounces) red or green lentils, drained and rinsed in place of the dried lentils and water and skip step 1.

■ Use any short, stubby pasta in this dish such as fusilli (screw-shaped), rigatoni, conchigliette (shells), fiorelli (tubes), or macaroni because their swirls and spiral pockets efficiently trap sauce.

■ Any of the mild-tasting whitefish species such as cod, grouper, Alaska pollock, haddock, or halibut may be used in this recipe.

Black BeanMushroom Burgers

MAKES 6 BURGERS | PHOTO ON PAGE 21

Nothing says summer like burgers on the grill. Our plant-based burgers are “meaty” thanks to the mushrooms and black beans. You get a protein spike from the beans and the brown rice and benefit from another 10 grams of plant protein by adding a couple tablespoons of hemp hearts.

3tablespoons olive oil, divided

1onion, chopped

1cup chopped mushrooms

6cloves garlic, finely chopped

1zucchini, chopped

1tablespoon Italian seasoning (see Cook’s Notes)

1small beet, shredded

½cup salted cashews

1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

¾cup cooked short grain brown rice

2tablespoons Dijon mustard

2tablespoons hemp hearts (see Cook’s Notes)

½cup large flake rolled oats

■ FLEX OPTION: 1 slice bacon for each flex serving

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring frequently for 3 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add remaining olive oil, garlic, zucchini, seasoning and beet and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Combine cashews and beans in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for

NUTRITION (PER SERVING)

BLACK BEAN-MUSHROOM BURGERS WITH BACON

CALORIES: 300, FAT: 16G (SAT: 3 G),

CHOLESTEROL: 10 MG, SODIUM: 580 MG, CARB: 31G, FIBER: 5G, SUGAR: 4G, PROTEIN: 11G

ARUGULA AND ROASTED BEETS WITH STEAK, WALNUTS AND BLUE CHEESE CALORIES: 343, FAT: 24G (SAT: 6 G),

CHOLESTEROL: 46 MG, SODIUM: 330 MG, CARB: 15G, FIBER: 4G, SUGAR: 7G, PROTEIN: 33G

Bruschetta with Olive Tapenade

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

30 seconds or until chopped. Scrape cooled onion mixture into the food processor bowl. Add about half of the brown rice, the mustard and hemp hearts. Pulse for 30 seconds or until mixed together. Stir in rolled oats.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat the oven to 350°F. Scrape mixture into a large bowl and add remaining rice and hemp hearts. Using your hands, shape into six 3-inch patties and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes and then flip over. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until patties are firm to the touch and browned overall. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

Cook’s Notes:

■ Plant-based burgers may be cooked on the grill but handle with extra care—don’t place them directly on the grill. Instead, use a barbecue sear grate or heavy aluminum foil to cook them and turn them once only.

■ Hemp hearts act as a binder in holding the mixture together but as a substitute, you can use 2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax seeds mixed with ¼ cup water to act as an emulsifier.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWERMUSHROOM-CHICKPEA BOWLS

CALORIES: 390, FAT: 22G (SAT: 3G), CHOLESTEROL: 0 MG, SODIUM: 300 MG, CARB: 40G, FIBER: 11G, SUGAR: 10G, PROTEIN: 14G

PENNE WITH LENTILS, BROCCOLI AND PISTACHIO NUTS WITH KIELBASA

CALORIES: 490, FAT: 25G (SAT: 5G), CHOLESTEROL: 2 MG, SODIUM: 580 MG, CARB: 55G, FIBER: 8G, SUGAR: 6G, PROTEIN: 22G

BRUSCHETTA WITH OLIVE TAPENADE WITH PROSCIUTTO CALORIES: 340, FAT: 16G (SAT: 2.5G), CHOLESTEROL: 5 MG, SODIUM: 1270 MG, CARB: 41G, FIBER: 3G, SUGAR: 2G, PROTEIN: 10G

The temperature’s rising and we’re inclined to spend less time in the kitchen and more time on the patio or lounge chair. Easy and packed with sun-ripened flavor, this is one appetizer that appeals to vegetarians and satisfies meat-lovers while sparing the cook. For more plant protein, swap in a bean paste such as hummus for the tapenade.

1baguette or country loaf of bread, sliced crosswise into 1-inch slices

2medium tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (optional) extra olive oil for drizzling

■ FAST FLEX OPTION: Shredded prosciutto, deli turkey or ham— 2 tablespoons per serving

For the Tapenade

¾cup sliced green olives, drained ½cup sliced black olives, drained ¼cup flat parsley leaves

2cloves garlic

1tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3tablespoons olive oil

1. Combine tapenade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 7 times, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pulse 4 to 6 times, watching carefully so that the mixture is chopped but not pureed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

2. Preheat grill or oven to 375°F. Grill bread slices for about 45 seconds or until golden, flip and grill on opposite side about 30 seconds or until toasted.

3. Spread tapenade over grilled bread slices. Top each slice with a slice of tomato and a basil leaf if using. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Grind salt and pepper over.

FAST FLEX OPTION: Omit the tomato and top each flex grilled bruschetta slice with tapenade, 2 tablespoons shredded prosciutto, and basil leaf if using. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Grind salt and pepper over.

Cook’s Note:

■ It’s easy to make the tapenade but you can also use a prepared one—look for tapenade in the condiments section. ■

Flex OPTION

Shredded prosciutto, deli turkey or ham—2 tablespoons per serving