Butternut Squash & Arugula Pasta + some rambling about vegetables.

About six months ago I jumped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon and dragged the family along with me.  We started eating vegetarian meals once a week for dinner.  That led to me not eating meat most days for breakfast or lunch. Which then turned into us eating meat or fish only a few times a week or in very limited amounts – more as a garnish or a source of flavor than the main focus of a dish.

It has been a good thing.  We have reaped a lot of benefits by reducing our meat intake.  There are the usual ones that you hear all the time: sustainability, health and weight loss, spending less on groceries.  All of that has been written about extensively and while I care deeply about all of those things, delight in them even, they aren’t the reason that I remain committed to eating less meat.  The real reason is that eating less meat has made me a far better cook.

Beets, Oranges, Arugula and Feta

I always buy beets and take forever to use them.  Passing them over, night after night, for more familiar vegetables.  Solution: roast them all when you have the time and work them into salads and sides all week.

Slather beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a 375° oven until tender, about 1 hr.  Remove and let cool.  Peel and dice. Supreme an orange.  Reserve juices.  In a bowl toss beets, orange segments, feta and arugula with orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn into a serving dish.  Top with more feta and freshly ground black pepper.  Enjoy!