Busy, busy, busy! With work, chores, after-school activities, homework for the kids, and paperwork brought from the office, there's little time left for trying something new at dinnertime.

We're here to lend a hand. During October we'll post Meatless Monday recipes and tips sent in by our readers—and some of our editors' favorite dishes, too— each Monday throughout Vegetarian Awareness Month.

This week, we are featuring a contributed by Marlena Medford – Quick and Easy Thai Vegetable Stew. It's a perfect recipe to add to your repetoire of seasonal dishes when you use any of the fall squashes. Marlena made her version with green peas, purple potatoes, butternut squash, and green cauliflower.

Do you have a vegan or vegetarian recipe you'd like to share with us? Email it to jennifer.mohan@patch.com.

Quick and Easy Thai Vegetable Stew
Serves 4
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons Thai red chili paste, or to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 serrano chili, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock
3 cups mixed broccoli florets and sugar snap peas, or chopped
vegetables of your choice
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced mint

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium-high heat
for 7–8 minutes, or until onions are tender and starting to brown. Add
water 1–2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to
the pan.

Add the garlic, ginger, chili paste, lime and serrano chili and
cook for 30 seconds.

Add the soy sauce, coconut milk, vegetable stock, and the broccoli
and sugar snap peas, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10
minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cilantro and
mint and serve over brown rice.

NUTRITION SCORE (per serving)
110 calories
Fat 5 g
 (4 g saturated)
Carbs 15 g
Protein 3 g
Fiber 3.4 g
Calcium 49 mg
Iron 1.5 mg
Sodium 456 mg

—This recipe is from Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for
Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year.