Sorry to neglect the blog. I need to update more often, and hope to do so whenever I have the chance this year -- even if it's just a quick one.My brother and I pledged to go "meat free" in January. He initially encouraged me to try it for December, but then he planned a trip to Austin and I warned him that vegetarians can't eat at the Salt Lick, Maria's Taco Express, or many other fine establishments in this Texas city. So we postponed til the New Year.
Here's an update on how it's going so far.
January 1, 2010: Day 1
I completely forget about my pledge and eat bacon at New Year's Day brunch (so delicious!). Damn. I pledge to go meat free an extra day, because of my slip-up.
January 4, 2010: Day 3
I forget about my pledge, yet again, and have soup for lunch. Chicken gumbo. Damn.
January 5, 2010: Day 3
Hit the web for recipes and then do a big trip to the grocery store to stock up on meat-free items.
The vegetarian version is excellent, even if you aren't a vegetarian! Lots of produce and yummy grains.
I get a weekly email from American Public Media's Splendid Kitchen and Tori Ritchie's Tuesday Recipe.
I hate shopping in a grocery store I don't know, but I think I've finally figured out the H-E-B near work.
I attempted to "whip up" a few things last night. Problem is, while I can follow a recipe, it takes me forever. Prep time: 16 minutes. OR SO THEY CLAIM! I need to remember to DOUBLE the amount of time stated on the recipe, because that's how long it will take me.
Let's start with Emeril's Black Bean Cakes!Sounds delicious right?
First off, the prep is NOT 16 minutes. It's more like 30. When they put "two cans of rinsed black beans," I don't think they are factoring the can-opening and bean-rinsing into the recipe. Silly chefs.
First you saute some onions, then chop some parsley, rinse those dang beans, make an elaborate creole spice mixture, and on and on. The first problem: the bean mixture looks like poop.
Second problem: you have to shape this stuff into patties. Mm. Kinda gross. Then you fry 'em up. I don't know what I did wrong, but the patties looked like they were made of something besides beans, and the patties kind of fell apart in the pan. Whoops. I'm sparing you the pictures, and instead showing you my jar of cumin: mmmm, cumin.
They looked gross, but tasted delicious, especially with salsa and sour cream! Give it a try. Hope you have better luck than me.
Then, I couldn't help myself, and followed up with Chocolate Chip Meringues.
Delicious! Easy! Fast! (Even without a handmixer!) Highly recommended.
That's all for now. Happy 2010!
Have you tried 101cookbooks.com yet? I swear by this food blog/recipe collection. The author is an SF photographer/ I don't know what but takes really beautiful pictures of almost exclusively vegetarian and exclusively delicious food. While still a meat eater, I generally don't buy it nowadays because it's too stinkin' expensive to buy the kind of meat I consider responsible.
ReplyDeleteIronically enough, I have found that the key to meatless eating is not to be afraid of butter and cream :).
Good luck on your month and sorry if I'm bothering you with my relentless blog and facebook comments. We're in a slow cycle here at work, you see, which always means an uptick in my consumption of social media.
I love 101cookbooks! Heidi is great and so are her recipes. Great recommendation.
ReplyDeleteWhen my brother asked if I wanted to go meat free, I thought it would be a piece of cake. But then I realized how much meat I really do eat -- in soups and broths, turkey and salami on sandwiches, the occasional burger...
Incorporating more real vegetables will be the trick, I think, and eating more tofu (which I love anyway). And butter! Oh yes. Everything in moderation, right?
Keep the comments coming! Blogging is a lot more fun when I know people are reading.
so now that january is over, what have you decided?
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a "what I learned by being a vegetarian in Texas" post that I'll get up soon. In a nutshell: I liked it. Are you going vegetarian full-time? Or a la Michael Pollan (mostly vegetarian)?
ReplyDelete