I learn something new everyday.....

So during my time of being a vegetarian, I've learned a lot about the food we buy that is 'considered' to be humane or vegetarian.  Some of it was shocking to find out.  Here are some key products that flew under my radar until recently.....

• For the longest time, I never knew there was such a things as "Vegetarian Cheese."  Some cheeses are made with an ingredient from the stomachs of slaughtered calves and vegetarian cheese uses vegetable-derived rennet. Every supermarket now stocks at least one kind of vegetarian cheese, and many of the more unusual varieties such as Stilton and Brie are also now available in vegetarian versions. 
• A Fruitarian exists! — A person who follows a vegan diet, but only eats foods that don’t kill the plant.  For example, picking apples does not kill the tree, but you cannot have carrots without killing the plant. Wow - I thought I made this term up years ago when I was just goofing around! I used to say that  "At least animals can run & roam......vegetables roots are shackles to the ground....."  Looks like some people out there really believe that.  Huh.   
• Cage Free vs Free Range - “Free Range,” “Cage Free,” “Organic”…what does it all mean? Marketing labels are perhaps the most confusing part of this whole “eating humanely/healthy” game. So what do the various terms you see on the packages mean?

1. Conventional (i.e., no special label) – Typically less than half a square foot of space per hen, giving not even enough room to spread their wings. 
2. Cage Free – As it says, the hens are able to move about inside a barn without being confined to cages. A better life, but not optimal as parts of beaks are often burned to prevent pecking at themselves and others (a sign of distress, by the way).
3. Free Range – Implies chickens on lush green pastures. Actually is not a regulated term for eggs so this can be used by absolutely anyone. Really all that’s needed is a door to the outside that gives the chickens “access” to an outdoor area, whether they actually use it or not. This is a meaningless term.
4. Organic – This means the hens were fed organic feed, whatever that feed consists of. I think it also means no animal by-products in the feed.
5. Vegetarian – The hen is fed a vegetarian feed. I only mention this to point out that chickens are omnivores, not vegetarians, and will naturally eat bugs, grubs, etc. This term is used to imply “healthier” in our anti-meat culture.

As you can see, few of the terms on the egg carton actually mean a whole lot. Other than “organic” and “vegetarian,” it’s pretty useless. But there’s one more term that actually means what you want it to mean. “Pastured” means the chickens were raised on pasture, with access to the sun, grass, bugs, and possibly supplemented with grains and other feed.  That's what I'm gonna keep my eyes open for from now on!

Ok!  Now for the fun stuff - the recipes!!!

I've made a bunch of new things I'm excited about!!  The first is yogurt, which I've been making for years now.  When I was pregnant, I started getting serious migraines anytime I ate what I narrowed down to, yogurt.  After lots of investigating,  I concluded that it was the amount of live active cultures in it that was triggering my headaches.  So I started making my own which is super easy & sooo much better than what you'd get at the store.  Plus then you can flavor it with whatever you'd like!  I have a yogurt maker (it's relatively inexpensive - check it out - my yogurt maker) and saves $$ in the long run - especially if you buy organic yogurt. However, you can make yogurt without a special "maker."  You just need the right tools.  Here is a great resource for how to make yogurt with things you have around your kitchen (including using a microwave!)  Yogurt Making Tips

Homemade Yogurt Recipe

4 cups of fresh, organic 2% milk (You can use skim or 1% as well)
1/3 cup of powdered milk
1/2 cup organic yogurt (this will be your starter - I use greek yogurt since it has less cultures. Once you have your batch of yogurt made, make sure to save some to use as a starter next time or you can use a yogurt starter like "Yogourmet."

Making yogurt begins with milk. I buy organic milk that is fresh as possible. Slowly heat the milk on the stove over low-medium heat.

this point you can choose to add powdered milk. Powdered milk creates thicker yogurt that takes less time to ferment. It's optional if you are using whole milk or two percent. Some skim and one percent milk include added milk proteins which make the product taste less watery and will behave the same way as if you added powdered milk.

For your first batch use two-percent milk plus 1/3 cup of powdered milk. This combination of milk with the powder will produce a delicious, basic yogurt.

The most tedious thing about making yogurt is watching the milk get hot. You need it to hit 170 degrees, but not have it boil. So you want to pay attention to the pot and have a thermometer at hand. Once you've hit the target temperature, remove from heat and then wait for the milk to cool. Unless you put the pot in the refrigerator it will take some time to cool to 108-112 degrees.

If you are using existing yogurt as a starter, have it handy in a cup. When the milk is cooled to the proper temperature, mix a small amount it in with the yogurt. This will break up the yogurt and makes blending it with the rest of the milk easier. Once you add the starter, the milk can be placed in the pre-heated yogurt maker for four to eight hours. Refrigerate before serving. Makes one quart.  Enjoy!

 VEGETARIAN KORMA

This was by far one of the best dishes I've made in a long time.  Indian can be tricky to get right at home but, this recipe is a keeper.  After a few tweaks, I made it my own and made it DELICIOUS!  My brother (a carnivore ;-) and his daughter were over and he loved it too!! 

I am listing the original recipe but included my changes below......

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 4 carrots, cubed
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (I omitted)
• 3 tablespoons ground unsalted cashews
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce (I used 8 oz)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used coconut milk)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. (This took about 20-25 minutes for me.....)
2. Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice.

I had to use a full 8oz can of tomato sauce or it got too dry & also used 8 oz of vegetable broth while the potato mixture cooked.   I also left out the jalapeno and used coconut milk instead of cream and added some garam masala (about a teaspon).  I served it over brown basmati rice.  Will definitely make this one again and next time I'll throw in some sweet potatoes and cauliflower :-)

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "By far the best curry dish I've ever made.  Awesome."

Amanda: "Kormatastic!!" (I don't make these up - she really says stuff like this....lol)

30 Days Later........

annnnd Amanda has chosen to go meat-free for good!!! 

When I told her that today was her 1 month vegetarian anniversary, she couldn't believe it!  She said, "In that case, this is EASY!"  That was so wonderful to hear!!  So from time to time, I'll continue stories about our journey, recipes we love, and info I find useful. 

The most common question I've gotten lately is why Amanda decided go become a vegetarian.  I've never believed that it was my place to force my values as it's a highly personal and individual decision to make. But in a survey I recently read, it said that the majority of people  gave up meat and fish because they did not morally approve of killing animals, or because they objected to the ways in which animals are kept, treated and killed for food. 

With the growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fiber diet recommended by dieticians and doctors. Concern about the environment is another factor as people become more aware of the effect raising animals for their meat is having on the environment. Or you may be concerned about wasting world food resources by using land to raise animals for meat instead of growing crops that can feed more people directly.

Someone asked me what it meant that we were vegetarian now.  They thought we didn't eat any dairy either.  That got me thinking of the many differences there are in the meat-free spectrum.  Here's some info on vegetarianism that explains the differences a little more.........

For much of the world, vegetarianism is largely a matter of economics: Meat costs a lot more than, say, beans or rice, so meat becomes a special-occasion dish (if it's eaten at all). Even where meat is more plentiful, it's still used in moderation, often providing a side note to a meal rather than taking center stage.

In countries like the United States where meat is not as expensive, though, people choose to be vegetarians for reasons other than cost. Parental preferences, religious or other beliefs, and health issues are among the most common reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian. Many people choose a vegetarian diet out of concern over animal rights or the environment. And lots of people have more than one reason for choosing vegetarianism.

Vegetarian and Semi-Vegetarian Diets

Different people follow different forms of vegetarianism. A true vegetarian eats no meat at all, including chicken and fish. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but excludes meat, fish, and poultry. It follows, then, that a lacto vegetarian eats dairy products but not eggs, whereas an ovo vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy products.

A stricter form of vegetarianism is veganism (pronounced: vee-gun-izm). Not only are eggs and dairy products excluded from a vegan diet, so are animal products like honey and gelatin.  Or avoids lanolin, beeswax & carmine in bath & beauty products....like Lotions & Potions!

So we officially have a vegetarian family!!  Here are two of our favorite recipes from the past month.  I'll post some more of our favorites soon!!  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Paella
Having never tried paella, I think it turned out quite yummy! 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 8 vine-ripened plum tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 large bulb fennel, cut into 8 wedges (I left this out)
• 8 baby artichokes, trimmed and halved (I used canned)
• 1 large Japanese eggplant, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups short-grain paella rice
• 4 ounces string beans, halved if large
• 1/4 cup capers, drained
• 1/4 cup piquillo or roasted red peppers, cut into strips
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Core the tomatoes, cut into wedges and place in a medium bowl; season with salt, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss. Set aside.
2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or a paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the     onion, garlic, paprika, cayenne and saffron and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the fennel wedges and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the fennel and add the baby artichokes and eggplant to the skillet; cook until slightly tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. 
4. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by about one-third. Stir in the rice and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt; add just enough water to cover the rice completely, 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Increase the heat to high and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Scatter the green beans and 2 tablespoons capers over the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the tomatoes on top; drizzle with any tomato juices.
6. Transfer the paella to the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons capers and the peppers over the paella. Turn off the oven but leave the paella inside to continue cooking until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 more minutes. Garnish with parsley, if you'd like! 

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "The recipe is enough to feed an army. It works great on it's own. It's incredibly flavorful (as long as you remember to season with each added layer of vegetable) and a great way to get even your kids to eat veggies!"

"Amanda: "Pie-YAY-uh!!"

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos
We've been making these for a long time and
they're absolutely delicious!

• 5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
• 3-1/2 cups diced onions
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh green chile (I left this out)
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
• 2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
• 1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 eight-inch flour tortillas
• Fresh tomato salsa or jarred (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic & chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, sprinkle some cheese on top, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa &/or sour cream.  

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "I'm pretty sure that if you left the coriander leaves out, the sweet potato mixture would be good for freezing if you have leftovers or make up extra on purpose. Amanda loves to take them to work for lunch.  It's also a great meal to make for friends as you can make it way ahead and just heat them up in the oven." 

Amanda: "I love these - oldies but godies!!"