Meatless Monday

Have you heard about Meatless Monday? It's a grassroots movement created by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays, both for health and environmental reasons (and it's pretty budget-friendly too). We actually try to go meatless about half the week, but even if you are used to eating meat every day, it's a snap to eliminate it just one day a week. The organizers chose Monday since it's the start of the week, and if you get into the habit of doing something every week, it's easier to continue to do it.

For today's Meatless Monday dinner, we're having Potatoes Au Gratin with a salad on the side.

The Potatoes Au Gratin take a while to bake, but not much prep time. For about 4 servings, thinly slice about 6 medium-sized red potatoes (with skin on), season with salt and pepper (and any other dried herbs you may have - oregano, rosemary, thyme, or basil are all good choices), and layer in a 8x8 square baking pan.

For the delicious cheese sauce, create a roux: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1 Tbsp. flour and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 C. of warm milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 C. shredded cheese (my #1 choice is gruyere - a nutty Swiss cheese). If you're using gruyere, sprinkle in a little nutmeg - it enhances the flavor.

Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and cover the pan with foil. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 15 minutes more, until brown and bubbly.

Serve with a salad. To make the salads extra special, I use arugula, which is deliciously peppery. I also add pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) and a little goat cheese, and finish with some yummy homemade dressing.