happy phantom

[widget_alley]

So, I've decided to try, at least, being vegetarian for a while, since non-organic meat seems to be a major factor in my chronic headaches, and I'd like to do without those as much as possible, particularly in college. Well, vegetarian isn't quite the right word: I'll still eat free-range eggs and organic meat (when it's available), and milk

Comments

[meepeek]

Eating beans & rice in the same meal will give you protein.

For myself, I like Mexican food, with or without meat. Problem is, you didn't mention whether you were cutting out cheese as well. You could do a bean & rice burro, but it's so much better with cheese. :)

Good luck.

[widget_alley]

Oh my God, I could never in a million years give up cheese. Cheese is the end all, be all of my life. I will always, always have an illicit, passionate affair with cheese. Me/Cheese OTP!!!!111

Er, anyway, no, I'm not giving up cheese, and thank you-- Mexican is a kickass way to get bean-tastic protein, I hadn't thought of that.

[meepeek]

Seriously, add the rice in, or have it on the side. There's some.. enzyme?..that makes each of them an incomplete protein, but together they work. (As per norm, Den could tell you more. I'm good at remembering ~what~ to do, or not do, but he remembers ~why~. I'm lucky I remember anything about it at all. *snicker*)

[watersheep]

I thought it was Liza/Showers OTP!!!!!!!1111111!!!

[inblackink]

Hey there. I highly recommend anything by Mollie Katzen - The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Vegetable Heaven and Sunlight Cafe are my favorites, especially Sunlight Cafe, since I'm a big breakfast person.

If you can stand to ween yourself off meat, rather than going cold turkey (no pun), it might be a little easier for you, too.

Sneak as many vegetables as you can into things, too. Never make tomato sauce when you can make it primavera. If there's a veggie you don't particularly like the taste or texture of, it's easy to disguise it in sauce. Just chop it up as small as possible and you'll never notice it's there.

Also check out 101 Cookbooks/. She's a vegetarian, and is very into local, fresh produce. Her list of links should be a good jumping off point, too.

Enjoy! :)

[kalohalo]

We've been doing pretty much the same regime at home for a while - I've developed a sort of aversion to meat, ("Errr, this was alive!") and my family have been pretty accomodating. I now basically live off pasta and rice. Lentil chilli is lovely, and so is vegetable lasagne (but avoid putting aubergines in it). Making your own soup is always fun, albeit time consuming and messy. Roast peppers filled with rice, or tomato and cheese. Build up a stock of salad dressings, to make salad-eating a little less dull.

The most awful thing to give up, for me, was roast dinner. In fact, I haven't. I just kicked up a fuss about the animals being free-range, organgic, happy animals before they got killed for my appetite.

[meepeek]

Oh, yeah. There are some great Greek recipes that are either meatless, or can be made that way. Spanikopita (misspelled, I just know it) is basically spinach quiche. Stuffed grape leaves can be made without the meat part of the filling, etc., etc. (And hey, if you like licorice, ouzo is a great liqueur.)

Oh.. try any of the Quorn products (did I say this already?) The tenders are great, the crumbles replace ground meat wonderfully, and the hot dogs are tolerable. (Quorn=some sort of fungus. Happy, shiny fungus that can be seasoned to taste like most any meat they want it to taste like.) IMO, Quorn is ~much~ better than tofu.

Indian food also has a number of vegetarian options - there are many delicious lentil dishes, as well as chickpea and a number of other veggie options. And, of course, Italian.

[vervassal]

Burritos!

-Flour tortillas, refried vegetarian beans, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. Heat up the tortillas and the beans, grate the cheese, and wrap everything up. Joy.

[widget_alley]

Oh, man, these are the best things ever. I'm waiting for our tomatoes to ripen with wild anticipation.