Today I am moving into my new apartment! It is a very busy time for me, especially because in the midst of moving, I also need to pack and prepare to leave for my yoga teacher training on Sunday.
Today's meals will likely be carry-out salads!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Light Bulb
Something I have been doing over this past week has suddenly clicked inside of me. A light bulb has gone off...
I went out of town for a few days and ate at restaurants more often than I usually do. It was incredibly easy to order tasty and filling dishes that were also vegetarian! I had a bite here and there of my boyfriend's meat-filled dishes, just to see if I was missing out on anything special.
One night during this vacation, I was reading some stuff online about yogis and vegetarianism (find out why I was reading about this over at Seeking the Change Yoga Blog) and one swami had written that by eating meat, you are turning your body into a graveyard for the flesh of those animals. I'm pretty sure I had read this before, but this particular time that I read it, the idea settled into my brain for the night and grew in there while I slept.
The next day I honestly could not stand the thought of eating meat. I felt sick just thinking about all of the meat that I have eaten in my life and (I know, this is gross!) all of the animal flesh that had rotted away in my stomach and intestines, turning gross and toxic. Sorry if that yucks anyone out.
So I think I have now officially moved on from dabbling here and there with vegetarianism, to a full-fledged effort to eradicate meat-eating from my life. Now, I'm not saying that I foolishly believe that I will never have cravings for meat again, or that my opinions could never be swayed back in the other direction! I am a growing and changing human being who cannot commit to a life-long particular way of thinking. By right now, right here, I have (at least momentarily) crossed over to the other side.
I went out of town for a few days and ate at restaurants more often than I usually do. It was incredibly easy to order tasty and filling dishes that were also vegetarian! I had a bite here and there of my boyfriend's meat-filled dishes, just to see if I was missing out on anything special.
One night during this vacation, I was reading some stuff online about yogis and vegetarianism (find out why I was reading about this over at Seeking the Change Yoga Blog) and one swami had written that by eating meat, you are turning your body into a graveyard for the flesh of those animals. I'm pretty sure I had read this before, but this particular time that I read it, the idea settled into my brain for the night and grew in there while I slept.
The next day I honestly could not stand the thought of eating meat. I felt sick just thinking about all of the meat that I have eaten in my life and (I know, this is gross!) all of the animal flesh that had rotted away in my stomach and intestines, turning gross and toxic. Sorry if that yucks anyone out.
So I think I have now officially moved on from dabbling here and there with vegetarianism, to a full-fledged effort to eradicate meat-eating from my life. Now, I'm not saying that I foolishly believe that I will never have cravings for meat again, or that my opinions could never be swayed back in the other direction! I am a growing and changing human being who cannot commit to a life-long particular way of thinking. By right now, right here, I have (at least momentarily) crossed over to the other side.
Monday, July 26, 2010
A yucky fast food veggie burger
My friend wanted to go to Burger King while we were out today. I'm not a huge fast food fan, but it had been quite awhile since I had been to one, so I agreed to it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they offer a BK Veggie Burger (made by Morningstar Farms) on their menu!
Just for kicks, and as someone who is not a vegetarian but is rather experimenting in the vegetarian lifestyle (find out why over at my yoga blog), I decided to give it a try. I haven't met a veggie burger that I just love, so I had it piled high with lettuce, ketchup, tomatoes and pickles to help cover up the flavor.
Doesn't look so bad, as far as fast food goes...
I HATED it.
Apparently no amount of condiments and veggies could cover up the flavor. Maybe it's just me, but veggie burgers, made mostly with mushroom filler, are just plain nasty. For like an hour afterwards I was trying to get the taste out of my mouth!
Oh well, I have had some tasty successes so far, so one failure does not discourage me!
Anyone had a veggie burger that didn't taste like a giant slab of fungus?
Just for kicks, and as someone who is not a vegetarian but is rather experimenting in the vegetarian lifestyle (find out why over at my yoga blog), I decided to give it a try. I haven't met a veggie burger that I just love, so I had it piled high with lettuce, ketchup, tomatoes and pickles to help cover up the flavor.
I HATED it.
Apparently no amount of condiments and veggies could cover up the flavor. Maybe it's just me, but veggie burgers, made mostly with mushroom filler, are just plain nasty. For like an hour afterwards I was trying to get the taste out of my mouth!
Oh well, I have had some tasty successes so far, so one failure does not discourage me!
Anyone had a veggie burger that didn't taste like a giant slab of fungus?
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches
Okay so technically I didn't grill these...I don't have a grill. But I did create a very decent sandwich with a grilled "feel". I found this recipe on a random recipe website, but tweaked it to make it my own; pretty much what I do with anything I cook.
Also, just so you know, I don't measure anything. Which is why you usually won't see measurements when I list ingredients! For example, this recipe called for 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, so I used, what I call, a "plop" of Hain Safflower Mayo.
And here we go....
I started with mixing the mayo spread while I got the bread started toasting. A simple mixture of said mayo, 3 cloves garlic (my best food friend) and a squirt of lemon juice.
Sauteed the veggies in a little olive oil and salt until just starting to brown:
Spread the mayo mix on the toasted bread, layer with veggies and top with crumbled feta cheese.
I think that without the garlic-lemon mayo, this sandwich would not have done it for me. But it turned out tasty, fell apart a little too easily, but all in all was filling and did its job!
Still taking suggestions for easy and cheap veggie meals! Thanks for everyone's feedback so far!
Also, just so you know, I don't measure anything. Which is why you usually won't see measurements when I list ingredients! For example, this recipe called for 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, so I used, what I call, a "plop" of Hain Safflower Mayo.
And here we go....
I started with mixing the mayo spread while I got the bread started toasting. A simple mixture of said mayo, 3 cloves garlic (my best food friend) and a squirt of lemon juice.
Then chop-chop the veggies, I used a zucchini, a red bell pepper, and a red onion.
(I know, I know, there is a summer squash in this picture. I ended up not using it because it looked a little questionably old and funny on the inside. The zucchini alone was plenty)
Sauteed the veggies in a little olive oil and salt until just starting to brown:
Bake on 450 for about 5 minutes. And voila, you have four open-face sandwiches or two humongous and hearty sandwiches. I chose the latter:
Still taking suggestions for easy and cheap veggie meals! Thanks for everyone's feedback so far!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Giant Spicy Burritos!
I am a sucker for Mexican food, and really anything with a spicy hotness to it. I used to make my burritos with ground beef or chicken, but tonight I made them free of any meat for the first time.
I am absolutely loving experimenting with making my favorite foods without meat and discovering that I love them just as much!
My burritos were made with:
These came out tasting FRESH and DELICIOUS and it took all of about 5 minutes to prepare!
Any other good ideas for Mexican themed veggie dishes?
I am absolutely loving experimenting with making my favorite foods without meat and discovering that I love them just as much!
My burritos were made with:
- whole grain tortillas
- mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, shredded
- plum tomatoes
- white onions
- garlic (of course, this is in almost anything I make)
- black olives (yum! I love olives of all kinds)
- jalapeno peppers
- fresh spinach leaves and hot sauce for garnish
These came out tasting FRESH and DELICIOUS and it took all of about 5 minutes to prepare!
Any other good ideas for Mexican themed veggie dishes?
Monday, July 19, 2010
New Blog, New Topic
For those of you stumbling upon this blog for the first time, my first few posts have been imported from my other blog Seeking the Change, a Yoga Blog. I decided that I was writing so much about vegetarian cooking, that I ought to start a fresh blog on which I could concentrate on just this subject!
Vegetarian cooking is brand new to me, having been (and still am at this point) a meat-eater of the highest order. I hope you will follow me as I learn to incorporate a great deal more fruits and veggies into my diet as I gradually phase out meat!
Vegetarian cooking is brand new to me, having been (and still am at this point) a meat-eater of the highest order. I hope you will follow me as I learn to incorporate a great deal more fruits and veggies into my diet as I gradually phase out meat!
Veggie Pizza, soooo good!
I did some grocery shopping today and picked up more veggies than I usually do, since I am trying to gradually replace meat dishes with vegetarian dishes. I looked up a few recipes and made a plan for the week's cooking.
This evening I made a veggie pizza with spinach, tomatoes, vidalia onions, and loads of garlic...
Garlic, and lots of it, is a key ingredient in lots of things that I make!
This pizza was sauce-less. I used olive oil, basil and parmesan (pesto) as the base, and piled it high with fresh spinach, veggies, a few sliced jalapenos, and crumbled feta cheese. It came out garlicky, cheesy, and delicious!
Suggestions for quick, easy, and cheap vegetarian meals?
My first no-meat day.
As I wrote about previously, I am planning on making a massive reduction in my meat consumption. I am starting this by gradually replacing my usual meals with vegetarian meals. Yesterday was my first day to purposefully go "meat-free"!
I certainly will not say that this was a perfect example of a well-balanced, nutritional, and completely animal/enviornmentally friendly, but it was a small step in the right direction.
Breakfast:
Cereal with Skim Milk
Organic Apple
Lunch:
Fresh Spinach Salad with
olives, radishes, green onions, carrots
Snack:
Raw Almonds
Mozerella String Cheese
Dinner:
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta Cheese and Tomatoes
So, all in all, I didn't even notice that there was anything different about today's meals. I didn't experience any cravings or feel like I was lacking in any area!
I plan on doing a little more research on vegetarian meals and putting together some delicious recipes, but will update as things move along.
Know any great and easy "meat-free" recipes?
I certainly will not say that this was a perfect example of a well-balanced, nutritional, and completely animal/enviornmentally friendly, but it was a small step in the right direction.
Breakfast:
Cereal with Skim Milk
Organic Apple
Lunch:
Fresh Spinach Salad with
olives, radishes, green onions, carrots
Snack:
Raw Almonds
Mozerella String Cheese
Dinner:
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta Cheese and Tomatoes
So, all in all, I didn't even notice that there was anything different about today's meals. I didn't experience any cravings or feel like I was lacking in any area!
I plan on doing a little more research on vegetarian meals and putting together some delicious recipes, but will update as things move along.
Know any great and easy "meat-free" recipes?
Am I really going to do this vegetarian thing?
I've been putting off even thinking about "going veggie" for awhile now. I am a foodie. I love food. And (surprise!), I love meat.
I love chicken wings, pork chops, bratwurst, cheddar stuffed bratwurst, spaghetti with meatballs, meatloaf (it's like a loaf of bread, but it's meat!), steak kabobs, steak tips, giant cuts of medium-rare sirloin steaks, filet mignon, and don't even get me started on the possibilities that come with bacon!
But I am also a human with a conscious. I feel the weight of responsibility of being at the top of the food chain and being the species that is in control of our planet and its resources. Also I luuuuuurv me some living animals too! Furry, feathery, cuddly or not, I have pets and I love them.
As a student of yoga, I cannot ignore the yama, or ethical aim, of ahimsa, or non-violence. This includes non-violence towards any living creature. There are some monks who wear masks over their mouths to prevent the accidental inhalation of bugs and carry brooms at all times to sweep away bugs that might be about to be under their feet. I know that I will never take it to that extreme. There are so many more reasons why I am interested in making this change other than merely a love and respect for all animals. I could write a whole other blog just on the environmental impacts of raising cattle. Check out 49 Good Reasons For Being a Vegetarian.
It will also be a challenge to find a way to eat that is healthy and well-rounded, imagine the damage I can do with macaroni & cheese, cake, and nachos! I read a great blog on Elephant recently about just such a dilemma, Why vegetarian does not equal healthy.
I may not ever cut meat out of my diet completely. I plan to continue to eat seafood as well as dairy products, but I do intend to cut back drastically on my meat intake. Everything I've read so far recommends taking it slow; having one or two meat-free days per week, slowly building a vegetarian recipe collection, and using meat substitutes when I'm having a craving. So that is my plan, beginning with this week. For the month of August, while I am attending the yoga teacher training, all of my meals prepared on-site by the chef will be vegetarian. That will be my first true test!
Could you ever go meat-less? If you are a vegetarian, how did you make the change?
I love chicken wings, pork chops, bratwurst, cheddar stuffed bratwurst, spaghetti with meatballs, meatloaf (it's like a loaf of bread, but it's meat!), steak kabobs, steak tips, giant cuts of medium-rare sirloin steaks, filet mignon, and don't even get me started on the possibilities that come with bacon!
But I am also a human with a conscious. I feel the weight of responsibility of being at the top of the food chain and being the species that is in control of our planet and its resources. Also I luuuuuurv me some living animals too! Furry, feathery, cuddly or not, I have pets and I love them.
As a student of yoga, I cannot ignore the yama, or ethical aim, of ahimsa, or non-violence. This includes non-violence towards any living creature. There are some monks who wear masks over their mouths to prevent the accidental inhalation of bugs and carry brooms at all times to sweep away bugs that might be about to be under their feet. I know that I will never take it to that extreme. There are so many more reasons why I am interested in making this change other than merely a love and respect for all animals. I could write a whole other blog just on the environmental impacts of raising cattle. Check out 49 Good Reasons For Being a Vegetarian.
It will also be a challenge to find a way to eat that is healthy and well-rounded, imagine the damage I can do with macaroni & cheese, cake, and nachos! I read a great blog on Elephant recently about just such a dilemma, Why vegetarian does not equal healthy.
I may not ever cut meat out of my diet completely. I plan to continue to eat seafood as well as dairy products, but I do intend to cut back drastically on my meat intake. Everything I've read so far recommends taking it slow; having one or two meat-free days per week, slowly building a vegetarian recipe collection, and using meat substitutes when I'm having a craving. So that is my plan, beginning with this week. For the month of August, while I am attending the yoga teacher training, all of my meals prepared on-site by the chef will be vegetarian. That will be my first true test!
Could you ever go meat-less? If you are a vegetarian, how did you make the change?
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