My Full Calendar = Your Good Fortune
The winner is Melissa!
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Someone out there gets lucky!
Here’s the catch: it expires this Thursday, August 26th. So, please, do not enter the giveaway if you can’t use it by then. I want to make sure it’s put to good use!
In honor of Meatless Monday, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me about your best ever meatless meal. If there’s a link to the recipe, share it with me. If you don’t have a recipe, and it’s something you made, describe it to me. If you ate it at a restaurant, tell me which one. It’s that simple.
The contest window is short since there are only 4 nights this week that the Groupon can be used. Leave your comments by 5 p.m. CST today. I’ll announce the winner shortly after that here on the blog and via email. As soon as the winner responds, I’ll immediately email the Groupon so it can be used as early as tonight if you want!
Red Pony
408 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 595-7669
This salad by British chef Delia Smith is one of the best vegetarian dishes I've ever served. The combination of goat cheese and roasted vegetables on a cool bed of couscous mixed with salad leaves and a spicy dressing is amazing. All my company loves it! Here's the link: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/roasted-vegeta…
The acorn squash w/ soy ginger sauce at Eastside Cafe in Austin could be a delish meal by itself but make it a vegetable plate with the roasted garden beets & sliced tomatoes with lemon tarragon vinegarette and you're in heaven! I was only in Austin for about 3 weeks doing disaster relief volunteering with the Red Cross after Hurricane Rita. I think I ate there 5 times during that 3 weeks. The cafe is in a little house with creaking wood floors and has a huge garden out back where much of the produce comes from. I haven't been back to Austin since 2005 but I crave that acorn squash! You should check it out if you're ever in Austin. http://www.eastsidecafeaustin.com/index.html
A place we've never been, and if we win, we'd totally make it down there this week. :)
As for our best meatless meals, we eat them often, so picking one is not easy. However these sandwiches we made recently (http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/08/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-sandwiches.html)” target=”_blank”> http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/08/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-sandwiches.html)” target=”_blank”>(http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/08/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-sandwiches.html) were very memorable, and equally as tasty! The beets are so robust that you don't even notice the lack of meat. ;)
ooh, what a great giveaway! i was a vegetarian for 6 years, so i have a huge list of great meatless recipes. one of my favorites (+ a crowd-pleaser for vegetarians + meat-eaters alike) is espresso + black bean chili. yum!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Blac…
You've got to try this salad from "The Pioneer Woman."
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/my_mos…
Red Pony is my most favorite restaurant ever. It was the location of my wedding reception 2 years ago :)
I love nothing more than a plate full of homegrown, homecooked vegetables – preferably from my grandparents' garden. YUM! Sweet corn, fresh green beans, fried squash, mashed potatoes, fried okra…you get the picture!
However, I'm also a BIG fan of Red Pony's delicious guacamole and their shrimp-n-grits. Would love to have dinner there this week! Thanks for doing this!
I have been a vegetarian for 17 years, and I've had quite a few meals since then! :-)
My favorite meal to date was at Saffire in Franklin, TN. They don't actually have too many veg options on the menu, but, randomly and unbeknownst to me, the head chef there started following me via Twitter. Once he made his identity known, I asked Chef Vinny if he could prepare a special meal for my husband and I on our 10th anniversary. I told him to do whatever he wanted, as long as it was vegetarian. He jumped at the opportunity to create something "off menu" and it was by far the most amazing meal we've ever had!
I don't even remember what it was, but the point is that great chefs love to be creative and relish in their customers' trust. Chef Vinny is amazing and would gladly do the same for you (with advanced notice, so he can get the right ingredients). If you don't live in Franklin, call ahead to your favorite restaurant and ask if the head chef is willing to do the same for you. You never know what surprises await your taste buds!
(Oh, and remember, show your appreciation for special treatment…that's always nice.)
Ooh…I've always wanted to try the Red Pony! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
I'm usually a big fan of meat, but I'm learning to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into my menu at home. I've discovered that I love eggplant and there's plenty of it to go around this summer! Here's a recipe that I recently tried and really loved: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Eggplant-Bake… I swapped the canned tomatoes for fresh ones and used fresh mozzarella instead of packaged and it was delicious!
I'm a "flexitarian" so I'm enjoying these comments from others on where to eat good vegetartain food around town. I love the Vanderbilt sandwich at Fiddlecakes.
If I'm in the mood for something filling, I can't go wrong with the vegetarian options from Chipotle. Amazing! Great give away :-)
Yum! My favorite summer meatless meal is fresh pasta from lazaroli's and then any variety of fresh summer vegetables with fresh homemade pesto. It's great, local and fresh. A bit of any bloomy rind cheeses are also a great addition. I also do a meatless Monday which is taking some adjusting to from my boyfriend who believes every dinner needs to have meat. I'll keep working on him!
Always wanted to try the Red Pony.
Coming from an Indian family, I grew up eating mostly all vegetarian food. It wasn't until I started going to school that I ate meat.
One of my fondest memories and favorite dishes is one called Masala Dosa (something that I will have a post on shortly), but it's essentially a very crispy crepe (batter made out of lentils and ground rice), and it is stuffed with heavily seasoned potatoes (garlic, green chili, coridander, lentils, onion, cumin, and turmeric). You then get 2 options to dip it in. One is called sambhar, which is like a dhal and the other is a refreshing mint-coconut chutney.
It's incredible.
Best, Vivek http://viveksurti.wordpress.com
What a great question, since my best meatless meal was just last week! My sister-in-law shared the recipe with my wife that she deemed "Rainbow Mexico" or what my coworker calls "Texas Caviar" lol! It's a wonderful blend of:
1/2 cup diced red tomatoes or salsa or pico de gallo
1/2 cup orange bell pepper
1/2 cup yellow corn
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup diced red onion
onion (optional), chopped
cilantro, chopped
sour cream (as much as you want)
tortilla chips (as much as you want)
Mix all the vegetables & cilantro together in a bowl, put in salt and pepper, and let it sit (some people may like it better if the bell peppers & onions are cooked a little to be soft).
I like to sprinkle shredded cheese to the mix…use tortilla chips to dip or crush them up and sprinkle on top and…BAM…the flavors hit you with each individual ingredient packing a punch and collectively the perfect combination to heighten your senses! Enjoy!
My mouth is watering now…and I'd love to use the Red Pony Groupon for a date night with my beautiful wife that made that dish for me:) Always wanted to go…and the bad thing is we live right here in Franklin!
I tend to eat vegetarian a lot. One of my faves is Lazzaroli pumpkin ravioli with a sage brown butter sauce. I usually serve roasted asparagus & fresh italian bread on the side. YUM.
Fabulous contest idea!
I base my entire food blog around vegetarian eating, so this is a super hard choice. I travel a lot for work, so I try to keep track of the best places around the country. Here are the best meatless meals I've had in Nashville recently:
1. Quinoa Tacos – Mas Tacos, Por Favor
2. The Vegetarian Plate – Gojo Ethiopian
3. Veggie Burger – The Wild Cow
4. Heirloom Tomato Guacamole Sandwich – Heirloom BTL Stand (Tomato Art Festival!)
I would love to hear any other Nashville suggestions :) I've never been to Red Pony and would love to try it.
” target=”_blank”>http://www.katedore.com
Don't hide; I will eat you
Great little contest!
Hrm…my favorite meatless dish is actually a sandwich and makes for a great appetizer. It's a little garlicky (but aren't all good meals.)
Ingredients (sorry, I don't have quantities, I always just wing it.):
– good crusty italian bread
– eggplant
– roasted red peppers
– fresh mozzarella
– fresh garlic
– roasted garlic
– olive oil
– balsamic vinegar
– salt
– pepper
Take a whole loaf of good crusty Italian bread, cut it in half lengthwise a brush the inside half with olive oil and fresh minced garlic and broil until nice and golden.
slice up some egglplant in about 1/8" to 1/4" and brush with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, black pepper, and salt. Broil it. When one side is lightly browned, flip it over and brush the other side with the same mixture.
Once the eggplant and bread is done, you make the sandwich with roasted red pepper, fresh mozzarella and the eggplant. It can get kind of slippery, so if you're cutting it up for appetizers, toothpicks might be needed.
Pick me pick me!
My favorite meatless dish is from The Grit in Athens, GA- its a staple at our house via The Grit cookbook. Its meatless, but very heavy on the dairy- which I LOVE! Plus it looks fabulous with the green pasta and a vibrant orange sauce. Never been to the Red Pony, but I'd LOVE to try it! Plus, my dishwasher died last week, so we've been avoiding "eating in" lately. Could definitely make it out there this week!
Cajun Spinach Fettuncini
4 T butter
2 vegetarian "sausage" links, finely chopped
2 cups trimmed and sliced button mushrooms
4 c heavy cream
1 T paprika
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cayenne (I use a full teaspoon, we like it hot!)
1/4 t dry mustard
1/4 t ground sage
1 t fresh thyme
1 c grated parmesean cheese
16 oz dried spinach fettucine, freshly cooked (DeBoles has a great one)
melt butter and sautee sausage and mushrooms until browned
add remaining ingredients except parmesean and pasta. Stirring often, bring to a gentle boil and cook until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in parmesean cheese. Serve immediately over spinach fettucine.
One of the finest meatless experiences I've had this year was at the renowned Margot over on the East side of our town. As many well know, the restaurant is a virtual doorway which you step through to a rustic countryside eatery in France. Being the season, the summer squash crepes on the menu de jour sparked my interest as I've only experienced crepes during morning affairs. The well dressed plate laid before me was paired nicely with a crisp and fruity summery sauvignon blanc thanks to the knowledgeable waitstaff. Without hesitation my fork cut through the layers of thin steamy crepes, succulant squash, sweet onions, and savory sun-dried tomatos – all buttered together with smooth goat cheese. The mouth-watering taste was earthy, cozy, yet also vibrant from the fresh thyme and oregeno that popped through the creaminess of the dish. Bite after bite between great conversations and laughter the tastes endured til there was no more but a content foodie smiling at the culimination of the fine culinary endeavor. The Summer Squash Crepes at Margot are a great (and meatless) way to travel without leaving our fair city.
Ooo me me me! I love love love my black bean tortilla casserole for Meatless Monday. It's not gourmet but it sure is delicious.
My fave meatless meal is Giada's Oreccheiette with Goat Cheese & Mixed Greens….we eat this (even my kiddos love it) at least 3x a month. It is PERFECT!!!! You can make it for one or for a group easily. When I'm having people over for dinner, I like to pair with Artichoke Bruschetta and a crisp White.
Pasta http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laure…
Bruschetta http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1997/artichok…