You’ve heard about Meatless Monday but yet always forget to take part, right? This football season, try kicking meat to the curb in connection with Monday Night Football this fall. I know, this may not fly with the whole family or roommate situation you’ve got going on, but hear me out real quick.

I’m taking the challenge myself because studies have shown that eating a plant based diet may bring about many health benefits which includes helping you live longer. It also sets the tone for the rest of the week on a nutritious high note. By adding in plenty of fruits and vegetables with high fiber content it just may help you lose weight.  It’s also a good idea for your heart. Cutting back on meat can lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure and overall reduce risk of heart disease. Did you know vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of dying from heart disease than meat eaters? Meatless Monday has many other environmental and animal benefits you can read about here.

My favorite reasons to try meatless Monday however are that is saves me money and forces me to often try a new recipe.

I found this curried quinoa veggie bowl recipe on Silk.com and am in love with it. It takes 45 minutes to make and I had most of the ingredients on hand. All I had to do was buy a cauliflower – seriously! It is dairy, lactose, soy, gluten and obviously meat free!

The recipe calls for Unsweetened Coconutmilk but I used Unsweetened Cashewmilk since that was what I had on hand and it worked perfectly.

Curried Quinoa Veggie Bowl

Makes 6 servings, Takes about 45 minutes.

What you’ll need:

Cauliflower

• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbsp Curry Powder or Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 large head Cauliflower, broken into florets

Quinoa:

• 1 clove Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup Onion, chopped
• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 cups Unsweetened Coconutmilk or Cashewmilk
• 1 1/2 tsp Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Peas

Preheat oven to 450F. Combine melted coconut oil with spices for the Cauliflower. Coat cauliflower with spice mixture and roast for about 35 minutes. While it’s roasting, sautee coconut oil, onions and garlic in a pot until translucent. Add in quinoa and cook for about 5 minutes. Next add milk and spices and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer until liquid is evaporated and quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.  Add in peas last minute. If you plan to save leftovers, wait to add to peas until ready serve.

You can add tofu for extra protein. I promise you won’t miss the meat. So join me and ‘Sideline Meat’ this football season by having a #MeatlessMondayNight with a little help from Silk!

Find Silk in a grocery store nearest you here. You can also discover more non-GMO, dairy free and meatfree meals at Silk.com/sidelinemeat.

For more specific directions, check them out on Silk.com here.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.