For a little preview, here's the recipe I am going to renovate:
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
One Year
It's so hard to believe how time flies. My involvement with this blog has officially earned an anniversary: one year ago tonight, Liesl and I photographed a tasty vegan lasagna rolls recipe.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Rice Cookery
If all goes according to plan, next week will be the first post in my Makeover Monday series! However, until then, I wanted to share a tip with you. You can cook most grains in your rice cooker, including barley, quinoa, and orzo, and obviously rice. There are other things you can cook in there, too, those are just what I've had experience with. Happy rice cookery! If you try new things in your rice cooker, leave a comment below so we can all benefit from your experience. 😊
Friday, June 26, 2015
Makeover Monday: New Feature Coming Soon!!
I am so excited to announce that I will be starting to share some recipes (again) soon!
I'm going to take recipes that have meat or meat-containing ingredients and making them over into vegetarian and vegan versions.
It's going to be called Makeover Monday.
Look for it soon!
-B
I'm going to take recipes that have meat or meat-containing ingredients and making them over into vegetarian and vegan versions.
It's going to be called Makeover Monday.
Look for it soon!
-B
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Becca' s Buddha Bowls
I saw a pin the other day and was instantly and infinitely inspired by it.
One of the great things is: the pin is pretty open-ended, and I love those kind of recipes: the kind that say "these are the kinds of ingredients you need and this is how you assemble it....now go forth and create great food based on what you like to eat!" I LOVE that!
So based on that pin (which is easy to remember: half grains, half beans on the bottom, a rainbow of veggies, then seeds and/or nuts, and dressing of choice) I created these awesome Buddha-esque bowls. (These photographs were taken with my phone, and I don't have a photo for each step, but I got so excited about the deliciousness of the results that I couldn't not share them.)
I'll get into an actual recipe later, with amounts and processes, but these are the ingredients I used:
To save time, I cooked the Brussels sprouts and the asparagus in the same pot of water. They have similar flavors and they're both green, so why not.
I wish I would have been able to steam the veggies, but I didn't, so I improvised. :)
One of my favorite things about this: it doesn't take long to make. The most labor-intensive parts can be combined, for the most part. I also found myself using the same two pans for most of the recipe -- and I used the same colander. (The first part was due to me not wanting to dirty things up, and the second part was due to everything being thrown together anyway.)
Now for the recipe:
(Click here for a print-friendly version.)
Becca's Buddha Bowls
One of the great things is: the pin is pretty open-ended, and I love those kind of recipes: the kind that say "these are the kinds of ingredients you need and this is how you assemble it....now go forth and create great food based on what you like to eat!" I LOVE that!
So based on that pin (which is easy to remember: half grains, half beans on the bottom, a rainbow of veggies, then seeds and/or nuts, and dressing of choice) I created these awesome Buddha-esque bowls. (These photographs were taken with my phone, and I don't have a photo for each step, but I got so excited about the deliciousness of the results that I couldn't not share them.)
I'll get into an actual recipe later, with amounts and processes, but these are the ingredients I used:
- asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
- shredded beets
- frozen corn
- black beans
- orzo
- sunflower seeds
- Balsmic vinaigrette salad dressing
- Italian salad dressing
It ended up producing two generously-portioned bowls for lunches. (Well, one lunch and one dinner.) And it was chock-full of veggies and goodness and yummyness.
To save time, I cooked the Brussels sprouts and the asparagus in the same pot of water. They have similar flavors and they're both green, so why not.
Can we just have a moment of appreciation for the beauty of asparagus? It's one of my favorite veggies, and it's definitely one of the most photogenic. (Maybe that's just me?)
The results, before the addition of the sunflower seed kernels:
After the kernels and before the devouring:
One of my favorite things about this: it doesn't take long to make. The most labor-intensive parts can be combined, for the most part. I also found myself using the same two pans for most of the recipe -- and I used the same colander. (The first part was due to me not wanting to dirty things up, and the second part was due to everything being thrown together anyway.)
Now for the recipe:
(Click here for a print-friendly version.)
Becca's Buddha Bowls
The ingredient amounts listed were used to make 2 generous lunches. It should take about 30
minutes from start to finish for this awesome lunch or quick dinner.
You'll need:
|
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Day 18
January first was the day of my total transition, even though I have meat in my freezer still.
I knew if I kept putting that deadline on it, it would never happen. I'd keep choosing to eat healthy vegetarian meals and indulge every now and then in non-vegetarian meals, since that's what I had been doing for a few months. (And most of the time, my "indulgences" were bad choices from fast-food restaurants.)
I need to take the remaining meat and give it to a friend who mentioned she'd be willing to take it. While I don't support the treatment of animals in commercial farms -- and chances are the meat in my freezer came from commercial farms -- I also don't support waste. The animals lived, and died, and I don't want their sad lives to be wasted.
My decision has been met with interesting and differing reactions.
My partner, whom I mentioned a few posts ago, has waned and waxed. It seems he's only supportive of my vegetarianism when it doesn't impact him. We'll go out to eat somewhere and he'll ask, "Are you meat or no-meat tonight?" And when he comes to visit, cooking meals at home is interesting. Last night, we had Monte Cristo sandwiches -- he had traditional lunchmeat, I had Lightlife Smart Deli turkey-style meatless lunchmeat.
My mom seems to forget. When I was home for a visit the first weekend of the year, my dad was asking her, on speakerphone, what she wanted for dinner, she said, "Mac & cheese with hamburger." (And I know that her hamburger purchases are not consciously-sourced.) When I first told her about my decision, she was supportive, but like I said, it appears she has forgotten, or is treating it like it's a joke or part-time. We ended up having pizza that night: Jake & I splitting a cheese pie and my parents splitting a pepperoni one.
My supervisor is super-supportive. "I think it's so great, what you're doing, Becca," she'll say, nearly daily. One of the other ladies I work with said, "Oh, I was a vegetarian before. I stopped because of bacon." (As if that's the path I'm going to go down, too.) There were two coworkers of mine who were vegetarian, but since one of them decided to not come back from maternity leave, there's now only one other vegetarian besides me. There are also two self-identified pescetarians.
I must confess: most of what I've been eating these past two and a half weeks have included meat substitutions, like SmartGround from LightLife, which is amazing.
Some vegetarians don't support this, but I'm not sure why. It's textured vegetable protein (TVP), not ground meat from a short-lived animal who had limited-at-best outdoor exposure.
One of my favorite recipes that hasn't included just substituting meat-likes has been a breakfast beet scramble. (The pink hands are worth it!) I'm sure as I get farther into my new journey, I'll discover more dishes that are free of meat substitutions. (Couldn't one argue, though, that putting lentils, tofu, tempeh, seitan, or beans in a taco is a meat substitution when the eater had previously been eating tacos with meat in them?)
Making a life-change as huge as what one eats will force a comfort-zone boundary check.
I probably would have only considered dining at a meatless restaurant before, or only going with certain friends, but now I've fallen in love with them and want to go to more. (Tasty Harmony is the local restaurant I've been swooning over, and I've been advised to try Native Foods Cafe and Watercourse.)
Becoming a vegetarian has definitely forced me to be in the kitchen more, and I'm not complaining. I've needed this kick in the pants for a long time. (The last time I spent this much time in the kitchen was when Jake and I house-sat for my uncle, going on four years ago next month.) When (and if) I make the transition to veganism, I'll be spending MORE time in the kitchen. (I assume it's cheaper to make cashew and other nut-based cheese than to buy it?)
I love the fact that I can handle raw tofu with my hands and not have to rush to a sink to get rid of contaminants. Wonderful. (Same with the TVP. Love.)
I've fallen in love with jackfruit. (Thanks to Tasty Harmony's Nachos de Ynez.) I now have to scour Asian shops in this town until I find it.
I have a board on Pinterest about recipes I plan to renovate. They are recipes that include meat in them, and I'm going to remake them without meat. I'm going to stockpile the changes, and I may share some before Liesl makes her return. (We'll see!)
Thanks for keeping up with this. :)
I'll post more updates as they happen.
I knew if I kept putting that deadline on it, it would never happen. I'd keep choosing to eat healthy vegetarian meals and indulge every now and then in non-vegetarian meals, since that's what I had been doing for a few months. (And most of the time, my "indulgences" were bad choices from fast-food restaurants.)
I need to take the remaining meat and give it to a friend who mentioned she'd be willing to take it. While I don't support the treatment of animals in commercial farms -- and chances are the meat in my freezer came from commercial farms -- I also don't support waste. The animals lived, and died, and I don't want their sad lives to be wasted.
My decision has been met with interesting and differing reactions.
My partner, whom I mentioned a few posts ago, has waned and waxed. It seems he's only supportive of my vegetarianism when it doesn't impact him. We'll go out to eat somewhere and he'll ask, "Are you meat or no-meat tonight?" And when he comes to visit, cooking meals at home is interesting. Last night, we had Monte Cristo sandwiches -- he had traditional lunchmeat, I had Lightlife Smart Deli turkey-style meatless lunchmeat.
My mom seems to forget. When I was home for a visit the first weekend of the year, my dad was asking her, on speakerphone, what she wanted for dinner, she said, "Mac & cheese with hamburger." (And I know that her hamburger purchases are not consciously-sourced.) When I first told her about my decision, she was supportive, but like I said, it appears she has forgotten, or is treating it like it's a joke or part-time. We ended up having pizza that night: Jake & I splitting a cheese pie and my parents splitting a pepperoni one.
My supervisor is super-supportive. "I think it's so great, what you're doing, Becca," she'll say, nearly daily. One of the other ladies I work with said, "Oh, I was a vegetarian before. I stopped because of bacon." (As if that's the path I'm going to go down, too.) There were two coworkers of mine who were vegetarian, but since one of them decided to not come back from maternity leave, there's now only one other vegetarian besides me. There are also two self-identified pescetarians.
I must confess: most of what I've been eating these past two and a half weeks have included meat substitutions, like SmartGround from LightLife, which is amazing.
Some vegetarians don't support this, but I'm not sure why. It's textured vegetable protein (TVP), not ground meat from a short-lived animal who had limited-at-best outdoor exposure.
One of my favorite recipes that hasn't included just substituting meat-likes has been a breakfast beet scramble. (The pink hands are worth it!) I'm sure as I get farther into my new journey, I'll discover more dishes that are free of meat substitutions. (Couldn't one argue, though, that putting lentils, tofu, tempeh, seitan, or beans in a taco is a meat substitution when the eater had previously been eating tacos with meat in them?)
Making a life-change as huge as what one eats will force a comfort-zone boundary check.
I probably would have only considered dining at a meatless restaurant before, or only going with certain friends, but now I've fallen in love with them and want to go to more. (Tasty Harmony is the local restaurant I've been swooning over, and I've been advised to try Native Foods Cafe and Watercourse.)
Becoming a vegetarian has definitely forced me to be in the kitchen more, and I'm not complaining. I've needed this kick in the pants for a long time. (The last time I spent this much time in the kitchen was when Jake and I house-sat for my uncle, going on four years ago next month.) When (and if) I make the transition to veganism, I'll be spending MORE time in the kitchen. (I assume it's cheaper to make cashew and other nut-based cheese than to buy it?)
I love the fact that I can handle raw tofu with my hands and not have to rush to a sink to get rid of contaminants. Wonderful. (Same with the TVP. Love.)
I've fallen in love with jackfruit. (Thanks to Tasty Harmony's Nachos de Ynez.) I now have to scour Asian shops in this town until I find it.
I have a board on Pinterest about recipes I plan to renovate. They are recipes that include meat in them, and I'm going to remake them without meat. I'm going to stockpile the changes, and I may share some before Liesl makes her return. (We'll see!)
Thanks for keeping up with this. :)
I'll post more updates as they happen.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Conversion
SKIP TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU DON'T GIVE A RAT'S PA-TOOT ABOUT MY TRANSITION TO VEGETARIANISM, BUT WANT TO KNOW WHEN WE'LL GET BACK TO POSTING RECIPES
(This is the first in a forthcoming post-series about my decision, struggle, and transition to a vegetarian --eventually vegan -- diet.)
For many years of my life, and, indeed, up until recently, I was at the mercy of other people for food. Either they were buying it or they were cooking it, and if they were cooking it, I'd want to make sure that it was something that they were going to eat, too.
My romantic partner is a complete omnivore. He leans more in the direction of carnivore, but he does consume mac & cheese and potatoes of all different preparations, so calling him strictly a carnivore wouldn't be fair. (And yes, his aversion to all things green and yummy and vegetably has been discussed numerous times, as has my concern for his cholesterol level and eventual arterial plaque.) So, for the ten months that I was commuting between my hometown (Greeley) and my workplace (Ft Collins), he and I would go grocery shopping together and then he would cook the meals during the workweek. (Oftentimes on the weekends, too. Oops.) That meant every meal had something to do with meat (teriyaki steak and beef ramen, hot dogs and mac & cheese, spaghetti carbonara, etc.) and it didn't phase me much. It was just the way it was: a balanced diet with protein from animals and a serving of carbohydrates. Occasionally, I'd microwave a bag of frozen veggies. I hadn't known it any differently, as my parents were the same way when I was growing up; our inclusion of mealtime veggies was regular, though.
Then, in May, when I moved into my own apartment for the very first time, I was catapulted into the position of having to prepare my own meals. It wasn't a big deal: my involvement in the kitchen had been a point of contention for a while, so I was willing and able to do it.
For the next three months, I'd plan meals and go grocery shopping with the same mindset that I'd always had. Sometimes, I'd have to make a run to the store to get a few more days' worth of supplemental groceries. Money was tight; the price of meat was high. Sure, I'd get multiple meals out of that package of chicken, but I'd have to plunk more money down upfront. (I would actually spend time averaging out the cost per meal per package of meat before I'd put it in my cart.)
In my college biology course, the class discussed the energy exchanges. Of the 100% of the energy in plants, we get 10% as a secondary consumer.
We have more arable land in this country than any other single country in the world, but most of the crops we grow go towards animals.
A lot more fossil fuels are used in the raising, processing, and distributing of animal protein, and just by getting rid of beef, we reduce our carbon footprint.
And, of course, there are the horrible conditions that animals on commercial factory farms exist in.
So, I decided to eliminate any meat from my diet that came from a factory farm and eliminate any possibility of supporting animal cruelty, bad land-use practices, exorbitant fossil-fuel use, and wasting money. (Hello, black beans are 69c at Kroger! Good luck finding a sale on meat that's 69c per pound / serving! Even tuna is 79c or 89c.)
I am currently in the process of eating all of the meat (and meat-containing products) that is in my apartment and then I plan on not replacing it. I have decided that I will probably eventually become vegan, because dairy and eggs also help support factory farming and bad land-use practices. I have decided to take the conversion to veganism slowly, though, because eggs and cheese are so good. (I've already fallen in love with almond milk, so I don't think I'll have a problem eliminating dairy milk from my diet.)
Now, having said all of that, I will probably continue to eat meat on occasion, meaning if the animal or animal product was grown and / or harvested locally and is being sold at a farmer's market or is from someone that I know, then I will have little reason to not eat it. (It was taken care of, in the fresh air, and the crops that fed the animal were probably grown by the farmer and kept in silos on their land.) So, I'll still be an omnivore, but just selectively. :)
I am making it my mission to do some research in finding replacement recipes for the foods I will miss (buffalo wings and bacon come to mind right away) and I plan on sharing here what I find to be awesome substitutes.
And now: what about the recipes? The delicious, wonderful recipes?
Well, dear ones, we have encountered a snafu.
In early July, Liesl and I cooked a recipe for delicious vegan lasagna rolls. The photographs are done. They are posted. We're just waiting for Liesl's life to slow down enough for her to be able to write the recipe up. (She recently assumed a new job.) And, there's also a wait on for her to have enough time in her now-busier life for us to get together and make more wonderful recipes.
So, patience, dear hearts: the recipes are returning. We're not sure when at this point, but I'm hoping soon. (This is, of course, me speaking about a schedule which I do not have any experience with, so I could be completely off in left field. I hear it's quite lovely.)
xx,
Becca
(This is the first in a forthcoming post-series about my decision, struggle, and transition to a vegetarian --eventually vegan -- diet.)
For many years of my life, and, indeed, up until recently, I was at the mercy of other people for food. Either they were buying it or they were cooking it, and if they were cooking it, I'd want to make sure that it was something that they were going to eat, too.
My romantic partner is a complete omnivore. He leans more in the direction of carnivore, but he does consume mac & cheese and potatoes of all different preparations, so calling him strictly a carnivore wouldn't be fair. (And yes, his aversion to all things green and yummy and vegetably has been discussed numerous times, as has my concern for his cholesterol level and eventual arterial plaque.) So, for the ten months that I was commuting between my hometown (Greeley) and my workplace (Ft Collins), he and I would go grocery shopping together and then he would cook the meals during the workweek. (Oftentimes on the weekends, too. Oops.) That meant every meal had something to do with meat (teriyaki steak and beef ramen, hot dogs and mac & cheese, spaghetti carbonara, etc.) and it didn't phase me much. It was just the way it was: a balanced diet with protein from animals and a serving of carbohydrates. Occasionally, I'd microwave a bag of frozen veggies. I hadn't known it any differently, as my parents were the same way when I was growing up; our inclusion of mealtime veggies was regular, though.
Then, in May, when I moved into my own apartment for the very first time, I was catapulted into the position of having to prepare my own meals. It wasn't a big deal: my involvement in the kitchen had been a point of contention for a while, so I was willing and able to do it.
For the next three months, I'd plan meals and go grocery shopping with the same mindset that I'd always had. Sometimes, I'd have to make a run to the store to get a few more days' worth of supplemental groceries. Money was tight; the price of meat was high. Sure, I'd get multiple meals out of that package of chicken, but I'd have to plunk more money down upfront. (I would actually spend time averaging out the cost per meal per package of meat before I'd put it in my cart.)
In my college biology course, the class discussed the energy exchanges. Of the 100% of the energy in plants, we get 10% as a secondary consumer.
We have more arable land in this country than any other single country in the world, but most of the crops we grow go towards animals.
A lot more fossil fuels are used in the raising, processing, and distributing of animal protein, and just by getting rid of beef, we reduce our carbon footprint.
And, of course, there are the horrible conditions that animals on commercial factory farms exist in.
So, I decided to eliminate any meat from my diet that came from a factory farm and eliminate any possibility of supporting animal cruelty, bad land-use practices, exorbitant fossil-fuel use, and wasting money. (Hello, black beans are 69c at Kroger! Good luck finding a sale on meat that's 69c per pound / serving! Even tuna is 79c or 89c.)
I am currently in the process of eating all of the meat (and meat-containing products) that is in my apartment and then I plan on not replacing it. I have decided that I will probably eventually become vegan, because dairy and eggs also help support factory farming and bad land-use practices. I have decided to take the conversion to veganism slowly, though, because eggs and cheese are so good. (I've already fallen in love with almond milk, so I don't think I'll have a problem eliminating dairy milk from my diet.)
Now, having said all of that, I will probably continue to eat meat on occasion, meaning if the animal or animal product was grown and / or harvested locally and is being sold at a farmer's market or is from someone that I know, then I will have little reason to not eat it. (It was taken care of, in the fresh air, and the crops that fed the animal were probably grown by the farmer and kept in silos on their land.) So, I'll still be an omnivore, but just selectively. :)
I am making it my mission to do some research in finding replacement recipes for the foods I will miss (buffalo wings and bacon come to mind right away) and I plan on sharing here what I find to be awesome substitutes.
And now: what about the recipes? The delicious, wonderful recipes?
Well, dear ones, we have encountered a snafu.
In early July, Liesl and I cooked a recipe for delicious vegan lasagna rolls. The photographs are done. They are posted. We're just waiting for Liesl's life to slow down enough for her to be able to write the recipe up. (She recently assumed a new job.) And, there's also a wait on for her to have enough time in her now-busier life for us to get together and make more wonderful recipes.
So, patience, dear hearts: the recipes are returning. We're not sure when at this point, but I'm hoping soon. (This is, of course, me speaking about a schedule which I do not have any experience with, so I could be completely off in left field. I hear it's quite lovely.)
xx,
Becca
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)