Last week we participated in our first Meatless Monday. You can read about the campaign on their website to see how just 1 person making the choice to go meatless just 1 day a week can make a HUGE impact on our world and on your body, all in positive ways.
Last weeks dinner was sub par. I thought it was fine, but Jon hated it. It was chili, with no meat. Lots of beans and mushrooms for texture, and a side of cornbread. Again, I liked it and if there would have been meat in it, I bet he would have liked it too :) He is getting used to the idea of not having meat on that one day, it is an adjustment for him, for sure. But we will continue on, persevere on this journey.
This Monday will be different. Creative ways to incorporate veggies is my goal. Like this Roasted Vegetable Terrine. Delicious. My friend Bonnie ate it and said, “This is the best thing in my life.” She said it with eggplant and cheese practically falling out of her mouth because she was inhaling it (it is that good). You can make it on Sunday and enjoy it on Monday. In fact, if there are only 2 of you in your house, this is enough for each of you to have some for lunch and dinner. 
I think a lot of people get stuck on what to eat if they aren’t eating meat. They automatically assume it will be a meal filled with carbohydrates: pasta, rice, pizza. It doesn’t have to be. But I understand that it is hard to think outside of the box. Maybe the ideas below will help you think creatively about removing some of the meat from your diet and replacing it will flavorful produce.
Here are some lunch and dinner ideas to compliment the Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Terrine:
Roasted Pear Salad
Pizza: Margherita, Greek or Butternut Squash
Sweet Potato Raviolis
I got the idea for the terrine from Once Upon a Plate. Beautiful pictures!!
Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Terrine
Makes 8 slices
1 eggplant
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 large red bell peppers, roasted
1 large yellow bell pepper, roasted
3 large zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
5 tomatoes
6 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste (you won’t need a ton of salt and pepper though. Roasting the vegetables brings out tons of flavor)
Remove both ends of eggplant; slice eggplant lengthwise into 8 slices. Place eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat eggplant with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper (only a little). Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; brush with balsamic vinegar, and set aside to cool.
Place sliced zucchini on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes. Brush with balsamic vinegar and set aside.
Cut the ends off of the tomatoes and slice them in third. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a foiled lined baking sheet, seed side down and roast for 25 minutes at 450 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool.
Combine goat cheese, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil leaves in a bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Line an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing edges of plastic to overhang.
*Make sure all your veggies are at room temperature or only slightly warm when you start to layer your terrine.
Gently press 3 eggplant slices crosswise into loaf pan, balsamic side up (facing you), allowing top of slices to be even with pan. Press 1 slice up against sides of each end of loaf pan, allowing top of slice to be even with pan (you are essentially living the pan with eggplant slices).
Spread half of cheese mixture over eggplant; top with yellow pepper and half of the zucchini slices. Spread the remaining half of the cheese mixture over the zucchini. Repeat procedure with remaining veggies: zucchini, peppers, tomatoes. Top with remaining slices of eggplant, balsamic side down.
*It doesn’t matter the order it is layered in. The point is to have layers of roasted veggies and cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap that is hanging over the sides, and place a weight on plastic wrap. (We used 3 cans of soup.) Chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight (I chilled it for about 1 hour and it tasted great, so if you don’t have the time to chill it for 8 hours, don’t let that stop you from making this.)
Uncover and invert loaf onto a cutting board; carefully remove plastic wrap.
*It comes out of the pan really easily and holds it form really well. So don’t be worried, you can do this!
Cut into 8 slices using a really sharp knife and serve along side almost any dish.
If there is any excess liquid, just use a paper towel to blot it up when you serve it.
I'm a wife, mom, runner, recipe developer, freelance writer, early riser, Christ follower, peanut butter lover, frozen yogurt addict. I think the majority of the food I consume should be life giving; healthy, natural raw fruits and veggies. Which allows me to have room to splurge occasionally, and I take full advantage of it. 
this was SOO good. I tried to make it the next night, wasn't as good without your touch. seriously let's eat this again, and again, and again.
So pretty! I really love this idea!
Oh man I am practically drooling right now. Eggplant is one of my favorite foods in the world and so is cheese and tomatoes… omg. I wish I had an eggplant in the fridge right now. I will try this very soon!
mmmmm….the cheese is serioulsy intriguing me.
I love roasted vegetables with goat cheese, usually on a pizza or in a pasta. This sounds like a great way to bring them together.
Holy Moly, this looks fantastic! What is meat again?!
I've actually inadvertantly started eating meatless dinners most nights of the week. Not only is it easier (and healthier), it gives me so much more energy! I love my meatless meals!
Incidentally, have you ever tried TJ's meatless meatballs? I know, frozen food — bad! — but they are actually surprisingly delicious.
I hope this inspires everyone to try meatless a little more often :)
Diana- Never tried them. But I will have to to stay creative to keep my husband interested in meatless Mondays.
Oh man the goat cheese in this dish is what is making my mouth water! I gotta give this a try…I just know it would be awesome :)
Really is there anything in here not to love? From the roasted veg to the goat cheese, bring it on! YUM this will be gracing our table very very soon!! Thanks for another great recipe.
This was SOO GOOD! Coming from someone who just recently learned to eat veggies. I think I might make it this week. :)
I didn't think this would taste nearly as good as it looks. Mostly because it looks incredible, but also because it's chilled. It really was delicious. I made it for me and my meat-loving boyfriend who said I could add it to my list of recipes. Now that's saying something!
I made this terrine which was amazingly good. Sure, lots of prep, but worth the effort. I did modify a few things for ease of preparation though. I found it difficult to ‘spread’ the cheese mixture on top of everything without smashing the vegetables under it, so I put the cheese into a large size icing decorating bag, then made lines of cheese, much easier! Also, I didn’t chop the basil into the cheese, instead, I laid it flat over the cheese mixture, just like the other veggies, which made a pretty dark green layer and allowed the basil to really pop flavor-wise. I highly recommend slicing the terrine with an electric knife, it’s really just too delicate to try to do with a knife, even a super sharp knife, which I first tried. Also, place a spatula on the open side of each slice to hold it together as you slice, also makes it easier to lay on the plate. Hope you try this recipe – and enjoy it as much as we did.