i’d like to start this monday morning off by blowing your mind!
have you heard of the phrase ‘meatless monday’?
great! so have i!
as an avid blog reader + pinterest peruser it’s pretty hard to not be familiar with the phrase ‘meatless monday’ – it’s everywhere!
since starting to really focus on meal planning that little ideal was always in the back of my mind, so naturally, my monday recipe slot has been filled with a veggie forward salad or a fish taco here and there.
all this while, in my ambitious brain, i thought the idea of going meatless on a monday was coined by a fabulous blogger who had just come off a weekend filled with booze + encased meats fun!
but!
{here’s the mind blowing part. .}
turns out. .
. .meatless monday was coined during World War I!
SAAAYYY WHAAAAAAT!
as the internet story goes, the US food administration started the ‘meatless monday’ campaign to encourage american families to go meatless on mondays in efforts to reduce consumption of key war staples. super smart, right!?
well, more than 13 million american families thought so! that is the number that signed a pledge to aid in the war efforts by simply cutting meat out of their meals to start the week!
due to the success of that campaign during WWI, it was brought back into the headlines during WWII + revived by a jazzy ad man + health advocate as a public health awareness campaign in 2003.
and since that revival ‘meatless monday’ has been on the rise + in the headlines daily ever since!
is your mind blown?
phew! mine too!
so in honor of the coolest thing you’ve learned today, let’s get to the recipe!
today, we’ve got cauliflower + chickpea tacos on the meatless monday menu!
the crunch from the roasted cauliflower + chickpeas is delightful. the spice mix heats things up while the lime crema comes in a cools things down and i think the crunch of fresh jalapenos are a must here – but feel free to tone down the heat by opting for a milder fresh pepper {like an anaheim!}.
next monday {or any day! like tomorrow!}, give these a try!
they’re meatless, they’re tacos + they’re healthy. it’s a match made in monday heaven sure to make that 2003 ad man SUPER proud!
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 lime, zested + juiced {you'll want approximately 2 tablespoons of lime juice}
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 {15 oz.} can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1 small head cauliflower, washed + cut into bite-size florets
- 1 cup red cabbage, finely sliced
- 1 jalapeño, sliced + seeds removed
- 1 large avocado, seed removed + diced
- Chopped cilantro, to garnish
- Corn tortillas, for serving
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 lime, zested + juiced {you'll want approximately 2 tablespoons of lime juice}
- ¼ cup cilantro
- kosher salt + pepper, to taste
- preheat your oven to 400º
- in a mixing bowl, whisk together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, lime juice, olive oil + water.
- stir the chickpeas + cauliflower florets into the above mixture. tossing to coat. place seasoned chickpeas + cauliflower on a greased baking sheet.
- roast the mixture for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally during cooking, until chickpeas are slightly crispy + cauliflower is tender.
- remove from oven + set aside.
- place the greek yogurt or sour cream in a small bowl or food processor.
- add fresh lime juice + cilantro, mixing well. season with salt + pepper, to taste.
- build the roasted cauliflower + chickpeas on top of a corn tortilla. top with red cabbage, jalapeño slices, avocado + cilantro.
- drizzle the lime crema over the tacos + enjoy!
research shows that monday is the perfect day to make small, positive changes. the repeating cycle of the week allows monday -52 times a year- to be the day people commit to all kinds of healthy behaviors.
the above fact + the cool meatless monday history is from this site!
this recipe calls for red cabbage which can usually only be found at your grocery store in a big ‘ol bundle.. if you want to sub in any kind of cabbage you have on-hand or even an undressed coleslaw mix both work great!
these tacos are an awesome addition to a taco party lineup! giving guests a veggie-only option among a meat-heavy taco world is something really exciting!
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