Subtle swaps in familiar dishes can be an easy way to start your meatless journey

Choosing to go meatless can be a challenge at any time of year. But Minnesota winters provide an extra hurdle, since overflowing baskets of garden-fresh produce are a distant memory.

But winter is also a time when things tend to slow down, both in life and in the kitchen. We can be more thoughtful about meal choices and shopping habits, eager to eat better and save money after a season of excess.

No matter what time of year you're making this lifestyle change, there's a tsunami of information. It can quickly get overwhelming. We've waded through experts' tips, cautionary tales and recipes to help you chart your own meatless course, whether you're aiming to remove meat entirely or just wanting to cut back.

Start with familiar territory. You probably have meals in your rotation that are already meatless (pasta primavera) or can easily become so. Make chili with extra beans and skip the meat. Craft a burrito bowl with roasted vegetables. Instead of a hamburger, sub a portobello mushroom or black-bean burger. Stir-fries or soups chock-full of vegetables are just as delicious as those with meat.

Go slow. It's best not to go cold turkey, so to speak. Several experts recommend a phased approach to meet your meatless goals. Hop aboard the Meatless Monday bandwagon and choose one meal or day a week to commit to being meat-free. From there, increase the frequency at a pace that's comfortable. Another tip: Start by eliminating red meat first, followed by pork, poultry and finally seafood.

Replace what you remove. The protein and calorie count is higher in meat than plants, so you'll need to make sure you're filling the nutritional gaps. Incorporate meatless forms of filling protein into your menus, such as sweet potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, quinoa, soy and dairy products (unless you're adapting a vegan diet). Be sure to read labels, too; foods you may think are plant-based might not be (Caesar salad dressing) and some plant-based foods are highly processed, negating the positive health effects of going meatless.

Make a plan. Menu planning will be worth your while. Plan not only dinners, but also breakfasts, lunches and snacks to make shopping easier and keep food waste down. Eating out? No problem. Most restaurants have meatless options or dishes that can be tailored to your needs, and the number of vegetable-forward and vegan restaurants in the Twin Cities is growing.

Go recipe hunting. My family has learned to put up with my New Recipe Nights. Some of these test dishes earn a place in the regular rotation; others are quietly forgotten. But my enthusiasm never wavers. There's a wealth of recipes out there, and the cookbook section of a bookstore is a great place to start. Think about the approach and cuisine that works for you, and there's probably a cookbook for it. You can find vegetarian and vegan-friendly cookbooks, as well as titles dedicated to vegetables and meatless cooking in multicookers and air fryers.

The internet has endless recipes, but it can be overwhelming. Winnowing searches by ingredient or types of cuisine will help you pinpoint recipes to your liking. There also are several sites that have menus already planned or that will deliver meatless recipes to your inbox, including Meatless Monday (mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday) and local chef and author Robin Asbell (robinasbell.com).

Use this as a learning opportunity. Sure, you'll brush up on the nutritional value of foods, ensuring that your meatless diet is rich in protein, calcium, iron and other vitamins and minerals. But it's also a chance to explore different cooking methods, spices and flavor combinations. It's like getting a bunch of new toys in your culinary sandbox.

Keep your doctor in the loop. As with any lifestyle change, make sure your medical team is aware of your goals. They, too, can often offer resources and support.

Next week: Taking the vegan plunge.

A colleague tipped me to this recipe, adapted from thekitchn.com. The original recipe called for vegan-style Parmesan or nutritional yeast, but I opted to use regular Parmesan. This version calls for a food processor, but you can easily chop the walnuts and vegetables if you don't have one. Freeze leftover sauce for up to three months.

• 1 lb. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

• 1 c. (4 oz.) walnut halves

• 1 medium onion, cut into eighths

• 2 medium celery stalks, quartered

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

• 3 tsp. Italian seasoning

• 1 c. dry red wine, such as merlot or pinot noir

• 2 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes

• 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Fresh basil, chopped, for serving

• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

Place 1/3 of the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 to 7 quick bursts. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms; set aside. Do not wash the food processor.

Place the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until they have the consistency of coarse sand, about 5 to 7 pulses. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Again, do not wash the food processor.

Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture, are deeply browned, and their volume is reduced by two-thirds, about 15 minutes.

Add the chopped vegetable mixture and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the vegetables until softened and the onions are translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it is completely incorporated with the mushrooms and deepens in color, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the bay leaf and Italian seasoning, then pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices (crush the tomatoes with your hands before you add them to the pot), soy sauce and ground walnuts. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and continuing to break up the tomatoes, for 20 minutes. Add ground pepper and additional salt to taste.

Serve over cooked pasta with fresh basil, Parmesan and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Serves 4.

• 2 c. enchilada sauce

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 c. chopped red onion

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 lb. broccoli, sliced into bite-sized pieces (see Note)

• 5 oz. baby spinach

• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 c. corn

• 1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

• ¹⁄₂ tsp. salt, to taste

• 8 tortillas (about 8 inches in diameter)

• Cilantro, for optional garnish

• Avocado, for optional garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray.

Add the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until it has reduced in size. Repeat until all the spinach is added and wilted.

Transfer vegetables to a medium bowl. Add the beans, corn, 1/4 cup of cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce, enough to moisten. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper, to taste.

To assemble the enchiladas, pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the prepared pan and swirl until the bottom is evenly covered. Spread 1/2 cup of filling down the middle of a tortilla, then fold the left side (and then the right) to make a wrap. Place it seam-side down against the edge of the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Drizzle remaining sauce over the enchiladas, leaving the ends uncovered, and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the sauce.