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don’t need to stock the vegan versions. Plus, whole foods are better for you anyway!</li><li>All of the quantities are for two generous adult-sized portions.</li><li>All of them can be made in 30 minutes or less with basic kitchen equipment, thus making them perfect for busy weeknights.</li><li>You can always swap out veggies or adjust spice levels to your preference.</li></ul><p id="be54">Bon appetit!</p><h1 id="9a10">Spicy Black Beans with Spinach and Bokchoy</h1><ul><li>Chop up one small onion and three cloves of garlic.</li><li>Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and saute them until the onions are soft, around five or six minutes.</li><li>Add a pinch of salt to help caramelise the onions.</li><li>Add a can of black beans (liquid included) and a generous sprinkle of chilli powder. As much or as little as you want — depends on your spice tolerance! Alternatively, you could chop up and add a small jalapeno.</li><li>Reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook. After ten minutes, add about a cup of spinach (fresh or frozen) and a handful of bok choy leaves (reserve the stems for another use).</li><li>Stir and let cook until the spinach and bok choy have wilted.</li><li>Taste for seasoning. Serve hot with rice, quinoa or warm tortillas.</li></ul><h1 id="404d">Chickpea and Spinach Stew</h1><ul><li>Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add a finely chopped onion (small) and one teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste (available at any Indian store). Cook until the onions are soft.</li><li>Add a can of chickpeas (along with the liquid) and stir well.</li><li>Add half a teaspoon of turmeric and a quarter teaspoon of red chilli powder. (If you’re using a milder chilli powder, make it half a teaspoon).</li><li>Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let it all cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to cook it longer — the chickpeas have to be completely softened.</li><li>Add a cup of spinach leaves and stir it in. You could also try kale.</li><li>Salt to taste, and add a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of garam masala to finish it off. Serve hot with rice.</li></ul><h1 id="84b2">Stuffed Peppers with Sauteed Vegetables</h1><ul><li>Start by setting 1/2 cup of quinoa to cook.</li><li>While it’s cooking, cut a large bell pepper (red, green or yellow) in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Brush the insides and outsides with a bit of oil.</li><li>Hold each piece of pepper with a pair of kitchen tongs. Switch on the stove and carefully char the pieces on both sides until the skin is blistered. You’ll want to watch carefully, as this can happen quite fast. Set aside on a plate and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the insides.</li><li>Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add 1/2 packet of baby carrots, sliced in half lengthways. Cook until it starts to brown.</li><li>Steam 1/2 packet of broccoli in the microwave and add to the carrots. Add 1/2 packet of thawed edamame beans.</li><li>Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, chilli powder and garlic powder. (As spicy as you like.) Cook for about seven minutes until done.</li><li>Once th

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e quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork. Add a spoonful of tahini, a drizzle of olive oil and a generous few twists of black pepper and stir.</li><li>Stuff each pepper half with the quinoa. You want heaping portions. Top with a little more olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.</li><li>Serve the stuffed peppers with a generous scoop of the vegetable saute on the side.</li></ul><h1 id="656f">Polenta with Mushroom, Butternut Squash and Spinach</h1><ul><li>Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add one packet (16oz) of frozen butternut squash cubes. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a high flame for five minutes until it starts to soften. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and continue to stir, deglazing the pan with a bit of water or veggie stock.</li><li>Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add one packet (16oz) of sliced mushrooms. Cook until crispy.</li><li>Add eight heaping tablespoons of polenta to the pan with the squash, along with about 200ml of water or vegetable stock. If you like things spicy, add 1/2 tsp of red chili powder. Stir everything together, adding more stock or water about 1/4 cup at a time until it’s cooked through and creamy.</li><li>Once the mushrooms are crisp, add them to the polenta along with about 2 cups of spinach. Stir everything together on a low flame, adding a bit more liquid if needed to loosen it up.</li><li>Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.</li></ul><h1 id="b3c5">Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Mushroom and Zucchini</h1><ul><li>Boil 6oz of spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water.</li><li>Meanwhile, saute 16oz of mushrooms and one medium-sized thinly sliced zucchini in olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until desired degree of doneness (I like mine with nice browned bits).</li><li>Slice 6–8 cloves of garlic.</li><li>Heat 1/3rd cup of olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. After 30 seconds, add the garlic and a few hefty pinches of red pepper flakes. Cook for about two minutes.</li><li>This is where you have to work quickly. Reduce the flame to the lowest setting and pour in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. IMMEDIATELY add the spaghetti and start tossing everything together with tongs. Work quickly and constantly until the oil and water emulsify into a beautiful sauce. This shouldn’t take more than a minute or so.</li><li>Turn off the flame. Add the vegetables and keep tossing, with a splash more pasta water if needed. Once everything is nicely mixed, plate and serve with more red pepper flakes on top.</li></ul><figure id="addb"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*eZn_yCIH89-XQcyJ.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="94c1"><b>You just read another post from In Fitness And In Health:</b> a health and fitness community dedicated to sharing knowledge, lessons, and suggestions to living happier, healthier lives.</p><p id="c9b3">If you’d like to join our newsletter and receive more stories like this one, <a href="https://scottmayer.substack.com/"><b>tap here</b></a><b>.</b></p></article></body>

5 Plant-Based Weeknight Dinners for the Vegan Skeptic

As a meat-lover, I can testify that these are good

When I moved in with my partner, one of the things we had to figure out about our routine was food. He’s a vegetarian, and I’m a meat lover, which means war (haha). I was handling most of the cooking back then, and I didn’t have the time to cook separate meat and vegetable dishes. So more often than not, I just ended up eating the vegetarian dish I made for him.

And at first, that was hard. In the culture I grew up in, meat was the hero — vegetables were sidekicks at best. Psychologically, I just couldn’t imagine feeling full on vegetables alone!

Eventually, he took up more of the cooking and we started experimenting with recipes and ingredients. We tried out new vegetables and new grains, made gourmet versions of simple Indian dishes. A lot of those ended up being plant-based, or plant-based with cheese as just a topping. As we got better, we started cooking for friends and family as well.

And the more we cooked, the more surprised and delighted I was at how insanely good vegetables could taste.

Some of you might be waiting for a eureka moment at this point, where I realise that vegetables are the love of my life and resolve to go exclusive with them.

Nah. I still love the heck out of meat and dairy. They taste great, and I feel healthier when my diet includes them alongside veggies and whole grains. That’s just what my body needs.

I do, however, opt to eat plant-based a couple of times a week. And that’s because I’m honestly so impressed by how produce can be turned into hearty meals for all palates. There are some truly talented plant-based chefs out there, and some of the dishes they come up with are gobsmacking. I still salivate at the thought of a taro burger I had at a tiny vegan restaurant on the island of Kauai — and if it’s a toss-up between that and a pork burger, I might *gasp* pick the taro seven times out of ten.

Of course, some of those dishes do require quite a bit of prep. And me and my spouse, we like quick meals that we can throw together on a weekday in between work sprints and playing with our cats. So we put together some of our own recipes, inspired by hours of Internet browsing and our experiments based on what we had in the fridge on any given day.

They’re simple — as in, ten ingredients or less simple.

They’re healthy — full of vegetables and plant-based protein, minimal oil.

And as someone who would eat bacon five times a day if she could, I promise — they’re tasty.

A couple more points:

All of these recipes involve natural ingredients, not fake meats and cheeses. Since I eat the real versions of both, I don’t need to stock the vegan versions. Plus, whole foods are better for you anyway!
All of the quantities are for two generous adult-sized portions.
All of them can be made in 30 minutes or less with basic kitchen equipment, thus making them perfect for busy weeknights.
You can always swap out veggies or adjust spice levels to your preference.

Bon appetit!

Spicy Black Beans with Spinach and Bokchoy

Chop up one small onion and three cloves of garlic.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and saute them until the onions are soft, around five or six minutes.
Add a pinch of salt to help caramelise the onions.
Add a can of black beans (liquid included) and a generous sprinkle of chilli powder. As much or as little as you want — depends on your spice tolerance! Alternatively, you could chop up and add a small jalapeno.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook. After ten minutes, add about a cup of spinach (fresh or frozen) and a handful of bok choy leaves (reserve the stems for another use).
Stir and let cook until the spinach and bok choy have wilted.
Taste for seasoning. Serve hot with rice, quinoa or warm tortillas.

Chickpea and Spinach Stew

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add a finely chopped onion (small) and one teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste (available at any Indian store). Cook until the onions are soft.
Add a can of chickpeas (along with the liquid) and stir well.
Add half a teaspoon of turmeric and a quarter teaspoon of red chilli powder. (If you’re using a milder chilli powder, make it half a teaspoon).
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let it all cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to cook it longer — the chickpeas have to be completely softened.
Add a cup of spinach leaves and stir it in. You could also try kale.
Salt to taste, and add a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of garam masala to finish it off. Serve hot with rice.

Stuffed Peppers with Sauteed Vegetables

Start by setting 1/2 cup of quinoa to cook.
While it’s cooking, cut a large bell pepper (red, green or yellow) in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Brush the insides and outsides with a bit of oil.
Hold each piece of pepper with a pair of kitchen tongs. Switch on the stove and carefully char the pieces on both sides until the skin is blistered. You’ll want to watch carefully, as this can happen quite fast. Set aside on a plate and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the insides.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add 1/2 packet of baby carrots, sliced in half lengthways. Cook until it starts to brown.
Steam 1/2 packet of broccoli in the microwave and add to the carrots. Add 1/2 packet of thawed edamame beans.
Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, chilli powder and garlic powder. (As spicy as you like.) Cook for about seven minutes until done.
Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork. Add a spoonful of tahini, a drizzle of olive oil and a generous few twists of black pepper and stir.
Stuff each pepper half with the quinoa. You want heaping portions. Top with a little more olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Serve the stuffed peppers with a generous scoop of the vegetable saute on the side.

Polenta with Mushroom, Butternut Squash and Spinach

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add one packet (16oz) of frozen butternut squash cubes. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a high flame for five minutes until it starts to soften. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and continue to stir, deglazing the pan with a bit of water or veggie stock.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add one packet (16oz) of sliced mushrooms. Cook until crispy.
Add eight heaping tablespoons of polenta to the pan with the squash, along with about 200ml of water or vegetable stock. If you like things spicy, add 1/2 tsp of red chili powder. Stir everything together, adding more stock or water about 1/4 cup at a time until it’s cooked through and creamy.
Once the mushrooms are crisp, add them to the polenta along with about 2 cups of spinach. Stir everything together on a low flame, adding a bit more liquid if needed to loosen it up.
Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Mushroom and Zucchini

Boil 6oz of spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water.
Meanwhile, saute 16oz of mushrooms and one medium-sized thinly sliced zucchini in olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until desired degree of doneness (I like mine with nice browned bits).
Slice 6–8 cloves of garlic.
Heat 1/3rd cup of olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. After 30 seconds, add the garlic and a few hefty pinches of red pepper flakes. Cook for about two minutes.
This is where you have to work quickly. Reduce the flame to the lowest setting and pour in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. IMMEDIATELY add the spaghetti and start tossing everything together with tongs. Work quickly and constantly until the oil and water emulsify into a beautiful sauce. This shouldn’t take more than a minute or so.
Turn off the flame. Add the vegetables and keep tossing, with a splash more pasta water if needed. Once everything is nicely mixed, plate and serve with more red pepper flakes on top.

You just read another post from In Fitness And In Health: a health and fitness community dedicated to sharing knowledge, lessons, and suggestions to living happier, healthier lives.

If you’d like to join our newsletter and receive more stories like this one, tap here.