After the month of December Jim and I were feeling just a little bit bogged down by all the rich food we had been eating. I spent a week in Texas and I don’t think I have ever eaten so much meat in one week, nothing against Texas but ya’ll love your meat! Jim spends weeks on the road and was feeling the impact of “road food” aka low quality fast food.
Collectively we decided to try and go vegetarian for the month of January.
I, for one, am not a fan of diets, I don’t like anyone telling me I can’t eat anything and I definitely am not a fan of being that person in the group who has to to be fussy and ask for something different to eat. But it was nice to have a buddy who could be fussy with me and who would let me complain to him about various Vegetarian issues.
The fun part is the challenge. I love cooking (as I am sure you have noticed) and have always appreciated the challenge of cooking with new ingredients, less ingredients, specific ingredients etc. So I started research right away.
Boy do people like their meat.
Notes from the Farmer
The livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation system (cars, trains, planes, and ships). One easy quick decision we can all make to reduce our carbon impact is to switch some meals from meat based to locally sources vegetarian alternatives. First comes recognition of the impact our food choices make, and then shifting some decisions day by day. Not necessarily advocating an entire switch all at once, but to gradually start to shift. Read more about it here.
Of the cookbooks I own there were very few vegetarian sections. There were veggie side dish sections and pasta sections but no sections that had full vegetarian meals with lots of filling protein and yummy components. But I did find some good ones! I found that a lot of the vegetarian options are high in grains, pastas, rice etc. Which could lead to feeling full but also is not the best alternative. I struggled to find meat substitute based recipe using tofu or other alternatives that weren’t also vegan (the grey area between the two is very small) we still like our cheese, eggs and milk and will never be vegan.
The most common question we both have gotten is, “so what do you eat?”
And no, the answer is not “our tears and sadness.” Its a lovely mix of yummy meals!
Here are some we have had so far:
Skinny Taste’s Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
(and to use up the ricotta)
Orcchiette with Chard and Ricotta Salata from the Cookbook Fresh from the Farmer’s Market by Janet Fletcher
Baked Leeks with Cream and Tarragon also from the Cookbook Fresh from the Farmer’s Market by Janet Fletcher
Spaghetti Squash, Marinara and Eggplant Meatballs, recipe by me!
Arugula and Goat Cheese Na’an Pizza and Peppers, Ricotta and Marinara Na’an Pizza, recipe by me!
Baked Garbanzo Beans, Taziki and Na’an wraps, recipe by me!
Crockpot Butternut Squash, Quinoa and Chicken Soup by Chelea’s Messy Apron (minus the chicken)
(and to use up the rest of the Butternut Squash)
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce we put over smoked Mozzarella Ravioli by Frigo’s (Our local gourmet food store) recipe by me!
I will have full posts on all these recipes soon, so stay tuned!
Share Now!
