a recipe and Hello From New. Semi-Veg.

[Guest guest]

I have been lurking for a few days and am just now getting the chance to post. I

am a semi-vegetarian who is always looking for new ways to cook vegetables. I

still eat meat, but mostly prefer vegetables, beans and fruit. I try to keep the

grains and oils down.

 

I was just thinking -- I remember way back when, when vegetarians ate fish. Am I

just imagining things, was this a fallacy or something that people who thought

they were vegetarians proclaimed, or is this true? I take note now that

vegetarians are strictly no-meat-eaters. Sorry if that is a dumb question.

 

Although I am not a strict vegetarian (but my current foray into vegan-land for

6 weeks has taught me a lot), I am looking forward to using the recipes here to

spice it up a bit. My family is usually ok with the mostly-vegetarian meal plan

we have at home, so I am lucky in that respect.

 

As I mentioned, we have been vegan for 3 weeks now and it is very interesting. I

may not remain in this state after 3 more weeks, but I can say that I am more

aware of eating habits than ever. BTW, not just vegan, but strict on oils, fats

and grains, I think some call it " nutritarian " (sp?)-- it has been tough! This

is just one more push towards being vegetarian.

 

As I do not know how to (if we can) post a recipe in the recipe files, here is

my favorite at the moment.

 

 

 

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa

 

1 can black beans

1 can chopped tomatoes (w/green chilies, if desired)

1c chopped green pepper

1/2c chopped red onion

2T cider vinegar

1T EVOO

3-4t cilantro*, or to taste

2t minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

spiciness, to taste (jalapeno, red pepper flakes, etc.)

1c frozen or fresh corn

 

Mix all ingredients together, except corn.

 

Put corn in a shallow baking dish or jelly roll pan. Spray lightly with olive

oil or olive oil cooking spray. Roast under the broiler, stirring often, until

browned. Watch carefully, it will brown quickly! Frozen will take longer than

fresh, of course.

 

* I use Dorot frozen cilantro, which are measured by 1t cubes. They also sell

garlic that way. (Trader Joe's) You can use the tube stuff or fresh, as well.

 

I hope I didn't forget anything. I always forget, since I never measure or write

down a recipe.

 

Happy Cooking (veggies)!

[Guest guest]

Congratulations Dawn,

It's a beginning.

Many Vegetarians and Vegans start out just as you are doing. Being a Vegetarian

or Vegan is a lifestyle(not a diet). And it is a lifestyle that you choose. You

don't *give up or punish yourself in any way.* You just replace flesh with so

many wonderful fruits and veggies that you have no room for meat.

Welcome and happy cooking to you too.

Deanna in Colorado

************************************************

" Dawn " <radzieus wrote:

> I have been lurking for a few days and am just now getting the chance to post.

I am a semi-vegetarian

[Guest guest]

[Default] On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:28:03 -0000, " genny_y2k "

<genny_y2k wrote:

 

>You just replace flesh with so many wonderful fruits and veggies that you have

no room for meat.

 

 

So true. I don't think I was planning to be vegetarian when I joined

this group. I had given up red meat for health reasons, and I thought

I'd probably just go on that way, but in the meantime, I'd enjoy the

recipes here. When I began to experiment with vegetarian foods, I made

some discoveries that changed my mind.

 

My first discovery was that you can make or buy good meat substitutes -

tofu, tvp, seitan - and that you can adapt many of your favorite recipes

using those substitutes.

 

My second discover was that if I cooked a vegetarian dish for dinner

four nights a week, I didn't want or need meat. If I extended that to

five, six, seven nights a week.... It was so exciting to me to learn to

cook with all these new ingredients and to enjoy new flavors - along

with the old favorites I didn't have to " give up, " like tacos (with tvp)

or stews (with seitan) or scrambled " eggs " (with tofu - I found that

the decision to be vegetarian was part of a natural process.

 

My third discovery was that you can eat very inexpensively without meat.

TVP is much less costly than the equivalent in meat, and seitan, made at

home, is also very cheap if you buy the vital wheat gluten in bulk from

a place like Pleasant Hill Grain. Tofu, everybody knows. is much less

expensive than meat. All three of those high protein foods are also very

low in fats and calories compared to meat. And I haven't even mentioned

beans and lentils!

 

So my fourth discovery was that by eating a " healthy " vegetarian diet

-that is, one rich in vegetables, , legumes, whole grains and fruits,

and low in fats -you could even lose weight without feeling hungry.

 

Mary

[Guest guest]

There are many non-vegetarians here. I became a vegetarian gradually, not

intending to at first. I just wanted to eat a little healthier. I started

twice a week and within a year became vegetarian because I lost my taste for

meat. I am not vegan yet but consumming much less dairy and eggs now. If you

only eat one vegetarian meal a week you are using less water and fuel as well as

benefitting your health. Don't get hung up on what to call your lifestyle/diet.

There are many good recipes here. Enjoy!

 

Deb in Idaho

[Guest guest]

I believe those who eat a vegetarian diet + fish are called pescatarian.

 

I am a new vegan, since the first of the year, although I have had short

forays into vegetarianism and even veganism (85% raw) in the past. I feel

SO good without meat. I thought dairy would be difficult, but it hasn't.

 

I know there are " radical " vegans and vegetarians (I had another vegan tell

me if I went vegan for health reasons, I really wasn't vegan - whatever),

but in my opinion, any moves one makes to improve their diet in any way is

fine by me!

 

My family is still eating meat and I alternate a meat meal (adapting the

dish and taking some out for me pre-meat or me eating something else) and a

vegan meal (which generally disappears without leftovers, oddly enough).

The leftover meat is tending to stay in the fridge. Vegan leftovers (if

there are any) are disappearing! Weird!

 

Your salsa recipe looks yummy - I'm going to try it!

 

Welcome!

 

Ginger