Ingredients:
1 small eggplant cut into circles about 1/2 inch thick)
1 jar roasted red peppers (whole, not sliced)
Non-stick spray (Pam)
1/2 bag fresh baby spinach
1 jar Bertolli vineyard marinara
1 bag linguini (I used brown rice organic linguini)
"Veggie Shreds" Parmesan shaker
"Veggie Shreds" Mozzarella, shredded
(If cooking for a carnivore, as I was, include 2 butterflied chicken breasts)
Procedure:
1. Bring water to boiling in a large pot, add pasta, and simmer until done. Add salt if desired. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Begin warming marinara sauce in large pot on medium. After about 10 minutes of heating, add 2 handfuls of baby spinach. Allow to simmer long enough for spinach to wilt.
3. On a grill (I used my indoor grill - George Foreman-style) grill the eggplant slices first, and set aside. I then grilled the butterflied chicken breasts. It took about 5 min per eggplant slice, turning once, and about 8-10 minutes for the chicken, flipping once.
4. In one 9" pie pan (I used glass) spray the non-stick spray and put the circles of eggpplant evenly spaced across the pan. Do the same for the chicken in a 8" square casserole dish.
5. Top the eggplant and chicken with 1/2 of a roasted red pepper, and about 1/3 cup of the marinara spinach sauce.
6. On the eggplant, top with veggie shredded mozzarella, and then parmesan. You can do the same on the chicken, or use real cheese (again, mozz. and parm.)
7. Bake the Parmesans for about 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and eggplant is soft (and if doing chicken, make sure it is cooked through.)
8. Add the remaining sauce to the linguini, and serve alongside the parmesan!
Feel free to omit all chicken steps if you are not cooking for a meat-eater =)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Getting in the Groove
Well, it's day 13 and so far so good - day 13 of vegetarian, day 9 of vegan! I would definitely say that vegan is much more challenging, and when I say I have done it for 9 days that's admittedly not knowing if all the bread, etc., has truly been vegan. If I cook it myself, I am sure, but if not, I just do the best I can.
So I have had some recent outings that have been fun. In the spirit of the beginning of summer vacation I took a day to do a nice hike up the South Ridge of Dorr Mountain, followed by a nice lunch in Bar Harbor and a couple hours at Sand Beach. I found the hike beautiful and invigorating, and though it sounds corny, feel an even deeper appreciation for nature than ever. Lunch was interesting - I went to Rupinuni's in Bar Harbor (which has some veggie options) and ordered a vegetarian panini. I asked them for no cheese, and the waitress came back to check and make sure I was serious. "You know that without the cheese it's just vegetables and bread?" she said, and I felt a little snicker sneak out - of course I did! Heaven forbid you don't order the cheese!
The weekend continued with a nice day and night at our camp. I found cooking vegan at camp to be relatively easy - We made veggie packets on the grill - no meat for me, turkey sausage for the rest of my family. Not too bad a compromise! Breakfast was granola with soy milk, and lots of fruits and salad between.
Last night's dinner wasn't too successful - corn on the cob was a hit, but I was the only one who wanted to eat the brown rice and red beans. I thought it was yummy, my husband ate pizza later on after dinner. Hmmm.... and my daughter ate two ears of corn, no rice or beans. Guess that one wasn't so successful!
We also baked this weekend. My daughter loves to help in the kitchen, so together we made two delicious recipes. The first was homemade cranberry-coconut granola (following the Bit$h in the Kitch recipe). This is soooooo yummy, and the coconut is one of my favorite flavors. I've stored it in the fridge to keep it from being too sticky when I go to snack on it. The second recipe was also from Bitch in the Kitch and was vegan zucchini-raisin muffins. This involved many new things for me, from shredding zucchini to using egg-replacer powder and coconut oil. I am happy to report that they, as well, are delicious! And I also love a recipe that says it makes a dozen, and then actually does make a dozen! So many times, they really only make 8... or 6... this had enough batter at the end to make 12 full-size muffins.
Today was interesting because I had class in the middle of the day. This caused me to only drink a protein shake (made with soy) for lunch, but dinner was awesome. I sauteed kale with garlic, mashed sweet potatoes, and fried strips of tempeh in liquid aminoa (soy sauce substitute) for me, while grilling pork chops for my husband. Yum! Despite this great dinner, again my husband ate pizza after dinner. I think he's trying to tell me he's not getting enough to eat, so I have some work to do with planning portions and making sure he's fed. Tomorrow - home-made pesto, cheese-free for my portion. We'll see if pesto is as good minus the parmesean - I have my doubts!
So I have had some recent outings that have been fun. In the spirit of the beginning of summer vacation I took a day to do a nice hike up the South Ridge of Dorr Mountain, followed by a nice lunch in Bar Harbor and a couple hours at Sand Beach. I found the hike beautiful and invigorating, and though it sounds corny, feel an even deeper appreciation for nature than ever. Lunch was interesting - I went to Rupinuni's in Bar Harbor (which has some veggie options) and ordered a vegetarian panini. I asked them for no cheese, and the waitress came back to check and make sure I was serious. "You know that without the cheese it's just vegetables and bread?" she said, and I felt a little snicker sneak out - of course I did! Heaven forbid you don't order the cheese!
The weekend continued with a nice day and night at our camp. I found cooking vegan at camp to be relatively easy - We made veggie packets on the grill - no meat for me, turkey sausage for the rest of my family. Not too bad a compromise! Breakfast was granola with soy milk, and lots of fruits and salad between.
Last night's dinner wasn't too successful - corn on the cob was a hit, but I was the only one who wanted to eat the brown rice and red beans. I thought it was yummy, my husband ate pizza later on after dinner. Hmmm.... and my daughter ate two ears of corn, no rice or beans. Guess that one wasn't so successful!
We also baked this weekend. My daughter loves to help in the kitchen, so together we made two delicious recipes. The first was homemade cranberry-coconut granola (following the Bit$h in the Kitch recipe). This is soooooo yummy, and the coconut is one of my favorite flavors. I've stored it in the fridge to keep it from being too sticky when I go to snack on it. The second recipe was also from Bitch in the Kitch and was vegan zucchini-raisin muffins. This involved many new things for me, from shredding zucchini to using egg-replacer powder and coconut oil. I am happy to report that they, as well, are delicious! And I also love a recipe that says it makes a dozen, and then actually does make a dozen! So many times, they really only make 8... or 6... this had enough batter at the end to make 12 full-size muffins.
Today was interesting because I had class in the middle of the day. This caused me to only drink a protein shake (made with soy) for lunch, but dinner was awesome. I sauteed kale with garlic, mashed sweet potatoes, and fried strips of tempeh in liquid aminoa (soy sauce substitute) for me, while grilling pork chops for my husband. Yum! Despite this great dinner, again my husband ate pizza after dinner. I think he's trying to tell me he's not getting enough to eat, so I have some work to do with planning portions and making sure he's fed. Tomorrow - home-made pesto, cheese-free for my portion. We'll see if pesto is as good minus the parmesean - I have my doubts!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Creamless Corn Chowder
Tonight's dinner was a vegan success, so here's the recipe... (served up with a sulfite-free organic red wine and a nice mesclun salad)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bags frozen corn
5 yukon gold potatoes
2 cartons organic vegetarian stock
thyme
salt
pepper
Procedure:
1) Bring olive oil to medium heat in a stock pot
2) Add garlic and onion to pan, cooking 5 min or until onions are translucent
3) Add potatoes, 1 bag of the corn, thyme, salt, pepper, and stock to cover vegetables, bring to a boil
4) Reduce heat and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft enough to mash
5) In batches, transfer soup to blender and puree. You can puree the entire soup, or just a portion. I usually leave some un-pureed for a few chunks of potatoes
6) Add the second bag of corn and continue heating on medium until frozen corn is cooked through
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bags frozen corn
5 yukon gold potatoes
2 cartons organic vegetarian stock
thyme
salt
pepper
Procedure:
1) Bring olive oil to medium heat in a stock pot
2) Add garlic and onion to pan, cooking 5 min or until onions are translucent
3) Add potatoes, 1 bag of the corn, thyme, salt, pepper, and stock to cover vegetables, bring to a boil
4) Reduce heat and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft enough to mash
5) In batches, transfer soup to blender and puree. You can puree the entire soup, or just a portion. I usually leave some un-pureed for a few chunks of potatoes
6) Add the second bag of corn and continue heating on medium until frozen corn is cooked through
Summer Vacay = Reading Frenzy!
Well, summer vacation has officially begun. As a teacher, that means the house will finally get cleaned, I am going to run/hike/boat my butt off, and I plan to vegetate vegetarian-style - laying on the beach with various cookbooks and other reading material.
My first adventure into the vegetarian literary world was "Skinny Bi$%h". Now, I had a hard time with this one. Written as if your girlfriend was giving it to you straight, every other sentence ends with some expletive name-calling. I don't know about you, but my girlfriends don't call me those names, and I don't really use that language myself. However, as soon as you get past the style you begin to learn some valuable information.
The book is packed with environmental, physiological, nutritional, and ethical reasons to cut meat, and other animal products like dairy and eggs, completely out of your diet. The graphic abuse of animals was very difficult to read about, but drove home the point that your steak is not coming from a cow out grazing in a beautiful field somewhere, and who knows exactly what was done to the chicken/cow/pig/etc. before it ended up on the grocery shelf? If you cannot stomach the stories of what is done in the slaughterhouse, maybe you shouldn't stomach the slaughtered product.
The health reasons were even more convincing. From the lax regulations of government agencies, to the independent scientific testing finding such things as rocket fuel in milk products, anyone who cares about their health would be convinced to end their meat and animal product consumption. I really enjoyed how the authors shot down every non-vegetarian nutritional and even evolutionary argument. From the age-old "how will you get protein or calcium?" to the "Aren't we designed to be carnivores?" the authors use scientific reasoning to defray much of the argument around going vege - or vegan!
All in all, the book was a good read. I wish it hadn't included the detracting language, because I will have a difficult time recommending it to some people (like my mom!) but it was informative, interesting, and added more fuel to my vegetarian (dare I say it... vegan?) fire.
My first adventure into the vegetarian literary world was "Skinny Bi$%h". Now, I had a hard time with this one. Written as if your girlfriend was giving it to you straight, every other sentence ends with some expletive name-calling. I don't know about you, but my girlfriends don't call me those names, and I don't really use that language myself. However, as soon as you get past the style you begin to learn some valuable information.
The book is packed with environmental, physiological, nutritional, and ethical reasons to cut meat, and other animal products like dairy and eggs, completely out of your diet. The graphic abuse of animals was very difficult to read about, but drove home the point that your steak is not coming from a cow out grazing in a beautiful field somewhere, and who knows exactly what was done to the chicken/cow/pig/etc. before it ended up on the grocery shelf? If you cannot stomach the stories of what is done in the slaughterhouse, maybe you shouldn't stomach the slaughtered product.
The health reasons were even more convincing. From the lax regulations of government agencies, to the independent scientific testing finding such things as rocket fuel in milk products, anyone who cares about their health would be convinced to end their meat and animal product consumption. I really enjoyed how the authors shot down every non-vegetarian nutritional and even evolutionary argument. From the age-old "how will you get protein or calcium?" to the "Aren't we designed to be carnivores?" the authors use scientific reasoning to defray much of the argument around going vege - or vegan!
All in all, the book was a good read. I wish it hadn't included the detracting language, because I will have a difficult time recommending it to some people (like my mom!) but it was informative, interesting, and added more fuel to my vegetarian (dare I say it... vegan?) fire.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Tofu or not Tofu?
...That was the question. In high school I professed a deep and resounding hatred for all things tofu, but still cooked with it when required. Despite usually enjoying anything I had a hand in cooking, I avoided the miso soup (with tofu), the grilled vegetable stir-fry (with tofu), and various other dishes like they had some soy-based plague. Tofu, it seemed to me, was not really a food at all.
Now, roughly fifteen years later, as a reformed carnivore I considered tofu again as if for the first time. It has possibilities - rounding out a dish where you would have once added chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp, tofu instead? Maybe if I could get past the texture... could I get past the texture?
These thoughts were in mind as I prepared my first tofu dish of my thirties. Stir-fry veggies, brown rice, and (for me) tofu, or (for my husband and daughter) pork. I tasted as I cooked, and was pleased to note that the tofu took on a good texture when it fried, and absorbed enough soy and teriyaki to be flavorful. Tossed with the mixed veggies and brown rice, I am happy to say that the tofu experiment was great. Extra-firm pre-cubed works well for me, and perhaps it has come a long way since I was in high school, or perhaps I have matured to a point where I no longer hate certain items based on principle. Either way, dinner was good.
A side benefit? Although my husband declined my offer to share some of the tofu fry, my daughter gobbled up many a cube and pushed her pork aside. Hmmm.... next - tofu in soup? I think I can still honestly say I will never reach a point where to-furkey shows up on my Thanksgiving table, but that remains to be seen. Go tofu!
Now, roughly fifteen years later, as a reformed carnivore I considered tofu again as if for the first time. It has possibilities - rounding out a dish where you would have once added chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp, tofu instead? Maybe if I could get past the texture... could I get past the texture?
These thoughts were in mind as I prepared my first tofu dish of my thirties. Stir-fry veggies, brown rice, and (for me) tofu, or (for my husband and daughter) pork. I tasted as I cooked, and was pleased to note that the tofu took on a good texture when it fried, and absorbed enough soy and teriyaki to be flavorful. Tossed with the mixed veggies and brown rice, I am happy to say that the tofu experiment was great. Extra-firm pre-cubed works well for me, and perhaps it has come a long way since I was in high school, or perhaps I have matured to a point where I no longer hate certain items based on principle. Either way, dinner was good.
A side benefit? Although my husband declined my offer to share some of the tofu fry, my daughter gobbled up many a cube and pushed her pork aside. Hmmm.... next - tofu in soup? I think I can still honestly say I will never reach a point where to-furkey shows up on my Thanksgiving table, but that remains to be seen. Go tofu!
Friday, June 11, 2010
OMG - I ate three shrimp!
... was what I thought on my drive home today. It took me an hour to recall that the three shrimp I had eaten at our end-of-year department food fest had violated my no meat policy. Oops! So, should I berate myself for falling off the no-meat wagon so soon? It's only been 2 1/2 days for crying out loud! But instead, I decided that it was a lesson that I should be more vigilant in general about what I eat. Too often, I think, it is habit to eat because it's there without really thinking about what I am eating. If I was really conscious of what I was doing, I am SURE I would have come to the realization that shrimp are meat and put them down. Instead, it took an hour to make the connection... dumb, dumb, dumb.
So, I decided that is a small check mark in the negative column. I did, however, get back into my running shoes today and tackle a nice 4-miler. This is a big check in the plus column, so overall my day is still a success. Lesson for the day? Pay attention to what you're eating! And, not to let a small slip derail the whole train.
So, I decided that is a small check mark in the negative column. I did, however, get back into my running shoes today and tackle a nice 4-miler. This is a big check in the plus column, so overall my day is still a success. Lesson for the day? Pay attention to what you're eating! And, not to let a small slip derail the whole train.
The first three days
So far, so good! Three days ago I decided to quit turkey cold turkey. Becoming vegetarian has, so far, meant very little change. Breakfast has required no revisions. I still get to have my coffee, my whole-grain waffle or muffin, and that's what I have done all along. Lunch is trickier. I am a teacher with very little time, so I eat school lunch. Trust me, at my school that's not as bad as it sounds! We have a great salad bar, so I've relied on that, and they also have some vegetarian options for our students. I don't think I can do PB&J every day, but between sandwiches and salads, and opting for hot lunch minus the meat, I will be okay. For example, on Tuesday, hot lunch was mashed potatoes, fruit, salad bar, and green beans - plus, for everyone else, chicken smothered in gravy on top of the potatoes. I simply opted for everything minus the chicken topping - no problem!
Dinner is where I will surely struggle the most. Cooking for a true carnivore will be a challenge as I try to opt out of meat myself. The first night I made pasta with a mixed veggie topping. We all enjoyed it, including my toddler. The second night was bean and corn burritos... we all ate them, but I am pretty sure "where's the beef?" was on my husband's mind. Tonight is crazy with graduation and so forth, so in fending for ourselves I am sure leftover pot roast from pre-veggie me will be what my husband opts for, and I'll be able to veg out.
I do have some cool options for the upcoming week - I found shredded vegetarian barbecued pork shreds for sandwiches as the non-meat option for me, so we'll have shredded pork sandwiches one night. I also have a tofu stir-fry planned, with the possible addition of meat for my husband - he's not a fan of tofu at all! This weekend I will see about making homemade falafel and we'll have burgers... at least, that's the plan.
I think I am starting with a big repertoire from my high school job cooking vegetarian, so that will help a lot. I am looking forward to the challenge, and think I am going to feel great inside and out!
Dinner is where I will surely struggle the most. Cooking for a true carnivore will be a challenge as I try to opt out of meat myself. The first night I made pasta with a mixed veggie topping. We all enjoyed it, including my toddler. The second night was bean and corn burritos... we all ate them, but I am pretty sure "where's the beef?" was on my husband's mind. Tonight is crazy with graduation and so forth, so in fending for ourselves I am sure leftover pot roast from pre-veggie me will be what my husband opts for, and I'll be able to veg out.
I do have some cool options for the upcoming week - I found shredded vegetarian barbecued pork shreds for sandwiches as the non-meat option for me, so we'll have shredded pork sandwiches one night. I also have a tofu stir-fry planned, with the possible addition of meat for my husband - he's not a fan of tofu at all! This weekend I will see about making homemade falafel and we'll have burgers... at least, that's the plan.
I think I am starting with a big repertoire from my high school job cooking vegetarian, so that will help a lot. I am looking forward to the challenge, and think I am going to feel great inside and out!
a new leaf of lettuce
So... for nearly fifteen year I have played with the idea of going vegetarian. It began in high school with a great job at a natural foods store. We cooked wonderful soups, pastas, and made great sandwiches and salads - all (or nearly all) meat-free. Suffice it to say, I ate well and felt great. However, I was a teenager and didn't take responsibility for how I ate outside of work. Nothing is quite so strange as eating tabouleh and cheetos... but that's the type of diet I had. College was typical - whatever the commons had to offer. Upon leaving formal schooling, I immediately got married and started cooking for two. While over the years we have made an effort to have a veggie night, the idea of actually becoming vegetarian was not at the forefront.
So, why now? Well, I am now a mom, a runner, an environmental science teacher, an avid outdoorswoman, a person concerned about health, ecology, and so many other things. These all seem to be big red arrows pointing to making a change - living better through eating more healthfully, while at the same time helping the environment. I read recently that converting to a vegetarian lifestyle can save more than 100 animals per year from factory farming. How can a decision that makes me healthier, helps the environment (more on that to come...), and also prevents chicken de-beaking, piglets growing up without ever seeing the sun, and cows from being hung upside down with their throats slit - still alive mind you - be the wrong move? I don't think it is...
My biggest concerns jumping in include can I cook for my family while making my portion vegetarian, how do I teach my daughter about it while preserving her ability to choose for herself (right now she wants to be me in every way), and maintaining my inner willpower. Oh yeah, and is it going to cost more? More lettuce cannot cost us more lettuce, if you know what I mean...
So, why now? Well, I am now a mom, a runner, an environmental science teacher, an avid outdoorswoman, a person concerned about health, ecology, and so many other things. These all seem to be big red arrows pointing to making a change - living better through eating more healthfully, while at the same time helping the environment. I read recently that converting to a vegetarian lifestyle can save more than 100 animals per year from factory farming. How can a decision that makes me healthier, helps the environment (more on that to come...), and also prevents chicken de-beaking, piglets growing up without ever seeing the sun, and cows from being hung upside down with their throats slit - still alive mind you - be the wrong move? I don't think it is...
My biggest concerns jumping in include can I cook for my family while making my portion vegetarian, how do I teach my daughter about it while preserving her ability to choose for herself (right now she wants to be me in every way), and maintaining my inner willpower. Oh yeah, and is it going to cost more? More lettuce cannot cost us more lettuce, if you know what I mean...
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