Have you ever heard the quote, “I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables?” If it takes you awhile to get it, that’s okay. It took me awhile, too. I have a joke with my husband that’s kind of the inverse of this statement: that because I’m not a dog person–and I mean, like, I’m REALLY not a dog person–I would totally eat dogs if they tasted good. (And who knows? Maybe they do taste good. People eat them in other parts of the world.) To me, it’s no weirder than eating cows or pigs. I’ve never owned a dog, so in my view, they’re just another animal. Maybe it’s because my forebears are from Switzerland, where according to Wikipedia, “cultural attitudes toward slaughtering of animals for meat is traditionally liberal.” Oh, you kooky Swiss!

{If you’re a dog person, I’m sorry. I promise to not eat your dog. I’m not actively trying to eat dogs or anything. Feel free to invite me to your house knowing I’m not wondering what Scamper would taste like with ketchup. Can we still be friends?}

Being a half-time vegetarian, for me, is (obviously) less a moral issue stemming from a desire to do no harm to other creatures and more about my own health and the health of the planet–selfish beast that I am. (Check out my Half-Time Vegetarian post for more info on why it’s a great option for your health, the earth, and your wallet.) That’s why, with 2016 off to a running start, I’m still plugging away at reducing our family’s meat intake. This vegetable tart is a delicious example of a meal whose lack of meat doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it’s a meal that reminds me just how delectable vegetables can be when they are pan-roasted and seasoned with just the right blend of spices. When I made this for my kids the other night before my husband and I headed out for dinner at a restaurant, I had to hold myself back from spoiling my appetite by eating too much of it. Fork-tender red potatoes and delicately caramelized zucchini and cauliflower in a pastry wrapper–be still, my half-veggie heart!

So, even though you may chuckle at the thought of someone eating vegetarian because they want to end the natural lives of vegetables, I doubt anyone can eat this meal and claim they hate vegetables. I dare any veggie-hater to try it see what I mean!

P.S. While we’re here, I’ma throw in some more vegetarian humor…

 

Vegetable Feta Tart
(Inspired by Real Simple)

Ingredients:

1 store-bought or homemade pie crust
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, halved and diced into half-moons
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. cauliflower, diced into small florets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 medium red potato, halved and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallot, and cauliflower and sauté until brown spots of caramelization begin to appear, about 6-8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil, and thyme and cook 1 additional minute. Stir in feta and potato and remove from heat.
3. Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet. Roll pie crust out on paper to a 12-inch diameter. Spoon the feta-vegetable mixture into the crust, leaving a 1.5-inch border around the outside. Fold the outer edges of the crust over onto the vegetables.
4. Bake until crust is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 50-60 minutes. (Check after 50 and return to oven if needed.)

Serves 4.

We’ll get to this delicious roasted butternut squash salad with maple-mustard dressing, I promise. But first, a little digression. Last Friday our family returned from five days in central Illinois for a fall break trip to visit family. We enjoyed some gorgeous fall colors,

a visit to Wildlife Prairie Park (a combination park/zoo/recreated prairie farmstead),

a daytrip to Chicago, where the kids and I explored the Field Museum,

quality time with grandparents and great-grandparents,

and a hike that dead-ended at this picturesque-but-creepy abandoned woodcutter’s cottage.

The weather was just what you’d idealize for fall–crisp but not too cold–and the kids behaved really well overall. Can’t ask for much more than that! If I could lodge just one complaint, though, it would be this: MEAT OVERLOAD. I had forgotten how much people in the Midwest eat meat, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This half-time vegetarian was not prepared for the amount of (especially red) meat that is standard on Midwestern menus. I enjoy a good burger as much as anyone else, but by the time we got home, I was ready to bathe myself in vegetables. So when I meal planned for this week, I made sure to include some uber-healthy vegetarian meals. Hence this butternut squash salad.

I had made this meal once before, but this time decided to tweak it a bit, and was delighted with the results. The mix of nutty butternut squash roasted with honey and spices, salty pepitas, sweet cranberries, and a maple-mustard dressing made for an awesome, hearty fall salad. For lunch today I had the leftovers and they were just as tasty as night before. How often does that happen with a salad?

Full disclosure, though: not everyone in our family loved this salad as much as I did. My 8-year-old, who apparently detests butternut squash with a level of intensity most people reserve for Donald Trump and dental work, gave us MAJOR grief over eating that part of the salad for dinner. When my husband told him he had to eat the squash before he could get dessert, my son shoved it in his mouth, and moments later…..vomited.

Yep. Vomited. He wasn’t sick; he just hates squash THAT MUCH.

So, word to the wise: if your kid as much as much loathing for butternut squash as mine does, you may want to shy away from this meal. On the other hand, if you’re a grown-up who enjoys healthy, flavorful food, allow me to introduce you to a new favorite fall salad.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Maple-Mustard Dressing
(Inspired by Two Peas and their Pod)

Ingredients:

For the salad:

12 oz. (about 1 small) butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
8 c. spinach or mixed greens
1/2 c. roasted salted pepitas
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. dried cranberries

For the dressing:

1/4 c. maple syrup
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. grainy mustard
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread butternut squash chunks on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Roast 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the salad: in a salad bowl or platter, toss spinach/salad greens with pepitas, feta, and cranberries. Add roasted squash.
3. To make the dressing, combine maple syrup, garlic, cider vinegar, grainy mustard, and Dijon mustard in a measuring cup. Add canola oil and blend with an immersion blender until emulsified. (Alternatively, you could use a regular blender or food processor.) Serve on the side or tossed in the salad.

Serves 4 as a main dish.