Lee  is really getting into this Meatless Monday thing, but so far, we have to admit that the vast majority of his Monday lunches and dinner were prepared by yours truly or purchased at a restaurant. Well, all of that changes today!

From here on out, we're shifting the tables and Lee will be preparing as many of our Monday meals as possible. What better way to get a carnivore in touch with their veggie side than to put the chef's knife in his hand?

Lee's a pretty good cook and I don't hand out descriptors like that to just anyone. You see, my Sicilian heritage endows me with certain unalienable kitchen snobbery rights. Although I try not to overdo it, I do consider myself more than moderately critical of food in general and home-cooked food in specific. But, his knife skills currently leave a little to be desired and he's still a little confused about what the heck to do with tofu.

That aside, I have no doubt that he can do it. And by that, I mean produce healthy meatless meals that not only look and smell amazing, but taste like a dream. I'll be helping with the meal planning and hanging out in the kitchen to offer a little moral support, but it'll be my job to hang back, sip wine, and keep my paws off the spoons and spatulas. I can do this.

So, what's on top for Lee's first "solo" Meatless Monday? We're having lunch at home today, so we'll be dining on leftovers as per our usual approach. Last week, I made Mushroom-Barley Soup but substituted 1 lb sliced shiitake mushrooms for the crimini, and it turned out spectacular. I'm craving salad, so perhaps today is the day that Lee will learn how to make salad dressing from the Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar we picked up this weekend from Trader Joe's.

And thanks to a 'best laid plan' gone awry from last Monday, we planned Creamy Tomato Gnocchi for dinner tonight. Even though that's what I had in mind last week, we ran into a little inventory problem and had to change the plan at the last minute. We remedied this over the weekend, and will be dining on gnocchi with a side of steamed broccoli tonight, as prepared by Chef Lee. Stay tuned tomorrow for the full report from yours truly and maybe even a few words from the chef himself!