Vegetarian, schmegitarian?

This Roasted Vegetable Pie features
a crust made from rice
and filled with vegetables, 
kalamata olives and fontina cheese.

The other night while describing what I was making for dinner, my boyfriend Barry said, "Is there any meat in it?" I made a roasted vegetable pie with a rice crust. But no, it doesn't contain any meat. You see, for the most part, if a meal doesn't contain meat, to Barry, it's not a real meal. He's a carnivore, as am I. But I can eat a meal without meat; it's more of a challenge for him. I had anticipated this and made some pork cutlets to go with the pie.
I did ask him if he could try to do "meatless Mondays" with me. He said that yes, he'd do it, no problem. I suspect it won't be a problem, but it might be a challenge ... for both of us. For him, it will probably be about embracing change. For me, it will likely be about finding good vegetarian options other than the usual suspects: vegetarian chili, quiche, pasta with some kind of sauce.
So, if it's such a challenge, why do it? Mostly because I'd like to eat less meat for health reasons. But I'd also like to stretch my culinary wings and learn to make more meatless meals.
It's an experiment. It may turn into a lifestyle change for us. Then again, Barry may be making himself a ham sandwich to go with our Monday dinners. 
I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, here's the recipe for the roasted vegetable pie. It's delicious. The recipe is from a Cooking Light magazine many years ago.

 

Roasted Vegetable Pie 

2 cups cooked jasmine, basmati, or long-grain rice
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup (2 ounces) fontina cheese, divided
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tomato, sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first three ingredients. Press evenly into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
Combine zucchini and next 8 ingredients (zucchini through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir to coat. Place vegetable mixture on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetable mixture from oven. Add olives and tomato; toss gently.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

The vegetables are roasted
with a little olive oil.

The rice crust is held together
with egg whites
and Parmesan ch
Fontina cheese
before the vegetables go in.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup fontina cheese over rice crust. Top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup fontina cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.